Nelson Mandela: The Unlikely Leader

Intertwined with the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, he  became a 21st inspiration and hero – but leadership was not a path he thirsted for.

Madiba – as he is known to his tribe – became a reluctant face of ANC‘s fight for equality during the 70s and 80s. Mandela, as a young, passionate man who wanted a democratic future for his country, did not foresee himself as someone who would become a global icon.

Photo: worldnews.nbcnews.com

In fact, it was a decision by his friend and fellow prisoner in Robben Island in 1978 that put the light of the international media on Mandela’s kind face. Mandela’s story was used to personalize a political campaign; not a position he sought for himself. Just one of the many ways that made Mandela so unique and so emotive as a leader.

Globally, Mandela’s appeal was a slow burn (we’ve been repeatedly reminded how then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, considered the ANC a terrorist group). To put it bluntly as Trevor Phillips, the former Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Committee and chairman of the Free Nelson Mandela Committee in the UK said “Let’s be frank about it, it wasn’t until the 1980s that Mandela became fashionable.”

Photo: sootoday.com

Madiba endured 27 years in prison because of apartheid (the word literally means “apart” in Afrikaans)  prisons and with incredible magnificence, bore no bitterness as a result of this injustice. Mandela instead urged his country to seek a future of understanding and co-operation rather than the days of repressing, subjugation and hatred.

His sincerity in his goal for his country was so sincere, it was impossible not to see it and be drawn to it; people liked Mandela not only for what he stood for, but how he stood for it; with fairness, peace, majesty and kindness.

Although he will forever be associated with the ANC, Mandela was not afraid to voice opposition to his party – agreeing publicly with the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee during his Presidency, despite the ANC strongly opposing some points and with the establishment of Africa’s first rural AIDS treatment site by his foundation.

When Mandela emerged from prison in 1990 and then left his presidential office in 1994 after one term, he demonstrated the power of peace. How battles are not won by the cacophony of corpses, but by the actions that show you want a change for the better.

Mandela inspired a generation of South Africans. The current youth of South Africa grew up with stories and images of Mandela, but politically, he has not been as large an influence in their lives as he had been for their predecessors. South Africa in 2013 is struggling, but in different ways to Mandela’s struggle; unemployment is a massive issue  for young (and old) South African’s and is the issue that is felt on a daily basis by the people who’s political freedom was achieved, thanks to Mandela.

That is not to undermine the struggles which the country faces today; but economics now looms largely.

Mandela will never be forgotten, because inspiration is the purest form of immortality. His actions, his words and his teaching will resound with future generations. His humanity was what defined him from other political leaders. He made an impression on those of us physically untouched by the struggles of his country .

Hero, leader, icon. A beautiful human being. RIP Mandela.

Photo: pravmir.com

Regularly take Paracetamol? Might want to read this…

Researchers have discovered that people who take over-the-counter soluble painkillers on a regular basis are consuming as much as 150% of the recommended daily limit on salt.

Photo source: automatedsecurityalert.com

People who regularly take paracetamol/with or without codeine, asprin and ibuprofen are 22% more likely to suffer a stroke and 28% are more likely to die early.

Paracetamol clocked in the highest amount of salt; the equivalent to 18 packets of crisps. Asprin, Ibuprofen and Calcium gluconate came in at 50%, 50% and 33%. 

Photo: medicines2u.com

The study, conducted by the University College London and the University of Dundee are urging pharmaceutical manufacturers to print warning label on the tablets to warn consumers of the high salt content if they take the full daily dose of tablets (usually 8 tablets over the course of 24 hours).

The choice of soluble painkillers is a popular option among consumers as they are easier to swallow and enter the body faster. But the fizzing effect which is created by soluble painkillers is salt dissolving in the water.

Adults with chronic illness, such as arthritis, rely on painkillers for ease with their condition and supplements, such as calcium, are regularly taken by pregnant women.

