Potato

By: Bikal Dhungel 

Facebook is booming. People like every kind of pictures. Recently, I saw a picture of potato in my facebook wall where somebody had written, “Let’s see how many likes this potato gets”. People like every stupid picture about everything. It disturbed somebody and he posted a picture of potato to get liked. I didn’t like that. I didn’t like the idea of undermining the importance of potato. Those who think that potatoes are simply an unimportant object that should be the last one remaining, to get likes in facebook, havent done enough homework about the role potato played in human civilization. 

Potatoes are amazing and I love it. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) reports that worldwide 324 million tonnes of potatoes are produced every year, this means roughly 33 kg per person per year. We not only eat it directly but have potatoes as other type of food like potato chips, mashed potato with yogurt or milk, pancakes potatoes and potatoes cooked in different ways like boiled, baked etc. A variety of potato gained more popularity when Prince William married Catherine Middleton. It was revealed that both of them used to eat Fish and Chips (potatoes) during university years in St. Andrews, Scotland. Many people went to that spot to try the same dish. 

Potato was first found in the Americas and the European colonizers brought it to Europe. Historically, potato played an important role to save human lives. During the famines where other crops fell due to bad weather, potato helped humans to survive because of its adaptiveness with bad weather and it also provided several times more calories than grains. In time of famine, it was a good alternative for other foods. The cultivation of potatoes throughout Europe grew in higher rate. Economic historians claim that potato promoted economic development of Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution. It was a cheap source of calories and in time of urbanisation during industrialisation, it was a good option as potato was easier to cultivate. One could even do it in the backyard. As there was enough potato or enough food, economic historians further claim that potato accelerated population growth. In other parts of the world, when population grew, the food supply was secured by the cultivation of potatoes. In times of war, many German leaders frequently told the people to cultivate potatoes. This became a popular culture and still today, potato is a vital part of German meal. It is unofficially regarded as a national dish. Some stereotypes also used this as an abusive word to the Germans. If you have a German friend, never tell him/her a potato.

However, potato also caused some big problems. Some countries in Europe were very dependent on it for example Ireland. Ireland was very dependent on Potato. When a disease called potato blight broke out, almost one million Irish people died. A large number immigrated to the United States and United Kingdom, a reason why the Irish make one of the largest immigrant groups in the United States. J. F Kennedy, Bill Clinton, George W Bush and even Barack Obama have Irish roots. During the famine, Ireland’s population decreased by one quarter. This event is called ‘The Great Famine’ in Ireland and ‘The Potato Famine’ in the rest of the world. 

Whatsoever, potatoes have saved millions of lives in other parts of the world. It has enriched mankind. It has helped in human economic growth and continues to do so. It also gives pleasure to us as variety of foods that we consume everyday. 

Today potatoes are consumed all over the world. China, India, Russia, United States and Germany are largest producers. The year 2008 was regarded as ‘International Year of the Potato’ by the FAO. The Swiss Post also brought out the post stamps with potatoes. In Germany there are two potato museums, one in Munich called 'Das Kartoffel Museum' and another called ' Deutsches Kartoffelmuseum' in Fussgoenheim in the state of Rheinland-Palatinate. Not only in Germany, there are other potato museums in the United States, Canada, Belgium, Denmark and Singapore.

In our world where over 1 billion people live in extreme poverty, potatoes can help a lot or are already helping to reduce hunger and starvation. In places where it has not reached yet, good policies should be implemented to bring potatoes to every hungry man’s plate. It has a large role to play to fulfill the Millenium Development Goals. Potato is important to us, it has made our life better hence it deserves respect.

So, if you get a picture of a potato in your facebook wall, give a like because potato is important and not less important.

Want To Build A Good Nation? Spend On Children

By: Bikal Dhungel

‘Child shows a man as morning shows the day’. However, ‘morning shows the day’ isnt true about most parts of Europe. They say, never believe in 3 Ws, Work, Weather and Wife. It can change or run away anytime. 

‘Child shows a man’ is however everywhere true. Childhood directs most of us in which direction we go in the future. The way we were raised, friends we had, the environment we grew up, the culture we saw and the teachers who taught us determines how our future looks like.  Teachers and parents role is the most important. Many researches show that the children of Doctors are likely to be a doctor as well, the children of Business men or industrialist have high tendency to continue with the profession their parents had and the same for other professions. High numbers of youths from an academic family are also most likely to be an academic, which means that they’re most likely to get a university degree. There are fewer number of university students whose parents haven’t been to the University. This culture has changed recently in developed world as everybody, nomatter which status they have, have an access to higher education. The European Union has free education system that allows all students to enter the University if they fulfill the requirements irrespective of their income. However, Germany and Norway are among the few countries that provide free education for all, regardless their nationality. This has given a chance for everybody to rise to middle or higher class. Good education policy that gives everybody an equal opportunity is the best justice system. 

