Grandmother Wins Environmental Prize

A 52-year-old family farmer and grandmother will be awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work fighting the pollution caused by large factory farms. Lynn Henning faced harrassment as she collected evidence that led Michigan regulatory agencies to clamp down on environmental violations by farms

Teamwork

The Incredibles is a delightful film depicting a family thrown into crisis by a series of mishaps that put a strain on them personally and as a family. Each character has something to deal with-the dad was a superhero and now must work like “normal” people do and out of the limelight. Mom is doing her best to hold things together in their more confined environment as everyday citizens. The children are a little confused about their powers and how to be “normal” in a world that is often more easily dealt with as super heroes. In the end, a world-threatening emergency gives them impetus to shed their human identities and rise to the roles they were meant to fill. Each individual brings their unique talents to bear against a formidable enemy. In the process their personal problems fade and their family becomes an unconquerable united front. Teamwork is not only a good idea but is critical to their survival and that of earth’s inhabitants.

Compassion

Mother Teresa was born on August 27, 1910 and trained to become a nun starting at age 18. After finishing her training, she took her vows and became Sister Teresa. From 1931 to 1948, she taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta, becoming Mother Teresa in 1937 after taking her Final Procession of Vows. However, her life changed when she was on a train ride to her annual retreat in 1946. During the ride, Mother Teresa said she received a calling from God to “serve him among the poorest of the poor.”

With permission from the Catholic Church, Mother Teresa began her own order, The Missionaries of Charity, to serve the poorest people in Calcutta. At first, she taught school in the street. Eventually, she opened shelters to help the dying, lepers and orphans. In 1979, Mother Teresa was given the Nobel Peace Prize. When she received the Nobel Prize, she was dressed in the same trademark sari she wore in the streets and convinced the committee to cancel a dinner in her honor, using the money instead to “feed 400 poor children for a year in India.” Her description of the mission of The Missionaries of Charity when accepting the peace prize was: “to care for the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone.”

Devotion

The doctors told Dick Hoyt that his infant son Rick should be institutionalized. There was no hope, they said, of Rick being anything more than a vegetable.

Four decades later, Rick and Dick Hoyt have competed over 65 marathons, 206 triathlons and hundreds of other events as a father-son team. Rick, whose father was told he was incapable of intellectual activity, graduated from Boston University in 1993. The devotion of this remarkable pair to each other and their goals has enabled them both to accomplish things that neither would have done alone.

During Rick’s birth in 1962, the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, cutting off oxygen to his brain. Rick is a spastic quadriplegic, has cerebral palsy, and is unable to speak. Despite the doctors’ grim prognosis, Dick and his wife Judy raised him at home and struggled to get him admitted to public schools.

Though Rick could not speak, his parents knew that he was just as intelligent as his siblings. Dick convinced a group of engineers from Tufts University to build a “communicator” for his son. By hitting a switch with the side of his head, Rick selects letters to form words and sentences.

Rick was attending public school two years later, when a five-mile benefit run was held for a local lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Rick wanted to participate. Dick was not a runner, but agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair. During the run, Rick felt as though he simply wasn’t handicapped anymore – he was just one of the runners. Wanting to give Rick this feeling as often as possible, Dick ran in an increasing number of events with his son.

As “Team Hoyt” began competing in earnest in the late 1970s, they were often treated as outsiders and avoided by other competitors. What began as a way for Rick Hoyt to experience inclusion and equality broadened. It became a way to send a message that, as Rick said, “everybody should be included in everyday life.” The duo’s first Boston Marathon in 1981 yielded a finish in the top quarter of the field, and attitudes began changing. “In the beginning no one would come up to me,” recalled Rick. Now, he says, “many athletes will come up to me before the race or triathlon to wish me luck.”

Dick has ran, ridden and swam literally thousands of miles to be with and support his son. This has enabled Rick to live a full and purposeful life – but it turns out that, in a way, Rick has saved his father’s life as well. After a mild heart attack, Dick’s doctors told him that he may have died 15 years ago if he weren’t in such good shape.

