Category Archives: Social issues

Lifestyle Medicine—The Six Pillars of Health

Lifestyle Medicine—The Six Pillars of Health

By Dr. Charlie Ross, Oregon

One of the youngest specialties in medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, places emphasis on the root causes of our chronic illnesses.

The Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine are:

  1. What we eat
  2. How we move throughout the day
  3. The chemicals we choose to consume
  4. How we deal with stress
  5. How we sleep  
  6. Our social connections

Of all premature deaths, 40% are attributable to these three factors: tobacco use, poor diet, and alcohol consumption

  1. Tobacco Use: 18.1% (About one in seven people still smoke.)
  2. Poor diet and physical activity: 16.6% (About three out of four people eat too little fruits and vegetables, and about four out of five people do not get enough exercise.)
  3. Alcohol consumption: 2.5%

Let’s explore how to focus more attention on the root causes of what brings us health or what leads to disease.

  1. What We Eat:  Looking around the world (especially, in the Blue Zones, where people are the healthiest and live the longest) the evidence points to eating a more unprocessed whole plant food diet as the healthiest choice. The healthiest diets incorporate fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and some nuts and seeds. Fiber in the food that allows our good bacteria (in our microbiome) to produce chemicals like butyrate (which decreases inflammation) and serotonin (that reduces anxiety and depression).

Did you know that FIBER is only found in plant foods? There is no fiber in animal foods. So, increasing the amount of whole plant foods in your diet will add to your overall health. To help you understand better the food choices and how to get a variety of plant foods in your diet, you might want to download the free app “Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen” on your smartphone. Or you might choose to do the free “21-day Vegan kickstart” program suggested by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, PCRM. (Visit: www.pcrm.org).
The best evidence-based book is How Not To Die, by Michael Greger MD.

  1. How We Move Throughout the Day—or the lack of physical activity—is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. There are several types of exercises for us to consider:
    • Aerobic/endurance exercise (large muscles movement for sustained period)—lowers risk of all-cause mortality
    • Strength or resistance exercise—muscles contract against an external resistance—with the goal of increasing lean body mass and muscle strength and endurance
    • Flexibility exercise—range of motion that is possible at a joint
    • Balance exercises—static and/or dynamic exercises—decrease in falls and injuries like fractures

Any amount of activity is better than no activity. A physically active person engages in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Moderate exercise elevates your heart rate but allows you to comfortably talk whereas vigorous exercise makes it difficult for you to speak more than a few words at a time due to increased breathing effort. Sitting for prolonged periods of time leads to lessening of life expectancy. Keep your sitting times no longer than 50 to 60 minutes without a five-minute movement break. An excellent resource book on the benefits of exercise is: Spark, by John Ratey MD.

  1. The Chemicals We Choose to Consume: Tobacco, alcohol, and street drugs continue to take a toll on our health. Prescription drugs, like opioids and side effects from other prescription drugs also exact a toll. Toxins from the not-regulated supplements and even plastic material (endocrine disruptors) found in foods like fish are potentially health damagers. The book Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, by Michael Moss is a good read to help your understanding about why we choose what we choose.
  2. How We Deal with Stress: Stress can be helpful (if not overwhelming) or harmful. A stressor is a situation, circumstance, or stimulus that is perceived to be a threat. This threat alters homeostasis in the body.
    Categories of stressors: There are four types of streesors.

    Psychological: thoughts, beliefs, or perceptions;
    Physiological: illness, infection, disease, or hunger
    Social: major life changes, personal conflicts, or financial insecurity
    Bio-ecological: weather, pollution, food additives, or chemicals

  • Health effects of chronic stress: Impaired immune function, inflammation, decreased bone density, problems with memory, increased appetite, weight gain, abdominal fat deposition, insulin resistance, increased glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides, increased blood clotting, Impaired wound healing, poor sleep, pain and fatigue, poor mood, adoption of less healthy habits, decreased longevity (telomere shortening), and etiology of many chronic diseases, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
  • How to Manage the Pathological Stress Response:
  • Breathing tools: Lengthening exhale breath, Abdominal breathing
  • Movement: Physical fitness, yoga, Tai chi, Qigong
  • Meditation
  • Connecting with Nature
  • Self-expression: Playing a musical instrument, singing, creating art, or dancing
  • Community Engagement: Volunteering for meaningful causes, quality time with family and friends, spiritual or religious activities
  • Reading self-help books and websites
  • Massage
  • Listening to music
  • Light therapy
  • Mental health and Nutrition: Fried foods, refined grains, and sugary products are associated with increased rates of major depression and anxiety disorders, A plant-based dietary pattern with no meat, fish, or eggs in a randomized, controlled trial showed a significant improvement in depression symptoms in just two weeks. Fruit and vegetable consumption has been associated with improvement in depression, anxiety, higher productivity, and higher optimism.
    A wonderful resource book to get started in this area is: The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living, by Amit Sood MD

5. How we sleep: Average sleep is 7 hours a day, but 20% adults sleep less than 6 hours. Short sleep duration has increased in all age groups. 60 million people in U.S. have frequent difficulty sleeping (but only 10% seek professional help)

  • Indirect costs of Insomnia: Presenteeism (people at work but not productive), Increased risk of long term disability, Mistakes, errors, and accidents
  • There is no recognized objective test for how much sleep a person needs
  • Healthy sleep duration and quality as well as circadian physiology promote improved health; Lower cortisol and glucose levels, greater insulin sensitivity, higher daytime leptin and reduced food-seeking behaviors, lower sympathetic tone, greater nighttime peripheral perfusion, increased stamina and faster cardiovascular recovery time.
    A Recommended Resource: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD is a very good book resource on this topic.

6. Our Social Connections: A Harvard study concluded that our relationships matter! Our relationships and how happy we are in those relationships has a powerful influence on our health. Taking care of your body is important but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care also. Childhood nurturing plays a significant role in midlife thriving. Marital happiness and social connectedness moderate our health and happiness.

  • Social Networks: Being part of a social network improves longevity
  • Positive Psychology Interventions
    Counting our blessings everyday (e.g. thinking of three things you are thankful for)
    Expressing gratitude and appreciation (e.g. what challenges did you manage this week?)
    Savoring the pleasant things in life (e.g. taking five minutes a day to savor a particular activity)
    Writing down how we want to be remembered (I want people to remember me for…)
    Connecting and interacting with others regularly in person, not solely or mainly through social media (Belonging to family, social groups, sport groups, spiritual groups, etc.)
    Regularly practicing acts of kindness (how do you feel afterward?)
    Doing activities that feel meaningful (Reflect on what makes this activity meaningful)
    Thinking of one’s happiest days frequently (Look at photos and think about emotions experienced)
    A Recommended Resource:
    Together by Vivek Murthy MD is one of the best reads on social connection.

