DYMag November 2013

Dhi Youth Movement Youth for Youth, to empower and to lead

AG

DHI YOUTH MOVEMENT MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2013 ISSUE #07

Dhi Youth Movement Youth for Youth, to empower and to lead

DYM core group at t

he 0th Anniversary p

hoto shoot

Dhi Youth Movement began in early 2012 as a small initiative by a few young inspired individuals in Male', with the vision to bring a positive change to society by empowering young people to actively contribute to society.

Our group, with a strong following on Facebook, was used to mobilize volunteers for a flash freeze on 29th March 2012 and since then there has been no turning back.

We officially got registered as an NGO on 12th of December 2012 as Dhivehi Youth Movement under the Associations and Societies Act of the Maldives (Act No. 1/2003).

Any and all Maldivians between the age of 16 and 27 are welcome to join DYM. And everyone's ideas and thoughts are welcome and appreciated.

1

a letter from the

deputy marketing director

I have been a DYMag follower from the very beginning and I think it is a great initiative by the youth in providing a platform for those struggling, successful, inspiring and uprising young people. It is high time that we as youth take a stand and create platforms that we have been yearning for years now. I only joined the team recently but I am very grateful for this opportunity to work with an awesome team of people here at DYMag.

Apart from being a youth leader who has represented and continues to represent the voice of young people of the country to the Commonwealth, I am also a journalist at heart. It all started back in the school days when I was the editor of my school newspaper/magazine in three schools. I have always had a passion for this field of work. I strongly believe in the power of expression and awareness. Well, there is a lot more about me that you will get to know in this issue as you flip away.

We are also featuring three young people who can help you build yourself globally on international platforms, as these are the people you go to regarding Young Commonwealth, helping against bullying, child abuse and raising awareness for Thalassemia. Being a youth ambassador for more than a year myself, I feel that we are very unaware of these golden opportunities that could help us connect with each other across the globe. So start getting involved and aim for the stars and beyond.

This November along with 16 days of activism we are focusing on one of the very concerning issues of domestic violence, our theme ‘Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children’. It has been a continuous pattern of practice in our small country to keep suffering in silence. However, this mindset has to be changed. No human being deserves to be treated in a way that could hurt them emotionally, physically or even mentally. Having an XX chromosome or being small at age and helpless, does not give anyone the right to be violent against them or disrespectful towards them. In this issue, read some heart throbbing pieces on this delicate and sensitive issue and open your eyes to what is really happening out there. Keeping quiet isn’t going to help anyone but will only give your abusers more power and encouragement. Speak out.

I am looking forward to a great time here at DYMag and hope to make this magazine viral among the youngsters of this country. We aspire to be in the hearts of every young citizen of Maldives in a matter of no time.

2

TheDYM @sifrsabr

@shahaaa

f b. c o m / i m y. 1 1 7

Sifr

SHAHA

IMY

Editor-in-Chief

CONTENT DIRECTOR

DESIGN DIRECTOR

Sifr is simultaneously rude, charming and arrogant. His only redeeming quality is that he is proficient.

Relentless in his pursuit of knowledge and impartial truth. Self professedly classy & stylish. Unapologetically sapiosexual, he enjoys the company of bright and attractive young ladies. He is a basketball player, a stargazer, a gym rack, a philosopher, a librocubicularist but most of all a philomath & mind of science.

Shaha is a free spirit who enjoys classic literature, tea with lots of milk, good books and lots of sunshine. She dreams of huge closets and making a mark in the world. She believes in mismatching socks, breaking stereotypes and handwritten letters.

Imy is just a dreaming, believing, photographing, graphic designing, video gaming, good food consuming, tv series watching, constantly ranting everyday teenager. Loves his friends and making new ones. Often dreams of traveling the world someday due to suffering from a terminal case of wanderlust.

3

AGTeam @lulumoosa

@shaaaarkie

HASSAN

LUNA

SHARKY

DEPUTY EDITOR

DEPUTY MARKETING DIRECTOR

DEPUTY DESIGN DIRECTOR

Hassan is a free soul, who writes as a means of escape from the dull beats of life to his melodic, jazzy imagination.

Slave to his own impulses, he cannot help but do whatever he thinks will maximize the most amusement out of any situation he is put in, for example; having to write this biography. As such, he has nothing in particular to say in this sentence, but feels the need to add it so that it satisfies the length criteria. Sarcasm is his knee-jerk reaction to stupid.

Loona is a very simple girl with a big dream to be a change-maker. She is very patriotic and loves volunteering.

She also loves to travel and meet other young people like her. She loves a good workout session at gym and is also a netball player. Her ambition as of now is to be a diplomat. She has always had a passion towards journalism and wishes to pursue this as a part time career in the future.

Sharky is a self-trained mythical beast who is said to be able to spew surprising amounts of creative works of art from either end of the body.

Sharky lives in a world filled with chaos, and likes to isolate itself from society from time to time, taking that moment to draw, listen to music, read books, eat food, or just relax under a shady tree somewhere on a Hawaiian beach.