Researchers looked at 1.29 million patient records obtained from GP’s across the UK to carry out the investigation.

Undeniable Truths of Christmastime

The Late Late Toy Show is on this Friday – signalling the beginning of an Irish Christmas. Whether you love or hate the holiday, it is inescapable. As are these things that happen ever year:

You immediately regret your decision to buy the biggest Christmas tree on offer in the local GAA car park

Faaack. Times double if you’re bringing it home on public transport.

 

You feel the need to write Santa an “adult” letter

Just sayin’…

 

 

Despite the fact that you know your present fate is already sealed

 

 

You plan on wowing your loved one’s with delicious homemade treats

 

They’re Christmas trees made from strawberries and cake! So clever!

 

 

Then realize your not Mary f*cking Berry and serve this to your party guests instead

 

While hiding the packaging and muttering darkly that they’re lucky to be getting anything at all

 

You pray for snow cause in your mind, it looks like this

So pretty!

 

Then it arrives and despite the fact we’re a small island in the Atlantic Ocean, we are NEVER prepared and work won’t give you a snow day

 

 

 

Subsequently, darkening your mood…

 

You’re only joking… Kind of…

 

As Santa pops up in your local shopping center, you think of the fact the Santa you saw as a kid probably didn’t have a background check before he got the job

*Shudder*

 

You get this card from a creepy couple you haven’t talked to in months and your natural desire is for them to burn in hell

What…. Is… WRONG WITH YOU?!

 

By the time the 25th rolls around, you have one, single thought in your mind

 

 

The Need To Label Airbrushed Photo’s Truthfully

Today, MEP Nessa Childers is hosting meeting in Dublin to propose that airbrushed photo’s used by magazines and other media be labelled as such, so that people are aware that they aren’t real.

This idea is a practical approach to a major problem that effects all age groups, not surprising given that Childers worked as a psychotherapist for 25 years before entering politics.

Society’s obsession with it’s physical image has increased as the years roll on; so much so that “selfie” is 2013’s word of the year as determined by the editors of Oxford dictionary.

While an interest in ones physical appearance isn’t unhealthy, obsession isn’t. The cause of eating disorders cannot solely be blamed on famous celebrities and glossy magazines; an eating disorder is a complex disease that is usually rooted in issues around control. A person in the throes of an eating disorder can feel that while other aspects of their life are spinning out of control, their food intake is something they can control.

A picture that has been digitally enhanced. Photo: nextnature.net

Emotional distress, trauma and self-esteem issues can all contribute to the development of an eating disorder. But while the blame can’t be solely blamed on our self-obsessed society, it plays an extremely negative role.

The banishment of fashion magazines showing pristine perfect models wouldn’t banish eating disorders. To believe so is to show a lack of understanding of the disease. But the portrayal of unhealthy body weight by magazine editors and fashion designers alike has made woman worldwide feel inadequate. Young men and women, looking at the media that surrounds them everyday – from billboards to newspapers, TV shows and social media – constantly tells them in a not so subtle way that there abnormal.

A video showing the dramatic changes Photoshop can make went viral. Photo: webpronews.com

A size zero accompanied by a blemish-free complexion, lustrous hair, cutting-edge outfits makes many feel as is they are failing because their image doesn’t match up to the one portrayed. The funny thing is, neither does the real image of the model in the photo. The prominence of airbrushing has increased in the last decade, as if it wasn’t already traumatizing enough to compare yourself to the most beautiful stars and starlets in Hollywood, we’re now forced to do so when they have been computer enhanced to a level beyond perfection.

The rise of the selfie alone shows what weight we put in a person physical attributes. Young teenagers, taking cue from a host of celebrities, take photographs of themselves with enough make-up, hair extensions and fake eyelashes to make a drag queen blush. But for many, that still isn’t sufficient, they’ll use Instagram filters to make their photos flawless. The process is completed when photos are uploaded to social media – where there self-worth is determined by the amount of “likes” a photo gets.