If you have an interest in learning more about any of the above these six pillars of health, feel free to connect with me at cataniaross@msn.com. I am retired medical practitioner, and I do not charge to help you along on your journey toward improved health.

Wishing you the very best of health to you in 2025 and beyond,

By Charlie Ross DO, DipABLM. Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Osteopathic Medical Practitioner. Website:  www.livelifestylemedicine.com

HHR’s 2024 Essay, Art & Multimedia Contest Winners

Hindus for Human Rights and Skipping Stones announce the
2024 Essay, Art & Multimedia Contest Winners!

This year’s contest invited students in grades 6-12 to explore the inspiring traditions of peacemaking in South Asia and its diaspora. We asked young writers and artists to reflect on the question, “As a South Asian, what traditions of peacemaking do you find inspiring?”

Violence and conflict have long been a part of South Asian and South Asian diaspora history, literature, and storytelling, but so have different versions of peacemaking. The contest invited students to take inspiration from any South Asian history, literature, poetry, peace activists, or peace movements that focus on concepts or ways to address peace, justice, and democracy.

The contest received a diverse array of essays, artwork, and multimedia submissions showcasing a wide range of South Asian histories, movements, and traditions that advocate for harmony, justice, and democracy. These submissions were heartfelt, creative, and thought-provoking, demonstrating the power of young voices in envisioning a more peaceful world.

Our Hearty Congratulations to all the winners!

Essay Winners:
* 1st Place: “With Andal Comes Grace” by Lekha Kolli, grade 12, Virginia.
* 2nd Place: Anti-Sikh Riots and Ongoing Traditions of Peacemaking by Ira Tiwari, grade 11, Illinois.
* 3rd Place: “South Asian Peace Through the Millennia” by Jacob Sajan, grade 11, Arizona.

Art & Multimedia Winners:
* 1st Place: Narrated Bharatanatyam Performance by Deekshitha Jayaprakash, grade, 11 Minnesota. (Please click on the link to view the performance!)
* 2nd Place: Flowers of Peace Illustration by Aniya Taneja, grade 12, Massachusetts.
* 2nd Place: Bangladesh Protests by Eshita Lahiry, grade 11, Louisiana.
* 3rd Place: Drawing inspired by the 10,000 for World Peace Assembly by Diya Lane, grade 12, California.

Download the Winning Entries (This is a 5 MB file) by clicking here!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Power of Veganism

The Power of Veganism: On the Vegan Way of Living

By Prof. Joanne Kong, author and speaker, Virginia

This is a slightly condensed transcript of a powerful presentation made by author and speaker, Joanne Kong, to a gathering of Eugene Veg Education Network (EVEN) on May 24, 2024.

Prof. Joanne Kong with Olive, at River’s Wish Animal Sanctuary in Spokane, Washington

We are dealing with many challenges at present. Some of them affect our very existence—climate change and its effects all around us—increasing numbers of catastrophic weather events, rising temperatures, losses in the natural world, and the looming danger of rising sea levels. And with the COVID-19 pandemic (that we went through for a few years), out of necessity, drastic changes to our daily habits and livelihoods caused us to re-examine the ways in which we interact with others. We still live under social tensions, racial divisions and harmful political divisiveness. No wonder we feel powerless; unable to change these circumstances. We feel as if the problems are too big for us to solve, and that we can’t make a difference.

How do we heal the world? How do we rise above these serious problems, and find strength, as well as inner peace?

I believe that we have arrived at crossroads in our lives, where the choices we make WILL determine our shared destiny. I’m not minimizing or discounting humankind’s extraordinary achievements. But I want to say that the threats to our sustainability are very real, and affect many spheres of our existence—physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, and also our Earth, and other beings with whom we share this planet.

I suggest that a VEGAN lifestyle offers a way to heal.

Food We Eat:

Plant-based eating has been identified as a definite, top trend in recent years. That’s evident in just a casual trip to the grocery store! Veganism is one of the fastest-growing movements today. While physical health is certainly a primary reason why many people decide to go plant-based, I want to point out that veganism has unique power to impact so many aspects of our lives. I hope that you will gain deeper insights into your own values and what are some of the influences that have shaped your food choices, whether you consume animals or not. I wish to discuss aspects of our food consumption in relation to the Natural World, Our Perceptions in Regards to other animals, our own Physical Health, and the State of our Mindfulness and Spirituality.

Over the course of humanity’s existence, there has emerged a growing loss, of the sense of just how deeply connected we are to the natural world. COVID-19 was like a spiritual “alarm bell” that we have reached a state of disconnection, with human influence reaching its point of greatest damage upon the planet. The growing risk of zoonotic diseases is directly linked to the widespread environmental damage caused by us human beings, which has brought us into increased contact with wildlife. As David Quammen, author of Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Pandemic, writes: “We invade tropical forests and other wild landscapes, which harbor so many species of animals and plants—and within those creatures, SO many unknown viruses…. We disrupt ecosystems, and we shake viruses loose from their natural hosts. When that happens, they need a new host. Often, we are it.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci says: “It boggles my mind, how when we have so many diseases that emanate out of that unusual human-to-animal interface, that we don’t just shut it down.” We hear about animal wet markets, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Industrial factory farms, spreading around the world and accounting for more than 98% of animals killed for food in the USA, are a global health threat.

Dr. Michael Greger, infectious disease specialist, has been sounding the alarm on pandemics for over a decade. He likens each animal to a test tube, capable of brewing up the next new virus. “When we overcrowd animals by the thousands, in cramped football-field-size sheds, to lie beak to beak or snout to snout, and there’s stress crippling their immune systems, and there’s ammonia from the decomposing waste burning their lungs, and there’s a lack of fresh air and sunlight—put all these factors together and you have a perfect-storm environment for the emergence and spread of disease.”

At least 75% of emerging infectious diseases can be traced to animals, and the escalating rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in factory farms is already a global menace. If we remain complacent and fail to see COVID-19 as a wake-up call to rapidly move away from industrialized animal agriculture, it will only be a matter of time before more, potentially deadlier pathogens arise.

Environmental damage is occurring on a vast scale—through fossil fuel extraction, mining, drilling, logging, construction, urbanization, and most destructive of all, the livestock industry. As Peter Singer, philosopher at Princeton University and author of the groundbreaking book, Animal Liberation, has noted, “The kind of secret source of greenhouse gas emissions that no politicians are talking about at the moment are the emissions that come from the livestock industry.” While cutting emissions from energy and transportation, and making a decisive shift away from fossil fuels to renewable and alternative energies are vitally necessary, this will NOT be enough to successfully combat climate change, especially in light of projections that global meat consumption could rise as much as 75% by 2050 due to population growth, urbanization and rising incomes.