4

TheCONTR ABO

ZUESHAN

Writer @mrabo04

Writer @zueshan

IXMAEL NAAIL

FAZU

Writer @ixmaelnaail

Poet

MUNZIR

Poet @ixmaelnaail

NAAL

Writer @naalish

THIHNAN Writer

5

RIBUTORS ARYJ

Writer @arrr yj

NADHU

Model @nadwa308

SAM

Model @sama_em

YUNA Writer

SHIFRAZ

Poet @ashifraz

Alana Latheef Writer

SHUMA Stylist

6

INSIDE THE ISSUE Regulars 02 03 05 08 09

Letter from the Deputy Marketing Director Entertainment The DYM Team 11 Short Story - The Nightmare Within The Contributors 13 Movie Review - Little Manhattan Calendar 15 DYM Recommends Editors Choice

Specials

31 Interviews with Azzam, Luna & Zaain 36 Wonder Woman: Finesse 51 4:1

16 Days Campaign 54 Ribbon Tutorial 55 Youth Profiles 57 Catharsis

Column

63 65 68 69

Life List - Top 10 Free iPhone Apps Infirmities in Life - Alopecia Bloodwritings - The Hated Soul Literalyrics - Royals by Lorde

Fashion & Beauty

19 Lookbook 29 Nails with Naal - Cherry Inspired Nails

Living

71 Health - What’s your berry?

73 Dating - Under the Umbrella

Misc

77 79 81 83

Poem - What makes it worse Poem - Because brutal is reality Poem - Love song for the mistress Poem - What had changed

7

CALENDAR November 2013 03rd Victory Day 04th Iyya’s Birthday! (DYM’s Executive Director) 05th Islamic New Year 09th Abo’s Birthday! (DYMag’s Critique Extraordinaire) 11th Repubic Day 13th World Kindness Day 14th World Diabetes Day 15th Fazu’s Birthday! (DYMag Poet) 16th International Day for Tolerance Isham’s Birthday! (DYMag Contributor) 17th International Student’s Day World Day of Remembrance for Road Trafc Victims 18th Nattu’s Birthday! (DYM’s Vice President) 19th World Toilet Day International Men’s Day 20th Universal Children’s Day 21st World Philosophy Day World TV Day World Hello Day 25th International Day for Elimination of Violence against Woman 26th Ainth’s Birthday! (DYMag’s Wonder Woman - November)

p h o t o b y : i m y

8

Editor’s

Read worthy articles

Major Hussain Ali | Addana

How Edward Snowden Escalated Cyber Warfare Kurt Eichenwald | Newsweek

India starts countdown for Mars mission David Szondy | Gizmag

See You, Banksy.

Hello, Invader Connor Sheets | Newsweek 9

s Choice

s from around the web

Ocean living: A step closer to reality?

Charlie Deis | BBC Future

Lockheed Martin developing successor to the SR-71 Blackbird David Szondy | Gizmag

The price of creating a connected future Tad Williams | BBC Future

Olympus announces Stylus 1 premium compact superzoom Paul Ridden | Gizmag 10

by Yuna They say that children turn out just like their parents.

My father blamed me for her death. My brother had

I don’t believe that. I don’t want to believe that. I

left abroad for his studies and we could not reach him

never want to be like my father. Ever.

and I was helpless, a nine year old without a mother, all alone. That night, as I changed into my pajamas

My story up until I was nine years was just like any

and hopped into my bed, I wondered how I was going

other normal kid’s. My mother looked after me while

to fall asleep. My father didn’t want to stay in the

my father worked at a resort. Every fortnight, he’d

island so after mother’s funeral he left without even

come and bring gifts with him. I had an older brother

uttering a word to me. My grandmother came by our

who lived in Male’, and he would call me every now

place and stayed to look after me.

and then and send me gifts on my birthday and visit us during the holidays. My days were filled with

I was slowly beginning to adjust to being sad and

playing in the sand, going kite flying with friends and

alone in the house, despite my grandmother being

helping mom in the kitchen.

just in the next room. I felt like everyone blamed me for everything that happened. Grandmother only

It all changed one day when my mother went up on

talked to me whenever she had something to say.

the roof of our house trying to fetch my kite which

She never hugged me, never made my favourite

was stuck in a tree nearby when she slipped and fell.

foods or told me stories like she used to. She was

She had many a broken bone and we took her to the

too upset having lost her only daughter. As always, I

health center. My father came from the resort

cried myself to sleep.

immediately, but then it was too late. Mother had passed away. I thought it would be the most tragic

I woke up in the middle of the night when I felt

day in my life. But little did I know that my whole life

something brush up against me. There was someone

was going to change for the worse.

holding me tight and I started to scream but he put

Background photo from http://www.newallpaperss.com/ 11

his hands over my mouth and I saw his face. A face I

Seventeen years has passed since my mother’s

could never forget. A face that I loved, but that night I

death and my father is now locked up, counting his

was so scared of that face. He told me that

years off in jail. It still doesn’t feel like justice but I’m

everything was going to be okay and that I deserved

starting to get better. I can finally look past

it. As he touched me in places I’ve never been

everything. Even though I still get scared every time

touched, I could do nothing but cry. My tears meant

someone touches me, I am starting to learn to let

nothing to him.

people in.