Let us talk directly about the situation of children in so called developing countries. It is a scandal that governments and its people are complaining about their poor economic situation but doing less to build the future of children. Future of country lies on the future on children. This includes not only the spendings on education, but also on Vocational Trainings, Sports, Healthcare etc. Only spending more also won’t help because it should be efficient and intelligent. UNDP’s Human Development Indicators figure shows that Sudan spends over 25% of its GDP on education, which is the highest and Cuba and Djibouti spend respectively 13.6 and 8.4%. All three are among the poorest countries of the world. Despite higher education budget, situations arent getting better.  Developed Countries’ don’t even make the top ten among the big spenders on education. It is Denmark which is on 16^th place spending 7.8% of its GDP for education that comes first among rich world. Finland, which tops the best schooling system in the world lies at 39^th place with 5.9%. The US lies on 55^th place and Germany on 95^th. So, ‘how much’ spending is of less relevance, ‘how to’ is what matters. 

Schools should be made like a home where there should be somebody to care the children other than educational stuffs. A psychologist is desperately necessary in schools to monitor the mental situations. Childrens are vulnerable. Their minds are prone to negative feelings. Mobbings, conflicts in family, conflicts with friends or someone they love can leave a permanent dove on their mind. There should be initiatives that prevent such happenings but also professional treatments so that it cannot have a long lasting effect on childrens mind. It is not only a loss for the child and his family if a child choose a wrong path, it is also a loss for the economy. Everybody can contribute something but if he/she arent given a chance to use their full potential, we might loose something that could have changed many things for better. 

I won’t go in details about how to create a better child. There are many pedagogic methods and instruments to intervene in order to bring the best out of a child. These scientific techniques are being used in many countries.There are many examples and true facts how a good childhood could have avoided some of the disasters we faced in the history of humans. There are some people who have changed the world for better because they were raised to do better. There are some who had tragic childhood who turned out to be the most terrible men in the world. 

Most of the mass murderers we know had a difficult childhood. Saddham Hussein’s father died when his mother was pregnant. Though she tried to commit a suicide, she was stopped by a Jewish family. She gave Saddham to her brother who was a military officer. Saddham grew up in his shadows and killed a person in the age of 10. Raised in a military atmosphere, he showed no reservations to take lives. The same characteristics remained until he was the most powerful man in country who then killed hundreds of thousands of people through chemical weapons. Adolf Hitler had a complicated childhood and youth years. His dreams werent fulfilled what he initially wanted to become. Once he took power, the ingredients of hate that he slowely gained throughout child and adulthood, he misused it to execute one of the most terrible act in history. Joseph Stalin was physically abused by his father who was an alcoholic. He along with his mother suffered a lot during those years. This had an enormous impact in his character. Stalin killed millions of people directly and indirectly. 

So, these example shows that a complicated childhood can have a huge impact in our life. Hence, it is necessary to take the issues of children seriously. Other than investing in their education, we should make sure that they grow up in an atmosphere of love and compassion. We should monitor the social network website they use and what do they see in TV or listen in the Radio. In developed countries, there are already limited TV shows for children till a certain age. Parents are strict about what children see and what they are doing. In developing world it is still a big issue. Childrens arent barred from inappropriate actions. A child that has seen people shooting each other with a pistol also wants to have a pistol as a toy. As an adult, he’ll have no reservations killing people. This leads to a catastrophe. 

Children are our future, future of our culture and society and they will lead the world of tomorrow. It is time to decide in what kind of world we want our children to live tomorrow. If we don’t want them to live in a world of wars, conflicts, violence, hate and even genocides, it is time to cultivate love, respect and compassion in them. I want to end this article by some lines of Tibetan Wisdom

If children are criticized
they learn to condemn it.
When children are attacked,
they learn to fight it.
When a children are ridiculed,
they learn to be shy.
When children are ashamed
they learn to feel guilty.
If children are understood and tolerated,
they learn to be patient.
If children are encouraged,
they learn to trust themselves.
If children are praised,
they learn to appreciate themselves.
If children are treated fairly,
they learn to be just.
If children live salvaged,
they learn to trust.
When children are recognized,
they learn it, to like themselves.
If children are accepted in friendship
it is believed
they learn to find love in the world.