Livestock production currently accounts for at least 51% of anthropogenic greenhouse gases; that’s 4 times the amount of emissions from all modes of transportation combined, worldwide. The one major global initiative that will have more rapid and greater impact is to bring about planetary healing through a profound transformation of our food production systems, in particular, by ending the mass killing of animals for food. This must be nothing less than a broad-scale intervention for the health of our planet. Ilmi Granoff, Director of Sustainable Finance at ClimateWorks Foundation, said: “Forget cars. Forget coal. The fastest way to address climate change would be to dramatically reduce the amount of meat people eat.”

We can cut our carbon footprint in half, just by going vegan.

In one of the most comprehensive studies showing the connections between food consumption and the environment, a research team (headed by Dr. Marco Springmann at the University of Oxford, in 2018) concluded that reductions in meat consumption of 75 to 90% in Western countries would be necessary to avoid the ravaging impacts of climate change. Furthermore, it’s startling to realize just how massively inefficient our current food production systems ARE—meat and dairy industries are enormously water-intensive, accounting for at least a third of global water usage. Almost 80% of the Earth’s usable agricultural land is dedicated to livestock, yet the resulting yield is less than 20% of all calories produced, worldwide.

Why this disparity? Farmed animals eat huge amounts of food over their short lifespans. At least 70% of that energy is lost, through the animal’s metabolism and waste. We become SECONDARY consumers of those plants. It is far more efficient to gain nutrition from the source, and eat plants directly! If we made a decisive global move towards plant-based foods instead of growing massive amounts of feed for animals, we actually wouldn’t have to grow as many crops, and could free up over 70% of the earth’s arable land that is dedicated to raising livestock in the US.

Large-scale deforestation, for grazing land and growing livestock feed, not only increases the risk of infectious disease spread; the staggering loss of biodiversity Impacts the survivability of all living beings. Animal agriculture is the Number One cause of Species and Habitat loss. We have ushered in the Sixth Mass Extinction, with up to one million animal and plant species facing extinction; more than at any other time in our history. It’s no wonder that our era has been labelled as the Anthropocene, for it is HUMAN activity that has become the dominant force upon climate and the environment.

Scientist Ron Milo and others note that 60% of all mammals on Earth now consist of Livestock, and only 4% are wild animals. And 70% of all birds are Poultry. Humanity accounts for just a tiny 0.01% of all the Biomass on Earth—that includes all animal and plant life and bacteria, yet we’ve destroyed 83% of wild mammals, and half of plant life.

Did you know that the animal agriculture industry is directly tied to world hunger? Nearly half of global feed crops go to animals raised for food, instead of to the people who need them the most. Did you know, only 6% of soybeans grown in the world actually get used to feed human population!

A decisive shift towards plant-based foods could make it possible to sustainably feed a global population expected to reach close to 10 billion by 2050.

Professor and Scientist Peter Smith at the University of Aberdeen says: “We know food choices are very personal, and that behavior change can be difficult to encourage, but the evidence is now unequivocal—we need to change our diets if we are to have a sustainable future. The fact that it will also make us healthier makes it a no-brainer.”

In considering our relationships to other beings, it is helpful to look at historical and cultural contexts, to see what shaped our perceptions throughout the centuries. Our path of human culture has followed a long trajectory, from our early existence as nomadic hunter-gatherers to the growth of tribal and agrarian societies.

We know that the origins of animal agriculture in human culture can be traced back to roughly 10 to 12,000 years ago. Prior to that, we existed as foragers—nomadic, opportunistic eaters—gathering, hunting, and scavenging for food. We co-existed with animals in a complex web of life, highly observant of their unique abilities and behaviors, and fascinated by the powers they seemed to hold. As our culture developed, a shift in this relationship began to take place. Along with a rise in population, people began to abandon nomadic lifestyles, seeking and settling in places where food, shelter, and land for growing crops were available. Agriculture slowly took hold, as did the concept of ownership, not only of land, but also of animals, beginning with cattle, sheep and goats.

This marked a critical change in our perceptions of animals; we began seeing them not as kindred spirits, but as commodities, objects, even tools for our use. The ultimate rise of urbanization and consumerism which shaped the foundations of our modern culture, served only to reinforce this view of animals—that they are units of production within industries whose sole goals are efficiency and profit.

This perception has become internalized in society’s daily customs. Cultural inertia is a powerful force; it’s a part of human nature to resist change, and it’s often much easier to just stay with what has been established and accepted as the status quo. It’s a kind of subconscious acceptance—everyone else is doing it, so it must be right! We derive this sense of security, stability and even validation from continuing the habits we grew up with. This is especially the case with our food habits, for what we eat is a matter of daily personal choices that can be grounded deeply in family and cultural traditions. I want to make it clear that my views are in no way intended to be judgmental, or to lay guilt.

I often ask, “Were any of you here BORN vegan?” And as you might expect, usually no one raises their hand. Through no fault of our own, most of us, including me, were born into a meat-eating culture, one that dominates and exploits animals. That is the simple reality. Only when I learned about factory farming (as a graduate student in college), did it hit home that our society as a whole has grown further and further away from seeing other living beings as our equals. We grew to hold onto, even if subconsciously, a false belief that consuming animals is necessary for good health, and that there is some kind of hierarchical food chain that requires us to eat them, despite our clearly-herbivorous physiology. We have created a set of beliefs, an egocentric view that humans are superior to other animals, that it is acceptable to abuse and kill them for our own needs, pleasure and profit.

Some believe this all ties into an anxiety about our own mortality.

Anthropologist Ernest Becker wrote, “Mortality is connected to the natural, animal side of [human] existence; and so man reaches beyond and away from that side. So much so that he tries to deny it completely. As soon as man reached new historical forms of power, he turned against the animals with whom he had previously identified—with a vengeance, as we now see, because the animals embodied what man feared most, a nameless and faceless death.”

Writer Michael Mountain says, “The terrible irony in our behavior is that it is our very efforts to raise ourselves above our fellow animals that are, in fact, bringing about our demise. The more we seek “progress”—building an industrial civilization through which we strive to take dominion over nature and its cycles of life and death—the more we are playing into our very worst nightmare: not just death, but now mass extinction. We are part of nature, and life becomes a lot more comfortable when we stop trying to defend ourselves against it. While we may never be able to dissolve our existential terror altogether, we can gain comfort by embracing the world of nature rather than constantly trying to transcend it. That means acknowledging that we are animals, just like all the other animals. And it means ceasing to exploit them as commodities, in our quest for immortality.”