That was only the beginning. He was my father

A friend of my brother came to my island to stay at

during the day, bringing me food, looking through my

our house five years ago and he found out about

school books and telling me I need to work on my

what was going on. I didn’t say anything, I didn’t even

Math. During the nights, he would come into my room

look him in the eye. He only asked one thing. Did you

and do unfathomable things that I’m too ashamed to

father ever touch your in any place he should not? I

even write about. I felt so disgusted with myself. I

only nodded. I couldn’t care.

deserved this. I didn’t tell anyone because it was all my fault. Who would I even tell? He was my father.

But he did. He went to the island office, he went to

Things like this are not your usual mealtime talk.

the atoll police station and filed a case against my father. He called my brother and my brother came

As I grew old, I began to hate myself. When I started

back. My father showed no guilt, no remorse over

growing breasts, I tried to make them disappear by

what happened for all those years. My brother

wrapping myself in fabric. I wanted to be anyone but

apologized to me so many times for not coming back,

me. I wanted to be as non-sexual as I could but it

for not contacting me. He didn’t know. It was not his

didn’t stop any of those night time visits. I dreaded

fault that mom died, or any of this happened to me. It

every fortnight that he visited. I became so alone, so

was my fault.

a part of my own world, I started to lose friendships.

Days became months and months became years and

As a twenty six year old, I have learned so much.

soon I was a woman.

During the last five years, I’ve got a few close friends who didn’t blame me for anything that happened and

It happened so quickly, I felt even more distraught.

they told me that it wasn’t my fault. They accepted

While most of my classmates were having boyfriends

me. I am no longer that scared child, and I know now

and being giggly about it, I was hating the entire male

that it was not my fault. I still have a long way to go,

sex. I did not remember a time when I was happy. I

but I have promised myself one thing, I will never let

prayed to god every day, asking for forgiveness,

my past tarnish my future. It’s not my fault. It never

asking to be freed. I lost hope in everything. All those

was. I was too scared, I blamed myself.

years passed without a call or even news of my

I am a survivor. I don’t know many other people who

brother. I wondered if he even cared. I wondered if

have ever gone through what I have and I hope to

anyone cared. I was almost on the brink of

god no one ever has to. All I know is that children

committing suicide but every time I would stop myself

don’t always turn out to be like their parents. I am not

because I had sinned too much and I didn’t want to

my father. It was not my fault.

sin anymore.

12

MOVIE

Hello beloved readers. Here we are again, with the 2nd volume of me gushing about my favorite movies in what I’ll again call the most clichéd genre of movies made in Hollywood: Romantic comedies. InVol. 1, I reviewed (500) Days of Summer, my all-time favorite that has almost every good element of excellent filmmaking. This volume’s movie is one without much of smart ideas or clever screenwriting. It’s a movie I like (no, LOVE) because it’s just the cutest feature film I’ve ever possibly seen. That’s not a good enough reason to watch it, eh? A cute romantic comedy!

Well, read on to see how it could totally be your thing.

by Abo Take a look at the movie’s poster. Two 10-year olds giving ridiculously lame smiles in front of a sketchy background, with the tagline “A romantic comedy for the whole family”. It doesn’t look like a youth movie at all. Well, it screams family and children. It’s sealed with a G-rating. Now, why would today’s sex-violence-espionagedrugs-vampire-zombie-or-whatever-in-adult-pop-culture obsessed youth choose to watch this?

‘Cause aside from warning the viewer’s that the film is not a “great New York love story”, its opening dialogue of Josh Hutcherson’s character Gabe goes like, “For those of you out there with less experience than me, let me tell you something about girls: They are basically gross!” And because Gabe is a 10 ¾ years old boy, that line was enough to ensure me that the movie will charm me.

And that was only the opening line. When I said above that this film is not cleverly scripted, I did not mean that it’s not well written. The dialogues are really funny, especially when said by a 10 ¾ years old kid. But yes, the storyline is pretty basic: Gabe (Hutcherson) is a regular middle-school kid who hangs out strictly with boys, avoiding girls thinking they are “gross”. Then he befriends—no karatebefriends Rosemary Telesco (Charlie Ray), and still despising girls, agrees to practice karate with her when she excels in class ahead of everyone. But as he is lead into her “inner sanctum”, he begins to

realize realizethat thatgirlsgirls can be bequite quitenice nice to bebewith, and and with, soon dubs their hangouts around Manhattan as dates. In trying to always impress Rosemary, it begins to dawn on him that he’s deeply in love. But how is he going to tell her? How does he confess his love, and leave behind his thug life with the boys? Would his divorcedbut-still-living-together parents (Bradley Whitford and Cynthia Nixon) understand?

Gabe’s tongue-tied struggle with this new found feeling is presented on-screen with such hilarity and warmth, thanks to writer Jennifer Flackett’s screenplay consisting of usual adult rom-com situations adapted appropriately to kids, thereby making it appealing to both adults and children and giving Gabe the kind of dialogues that you don’t normally hear a kid say in movies. A round of applause to also the cameramen, set designers and cinematographers for bringing Manhattan out onscreen in all its greenery glory.

