Category Archives: actual

life’s project

Week 48
Joensuu, Finland

Life passes by SO fast.
The classical saying is: time passes by so fast.

However, as matter of fact it is the life that passes by so fast because time will continue existing after our dead. At least what we consider as time. So, time does not disappear with us, it will continue its function.

Most of this year I have been eagerly seeking to re-connect with myself. It has been a long and bumpy journey to reach 2012. This year for me is a transition, due to the achievement of my dream…. (need to post about this! )

But….
then….
What….
is next?…..

and I am aware:

1) that the clock is ticking…
2) each life is unique…..
3) the real answers come from within….
4) things are moving, slowly, but moving……

Then, today I got this quote on a special card:

“I just play all the time and am fortunate enough to get paid for it” – Martin Gardner, 1998.  Honestly, since I found Gardner’s books, he got my admiration. However I did not know this quote, which it is like sugar for me!

The card was accompanied with this book: Select Papers on Fun and Games from Donal E. Knuth.  I didn’t know Knuth, so research starts. It is when I read about his most important life’s project when things start to come together: what is the most important project of my life?

I am EXTREMELY lucky because as far as I can recall, my most important dream has been achieved. Now, it is time to work for the most important project 🙂  (Thank you Mikko for this present! )

Somehow I know it. It is matter to figure it out how to verbalize it, prioritise steps and gather the courage to jump for it. It is going to be an interesting decade!

light in my special day. Each day is magical and full of surprises!

light in my special day. Each day is magical and full of surprises!

 

importance of universities, i am inspire by the actual Mexican student movements

Week 20, 2012
Helsinki, Finland

When I read what is happening with the Mexican university students, it moves me.  For decades in Mexico we have been fighting for freedom and equality, or shall I say for centuries? That is a good question.

Nevertheless, this post focuses on our latest fight, which from my perspective started in 1968. University students from that time were fighting against the current government, which was some kind of dictatorship, we were ruled under the political party of the PRI.  During the time in which the PRI was in power, the seed of A LOT of the actual problems was sown as corruption, lack of education, drugs,…..

In October 2, 1968, the government committed a massacre, which until now has not been punished. The open wound is open in our society.

The general elections of 2000 had a massive participation and we finally changed of government. I am so happy I was able to vote in those elections. Since then we have 12 years with the PAN.

Now we have elections again. The context of this election is very challenging, I would say, and it is full of LIES.  Additionally, our educational system has been in decay, there is not media literacy in the country and the mass media does not want to inform objectively the society. In few words, the syndicate of teachers and the owners of the mass media have their own political agendas, which they are following carefully instead to serve the society. *sight*

In May 2012, the candidate of the PRI visited the University Iberoamericana – my alma matter btw –  and the students demonstrated their opposition towards the candidate. However after the visit the publicity of the candidate’s party  and the mass media did not acknowledge this event and modify it, diminish the students demonstration. Consequently, the university students react and published a video specifying that they were participants of the protest (video below).

Octavio Rodriguez Araujo wrote in his column the article entitle Los jovenes de ahora, mentioning that the actual generation we are defining as Ni-Ni because we perceive them as passive, conformist, apatic,  are actually showing us that in peace, they are demanding a change. For example, they are creating a movement towards impartial media.

Unquestionably, for the actual political movements that are taking place in México, as in other countries,  social networks are fundamental. The university students are putting their face, replying and questioning to politicians. They are expressing their truth and fighting for their rights. Unfortunately the Internet penetration in Mexico is low and very expensive. But things are advancing, somehow.

All these events reaffirm that Universities transpire life, they are generators of change and innovation. Universities have an important role in our societies.

Each one of us, as researchers, lecturers, teachers have an important commitment with our universities and with our youngsters. We shouldn’t transmit only collections of facts, instead supported by the subject matter of our expertise we should promote: critical thinking, questioning, search for evidence, tolerance,…. Each generation have to live what they have to live, but we have to offer them the tools for them to walk their own path!

joining the internet strike by spreading the word

Week 3, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

My life, as the one of millions or billions of virtual dwellers, is tightly involved with the technology, particularly with the Internet.  For me, the technology is as important as the content that it transmits.

In resent weeks I have been reflecting about information and content. I have experienced different ways in which we handle the information nowadays. Consequently my awareness related to information and its accessibility has been increasing (a post about this will come).  As we all know information is power. Information help us to grow as individuals and as community.

The Internet helps us greatly to transmit information beyond boundaries. Internet serves as an amplifier of creators of content so more individuals can read / listen / watch their information. Therefore, Internet helps us to share information.

As an Internet dweller, I feel the responsibility – and still is my right – to be respectful with the authors of the information that is available, but also to express whatever I want on Internet and to share the information that I want with whom ever I want. I am – still- FREE to do so. Thus, I am against of any attempt of a legislation that attempts to detriment my rights and my freedom. I found unbelievable the initiatives that want to attack the freedom of Internet dwellers. Therefore I want to join, somehow, the actual Internet strike by sharing some information:

SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) in US
ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agrement) – in US, Europe, Japan …
Ley Doring in Mexico
Ley Sinde in Spain

The following videos help me to understand the potential implications of previously cited law proposals. The videos explain things differently, however one video is in Spanish (the first one) the second in English.

Spanish:

English: