Pangea Day

There is always a good reason why things happened the way it is. I went to sleep very early last nite circa 9 pm and woke up (for the second time) at 4.30 am. This was unusual to me. After freshened up, I switched on the TV and there was this brazillian movie with an old white man, a black teen and a dog. AFter 5 minutes, it stopped and my attention was brought to LIVE telecast of Pangea Day.

What is Pangea Day? Why would people all over the world congregated in souls to this event and some, if they were in Patna, Mumbai, Egypt and Singapore, denied themselves a good nite sleep?

In 2006, filmmaker Jehane Noujaim won the TED Prize, an annual award granted at the TED Conference. She was granted $100,000, and more important, a wish to change the world. Her wish was to create a day in which the world came together through film. Pangea Day grew out of that wish. Pangea refers to "One World" and its first event this year on 10 May 2008, it is a global event bringing the world together through film. Why? In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and conflict, it's easy to lose sight of what we all have in common. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that – to help people see themselves in others – through the power of film.

As mentioned by Karen Armstrong, one of TED's winners for 2008, in her speech, every single one of the world's major faiths believes that "We should not do to others what we do not want others to inflict on us" and that "It is not sufficient to just extend your compassion to those in your own group; you must take it to out to others as well."

Yonathan Shapira (an ex-Israeli Chopper Pilot, who witnessed children from Israel and Palestine died in and from his chopper) joined Bassam Aramin (a former member of Palestine Resistance Fighter, who lost his beautiful 10-year old girl Abir to Israeli soldier in front of her school) in "Combatants For Peace", who have renounced violence to try to find a peaceful solution to conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In the meeting of the organisation, former enemies, who have lost their loved ones listen and talk to each other to understand and strive to see past their tragic pasts by focussing on their common humanity.

I cried throughout the remaining 1.5 hours except when we joined Dr. Madan Katarai, the founder of Laughter Club, for one minute LOL.

You may say that I cried because I am a natural cry baby. Today, let me tell you this. If you don't know how to cry then you are not truly human. Pinch your right thigh and your left thigh will even feel the pain. That is what a human being is all about. We might not go through the hardship, but we feel it because another human being is experiencing it.

So, I wonder what happened to the heart of those people in power in Malaysia. To Hishamuddin's, Najib's and SIL's mothers, how do they feel seeing their offspring behaving like one today? Are they proud? If i were theirs, I would feel very heartbroken and I will try to do something to make a stop of what is becoming of them.

Talking about defection by BN's MPs to Pakatan Rakyat, now I feel that and we should look at it that these defected MPs finally come to their human senses and try to make right of what is left from their lives. They better be. Quoted from Jehane "By sharing, we turn strangers into friends".

The people in power may bring us down through many existing draconian acts but they may never bring down our desire to make better for all human beings they want to call Malaysia their "TanahairKu".

As Gandhi said "There is no way to peace; Peace is the way".

I wish I am a better human today and the rest of my life....