Now, what would this movie be without its actors? Answer: Nothing.

Because no matter how funny the script is, it’d take a child actor with real chops to pull off such adult-like scenes. Josh Hutcherson (now famed as the bakery-boy-with-heart-on-his-sleeve Peeta Mellark 13

review

Directed by: Mark Levine Writer: Jennifer Flackett Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Charlie Ray, Bradley Whitford Year: 2005

from The Hunger Games), is just a middle-school kid with a chubby face and belly as Gabe. But damn, is he an onscreen natural! He handles both his narrative and spoken dialogues like a true comic pro, injecting even the scene where he cries into a pillow, clutching Rosemary’s picture with the right amount of hilarious and adorableness. He’s more than half the reasons why this movie became so special to me. You’ll instantly fall for his kiddy charm.

And Charlie Ray as Rosemary, who never had any acting history before this movie, is also a delight to watch. She and Josh have chemistry that flows out of the screen, and wrap inside you with the kind of fuzziness and warmth that you feel after consuming a good milk shake or hot chocolate. Together they make watching their silly adventures around Manhattan one of the best things you can do to wind up any day.

I don’t really want to point out the flaws in this movie, because seeing how irresistibly sweet it is, I’m pretty sure that no viewer would complain that it’s not of Spielberg or Scorsese quality. This is not a movie aiming to compete in the Oscars race. So what if it’s silly and

childish? That’s what makes it special and delightful. And what if it seems unreal that a 10-year old boy would narrate his story the way it’s done here? That’s what makes it legit funny.

So back to that poster, even if it says “A romantic comedy for the whole family”, I first watched it alone in my bedroom; there were moments when I caught myself repeating a scene and laughing too much. I watched it with little brother and our teenage niece; we had better laughs than I did alone. My sister watched it with her husband; I later heard them quoting a scene from it and laughing. And a couple of my friends I recommended this movie to called me to discuss it and laugh after they watched it. So this is not necessarily restricted as a family movie. In my circles, everyone who has seen it (all of them in the “youth” category) has enjoyed it. Maybe I’m making too big a deal of by singing these praises. But I’m not the only one who has said that this is probably the sweetest movie they’ve ever seen.

RA TING: 4/5

14

DYM RECOMMENDS

15

DYM RECOMMENDS

BOOKS

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard, Rating: 4 stars Jaycee Dugard was a normal happy child with a loving family and friends, just like any other 11 year old until one day her life was stolen from her. Two people kidnapped her and she was a prisoner for 18 years. She was rescued from her prison during 2006 and she got her life back and she has never looked back. A moving tale of raw emotion, pain and honesty, this book is monumental.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Rating: 4 stars Melinda who was once a normal teenager has now become the black sheep. When most freshmen’s are out partying, Melinda is looked upon with hatred because she once busted an end of summer party by calling the cops. In a world where social stigmatization still happens everywhere, this book deals with it in a very profound way asking the reader what Melinda herself discovers “You have to know what you stand for, not just what you stand against”

The Only Girl in the Car by Kathy Dobie, Rating: 3 stars Kathy tells the tale of a coming age story in excruciating detail that is not uncommon for any teenager. A story of how a young girl became the town slut overnight and how it changed her life completely. A simple turn of events when she finds herself in a car with four boys and how she stepped out of it is a tale that makes us question ourselves. Beautifully written and a story that is a lesson to all, we recommend this book for all survivors.

16

MOVIES

DYM RECOMMENDS

Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), Rating: 3 stars Laura fakes her death in an attempt to escape her abusive husband, Martin but finds it impossible to do so. A brilliantly planned escape plan fails when Martin finds out detail by detail and goes to find her. Julia Roberts plays the role of the victim, Laura in this commercial success that tells the age old tale – violence behind closed doors.

The Color Purple (1995), Rating: 4 stars Based on the award winning novel of the same name by Alice Cooper, this movies tells the tale of a young girl who gets victimized at a young age and finds hope in the people she meets and from their lives. Celie is forced into marrying Albert who is abusive and treats her like a slave. She finds hope in her sister Nettie, but Albert drives her away and Celie is left to see the ruins of her life. Celie finds comfort in friends Shug and Sofia who helps her reconnect with her sister and flee Albert. A brilliant movie that features a star studded cast, this is not to be missed.

This Boy’s Life (1993), Rating: 4 stars Based on Tobias Wolff’s memoir, this is a story of a young man who falls prey to emotional and physical abuse in his home. Starring young Leonardo DiCaprio as Toby and Robert DeNiro as Dwight, his abusive stepfather, it shines light into an issue that is often neglected in the society, how men fall prey to domestic violence. A tale of survival, this movie is moving and critically acclaimed.

17

DYM RECOMMENDS

PLAYLIST

We have selected a few songs that plays into the theme of abuse, violence and emotional trauma.

A list of really emotional songs that tells many a story.