Team Hoyt’s total commitment to each other and to what they do ensures that they are constantly challenging themselves. In addition to their athletic events, the Hoyts tour the country to speak about their experiences. They have also established the Hoyt Fund, which is supports educational and technological efforts surrounding persons with disabilities. They anticipate running their 26th Boston Marathon in April.

Ambition

Liz Murray grew up in the Bronx, New York City. Addicted to drugs, her parents sometimes sold household items in order to get their fix. As a child, Liz hated school because when she did go, she was teased: there was no one to make sure that she showered or got up on time. As Liz grew older, her parents lost their apartment, and her father ended up in shelters. For a time Liz was placed in a group home. Her mother, who suffered from AIDS, became increasingly ill and was hospitalized. Rather than submit to the dehumanization and sadness that had characterized her experience in foster care, Liz chose to fend for herself. Liz slept on friends’ couches or floors at odd hours, camped outside or rode the subway all night.

After her mother’s death, Liz, then 16, felt that event as “a slap in the face” that caused her to question where her life was going. With an eighth-grade education, Liz decided that, as she said, “Life rewards action. I was going to go out there and… have action in my life every day instead of this stagnant behavior that I had been partaking in for so long.”

Liz was admitted an alternative high school, the Humanities Preparatory Academy, where she doubled her course-load and completed high school in only two years. One of the top ten students in the school, Liz went on a school-sponsored trip to Boston and walked through Harvard Yard. “It’s not as though I had some sort of epiphany at the moment … It was just more that I got jealous of how these students had so much opportunities, and I’d felt that I’d had very little. And so then I thought, `Well, what’s the difference between me and anyone here?’ And I filled in all the gaps.”

Her grades qualified Liz for the New York Times College Scholarship, and she applied for and was admitted to Harvard. But far from resting on those considerable laurels, Liz continued to break new ground. A member of the Washington Speakers’ Bureau, Liz has found she has “a knack for” sharing her story and insights with audiences across the country. Her story was adapted for film by Lifetime Television in the 2003 film “Homeless to Harvard: the Liz Murray Story.” Liz is also an avid writer whose memoirs, “Breaking Night,” were published in 2005. Liz returned to New York City to care for her ill father, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in psychology and sociology at Columbia University.

Unity

Picture taken at a candlelight vigil at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on September 12, 2001

Confidence

Albert Einstein was born in 1879 at Ulm in Württemberg, Germany. At age five, his father showed him a pocket compass, and Einstein realized that something in “empty” space acted upon the needle; he would later describe the experience as one of the most revelatory of his life. Though he built models and mechanical devices for fun, he was considered a slow learner, possibly due to dyslexia, simple shyness, or the significantly rare and unusual structure of his brain (as seen following his death). He later credited his development of the theory of relativity to this slowness, saying that by pondering space and time later than most children, he was able to apply a more developed intellect.

Einstein began to learn mathematics at about age twelve. There is a recurring rumor that he failed mathematics later in his education, but this is untrue; a change in the way grades were assigned caused confusion years later.

His failure of the liberal arts portion of the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (Federal Swiss Polytechnic University, in Zurich) entrance exam the following year was a setback; he was sent by his family to Aarau, Switzerland to finish secondary school, and received his diploma in 1896. In 1900, he earned a teaching diploma at the Swiss Polytechninc University and was accepted as a Swiss citizen in 1901. During this time Einstein discussed his scientific interests with a group of close friends.

Upon graduation, Einstein could not find a teaching post, and instead, started to work at the Swiss Patent office. He judged the worth of inventors’ patent applications for devices that required a knowledge of physics to understand. He obtained his doctorate after submitting his thesis “On a new determination of molecular dimensions” in 1905.

That same year, he wrote four articles that provided the foundation of modern physics, without much scientific literature to refer to or many scientific colleagues to discuss the theories with. Most physicists agree that three of those papers (Brownian motion, the photoelectric effect, and special relativity) deserved Nobel prizes. Only the photoelectric effect would win in 1921.

Albert Einstein was much respected for his kind and friendly demeanor rooted in his pacifism. He occasionally had a playful sense of humour, and enjoyed playing the violin and sailing. He was also the stereotypical “absent-minded professor” he was often forgetful of everyday items, such as keys, and would focus so intently on solving physics problems that he would often become oblivious to his surroundings. He died on April 18, 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey.