On HEALTH:

Part of the irony of our exploitation and dominance over animals is how using them as a food source has impacted our health, all over the globe. Yes, it is true that early man adopted meat eating when it was necessary for survival, as nomadic, opportunistic eaters. But today, for most of the world’s population, it is not a necessity to eat animals in order to survive. Our typical Western diet is responsible for over 70% of health issues. These include our so-called “diseases of affluence,” heart disease (leading cause of death in the world), hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. And obesity rates are rising globally.

In the US, it’s called the Standard American Diet, or SAD. A 2015 landmark report by the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies processed meat as carcinogenic, and red meat (that’s consumption of cows, pigs, goats and sheep) as a probable carcinogen. And it’s not only the pandemic risk associated with using animals as a food source; meat carries the highest contamination risk for foodborne illness—salmonella, E. Coli and campylobacter. The chronic diseases and conditions associated with an animal-centric diet are among the leading causes of deaths worldwide, both in developing countries and industrialized nations. Globally, consumption of meat has more than doubled in the past 20 years.

However, there is a growing awareness that plant foods are the key to maintaining optimum health, and preventing, even reversing, diseases. One of the most proactive, powerful things we can do to maintain our health is to increase our intake of plant-based foods. We know that countries with the greatest intake of plant foods HAVE the lowest incidences of disease. What are the benefits? Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds—offer a wide range of nutrients that include the all-important fiber, antioxidants that protect against cell damage, and thousands of phytochemicals that support good health and boost our immune systems. We’re starting to see a real shift towards a new model of healthcare, with the emphasis on PREVENTING disease through nutrition.

There are many physicians taking active roles in promoting the vegan lifestyle. A few of these include Dr. Michael Greger, Dr. Neal Barnard, and Dr. Michael Klaper. Unbelievably, the study of nutrition is not standard curriculum in a large percentage of medical schools. The Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics found that most medical students have only an average of 11 hours of nutrition training.

Dr. Kim Williams, past president of the American College of Cardiology, went vegan for HIS own health reasons, and now recommends a plant-based diet for his patients. He says: “There are two kinds of cardiologists—vegans, and those who haven’t read the data.” He also says: “I don’t mind dying. I just don’t want it to be MY fault!”

You are what you eat! It is really no wonder that eating animals and their products are tied to so many physical problems, as we are ingesting THEIR negative states of pain and suffering.

On Spirituality and Consciousness:

I believe that ALL life is energy, and all matter IS a manifestation of vibrating energy. Negative vibrations are heavy and low, resulting from stress or fear, and we know that in such instances the hormone Cortisol is released. So the negative energy carried by the animal upon its death thus transfers into OUR bodies upon consuming them. In fact, comparative studies have shown that mothers who ate a greater percentage of meat vs plant foods during pregnancy gave birth to children who grew up with significantly higher blood pressure, compared to moms who ate primarily plant-based. The energies of everything we consume enter ALL levels of our being—the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Abbott George Burker, of the Light of the Spirit Monastery in New Mexico, puts it this way: “When the energies within us are positive, they produce harmonious states of mind and behavior. But when the energies are negative, they move in a random and chaotic manner and produce negative states of mind and, consequently, negative behavior. Moreover, these toxic energies can also manifest as physical illnesses or defects. Substances that are toxic to the body–such as meat, alcohol, nicotine, and drugs–are toxic on the inner levels as well, and their ingestion poisons all our bodies…”

For many, turning away from consuming animals and animal products, whether a gradual process or an overnight decision, is something that at its deepest level becomes a reflection of spiritual values. This is even true of those who initially go vegan for health or environmental reasons; once they are no longer are taking part in another being’s suffering through their food habits, their openness and capacity for kindness naturally expands. For some, going vegan leads to a spiritual awakening, for others, it’s the reverse.

If we define Spirituality as: “The quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things, we can see that veganism opens up that part of us that touches on our emotional, mindful, and spiritual lives.

There is a greater sense of connection to Nature and all life; seeing we are all One, seeing ourselves in others, that we are all expressions of the same Divine Source. I call this aspect COMPASSIONATE ONENESS. To me, ANIMALS, human or non-human, are deeply interconnected because we EQUALLY share in this oneness—we are all conscious, and we are all aware. Think of all the ways all animals are alike, in what it means to be a sentient being! The desire to live free from pain, seeking adequate nourishment and shelter, freely engaging in unique ways of social interaction and communication. We protect and raise our young, care for one another, we breathe, we all can experience pain, fear and joy. Other Animals, they are unique as WE are unique, and I feel we should not abuse them, exploit them, treat them like property or commodities, and then subject them to the ultimate suffering which is the loss of their lives. You can’t quantify scientifically what consciousness is, but you see the life force in every animal, whether dog, cat, pig or cow.

Veganism thus widens our circle of empathy, sensitivity and our INNATE compassion. Modern industrialized animal agriculture IS the greatest amount of suffering and violence taking place on our planet today, happening every second of every day, yearly exceeding the sum of human deaths by at least 2,000 times over. It is also the greatest area of society’s cognitive dissonance, a situation in which our decisions or behaviors are in conflict with our core values or beliefs. Case in point: most people continue to eat meat, even though on some level they know that meat production entails unnecessary suffering, violence and death. In order to avoid the mental and emotional conflict of this inconsistency, they avoid bringing the issue to the forefront of their conscious awareness. This avoidance is perfectly exemplified in what is probably the most common response when you try to tell people about factory farms—what do they say? “Don’t tell me; I don’t want to think about it!” By distancing themselves from the conflict, this allows them to eat meat without a sense of guilt or complicity. People want to protect their sense of self; they don’t want to see themselves as enablers of such horrific violence, and they’re able to do so by distancing and disconnecting themselves from that reality. Certainly, the ingrained acceptance of food habits is a strong factor, reinforced by marketing messages. The industry employs misleading feel-good labels, like “cage-free,” “free-range” “natural,” “humane certified,” and “grass-fed,” falsely implying that consideration is given to the welfare of the animals. But any industry whose main goal is to profit from the slaughter of innocent animals can never be humane.

There is also the invisibility of meat production. How many of us know where factory farms are located? As a result, the immense suffering that happens behinds their walls remains largely hidden, and most of us have become desensitized to the ongoing violence that IS a part of our everyday lives as consumers. On the path of becoming plant-based, it is a transformative shift in our identity, when we no longer consume food that was borne of violence. It’ a raising of our vibration level and expanding our sense of unconditional love.