Join the ICC

By: Bikal Dhungel 

International Criminal Court (ICC) came into existence after the allied powers gained victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Major Officers and the ones held guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity were tried in Nuremberg, Germany in  so called ‘Nuremberg Trails’. Among the verdicts were Hermann Goering, president of Reichtag, who was convicted and hanged to death and Rudolf Hess, deputy to Adolf Hitler. The Nuremberg Tribunal was the birth of an International Criminal Court, with a principle “Persons who commit international crimes (war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace) are criminally liable and subject to universal jurisdiction”

122 countries of the world today are the members of ICC. Many have signed the membership but not yet ratifed it. However, even in the presence of ICC, many atrocities have taken place. In Yugoslavian conflict, a war broke out and many officials were guilty of war crimes. Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia was tried in the ICC and found guilty. The Yugoslavian Tribunal also brought other guilties to justice. The International Community created Ruanda Tribunal for the genocide that took place in 1994 when Hutu militants killed almost a million ethnic Tutsis within 3 months. In 2002, Sierra Leone Tribunal was created. Then again in 2006, tribunal was created for Khmer Rouge of Cambodia for the crimes that were committed in the killing fields of Cambodia. This has been an achievement for the sake of justice. 

Not to forget, many others enjoyed or still enjoy the freedom despite doing the war crimes. Joseph Stalin’s terror is known to us all, why nobody pointed a finger on him? Amin of Uganda killed almost half of his country’s population, why nothing happened? Joseph Kony, about whom a big facebook campaign was made to tell the horrors of his Lords Resistence Army in Uganda who have kidnapped over 60,000 children and forced them to take weapons. Why nothing is happening? Why Srilanka’s Mahinda Rajapakshya isnt held responsible for war crimes against Tamil minority? The problem is, these countries do not recognize the International Criminal Court. The ICC can only take action within the member states. 

There is another problem which is ‘Trading justice for Peace’. For example an Army Officer topples a government, takes power in hand and fires thousands of people to death. Then International community intervenes. The officer is unwilling to step down, so he now involves in guerilla warfare. If it continues like this, additional lives will cost and there’ll be much financial burden to both sides. Then the international community makes an offer to the officer, if he allows an election and let a democratically elected politician rule the country, he will be exempted from punishment and can live in exile in any other country. There are many many examples of ‘Trading for Justice’. Idi Amin, after killing so many people, fled Uganda to Saudi Arabia. Charles Taylor fled Liberia to Nigeria, which was a deal negotiated by the United States. In one side it stops violence and saves life but in the other hand, is it justice for the victims who lost their loved ones in the hands of war criminals? Isn’t it our moral duty to hold the criminals accountable for their deeds and bring them to justice whatsoever? Is is fair to let people commit crime first and then send them to exile to enjoy their retirement? Trading justice for peace doesn’t stop any potential war criminal from taking such actions. Adolf Hitler pointed towards Turkish military officers who massacred a million Armenians in World War I who were not held accountable. That gave him a green light to pursue his dream that ended in a catastrophe.

Any form of crimes in today’s time should be avoided and those who still commit it must be brought to justice. Still, many countries including China and India aren’t the member of ICC. Yes, according to ICC statute, it’s not possible to bring those who are citizens of countries that havent signed the ICC treaty. But if the war crime has been done in a foreign territory which is a part of ICC, the international community can make the use of force to bring him to justice or impose economic sanctions. 

Hence, being a member of ICC helps countries in two ways. 1) It might minimize the chances of foreign aggresion towards the particular country because they fear actions from international community. 2) Anyone within the country is then less likely to commit any crime because he again will fear that he’ll be transferred to ICC in The Hague if found guilty. So, especially countries that have vulnerable economic situation, it is a good option because where there is no functioning economic system, democracy is more likely to suffer and chances of sectoral or ethnic violences increase. When ethnic violence increases based on culture or religion, war crimes are more likely. Most of the War Crimes in the past were commited in ethnic grounds for example in Yugoslavia and Ruanda. 

Nepal should immediately join the ICC based on current political scenario. The Maoists who were responsible for War Crimes are still likely to choose the way of violence, at least some wings. Crimes within the jurisdiction of ICC includes: War Crimes, Crimes against humanity and Genocide. Maoists committed the first two. There are records of childrens being abducted to admit in the guerilla force, killings of journalists, teachers, students, family members of national army and many who raised the voice against maoist ideology. I personally also consider the bombing of infrastructures like schools, bridges, hospitals and hydropower projects a crime against humanity because it prohibits the poorest of the poors from using the already limited resources and bombing the schools stripes off the children from education and from a good future. Maoists don’t need to justify their deeds by telling that they want equality and justice. Where is justice when you don’t let the poorest of the poors drink clean water? Where is justice if you bomb a hospital? The maoist ideology contradicts with itself and in today’s political scenario; this is a proof that their intention is not to re-build a nation rather just to fill the pockets of party members. 

The Peace Process was signed in order to stop violence but violence continued again, only in another form and it is rising and might one day go back to the same situation that caused 14,000 deaths. But we can avoid it. First step for that is to become the member of ICC. Then, those who vow to return to violence and exercise it, could be tried in the court and sent to the ICC. This might make them think twice before taking any such actions. By this way, we can save life. Join the ICC.