| source: www.britishcouncil.org RECOGNISING THE VALUE OF PRESERVATION by Isabelle Ramos The warmth of the sun proved a hapless match for the fury of wind that day. My ears were frozen. Numb, crimson and deaf to a wonderful piece of technology rendered useless by the chill as it narrated the mystery of what lay before me – a bunch of giant, lichen-infested prehistoric rocks. But I endured the biting cold, as did everyone else that flocked to the site. And they come everyday, for decades now, in droves, just to behold an aged stone formation believed to have been used to monitor the changing of the seasons. 
Stonehenge, like countless other monuments and building sites all over the UK, have the same lure on people from all across the globe. For a region that’s practically as old as time, conservation has made it possible to keep them in existence for public appreciation for generation after generation. The great lengths taken to care for such cultural antiquities are visible everywhere you go in Britain. London, the most cosmopolitan city, is home to a myriad of such relics. From St. Paul’s Cathedral to the West End theaters from London Bridge to the apartment blocks that line the city streets, it’s difficult to ignore the history she has lived through, bestowing on her a patina of grandeur. The same guardianship is received all over the Kingdom. Thanks to the National Trust and other various conservation organizations, enchanting castles and once-formidable fortresses still dot the cities and countryside echoing the splendors of centuries past. Today, it’s possible to gain entry into a good fraction of them, as well as the homes of luminaries that have shaped Britain into what she presently is. All over, museums house every single artifact unearthed by antiquarians, each object of significance is greatly looked after. |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | 
Dedication on such a degree is a rare venture. But not in the UK. Here, even the most infamous get their fare share of attention long after their demise, as with the case of Jack the Ripper. Up there with the world’s most notorious serial murderers, he continues to intrigue the world so much so that a walking tour of the sites of his unlawfulness was deemed a spectacular idea. And it was, where every night it is successfully attended by over a hundred mystified punters who join in to retrace his deathly route to satiate a morbid curiosity. How almost nothing of historical, architectural, and cultural significance is left to fade into the abyss of memories even after a two world wars, a great fire, eras of conflict and other natural calamities is tremendously astounding. Though many of the original structures and articles failed to survive, reconstructions have been essential in aiding their preservation. The result of course is nothing less than what we have today – a nation that stands proud of its heritage despite the many atrocities associated with her history. 
Britain’s initiatives to preserve this wealth go beyond the traditional strategies of research and restoration. Non-profit organizations such as the British Council endeavor to take things a step further by sharing their creativity and expertise with the international community to increase appreciation of their efforts. Back at home, in a land where the Spanish and American vestiges of our bygone days are few and far between, the value of such treasures has gone almost unappreciated and prone to neglect. It’s even more enraging to know that in time, some of what remains await the impending juggernaut of a wrecking ball manned by unscrupulous politicians uncaring and oblivious to their worth. Awareness is key. Thanks to the British Council, I have taken away much from my trips to the UK, advocating the cause in any possible way. But as I read about the next one targeted to come down, I can only hope that the heathen powers that be come to their senses so that the leftovers may live to see as many moons as the magnificent Stonehenge has. -------------------------------------------- Isabelle is the marketing manager of NU 107 the premiere rock station in the Philippines. She is the creative force behind the much awaited NU rock awards and has been to the UK several times as witness to the UK’s unique creativity and innovation through such events like the Glastonbury Festival and The Selector radio programme | |
an email received from ms. maricel montero (maricel.montero@gmail.com) Dear Friends,
With just a couple of clicks you can help a worthy project! Kudos to Gabay for starting projects on the boy child. Please pass. thanks! ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Piermont Montilla < johnpiermont_vm@yahoo.com> Date: 2008/7/11 Subject: KGPP need your support! To: maricel.montero@gmail.com Dear friends, Our organization, the Kabataang Gabay sa Positibong Pamumuhay need your support! We are very excited to be entrants in Ashoka's Changemakers Ending Global Slavery: Everyday Heroes Leading the Way collaborative competition. This is a global competition that aims to find holistic, innovative solutions to global slavery by seeking out and recognizing individuals and organizations that raise awareness of slavery's root causes, liberate those in bonded labor, and reintegrate former slaves into their communities. Our project entry is about boy-victims of commercial sexual exploitation and as an organization working to end worst forms of child labor and address the impact of prostitution to children, we highlighted our special interventions for boys. Expereincewise, sexual exploitation of boys is a hidden epidemic, their victimisation in Philippine society has been reduced into a rite of passage that led them to become underserved and disenfranchised. These cultural norms though customarily tolerated are most oftentimes exploitative and due to the double standard of morality, this victimization has been reduced into a rite of passage that makes male children a market for child prostitution and pedophilia. Being denied of their rights, boys would rather deny the abuse they experienced and be embarrassed of their own behavior and rightfully believe that society will not understand them being victim. This double standard of morality that does not consider boys as victims has a long-term impact on their health and well-being and perpetuates a distort view of sexuality that nurtures sexual aggressions. our project is HEART Innovation and it is composed of packaged behavior change program for boys through peer-mentoring, artwork expressions and peer leadership that addressess child prostitution and transform suppressed anger of boys into artworks.
Be a member of this website to vote and explore opportunitites for yourt own organization and our future network in behalf of street children, we have a great opportunity to get the word out about our work to leaders in the field, investors, the media, potential partners, and other supporters. The competition winners will be decided by online voting, so the more people we can inspire, the better! Please help us rally support for our work: - Visit our project entry http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/node/8109
- Leave us feedback about our entry. Here's how:
- If you do not have a Changemakers account, please click here to register on the site. It only takes a couple of minutes.
- Login at the Changemakers website: http://www.changemakers.com/ .
- Go to the competition page: http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/competition/freedom
- Visit my entry; read about what I do and leave me feedback!
- Update your profile and be part of a growing online community of support
Spread the word to your colleagues and friends who support boy-children through your emails, blogs, or websites. I've included some information about us below that you are welcome to share with others. This contest can give our work a great boost. And your vote is crucial for our chance to get support to grow our organization and our innovations. Thank you very much for your help! John Piermont Montilla Founder, KGPP Inc.
an ongoing list: mount purro nature park. pamantasan ng lungsod ng maynila. manuel a. roxas high school. talobatib. paco market. skagway, alaska. pandacan, manila. manila-sacramento friendship library. www.multiply.com. www.yahoo.com. hongkong. vancouver, canada. eze, france. kalinga. apayao. cabo san lucas, mexico. st. thomas, us virgin island. miami, florida. meralco theatre. freedom of the seas. empress of the seas. serenade of the seas. oahu's north shore. stingray city, grand cayman.
Link from christian pilgrim's site.
Link ...it is our light, not our darkness that frightens us... ...your playing small does not serve the world... ...our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure... from nashieboo's blog.
Link from bayanihan: pinoy volunteers site.
of most successful people: .they have a purpose in life. ..they take risks and exercise control. ...they solve problems rather than place blame. ....they care about quality. .....they share their expertise and knowledge.
Link from the ytrip blog.
Link from bob bernardo nuestro's blog
Link from elise' public jukebox.
date of the ceremony - wedding couple - venue - port june 29, 2008 - kara and harry - ___ - juneau, alaska june 17, 2008 - phyllis and rusty - viking crown lounge - endicott arm fjord, alaska june 06, 2008 - erin and matthew - shall we dance lounge - seattle, washington may 29, 2008 - laura and elwood - viking crown lounge - seattle, washington may 23, 2008 - cindy and eric - viking crown lounge - seattle, washington
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