Obama won, but his biggest challenge is not economy, war, foreign policy or anything like that

As reported all around, this week senator Barack Obama won the presidential elections in the USA. It was an astonishing victory, predicted all around as certain, but still celebrated as hell everywhere (electing Schwarzenegger and reelecting Bush might have taught the world that anything can happen when the subject is USA elections).

The hype from the campaign has not passed yet, Obama's face is still front page on several publications and, of course, topic of a lot of online stuff, both serious and non-serious, such as the game Super Obama World and the just released change.gov - this last one, a brilliant continuation of the amazing online campaign, where people can give sugestions to the elected president, keep track of what is happening through a blog and much much more. It's hard to deny the brilliance of Obama's campaign, engaging and interacting with people in the best spirit of what is marketing in the online community age. That campaign will for sure be awarded and remembered in the field as a groundbreaking one.

I don't intend to be the one who ruins the pro-Obama followers party (and I would not have enough influence to do that even if I wanted), but I am scheptical with the saviour of the US and the world role that is being given to Barack Obama.

I truly believe in change, in hope, in having great leaders impacting positively a whole society (if I didn't, why would I be in AIESEC, if that's exactly what AIESEC aim?) One good example of this possibility is the recently awarded nobel peace price Martti Ahtisaari, who was part of AIESEC. But, really, even if Obama is the one who will lead USA from the amazing bad influence to the world it has become, it won't be easy. Most especially, if he is the leader to bring change to this sick society, he will need followers, he will need other leaders, he will need all kinds of sacrifices and compromises, he will need loads of commitment from a wide array of people with very different agendas.

And what scares me most is if people are not ready/willing to give all this for the sake of the world.

I am scared of this because I saw the hype when Lula (president of Brazil) was elected as the saviour of Brazil from corruption, from poverty and all that is sick in my country. I don't intend to compare the semi-literate Lula with Obama, because the differences are obvious, but what we have to consider is that no one leads alone. And when we are talking about leading change, the main barriers are not the problems we want to change, but to change people's mindset, to change the day to day actions that lead us to the very current state we want to change.

To lead the change in the world is to change ourselves, not change the leaders we follow.

Are the republicans and democrats willing to change the way they do politics (in a manicheist way)? Are americans willing to change the way the live? Are the gun lobbists able to be pro the end of the war? Are the companies willing to sacrifice profit for common good? The list goes on, the possibilities for conflict of interest are endless.

So, my final and only question to Obama would be:

Are you able to change people's mindset?

Change.gov

Jihad for children

I was reading Superinteressante (a brazilian magazine), November/2008, and I saw one of the most shocking things I ever saw. We all know the problems in Gaza, but things are so far out that you don't realize the extent of the madness.

Hamas has a TV channel, and in this channel they present a program called "Tomorrow's Pioneers", which is a TV show for children, where a cute child girl present some cute friends, like a Mickey Mouse-alike rat. That would be completly normal (if we don't consider any copyright problem), but the thing that is extremelly shocking is the content of the program.

Basically, they preach against all jews ("terrorists" as they say) and that palestine should win the war and kill them all. The Mickey Mouse-alike (called "Farfour") is then spanked and killed by an insraeli soldier. Then, the presenter tell that "we lost, Farfour, while he was defending his land", but another one will avange him - a Bee.

According to the magazine, this is the kind of content the program has:

"We, the Tomorrow's Pioneers, will bring back the glory of this nation and free Iraqi and all the muslim countries from the assassin's hands".

"We are all ready to sacrifice ourselves for the good of our mother land".

"I failed in school because the Jews stole my books".

"If they do this again, we are going to kill them. We are going to chew and eat them". [About the Danish newspaper with the famous Mohamed cartoon].

It's extremely gross and shocking that someone can actually create and display this to innocent children, growing them up with hatred. This is a severe crime. It's interesting that a human can be so blind by his/her own ideas that doesn't see that this will lead anywhere but to more suffering for everyone around.

If you want to see some of this terrible stuff, search for "Tomorrow's Pioneers" in YouTube. That's a little taste of it:

Fall and winter

Even though I am from a particularly “seasoned” place in Brazil - with spring, summer, fall and winter - it’s very new to me the way things are here in Norway. Fall is particularly beautiful (especially when there is some sun). All the leaves on the ground, the people with nice coats, the cold that makes you want to hold hands and grab tight the one you love. There’s something in the air, a different “smell”, as Alexa, my Romanian co-worker, says.