Veganism can be a part of our spiritual journeys—moving beyond material desires or temporary taste pleasures.

I invite you to consider a new perspective, one that you may have not thought of. We give serious thought to many of our choices every day, but what distinguishes meal choices from many others, is that it can involve another living being. Writer Mark Hawthorne puts it best when he says, “A person’s “right” to eat whatever they want ends where another’s life begins.” In the relatively SHORT amount of time it takes to eat a meal, your choice is an opportunity to give your capacities for compassion deepest consideration. You may ask yourself, “Does the taste I enjoy from eating this animal, justifies what it went through, to become my food?”

For many of us, one of the aspects of Spirituality is: Seeking inner peace, that center of calm within us. It’s about knowing that our individual actions, and how we express Love in the world, build a powerful energy that shapes the world around us. This can be immensely powerful, and sometimes we get messages that arise from our inner self or subconscious mind. The following is a quote from vegan activist Gwenna Hunter. She lives in Los Angeles, and actually created the city’s first vegan food bank!

“I dreamed once that I was flying in the sky overlooking a beautiful bright green pasture. I noticed a beautiful cow looking up at me. Our eyes connected and when they did it was like I flew inside of her and became one with this cow. I was the cow. We merged and I felt her joy. Her sorrow. Her grief. Her love. Her excitement. Her joy. Giving birth to children. Loving her children. Enjoying companionship and her love for humans. I emerged from the dream in shock, knowing what I experienced had to be real but of course I questioned it. I was crying uncontrollably because what I felt more than anything was their immense capacity to love. It was a love that was pure and kind and gentle and sweet. It was unconditional. But how could a cow be capable of this? After all weren’t they put here for us? As I cried and sat up in my bed I suddenly felt a physical warmth on my chest right where my heart resides. I took my right hand and put it on the warm spot and I was paralyzed with the most beautiful feeling of tranquility and complete peace. I also want to share another dream I had—another experience that was beyond the normal limits of reality. I found myself in a different space and time, and I was standing outside of a slaughterhouse where there were cows and pigs standing in line waiting for their turn to be slaughtered. I instantly had a telepathic connection with them and I knew that they had full awareness of what was going to happen. I began crying and yelling at them, telling them to stop reincarnating back to this planet and to not come back to earth because we keep killing them and hurting them. All of a sudden one of the pigs turned to me and spoke to me in the most powerful male voice and said, ‘We will keep coming back again and again until you all get it right. We love you all that much. Our suffering gives some of your lives purpose.’ He then sent an impulse of his love to my heart and it was so incredibly pure and beautiful. This impulse let me know that it’s not just us trying to save them but they are also saving us.”

One of the aspects of becoming more spiritually aware through our food choices can manifest in the desire to be of service, to make the world a better place. For myself, my journey as a vegan is about filling every waking moment of my life with the highest good and intentions that I can put out into the world, towards ALL beings. It is about AHIMSA—non-violence—to do no harm. I can best describe it as feeling more in the flow of just how sacred all life and Nature are. Our times, more than ever, call for our innate gifts of kindness, empathy, and seeing ourselves in every other living being, to create a more peaceful world.

I would like to end with a quote by Albert Einstein:

“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. We experience thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his our consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a human being is determined by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive.”

About the Author:

Dr. Joanne Kong, D.M.A., has been praised as one of the most compelling advocates for plant-based nutrition today, centered ethically in raising awareness that greater compassion for animals and our planet is vitally necessary for transformative growth and positive world change. Her TEDx talk, The Power of Plant-Based Eating, has over one million views on YouTube. Her vegan advocacy has been recognized around the world with international talks in Italy, Spain, Germany, Norway, Canada, and a three-week, 10-city tour of India. Dr. Kong is the editor of Vegan Voices: Essays by Inspiring Changemakers (Lantern Publishing & Media, 2021) featuring 50 vegan advocates from around the world, is the author of If You’ve Ever Loved an Animal, Go Vegan, and was profiled in the book, Legends of Change, about vegan women impacting the world. She appears in the major documentary Eating Our Way to Extinction and the upcoming documentary, Taking Note. 

Dr. Kong is a critically acclaimed, award-winning classical pianist on the music faculty at the University of Richmond, and draws upon a diversity of skills as a musician, writer, speaker, and creative artist in her advocacy activities. She performs and speaks in a duo known as Vegan Virtuosi with fellow animal advocate Christoph Wagner. Find further information about her on the websites www.vegansmakeadifference.com and www.joannekongmusic.com.

Unfinished Exit

Unfinished Exit

I keep thinking
about the time in high school
when you drew
me
a map of the city,
I still have it somewhere.
It was so easy
to get lost
in a place where all the trees
look the same.
And now
every time I see
a missing person’s poster
stapled to a pole,
all I can think is
that could have been me.
Missing,
disappeared.

But there are no
posters for people
who just never came back
from vacation, from college,
from life.
You haven’t killed yourself
because you’d have to commit to a
single exit.
What you wouldn’t give to be your cousin Catherine,
who you watched
twice in one weekend get strangled nude
in a bathtub onstage
by the actor who once
filled your mouth with quarters at
your mother’s funeral.
The curtains closed and opened again.
We applauded until
our hands were sore.

But you couldn’t shake the image of
her lifeless body,
the way she hung there like a
marionette with cut strings.
And now every time you try to write a poem,
it feels like a
eulogy.
A desperate attempt to
capture something that’s already
gone.
But maybe that’s why we keep writing,
keep searching for
the right words,
because in this world where everything is
temporary,
poetry is our only chance at
immortality.

So even though you haven’t
found the perfect ending yet,
you keep writing.
For Catherine, for yourself, for all the lost
souls
who never got their own
missing person’s poster.
Because as long as there are words on a page,
there is still hope for an unfinished exit
to find its proper
ending.

About the Poet:
Claudia Wysocky is a Polish poet based in New York, celebrated for her evocative creations that capture life’s essence through emotional depth and rich imagery. With over five years of experience in fiction writing, her poetry has appeared in various local newspapers and literary magazines. Wysocky believes in the transformative power of art and views writing as a vital force that inspires her daily. Her works blend personal reflections with universal themes, making them relatable to a broad audience. Actively engaging with her community on social media, she fosters a shared passion for poetry and creative expression.

 

My Indian Memories

My Indian Memories

By Arjun Govindaraj, age 17, from Texas, currently studying in India.