Family Portrait – Pink Love is Blind – Eve Because of You – Kelly Clarkson Getting Better – Beatles I’m Okay – Christina Aguilera 99 Biker Friends – Bowling For Soup Dear John – Taylor Swift Alive – Pearl Jam The Chalet Lines – Belle and Sebastian Never Again - Nickelback

18

Look Book Photography: Imy

19

Pretty in Prints!

Look pretty in festive prints this season, any time any occasion! The tricky thing with prints though is that you have to be careful how you are pairing it off. Prints go well with contrasting solid opposite clothes. Like, if the top is a printed item, go for plain bottoms. The outfits here will help you with choosing the right print with the right solid.

Borrowed from the collections of ODDS & ENDS, an online store on facebook run locally, we have featured four different outfits fit for angels. By that we mean Victoria’s angels of course, which incidentally is one of the brands of clothes the store sells, along with H&M, Forever 21 and many others.

These beautiful accessories are from the famous store ONME, also an online run store with absolutely divine collections. The shoes featured are from the shop finesse, a shop worth every shopaholics dream.

20

Model: Sam Styling and Make-up: Shuma

21

Professional in Aztec Top + Skirt: Odds & Ends Earring: Onme Shoes: Finesse

22

Model: Nadhu Styling: Shuma and Nadhu Make-up: Nadhu

23

Chic in Multi Print Top + Leggings: Odds & Ends Shoes: Finesse

24

B

Model: Sam Styling & Make-up: Shuma

25

Blues inJeans Jeans: Odds & Ends Necklace + Bracelets: Onme Shoes: Finesse

26

Cla &B Model: Nadhu Styling: Shuma and Nadhu Make-up: Nadhu

27

assy in Red Black Print Top + Leggings: Odds & Ends Necklace: Onme Shoes: Finesse

28

Nails wi

cherry inspir

1

4

3

Put on the clear coat of nail polish.

Paint the desired colors you wish on top.

2

To make your nails look vibrant in the end, use white nail polish as a base, you may need to put on 2 coats.

Tip: To do the tip of your nails, if you are not confident to do free hand, stick on some sticky tape covering the area you dont want to polish, leave it on to do the next step and take it off after 5 mins when it is completely dry

Use a nail artist nail polish brush as here or you can also use a very thi paint brush to draw out the lines. I off by doing the outline of the co area.

5 29

ith Naal

red nails

7

6

I have Now to draw the cherries. I used the Use the same method to put some in normal other side of the paint brush to make little red paint on the cherries. started white circles on each nail. This is to keep olored the color that goes on top vibrant and at the same time to give it an outline.

To do something different on the ring finger, I decided to dot it.

To do this you can either use a dotting tool or you can also use the other side of a paint brush as I have. Dab some nail polish on to a piece of paper and dot away.

8 To complete the cherries, dab a paint brush with a little bit of green nail polish, and dab it on to the stalk.

:To give it a shiny and a complete look paint on a clear top coat (This will also help it to dry quickly)

9

There you go!

Now enjoy your new set of nails!

30

Azzam, Lun

31

na & Zaain Interview by: Sifr & Hassan Photography by: Imy

32

33

What do you remember about your childhood? What is the most memorable thing that has happened to you in your childhood that you hold dear to your heart?

Not a lot actually. Ah... primaries I would say. One of the best things in primary was slowly coming out of my shell. In 2006, when I was selected for E.L.A. Vice President of Jamaaludheen, I just stood there till one of my friends pinched me and I had to go up there. And then winning the president's post the year after, which is one of the best things I remember from my childhood.

What do you do these days Azzam?

Currently I am working for the Thalassaemia Society as well as trying to start a project for IPPF that focuses on educating youth about basic life skills, which will hopefully run till next year's August.

What do you think are the issues that plague the Maldivian youth today?

I think we could do with a lot more exposure of youth to volunteer activities. Personally, until a few years ago I thought volunteering wasn't particularly important where you play a little role such as to help move or set up something but I think that there is more that youth can bring to the table in terms of doing more work but at the same time we need to motivate youth to go out there and do things and get educated because a lot of the times we see this mentality where we just sit back and do a lot of complaining, I myself included also because even I don't feel I've done much out there. And there are some people who are doing pretty amazing work.

How do you think we can educate the youth and make them feel compelled to do something about these problems?

Firstly, I think it has to begin with you. In the sense that, if you want things to change you are going to have to start working for it yourself provided you have the means to do so. Knowing you have a role to play and how to get there and what you need to do to get there.

What are the factors which contributed to you becoming the person you are today?

I saw the Maldivian Thalassaemia Society doing their work from a very early age because they've always been there. But I think I've always wanted to give back to thalassaemia, especially after I've had my bone marrow transplant done. It was at this point I realized "Okay, thalassaemia has brought me this far because it shaped most of what I am and most of my life has been based on that" so I wanted to give back, maybe contribute to other patients. I believe from my experience that I could give them something new. I mean, there is more to thalassaemia than just the biological side of it. It is more than just a disease. It could also give you something more and it is not an obstacle in life. In addition to I started volunteering for SHE in 2011 and among the course of 2 years I've gained so much skills and knowledge that has really contributed to who I've become as a youth today.