The horror that this message is sending – that acceptance and appreciation by your peers is determined first and foremost on your physical appearance?

While eating disorders and body issues are not solved by a simple, magic solution – a simple act of labeling unreal images for what they are can go a long way to helping us all stop comparing ourselves unfairly.

If you’re concerned about some of the issues raised in this article, the following supports are available:

BodyWhys: The Eating Disorder Association of Ireland

ReachOut.com: An dedicated online youth mental health service 

 

The Trouble with “The Troubles” Is That It’s Not In Our Past

“The Troubles” – a term long used to describe a time of violence and political unrest in Northern Ireland, from the late 60s to late 90s. For many in the Republic, the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 signaled an end to this terrible time.

Photo: bbc.co.uk

While the Good Friday Agreement was an important milestone in the recent history of the two countries, it by no means meant the end of “The Troubles”, but the start of the peace process; a difference that is important to distinguish.

Bridge Over Troubled Waters

From the beginning, there were issues in the process. The two years of talks which preceded the agreement were not truly inclusive of all parties in Northern Ireland. There were delays in implementing the agreement as Unionists refused to establish institutions of devolved government until there was movement on the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons; an issue which plagued the process for a year and a half.

Photo: fenian32.com

It took until 2005 until the International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) reported that the IRA had rid itself of weapons. In the same year, Michael McDowell, then Irish Minister for Justice, said Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Martin Ferris were all members of the IRA’s Army Council – allegations they deny to this day.

Ongoing Violence

Due to Unionist mistrust, a power-sharing executive was not entered into until the beginning of 2006 when Northern Ireland was finally ruled by appointed ministers.

That, however, did not mean the end of unrest. In May of the same year, a Catholic teenager died after being beaten with a baseball bat and a paramilitary member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) was shot in Antrim.

In 2007, for the first time in the party’s history, Sinn Féin  voted to support policing in Northern Ireland and after 108 new members were elected to Stormont Assembly, the DUP and Sinn Féin held a breakthrough meeting in which they confirm power-sharing will return to Northern Ireland, hearlding the move as a “new era.”

Progress Plagued With Problems

The transfer of policing and judicial powers occurred in 2010 and the 2011 elections were praised for it’s focus on political and economic issues rather than “the troubles”. But that did not mean that all wounds had been healed.

This was evident in the appointment of Dr Richard Haass, a seasoned US diplomat, as peace envoy earlier this year, who was given the weighty task of trying to solve the issues of flags, parades, emblems and Northern Ireland’s violent past. Setting himself a Christmas deadline, Haass stated upon his appointment that he hoped to have an strong agreement between parties on these issues.

Photo: cfr.org

The issue of parading, in particular, by the Orange Order, has long been a sore point for the country and the street violence during the marching season in 2010 and 2011 were some of the worst in recent memory. Tensions were highlighted once again in 2012 following a decision by Belfast City Hall to fly the British flag only on designated days rather than all year-round, was followed by protests and some violence.

Photo: scoilursula.com

Although dissident republican groups don’t have the same capacity as they did in the 70s and 90s, they still remain an on-going threat to the process – continuing to recruit members, acquire weapons and target politicians. It is believed that a group formed only last year, calling itself “the IRA”, brings together several dissident republican groups and claimed responsibility for the death of a Protestant prison officer as he drove to work in 2012.

Reports also suggest that some members of loyalist groups are heavily engaged in serious crimes and continue to seek weapons and recruit new members.

The Republic’s Response

While for those in Northern Ireland feel the limitations of progress, the Republic had remained somewhat removed from it; Micheal Martin correctly stated earlier this year that in the Republic, people only paid attention to Northern Ireland when problems arose.