The first picture is of us celebrating Holi at school where we throw colors and water at each other and have fun. Holi is the Festival of Colors, a celebration that marks the arrival of spring. It is an occasion filled with laughter, music, and dance, where everyone, regardless of age, comes together to play with colors and enjoy festive food. Classmates and teachers share in the excitement, creating beautiful memories and promoting unity and love. Holi not only celebrates the beauty of diversity but also encourages forgiveness and the strengthening of bonds among people. We also celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness and good over evil by dressing up in Indian clothes, sharing sweets, and participating in traditional games.

Second picture is of us visiting the Taj Mahal, located in Agra, India, built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its stunning white marble architecture, carvings, and beautiful gardens attracts millions of visitors each year, and symbolizes the cultural heritage of India. We also explored the monuments of Delhi, the bustling streets of Mumbai, and the tranquil foothills of Dehradun with its cascading waterfalls. Exploring the streets of Coimbatore, we were amazed by the warmth of its people and the aromas of its bustling markets, while the ancient wonders of Mahabalipuram reminded us of a bygone era of art and architecture. Through these diverse experiences, we have come to cherish our rich culture and landscapes that make our world a truly remarkable place.

The third picture is of my team visiting Kathmandu, Nepal, for the South Asian Interscholastic Association (SAISA) soccer tournament. It was an incredible experience representing AISC against 11 member schools. The atmosphere of Kathmandu, with its rich culture and breathtaking landscapes, added to the excitement of the tournament. Throughout the events, I not only had the opportunity to showcase my skills and win medals but also learned invaluable team-building skills and the importance of fair play. Each match brought us closer as teammates, creating lasting friendships and unforgettable memories that extended beyond the games. The spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship was truly inspiring, making this trip an enriching experience both on and off the field.

The fourth picture captures a heartfelt moment as we distribute school supplies and a meal to underprivileged children. Following the popular custom in India, they sit on the ground to share their meal, and their smiles of gratitude warmed our hearts as we handed out new backpacks filled with school supplies. In a country where overpopulation and poverty are pressing issues, we felt a profound sense of purpose in being able to contribute, even in a small way, to their education and well-being. This experience taught us invaluable lessons about empathy and compassion, reminding us of the importance of supporting one another and making a difference in the lives of those in need. Acts of service can build connections, bring hope, and inspire change.

The final picture is from our school trip, “Discover India,” which became one of the main highlights of my educational journey. These immersive week-long expeditions across India went beyond traditional classroom learning, offering a rich tapestry of experiences that allowed us to explore local cultures in depth. Each annual school excursion helped us develop essential teamwork and outdoor survival skills. From camping under starlit skies to navigating thrilling rafting/ surfing adventures, every journey nurtured resilience and adaptability while fostering a profound appreciation for the natural world. These unforgettable experiences shaped not just our knowledge but also our connections with one another and the environment.

Editor’s Note: Please also read Sustainable Shorelines by Arjun’s sister Maya, also published today!

About the Authors:
Arjun and Maya are 17-year-old twins at the American International School in Chennai, India. As USTA-ranked tennis players, they love sports and have won medals in South Asian Interscholastic Association competitions. Both serve as Student Ambassadors, bridging cultural gaps through orientation and wellness programs. Passionate about community service, they have both worked with various organizations. They also have co-founded the non-profit Mission BE A Resource, securing grants to support disadvantaged children. Arjun is a tech enthusiast with a love for outdoor adventures, while Maya enjoys helping elementary school teachers and expressing her creativity through art.

Still A Student?

Still A Student?

By Emra Woldearegay, originally from Ethiopia, now teaching in Missouri.

Here I am, still a student.
Oh, why, after so many decades?
Aren’t you tired? They ask
What’s the point, they ask.
You better start earning tons
because time’s running out.
But for whom? I ask.
How could time run out when
I’ve so much to learn
about things & skills that make me more adept.
Why should that matter
When what I love is asking questions,
I am curious, like the cat.
They jump on me, snarling like an angry cat
And declare-gleefully: “Curiosity killed the cat.”
I would rather be like the cat killed for curiosity
after living nine lives, learning, and relearning eight times.
NINE lives!
What a way to go; it is the best way.

By Emra Woldearegay, originally from Ethiopia, did her graduate studies at the University of Oregon. She is now teaching journalism in Missouri.

Waiting for a Madam President of the United States!

Waiting for a Madam President of the United States!

By Arun N. Toké, editor

Did you know that each and every one of the 46 Presidents of the United States, has been a male in its almost 250-year history since the Declaration of Independence? Since the founding of the nation on July 4th, 1776, not even one woman has been elected to the highest office of the land!

Ask your female classmates, neighbors, friends and family members, “Can a woman lead the country?” and listen to what they say. Likely, they will all say, “Women are equally capable as men to lead the nation.”

Across the globe, many dozens of nations—in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia—have elected women as presidents or prime ministers to lead their countries during the last 65 years. Some of these countries have elected women leaders multiple times over the decades. Various countries like the United Kingdom, India, New Zealand, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, Central African Republic, Argentina, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Indonesia… the list is too long to include them all here! But unfortunately, the United States has not made the list so far!

Just recently, in October 2024, Mexico also joined the ranks of over 25 countries with women heads of their governments when Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as the first elected female President of the nation located just south of our border! Why haven’t we elected a woman to lead the United States of America yet?

Will the people of the United States choose to elect our first ever woman president this November? Many capable women leaders in other nations have shown clearly that women can lead as well as men, and sometimes even better.

Perhaps, you have studied the history of our country, and you know that women were not given even the basic rights to vote when the Constitution was first written. It allowed only landowning white males a right to vote. African Americans, and even the Indigenous People (who had lived here for generations) were not considered citizens of the country, and were not able to vote or run for any political office.

It was the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted in the year 1920, after a decades-long suffrage movement led by women, that gave women the right to vote and thus help elect their representatives.

Interestingly, a number of European countries also enacted laws to give their women citizens a right to vote around the same time. Russia did so in 1917, Germany in 1919, and the United Kingdom began the process by granting women limited rights in 1918, and then full rights in 1928. Did you know that New Zealand became the first country to grant women voting rights in 1893? Nineteen other countries had also granted these rights to women before the United States did so in 1920. However, Switzerland did not grant women voting rights until 1971! In Asia, India granted some of its women the right to vote in 1935, while it was still a British colony. When India became an independent nation in 1947, the country’s constitution, adopted on January 26, 1950, gave its women full voting rights.

While the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments of the 1860s were enacted to bring full citizenship rights to non-whites and former slaves—primarily African Americans—it was not until the year 1965 as the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Johnson, that Blacks in the South gained meaningful access to the ballot box. Thus also including the African American women (who were left out in the 19th Amendment of the 1920)!