Describe a day you will never forget.

This honor would go to 17th June 2011. After I became a bit stable and the doctor gave us the greenlight, my parents, my uncle and I went to Rome. On the first day we stayed outside the Vatican City.

The next day we got up very early, around 8 I think and we went to the Rome Zoo and then we walked all over Rome from one Monument to the other. We only stopped to have Pizza for lunch and we walked till 4 in the evening. I got to see the Colosseum, Fontana Di Trevi, go up the Spanish steps and a lot more. It was the beginning of summer so it was exceptionally hot but I had to wear full-on clothes due to risk of infection prior to transplant. So imagine going around in a mask, sweaters and jeans in the summer heat!

34

Okay, so this is going to be one of the most important questions I will be asking you: Potatoes or ice cream?

Potatoes. Hands down potatoes. Potatoes are awesome. Enough said. End of story.

Tell us who inspires you the most.

I find the Thalassaemia Society executive committee and working group very inspiring. They don't hesitate when it comes to taking up responsibility and leadership roles, hard-working and to the point and works for the rights of thalassaemia patients. They are unrelenting in their pursuit of better healthcare for their patients.

There are many challenges facing such an NGO but they keep working regardless.

This November they're going to hold the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. Do you think that the problem of gender-based violence is understated here in Maldives?

I think it is very understated. I mean sure that we know that their is a lot of problems and that there is a bill acknowledging this, but at the same time I think that there is a lot of work to do to promote women's rights. There are a lot of barriers and the most pressing one is where we have a helpline for abuse victims but at the same time we haven't managed to establish a very safe environment for the victims. I'd say most of the time, there is a strong backlash for those who report. The bill puts the responsibility of reporting these cases on service providers, yet at the same time it is very easy for us to report because we don't have to fear the repercussions. And that is very scary, despite being knowledgeable and knowing there is a helpline but you don't know whether it is a good option because most of the time the backlash on the child is so much worse when you report the case.

Do you believe that this is a problem that has a solution?

I believe that it does have a solution. But it is going to have to be worked on over a long period of time and I think we are doing some groundbreaking work, especially establishing a guideline, which I think is the most fundamental step for us to move forward on. In a perfect world it would be solved overnight but we don't live in a perfect world.

Misinformation or no information at all?

Oh wow that's a tough one. I think both do equal harm, in the sense that if you don't know, you aren't able to do much. Lets say knowledge gives you power, and that not giving you information makes you powerless. Lets consider in an abuse case. Lets say a child didn't know whether they were being touched inappropriately.

In that case, the child is being abused without knowing it. Now if the abuser tells the child that it is normal then at that point, there is no better option because the child grows up thinking that it is normal. So in this case, there is no better option there.

What's your favorite band?

I listen to all sorts of music but I love Avenged Sevenfold. There is also this local band called Turtle Theory and I love them as well.

Are there any plans to work in your respective field?

I plan to keep working in these areas- both youth issues and thalassaemia.

Is there anything you regret not doing?

I can't think of anything in particular.

35

As the representative of ICPD in Bali and Indonesia, what would your statement be to the Maldivian citizens and whomever concerned?

My statement would be to stay committed. Over the course of work I did, (I joined SHE in 2011) I learned that there is so much going on out there that I don't know about and that you need to persevere to go forward. I was a bit familiar with ICPD but when I attended the conference regarding the Millenium Development goal, it was so out of my area and I felt so out of touch but there was so much I learned in that workshop as well. Even in the Maldivian NGO scene, I think there is so much going on out there. I would like to see so much more people from Maldives applying for these things. For example, only 8 Maldivians applied for ICPD when I tried to join. We have so much potential, but I believe we need to channel that commitment to the youth leadership frontier.

With respect to the Sexual and Reproductive Health area, would you say that there is a lacking or a well-enough representation within the education system?

I would say there is a very good lacking. We have to consider that whatever we teach has to be filtered out to be age appropriate and medically accurate. I think that, here we have this culture where somethings we don't talk about but I think that we will move past these things. There are other ways SRHE can be given such as education programmes outside schools that could be implemented and made sustainable. I think we have a lot of work to do here.

If you have three things you could do before you die, and money wasn't an object, what would they be?

My bucketlist. Hmm. Get into politics or the parliament at least and hopefully make a positive impact there. Sometimes I think that these young politicians who enter the scene eventually grow to forsake themselves in the system because you can't fight the system by yourself, which is a very depressing thought for anyone who intends to join politics.

Another thing would be to work in an international NGO for a while.

No one NGO in mind right now. Perhaps UNFP or Foreign Affairs?

And lastly I'd like to move to Italy outside the mountains of Pescara.

I went there twice and the environment is so calm and peaceful and the people are exceptionally friendly.

Anyone who knew you would know that you two years ago you underwent a high-stakes operation, a bone marrow transplant.

What made you decide to take such a gamble?

Well, actually, I think when I was more excited about going to Italy to focus on the bone marrow. But when it came to going away it really scared me at first, but I realized that it was the chance to find out what was so good on the otherside. You see, there is this sort of discrimination against thalassaemia patients telling us we can't do this or we can't do that. And when I was asked to enter the sterilized room prior to operation, the doctor asked me whether I wanted to go in alone and I didn't think twice and said "yeah I want to go alone".