But whether we want to or not, the issues that still plague Northern Ireland are the Republic’s responsibility too. Yesterday, Northern Ireland’s Attorney General proposed an end to all investigations and prosecutions into killings that took place during the Troubles – a controversial move. Taoiseach Enda Kenny was forced to address the matter when Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, brought up the issue during Leader’s Questions. After saying he believed it would be “difficult” for families to accept this, he said debate about the issue should be stalled until the conclusions of Richard Haass’ work was completed.

Haass’ Task

With Dr Richard Haass’ Christmas deadline looming, a round table discussion of thorny issues will occur tomorrow with members of Northern Ireland’s political parties. “We have reached a crucial stage,” DUP negotiator Jeffrey Donaldson said “There are major challenges in front of us.

“The real stuff with Haass begins this week,” Sean Murray of Sinn Féin  said. “It’s down to the nitty-gritty.” Haass will also meet with Alliance, the Ulster Unionists and SDLP. One thing all parties agree on is that while flags and emblems are an issue, the crux of solution lies in deciding how to deal with the past.

The next fortnight will reveal if proposals on how to deal with these issues can be made before Christmas, with every step on shaky ground. Haass was confronted by angry relatives of Bloody Sunday victims yesterday as he walked through a hotel foyer in Derry (Londonderry? Even the name is contentious), as they urged him to deny the amnesty proposed by the Attorney General. Today, it was revealed that soldiers from an undercover unit used by  the British Army in Northern Ireland admitted firing on unarmed IRA suspects in west Belfast 40 years ago. The confession comes about as part of a Panaroma investigation which will air tonight on BBC One.

The “Military Reaction Force” said they shot and killed unarmed civilians and drive-by shootings of nationalists – despite a lack of hard evidence that any of them were members of the IRA. A solicitor for two of the families who will feature on the documentaries has called on the Attorney General to launch fresh inquiries into the deaths – the complete opposite of what the Attorney General wants.

With the stakes being raised ever day, “The Troubles” remain an issue for both Northern Ireland and the Republic to address. To achieve lasting peace, the past must truly be put to bed. How can this happen? Only time will tell.

It’s A Wonderful Life To Get A Sequel

My Lord do we wish this wasn’t true, but plans are in motion to create a sequel to the 1946 classic Christmas movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life”. As if the notion of that wasn’t bad enough, the plotline is just damn disturbing.

Photo:drafthouse.com

George Bailey’s daughter, ZuZu, returns as an angel – who shows him how much better off the world would’ve been if he hadn’t existed. Em, bit harsh, no? The plot is meant to be a play off Charles Dicken’s classic, A Christmas Carol, to show Bailey’s grandson what a d*ck he apparently is. But it’s okay, because the character of ZuZu is being resurrected (or angelified?) by the original actress, Karolyn Grimes.

The film is being put together by Allen J Schwab, whose previously helped finance the Rain Man and The Colour Purple.

“Immoral” 95 Hour Week: Mother of Junior Doctor Who Died

The mother of a junior doctor who took her own life last December has described her daughter’s working hours as “immoral” following an inquest into her death.

Dr Jessica Murphy. Photo: independent.ie

Jessica Murphy was just 26-year-old when she took an overdose which resulted in her death. Murphy has been working as a junior doctor in neurology at Tallaght Hospital.

During the inquest into her death, Murphy’s parents raised the question of her working hours which they say were 95 per week. Murphy’s mother, Marian, believes her daughter was “put under too much pressure”, contributing to her death.

Mrs Murphy welcomes recent moves to reduce junior doctor’s working and also said she is glad to see public figures speaking about depressions because her own daughter had been afraid of the stigma attached. “It is an illness like anything else and should be treated properly” Mrs Murphy added.

Jessica’s father believes that his daughter had been self-prescribing sleeping tablets among other medication in the days before her death. When Gardai searched Jessica’s home, they found a number of empty medication boxes along with a letter of resignation to the hospital. Jessica’s cause of death was ruled respiratory depression due to overdose.