Here are some photos of my fall experience:







But the title of this post is "fall and winter", so, I need also something about that.

Today I woke up, as usually I wake up, a little grumpy, and start to walk around the apartment with only one thing in my head: wash my face in the bathroom. When I was crossing the living room, I look outside, just to check if it's raining or not, and then I get surprised. My surprise was not because I've seen something extraordinary, as a moose or anything, but it was because all the world was SHINY WHITE.

The first Oslo snow of the season.

Imediatly, as a wanna-be-tourist, got my very bad and old digital camera and started to shoot. So here it is:

This week in Oslo

There's sun everyday. This is the view from our office:



Good to stay together, doing nothing, with who you love. The bad part is that I am usually alone, doing too much and she is far away.

Well, at least I can enjoy the theoretical possibility of seizing the spring-like weather.

Peace Channel

An online channel with jornalism about peace (and that users may also upload their own): Peace Channel.

Blå - feels just like home

In fact this happened almost 2 months ago, but anyway, that's when I felt in the mood, and had time, to write:

Espen, the president of the local committee I am coach, and also one of the funniest person you can cross in the world, told me about this place called Blå, in a district named Grünerløkka. Being a total stranger regarding to norwegian words and Oslo whereabouts and everything regarding to local knowledge, he could well have said something about a place called "Blergh" in "Bronerboca" and that would have made any difference to me.

In fact, that's probably what I understood, considering my very limited norwegian acent listening skills.

But then, we had a little less conversation and a little more action and he SHOWED me the place.

In fact, more than showed the destination, the jorney itself deserves some writting. He appeared at my office at the appointed time, the sun was shinning in this amazing summer day and, instead of using transportation, like metro, bus or tram, we walked. And the path was so amazing! You follow the river, passing through parks, woods and bridges, where, of course, there are people everywhere sunbathing, playing with dogs or just chilling out. Here are pictures of the way:















And that was "just" the path. Can you actually believe that this is the way to a highly cool trendy location, full of young people, pubs and cafes? Oh, yeah. Then, after all the way (15 minutes) walking through the pretty path, than we start to see the signs of the "urbanity" in Grünerløkka:





And, finally, Blå, the pub that we sat for some time to chat about life, the universe and everything (among a couple of 500ml beer, of course). The atmosphere is so relaxed, summer time, the pub s just by the river, in this very cool neighbourhood, it's just amazing! In fact, I felt just like "home", in a neighbourhood called Cidade Baixa, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, very similarly with lots of young people and pubs (and delicious meals). That made me feel home sick, but in a good way. I felt really that this was my place, the right place to be, just like home.






And yes, of course, just like Cidade Baixa, Blå is not alone and there are more pubs around. In fact, this is more or less what is around it (kind of 10-30 steps away):







Ah, summer time in Oslo, what a experience. :)

Leapsa

Whatever it means (if it means something), leapsa is a game, that you receive, play and pass it forward. I received this leapsa from Dora. The idea is that you share your favorite wallpaper.

I don't think I have one favorite, but I have some go and come back wallpapers, depending on the mood.

This is the calm times, with inner peace or if I am concerned with something, but I just know I should let it go. There's something in this image that makes me feel cool about the world, whatever is happening with it:


Because sometimes I just feel like writing and the ideas flow in a way that even I can't understand until I have typed the words:


This is the one that, 3 or 4 days ago, I changed to. I am going to a somewhat tough moment regarding believing in my own abilities, in the power of dreams and in believing in hope, so I needed those words on my face to keep going: "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows either victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt


Well, I know I should pass the game forward, but I am really concerned no one I know read my blog (at least the ones who have a blog) - or maybe they read and I don't know they have a blog. I know Dean reads it sometimes, but he has a serious blog about educational articles, so it's not that fit. Vedana might read, but I am not sure also, maybe he is not that interested and doesn't have the time to be also. So, to be really sincere, I am passing my ball to YOU, whoever you are, leave a comment and go on with the game.