Dad gives me this look and asked "Are you sure Azzam?" and I was like, "yeah I am sure". So at first it was okay. I mostly kept myself distracted on Skype and Facebook since there isn't much to do except stay in bed for 45 days. And I was really lucky to have to stay in the sterilized room for 45 days since in most cases it takes much, much longer.

Since you have experienced both sides of thalassaemia, tell us what it is like.

It was one of the many surprising things, there is always this discrimination where we think that there is a huge difference between being a thalassaemic and being a so-called "normal" person. But then again, what exactly is "normal" anyway? When I had the bone marrow transplant and walked out, I kept thinking "I feel the same as before...". There is nothing added to my physical capabilities so I guess it all comes down to how you take care of yourself. And in case of thalassaemics, you have to be very careful about your treatment routine to lead a healthy life.

There is this idea here in Maldives that sex is a given and that you have to have sex with the guy to keep him interested. Do you think this is a healthy relationship?

If you consider sex to be the cornerstone of your relationship, then you are not mature enough for a relationship. It is more give and take than understanding at that point since you are demanding for something that somebody might not want to give. If you want to give, that is something else, but as long as you respect the choice and try not to push past that, I think it is a healthy relationship.

Anything you'd like to say to our readers?

Since this is a Youth Magazine, I would like to note that in the current dating scene, we see situations where people think it is okay to force somebody into something. I think that the element of choice is something that is very important in all facets of life and I think it is very important to respect the integrity of each other. I think there are a lot of factors that come into play such as morality and what you believe in. But at the same time it is important to not force people into things. There is a very huge difference between love and abuse.

Respect is one of the main foundations of love.

Swim in the ocean or drive along the seaside?

Drive, I am way too lazy to swim.

36

LUNA 37

Tell us who you are and where you come from and what you do.

Hi my name is Luna Moosa. I have been part of campaigns which are against violence against women. Well, I think I'm a very, you know, simple girl. Not somebody who would always be out there. But somebody who would want to make a difference, who would want to make a change and somebody who is very passionate about what she does. Also very patriotic. I know that it's not cool to love your country anymore. I guess that it's just our upbringing and how we have been exposed into the real world out there. And obviously the country's situation for the moment, that's making people really disillusioned. Especially the young people, they have sadly grown to feel indifference for our beautiful nation.

Could you tell our readers the responsibilities of a Commonwealth Youth Caucus representative?

Honestly, when I came into this position I only knew what Google and the Handbook for Youth caucus said about it. I had to start from scratch. There was nothing to refer back to, no-one to contact and ask about what they did when they were in this position. When I went to my interview I went very prepared. I had a whole plan of projects and ideas to share and I went with passion and drive. Usually people get elected by vote for this position in other countries, since it is not possible here we were selected by a board.

Every two years new young leaders have filled this position before me and my deputy Riyaz. Yet, there were no written documents of their work, what they did, how they did it and where they had been to or anything. We aimed to change that as a first thing which now puts me in the right track of this question. Our main responsibilities revolved around making the youth aware of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth youth Program and the opportunities they have through this. We also had to be agents of the young people in Maldives to the commonwealth. To apply their principles on development of young people here in Maldives and make sure their voices are being heard on a decision making level of the country. We had to be their voices in all the Youth Forums of the Commonwealth.

As a first task my deputy and I conducted a Youth Forum in June of 2012 just a month after I got selected for this post and since we had an upcoming Youth Forum of the Commonwealth in August, we believed that before we represent youth in any form, we have to hear from them. The report of this Forum was given to the authorities, presented at Forums and taken into account in our future plans.

Our first conference was in Mauritius. We got the chance from the Education Ministry to attend to the conference as this was the Youth Forum held alongside with the Education Ministers Conference.

There we met people who represented their countries just like we do.

We made connections. We got to learn a lot more about the structure and what our duties were.

We actually knew what we had to advocate for although there wasn't much use of what we prepared there so we came back and we tried to do other things, but there was not much support from any other people. We try to go through Ministry of Youth. We fall under them, they are responsible for handling us. Not to be unfair to anyone but we didn't get quite as much support as we wished. The real problem was that Riyaz and I were 'individuals' and it was difficult for the government to provide us with funds and projects because there wasn't a mechanism for that to happen. It was an issue without precedent so you can understand how it must have been difficult for the ministry too. However I must also highlight the fact that the minister and ministry back then took our concerns seriously, which is proven by the support shown to us by having us being represented on the National Youth Council, which is advisory to the minister but still was a step taken towards inclusion. He took the initiative to assign me as a member and make sure that we had a way to move 38

forward with our ideas and the Commonwealth Youth Program.

Unfortunately, I would say it was just bad timing for us as we came in just around the time the whole Youth Caucus structure as well as the Commonwealth structure were being evaluated and being processed to a complete change.