Unfortunately, the country still does not have a true democracy. Because we have an archaic system of “The Electoral College,” which gives disproportional power to small states in electing the President, at times, we have had presidents who did not get the most votes. For example, in the 2016 presidential election, even though Hillary Clinton received 2.9 million more votes than Donald Trump, she did not become the President because she lost the Electoral College. She came very close to becoming the first woman president of the country!

The U.S. Supreme Court Justices are appointed for a lifetime. And, they are not even elected by the people. Until recently, all of these justices were also male and white (Sandra Day O’Conner was the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court in 1981). They interpret the laws and decide what is constitutional and what is not. Here is an example worth noting: reproductive health rights for women.

In 2022, the “Roe v. Wade” decision, which had guaranteed national access to abortion for women for about 50 years was struck down by the Supreme Court. As a result, some states now have severely restricted women’s rights and have caused great harm to many women living there. Thanks to progressive leaders, Democratic states still have reasonable family planning options, including an abortion procedure, for families, couples, and women.

In 1917, Montana’s Jeanette Rankin became the first woman to serve as a Congressional Representative in the nation. Since then over 300 women have been elected to serve in the U.S. Congress or the Senate (the upper house). Ms. Kamala Harris became the first woman to serve as the United States Vice President in January 2021 after Sen. Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris (who had previously been elected as a U.S. Senator, and before that the Attorney General, of California) won the 2020 presidential elections.

In 2024, we have a precious opportunity to turn the page in our nation’s history by electing Ms. Kamala Harris as our next President. Who we elect as the President will shape the future of the nation (and even the whole world because of our tremendous global power). The implications of the choice we make as a nation are huge. We have serious issues facing us: the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the accelerating climate change crisis, and the nuclear weapons threat…

We need a truly capable leader who has a deeper understanding of the many complicated issues our nation (and our world) faces, and then lead us with fairness, kindness, and compassion to solve these pressing problems. Someone who knows and speaks the truth and works to bring the country together; someone who does not make hasty decisions based on short-term, selfish, or financial gains.

In 2024, our choice is clear, in my humble opinion.

—Arun N. Toké, editor.

The Empty Spot

The Empty Spot

By Leslie T. Fry, high school senior, New York.

They stuck us in Studio 8. At first glance, it looked in decent shape. The professional company never danced there so the floors were rosin-free, letting us pirouette with ease. The room also had gaping windows and a cavernous ceiling.

Mr. Vankan would implore the boys: “Look how much ceiling you still have! Jump so high you hit it!”

For us girls, the ceiling only helped us feel dainty. The studio’s wonky mirrors trapped us in our own private funhouse.

We all knew that the end-of-the-year performance was scheduled for two months from now, though the specific details of our dance remained unknown. In the other studios, the older girls already had started rehearsals. The soloists’ gracefulness took our breath away. I longed to be a soloist someday; I suspect we all did.

Mr. Vankan’s yellow notebook appeared more frequently as we got closer to the performance. He creased the spine before placing it open on top of the speaker.  We remembered that book from our audition. When that book came out, our PTSD returned, along with the insecurities of our 15-year-old selves. He circled around us as we danced, then stopped to stare at someone’s foot or head before jotting down his verdict. Our bodies felt sore, and we wanted to go home. Often, he would excuse us early, testing our commitment. We demonstrated our resilience by staying as long as he did.

A month before the performance, Mr. Vankan pulled out the dreaded notebook and studied his notes. He instructed the boys to leave early and then told us girls to stand in a line from shortest to tallest. Surprisingly, the boys left without hesitation, presumably sensing that he was in a particularly sadistic mood.

He assigned places, repeating, “Remember, these places are not set. I just want to see how it looks.”

For a week, Mr. Vankan moved us girls around as if playing chess. Under the touch-move rule, he would leave his finger on the piece until the last minute, convincing us that he was sure of his move, only to dash expectations with a “Nah, I don’t like it.”

Historically, we had been good at learning choreography, having danced from infancy, but we had questions.

When we asked him whether our arms should be up or down when we ran to the back, his puzzling response was, “Do whatever everyone else is doing.”

We smiled at him in disbelief, waiting for the punchline that never came.

He split us up into two sections, supposedly intending to give us equal practice time, though he never did. Instead, the second cast sat on the floor in extended splits for the last half hour of class.

Mr. Vankan yelled: “If you’re sitting on the ground, you better be doing something!”

Our hands marked the routine accurately, without ever breaking a sweat.

In one muggy session, all were surprised to find Ms. Robin teaching class because of Mr. Vankan’s unannounced trip to Germany. Previously, he had asserted we couldn’t skip any classes whatsoever. Many of us pushed through illness, and one of us even skipped a funeral of a close family member. Now, he had disappeared. After watching both casts, Ms. Robin clenched her teeth, forcing an unnatural smile.

“Uh, okay,” feigning a supportive tone. “Where are your arms supposed to be when you run to the back?”

We collectively shrugged, as if choreographed.

“What count do you enter in on?” she continued questioning.

No one knew.

* * *

A week later and two weeks before the performance, Mr. Vankan returned, tanned and well-rested. He didn’t bother to explain his absence and dove right into class.

“Noooooo, you run in on 5-6-7-8, not 3-4-5-6-7-8! Again! And Christa, Crystal, uh, whatever your name is, point those feet! You look like a clumsy duck!” Mr. Vankan mocked. It was her first day back from a week of dreadful coughing and sneezing.

Tears rolled down Christie’s cheek, despite her best efforts to hold them back. During the rest of the rehearsal, I watched her with the hope that she could hold in her emotions until arriving safely in the privacy of our changing room. Oblivious to Christie’s crying, Mr. Vankan pushed her harder and harder.

“Look at your extensions! What’s happened to you?” he blurted out.

We all knew that you usually try to sleep when sick, not stretch. It wasn’t fair, but there was nothing we could do. She had no clue about all of the changes that Ms. Robin had made. Neither did Mr. Vankan, who was fumbling with the speakers. Tchaikovsky blared from the speakers when Mr. Vankan confused the varispeed and volume knobs, making it impossible for us to verbally comfort Christie. Mr. Vankan was slow to adjust the volume and even slower to get back to the right tempo. The first cast started to dance with Mr. Vankan’s count. However, Christie seemed to dance to her own music.

“No, no!” Mr. Vankan exploded.

He stopped the music. A cluster of worry wrinkles formed on Christie’s forehead. Mr. Vankan sat in his chair, face buried in one hand and mumbled, “You know what . . . we don’t need you.”

Christie stared at him as if asking, “Are you serious?”

Mr. Vankan was entirely serious.