Tuesday Newspaper Round-Up

We’ve got the top stories for today, wrapped up in a few sentences for you.

“Selfie” named 2013 word of the year: Following a tough choice of decisions by the editors of Oxford dictionaries, “selfie” has been picked as the word of the year; beating off twerk, binge-watch and showrooming. Use of the word has increased by 17,000% since this time last year.

14 people killed as storms hit Sardinia: At least 14 people have been killed overnight on the Italian island of Sardinia following strong storms. Hundreds of people have been evacuated, but many areas remain out of reach to rescue teams. A woman and daughter drowned in a car after they become stuck inside the vehicle.

Ireland’s Birth Rate Still Declining: Statistics from the ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute) show the number of babies being born in Ireland continues to decline. This rate has been on a downward slope since 2009. In 2012, there were just under 7c2,000 births.

 Death Toll in Philippine’s nears 4,000: International aid agencies around the world are facing a humanitarian crisis following the damage caused by Typhoon Haiyan. Up to four million people are now displaced from their homes and the death toll is still increasing as search work continues.

Sharon Ni Bheolain Craves New Career Path: After presenting RTÉ’s Six One news for eight years, the broadcaster has revealed she is ready for something new. Speaking in the RTÉ Guide, the 42-year-old said “It’s been a very enjoyable experience, but I’m ready for something new.”

 

 

Dublin Man Banned From Every Pub In City

Nope, this isn’t a joke. David Lee (30) has been banned from every single pub in Dublin city after fleeing into a bar lounge to avoid Gardaí.

Lee struck a guard over the head with an object he picked up from a table after he chased him into the pub. The judge at Swords District Court decided the most fitting punishment was to ban Lee from ALL pubs in Dublin for 12 months and a four-month sentence suspended for one year.

Pretty unique punishment but we’re not sure how well it will be enforced…

21st Century Stupidity: Willie O’Dea On Alcoholism

Would you choose to be an alcoholic? I doubt any of us would. An addiction is something which controls you’re whole life. It’s a leech; robbing the victims of their enjoyment of life. It can be debilitating and difficult to beat.

But, according to Willie O’Dea, this isn’t the case and he doesn’t think that the 124 people in Ireland claiming illness benefits from the state due to alcohol addiction deserve the money.

Why? The  Fianna Fáil Social Protection spokesman  told The Irish Daily Mail it was wrong to pay people who were “literally indulging themselves”, adding that “If someone has a disease called alcoholism, then you don’t drink, you give up the drink.”

If we were living in the early 2oth century, O’Dea’s comments wouldn’t be that astonishing. But in 2013, with a wealth of scientific and proven information to show that alcoholism is a disease, O’Dea’s political stance is to deny those who are ill  financial help because of some cracked idea that it’s their own fault they’re sick.

” I know people who have cancer or are suffering from motor neurone disease who can’t get medical cards. They didn’t drink or bring those things on themselves and they’re the victims” he said. The Mayo Clinic states that alcoholism is a “chronic and often progressive disease”. A disease. Not something that the person asked for.

It is disgraceful that seriously ill people are facing the loss of medical cards due to cutbacks. But to link that issue with addicts receiving social welfare for an   is inappropriate and stigmatizing.

To insinuate that those who receive social welfare as they try to battle addiction are some how stealing services from terminally ill patients is disgusting. If you want to find blame in this, look to those who are responsible for cuts in our healthcare – the TD’s in the Dáil.  Not a vulnerable group in society who Mr O’Dea deems unworthy of help.

O’Dea’s comment that alcoholics should simply “give up the drink” demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of addiction and mental health issues. Should we also tell people suffering from anorexia to just eat more? Advise people suffering depression to get up and get on with it and stop moping around?

As a public figure, O’Dea’s comments are ignorant, hurtful and perpetuate damaging stereotypes. He should be ashamed of himself; I know I’m ashamed that he is a politician in my country.