Hope

In 1950 the People’s Liberation Army of China invaded Tibet. The Tibetan people called on the Dalai Lama to assume full leadership of the country at the young age of fifteen. Throughout a half-century of conflict and uncertainty, the Dalai Lama has told his people, “our struggle must remain nonviolent and free of hatred."

The Dalai Lama has led Tibet in becoming a modern and democratic nation, initiating reforms in government and education. He has worked diligently to build a relationship with China and open dialogue about Tibet’s future. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his dedication to nonviolence.
A monk and scholar who rises at 4 a.m. to pray, The Dalai Lama has written or coauthored many books, including his autobiography and best-seller The Art of Happiness. He travels the world to promote “human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline” among individuals and nations, as well as respect between religious traditions. Whether his listeners are monks or corporate leaders, diplomats or high-school students, many are inspired by his message, delivered with optimism, candor, and humor.

The Dalai Lama believes all things and people are interconnected. As the world enters an era of globalization, he emphasizes the great potential of nations and people to learn from and help each other — and our responsibility to make that happen. “The key to creating a better and more peaceful world,” he has said, “is the development of love and compassion for others.” This starts at the level of the individual. If individuals practice what the Dalai Lama has called “inner disarmament,” focusing on compassion for others rather than on selfish thoughts and aims, they will be able to help the world achieve peace. And kindness helps the doer, as well: “Taking care of more people, you get to benefit,” he has said. “Taking care of one’s self only, you lose.”

The Dalai Lama has called the 20th century “a century of violence.” He calls upon all people to make this new century into “a century of dialogue” that will lead to peace. The Dalai Lama is acquainted with the sorrow, suffering and violence in the world. Yet he has upheld a principle shared by belief systems worldwide – of compassion towards others, regardless of their beliefs or actions. In this way, the Dalai Lama hopes, and works, for a better world.

Sources: Tibet.com (government site), Nobel prize site, Dalailama.com (his web site), Wikipedia, http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/hhdl/hrurspeech.asp (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition: Speech on Human Rights and Universal Responsibility, June 15 1993)

Commitment

Winston Spencer Churchill was born on November 30, 1874, in England. He served in the British Army.
Churchill was elected to various positions for the next several years. After the beginning of World War II, Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. In early May, the former Prime Minister of England resigned and Churchill was appointed to the position by King George VI. England’s army suffered many losses early on and Churchill faced a great deal of criticism. But one of the major contributions he made to eventual victory was his ability to inspire the British people to greater effort by making public broadcasts on significant occasions. A brilliant orator, he was a tireless source of strength to people experiencing the sufferings of the German bombing campaign.

On October 29, 1941, Churchill made a speech at Harrow School which he attended as a youth. Part of the speech included the line, “Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” He also used the phrase, “Never, never, never give up” in his personal writing and correspondence.

The values that our world should have:

Achievement
Ambition
Appreciation
Believe
Believe In Yourself
Caring
Character
Charity
Class And Grace
Commitment
Common Ground
Compassion
Confidence
Courage
Courtesy
Dedication
Determination
Devotion
Do Your Part
Drive
Encouragement
Excellence
Foresight
Forgiveness
Friendship
Generosity
Giving Back
Gratitude
Hard Work
Helping Others
Honesty
Hope
Humility
Ingenuity
Inspiration
Integrity
Laughter
Leadership
Learning
Listening
Live Life
Live Your Dreams
Love
Loyalty
Making A Difference
Motivation
Opportunity
Optimism
Overcoming
Patience
Peace
Perseverance
Persistence
Preparation
Purpose
Reaching Out
Respect
Responsibility
Right Choices
Rising Above
Sacrifice
Sharing
Soul
Sportsmanship
Spread Your Wings
Stewardship
Strength
Teaching By Example
Team Work
True Beauty
Trust
Unity
Vision
Volunteering

About the videos

I have more videos to put here, but I just can put 2/day.
thank you for your attention

More values

What do we want to pass on?

We need to have values like this one in this video:

Why did I creat this blog?

I created this blog not only because of my english oral work, but also because I really want to show that our world is not that bad and because I think that we can make an even better world.