Looking down to hide her tears, she jogged over to the wall. I walked over to her and gave her a hug.

“It will be okay,” I whispered. “You’ll be fine.”

I let go of her. She looked at me with streams of tears trickling down from her red eyes, and she ran out of the room without being excused. I entered the changing room when I could. Her locker was open and empty. I smiled, at least on the inside. Someone was getting promoted to first cast.

* * *

Christie did not return the next day or ever again. In the corner of the studio where she set her bag, I set mine down. Her absence left a noticeable gap in the choreography.

“Does anyone know Christina’s part?” Mr. Vankan petitioned as he looked around the room.

My hand darted in the air before he finished his sentence. He nodded and motioned for me to fill the gap.

“If you see an empty space, that’s where you’re supposed to be,” he instructed, and that was all.

I didn’t need more, even though it was my first time dancing with the first cast. My head spun as I chased the empty spot, like a cat chasing a laser, not knowing where it would appear next. My spirit soared when I felt my arabesque turned out like never before. Renewed energy coursed through my veins as I stretched my legs through. I glowed with confidence. I didn’t even mind that Mr. Vankan was not watching me, just as long as he didn’t take out his yellow notebook. As I held my final pose with a sense of accomplishment, I caught my beaming smile in the mirror, attached to a body that I could not recognize as my own. It would take some getting used to, but I knew I was in the spot where I needed to be.

—Leslie T. Fry, high school senior. Leslie was born in Hong Kong, and she also has lived in The Hague and New York City. Leslie has been dancing seriously since the age of two. Apart from dance, she enjoys literature, art, math, psychology, and chemistry. In addition to English, Leslie studies Chinese, Dutch, French, and Latin. She plans to study behavioral neurochemistry at university and hopes to eventually become a neuropsychiatrist.

Between Gaza and Me

Between Gaza and Me

By Nada Alaloul, age 17, from Rafa, lives in Egypt.

Between all of these
Cold bodies,
Tired faces,
Busy minds
Lost people
There is Nada como yo
Between black and white there’s me
Between sun and moon, there’s a scream
Between hell and heaven, there’re my people under the rubble
Between death and life, there’s a missile
Between war and peace, there’s a border
Between freedom and shackles, there’s the whole world
Between tanks & planes, there’s my family
Between my family & me, there’s an endless cry
Between my happiness & sadness, there’s the news of my city
Between the present and the past, there’s a genocide.
Between death here, and death there
There’s a huge price
I have one heart with
Two separated souls
And I’m a ghost
And I’m completely alone.

I was at home
Now I’m missing my home
Suddenly
I lost my home
I was here and there
But Suddenly
I’m nowhere
My home was bombed
My friend was killed
My sister was scared
And my dad was missed
And all I’m doing here
Is just avoiding to be the
Favorite dish for my sadness
Cuz actually I’m a liar
A big liar
I’m drowning in heavy clouds of sadness
Afraid to confirm
That my happiness is sad
To be with me
My happiness is scared
To be bombed with me
My happiness fooled me
But at least I know
That I couldn’t know
That I’m not happy
Without my sadness
I couldn’t realize
That I want balance
Between black and white
Between my happiness and sadness
To stop being gray
Without my sadness.

So now
I’m under a sky that
Doesn’t target its people
I walk towards the sun but I’ll never be burned
Cuz my soul has been burned once
Before when I left Gaza
Alone

What about you, dear human?
Can you bring me the warmth of the sun?
Not the one over my head
Nor the Egyptian sun which
Burns my bones like
The missiles do against
The tents of my friends
I want the warmth of my family
I’m a ghost and
I’m completely alone

I’m blue, drowning in a
Gray ocean of the fog
Gray, the favorite color of the death in my city
The color that I used to see
Whenever I roam in my ghost city
The color that I used to feel
Whenever the measure between
Death and me is just a path

I have one heart
With two separated souls
I’m a ghost and I’m completely alone
I’m here and there
And suddenly
I’m nowhere
Como Nada como Yo.

By Alaloul, age 17, from Rafa, Palestine, currently lives in Egypt.

Ms. Lauren Marshall, a playwright, musical theater librettist/lyricist, director and teaching artist based in Washington state, adds: “Nada is a remarkable girl from Gaza, now living with relatives in Cairo, Egypt. She participated in the Gaza Heartbeat, a creative writing project that was sponsored by Palestine Charity Team (PCT) in Rafah, Gaza (Palestine), in 2022.

“Nada has a positive outlook despite all that has happened to her! She was evacuated from Gaza in April, 2024. But her family is still stranded in Gaza, displaced from their home, which has been destroyed during this senseless war. Nada, like all of Gaza’s children, has missed an entire year of school as the result of the war. During this time, she has read books, written short stories and poems, taught herself Spanish, taken a business course in Cairo, and volunteered with PCT!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being Split

Being Split
By Preston Young, age 10, New York.

Being Split by Preston Young, age 10, New York

Illustration by Preston Young, 10, New York.

Being split,
Korean and Taiwanese,
I can’t process two different cultures,
It’s hard for me.

On Korean New Year,
I bow to elders and eat Duk Bok Ki (rice cakes).
On Chinese New Year,
I get red envelopes and eat dim sum with herbal tea.
I call my Korean grandparents Halmoni and Haraboji;
Ah ma, I call to my grandma who is Taiwanese.

The Taiwanese flag has red, white and blue.
The South Korean flag has those colors too.
The American flag has them too, oooh!

Being split,
Korean and Taiwanese,
Sometimes people don’t understand me.
When my friends talk about their one culture,
I want one of my other cultures to be unseen.

I try to tell my friends over and over;
I scream and I shout and whisper over their shoulder.
They never understand when I say,
 I am both Korean and Taiwanese!
They look confused and annoyed like fleas.

Sometimes I wonder if being Korean and Taiwanese is right for me.
I sit there and think until I can finally see,
I am special with being multicultural,
Being Korean, Taiwanese, and American,
Can all fit in my soul.

Being split,
Korean, Taiwanese, and American is hard.
But the three cultures,
Are forever in my heart!

By Preston Young, age 10, New York. Preston adds: “My mom is Korean and my dad is Taiwanese. I was born in the USA. I speak English but I am learning how to write, read and speak Korean because my friends at school can speak fluently, and I want to be able to communicate with them. My dream is to become an author and entertain kids. I was inspired to write this poem because when I am in school people always assume that I am full Korean or full Taiwanese. Sometimes people think I’m Chinese but I always correct them. I wanted to express how I feel and what that makes me feel like. I made a collage out of construction paper and some magazine clippings with markers to show my feelings about being split in three different cultures.”