Empowered youth and economics - the power they have to bring about world peace...

There are many instances world over where students have been the reason behind the start of revolutions. Many of these revolutions did bring about far reaching positive changes to the places where they took place. Then there are many regions in the world today which are plagued by insurgent activity which have been started for various issues. In most cases insurgency starts on lofty intellectuals ideals and in most cases are started by the intellectuals of a particular region. Soon the ideals for which these movements started seemto get eroded and what replaces the insurgent movement is ordinary arson,extortion and ransom in the name of some 'xyz' cause. The sad part being that the target of the insurgents to increase their numbers tends to be the youth of the region, specially the unemployed youth who can be easily swayed.
Every rebel group hopes to come to power to change the system they think is bad, but sadly I am reminded of Geroge Orwell’s AnimalFarm. Is there a guarantee that the new system is going to be better  than the system it wishes to replace? Another fundamental problem each such warring faction forgets is the effect their activities have on the younger children growing up in the shadow of such uprisings. Statistics shows that children growing up in trouble or strife prone areas tend to show Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Not a single insurgent understands that in adopting violent methods to achieve their ends they end up eroding two generations of their community. First they target the youth and second the children growing up in the shadow of the violence they are spearheading, grow up with problems too. Then who are these people fighting to create a new social order or state or religion for ? In the very process of using violence they are wiping out any new progress they could achieve, even if they achieve it, who are they creating a new society for ? scarred youth ?.
I believe the solution to this problem is very simple –economics will have to reign supreme.  If the governments and industry of insurgency affected regions put their heads together, they can come up with a multipronged solution to ensure the maximum number of youth are either studying, working or are in the process of becoming entrepreneurs.The greater the number of youth gainfully employed, fewer the number of youth left to join such rebels. The government and industry should work together to ensure greater industry academia partnerships to ensure career oriented courses which will increase the employability of students. Greater the employability of students the lesser will be the number of idle youth. There is a movement of entrepreneurship gaining momentum across nations which will also help in this regard.
The government should also ensure that the politicians and religious groups should not be allowed to incite the youth, by laying down stringent laws. In the end I believe it all boils down to empowered youth  and economics. If more decisions are taken on the basis of economic reasons there will be easier solutions to problems across the globe. It will also result in fair and just decisions being the order of the day unlike a system where decisions are based on caste, creed, rule, colour or any other such convoluted reasons. Empowered youth and economics can surely bring about world peace in the long run!!

Bahrain as seen from an expatriate's point of view

For every expatriate life is usually tough, adjusting in anew environment and it was the same for me when I came to Bahrain. As I started exploring and seeing more of this small island nation it was such an eyeopener. From an economic point of view I was amazed to see this small unassuming nation really standing tall. There are so many big nations who liketo think of themselves as champions of free trade, but how many are actually practising what they preach? Here is this small nation not only advocating freetrade but doing so much more in most fields. Every time I take a walk in thelocality I stay in, it is amazing to see sign boards in languages ranging from Malayalam, Hindi, English, Tagalog, Chinese to Malay etc. The amount and variety of products that are available to consumers also tells one about the rules that the government follows with regard to trade.
The first indication such sign boards should give people coming to this country is the large heartedness and benevolence of the rulers.It pains me so much that the native people of this beautiful island nation do not appreciate the potential the regime provides in the form of rules implemented. What could have been a beacon to the rest of the world in terms of an example of free enterprise and prosperity has become marred. I wish more people would help the government help achieve its goals of economic development because nothing but economic prosperity will ensure there is a level playing ground for all the people. Most of the rules regarding trade, commerce, health,education and labour laws are such that they give the citizens and expatriate equal opportunities in the industrial, commerce and trade sectors to name a few areas.
Therefore it is the duty of the people living in this nation to ensure that we make the best use of the opportunities coming our way. In doing so we will ensure that the nation reaches a position of economic power that will be the best equaliser of class and creed.

radio with a difference !!!!!

My first memory of a radio is of the one which my dad assembled for us siblings way back in the 70’s. My love for the radio started with that radio which had open valves that used to turn green on heating. The reception on that self assembled radio was very good and I grew up listening to Radio Ceylon and the BBC . In the  days before the television revolution started in India the radio was our window to the world, be it news or entertainment. We had our favourite programs and were ruled by their timings. Slowly the media became audio visual and the radio lost it’s significance in many house holds. It is still important to many though like truck drivers and farmers in many rural parts of the world are still dependent on the radio for information. It is also used by governments to impart information about vital issues like vaccination, educational issues, medical camps, natural calamities etc.
After growing up and moving away from home too my association with the radio continued and I was a regular listener. It also helped me in the profession I tookup in life of being a lecturer. The commercials aired on the radio helped me in getting examples while preparing for lectures, and the music was a balm for my heart that was missing my friends and family back home. After getting married I moved around quite a bit in India and my radio moved with me, then came the time when I had to take a big decision to move away from my home country to Bahrain a small nation I knew very little about. As usual the first thing I did was to buy a radio. Intially the radio was my connect to the world viz through the news, views and other snippets of information I got on it.
There are two main stations I liked listening to in Bahrain and they are radio Bahrain and 104.2 Your Fm. I was a regular listerner of both the radio stations  from my very first day in Bahrain. The hindi radio channel was called Radio Voice. In a few days I realised that the channel was closing down and was turning over a new leaf but what overwhelmed me was the reaction of the listerners. It was an eye opener for me because I had never seen so much of love and hurt from the listerners for a radio channel.  The channel thanked all it’s listerners and also aired interviews with their back end team, and I think that is what got me hooked to this channel. Soon I too was a regular listener and my elder son too started participating in the contests they aired and he had a favourite RJ who he used to listen to everyday. The radio also morphed and became an excellent nanny for me because I knew I could take my nap during the time Paras Tomar was on air. With 104.2 your fm they had a chat line simultaneously open on FaceBook, this makes it possible for the listeners to tune in and interact with the radio jockeys when programms are being aired. This makes this media extremely interactive and establishes a direct connection with the people. It is then that I realised the importance of this media for the people living far away from home.

The listeners are from various backgrounds and social strata making the interactions with this radio channel page on face book extremely interesting.  For the first time I saw a radio channel being a friend, philosopher, guide, big brother who pulls people up and above all an entertainer par example. I also saw bonding of people from Pakistan and India and it really was so very heartening to see this because it shows one the power of music and the calming effect it has. The interviews and special programms aired on special days such as the Independence day of Pakistan and India, the celebration of festivals such as Ramadan and Onam, too come with a special message for each category of listeners.
This GCC area has so many individuals who live away from home and do not have any family to speak of, some are in some form of bondage and some have lost their jobs or some are even in jail. The message on Onam (an Indian festival) from 104.2 your fm, went out to all these people as there were interviews with politicians and also actors from India who demystified a lot of myths about issues expats have and many a times does not get answered for they do not know whom to ask. Besides this all the regular things a radio channel does is done by both the channels.

In hindsight I realise that the radio used to be on at all times in my house in India but when we are in a new place with few know faces it can work wonders for most people, as their beacon of hope and their window to the world. It can also become more than that with the people on the channel interacting and few like minded people from the 104.2 your fm page, who have also formed their own online groups and have taken this social networking to a different level altogether. In the end it is all about people finding their balance and getting on in life specially in a place with no family and friends.