So we really had to focus on the global reform of Commonwealth Youth Program. It was being restructured into the Commonwealth Youth Council. Thus, we contributed to the restructuring process. We worked very hard to consult with the Commonwealth and the local authorities into making the Commonwealth Youth Council easier to work in for the Maldivian youth. So that whoever comes after us can really get into this program and so that the groundwork is well laid out for them. Truth be told we had to start from scratch and we had little to no support from our predecessors. Which is why we don't want that to happen to after us. We will be there to provide them with guidance.

What do you like the most about working in this field?

It's actually the feeling of being a part of something bigger than yourself. The feeling of belonging. To be able to make a difference on a global scale. Meeting all the wonderful people from all over the world. And getting to travel all over the world. (chuckles) I have actually been to 5 continents so that's something great about working in the volunteer field.

Is there anything in particular that inspired you to enter this line of work?

Not really. What happened was I believed I was in a nutshell, with a very narrow world view. The way I saw things my life would be growing up, getting married and having kids. That actually changed when I went to the Youth Leadership Program. It really opened my eyes to what is really out there. I would say that I was an oblivious youth. All the workshops and all the resource personnel in that program, they really helped me see the world in a new light. And then I got the great opportunity to travel to London through that program. Getting exposed to what democracy is over there and meeting the youth over there. I actually found out about the Commonwealth Youth program while I was in London. That is when I found purpose.

Do you prefer to dip Oreos in water or eating pappadams (paaparu) with garudhiya & bai?

Oreos in water. Though I haven't done water before. I should try it.

What, in your opinion, are the most pressing issues facing the youth of Maldives today?

Firstly, Youth migration is a very worrying trend for me. There are so many Maldivian youth who do not want come back to the Maldives after they leave the country for further studies. The capable Maldivian youth do not think that the Maldives is going anywhere. They stigmatize others like that. The thing to worry about is if the cream of the cream are leaving who is really left to do anything here? We need people here to actually to develop the Maldives.

Secondly, I am worried about the social stigmas, how people perceive working women. Specially working in the resorts. People who are going through this kind of abuse they need to come together. There needs to be a generation shift for this attitude to change. I think if people really knew the difficulties others go through they would not see it the way they do now. If they just spend a day in the shoes of these people.

39

What do you consider to be the happiest day of your life [so far]?

I think it would be the biggest achievement and happiness in one. Ever since I was kid I have worked really hard to be someone. I ran for school post, I got good grades and it all paid off. That moment would have been when I got selected as the Best All Round Student of Hiriya School. That moment when all my work was recognized and appreciated. The way people were talking about me. The respect everyone gave me. I was close to tears, I was so moved. And I am just boasting now but I made the audience shed a tear or two :P. Following that is another moment that cannot be passed on without being mentioned. As I was the Best All Rounder I was asked to be the chief guest of a prefects oath taking ceremony in Hiriya. It was a very happy moment. To be so young and to be asked to be a chief guest. It was really an honor for me.

Name a song which you hold dear to you Where is the Love- by Black eyed peas Are there any plans to continue working in this field?

I am planning to study bachelor of arts in Sociology or Political Science. I am not sure which one yet. I definitely would want to go further in this field. I don't feel as if I have done enough. So I am not going to stop. I am going to go out there to gain more experience more knowledge.

Three things you wish to do before you die.

Set foot on all 7 continents Go to Las Vegas with my best friends Nadhwa, Maisha and Lubana (a special mention).

Overcome my fear of the ocean by going diving.

Misinformation or no information at all?

I would want to be misinformed. Because I would investigate and try to find out the truth.

Plant or cat?

Cat. I am a one cat person.(GUCCI-my bestfriend Nadhwa's Cat) Eleven or 'onety one'?

Onety one.

Statement for the youth.

Don't just sit at home. Get out there. Fight for something you believe in. It doesn't have to be a riot or a protest.

And to those who are going through abuse please don't endure it alone. Come out of the dark and seek help.

Together we can make sure someone else does not go through the same thing.

40

41

Tell us who you are and where you come from and what you do.

I am Zaain. I come from here. Unfortunately. I always imagined myself in outer space or in a laboratory. Personally I am not a person who likes interacting; I think I have a bit of social anxiety, so the prospect of living in outer space is better than living here. Plus, outer space is cool. As for who I am... that is a really tough question. I guess the thing I identify myself as being is a student because I love learning. Not that I'm good at studies or anything but I love teaching myself and learning new things. Its one way to never be bored. Like over the last holidays I taught myself Braille. And like that I've taught myself ASL, Gnommish, Gallifreyan and how to swear in like 6 languages. Many of my other skills include aging paper with tea and doing the running man.

Tell us who you aren't?

I am not... Batman. We don't run in the same circles which is why no one has seen me in the same room as him.

Are you happy with the current education system? Do you think it is good enough?

It is definitely not good enough! Its the 21st century and it is about time we have an Arts program here. Not just Liberal arts, but performance as well. We have more options out there for us now. It is not just doctor, engineer and lawyer. And I feel that we need to incorporate these into our public school system, make it accessible for all and not just for those who can afford it like it is now. Who knows, one of us could be the next Beethoven, but we don't have access to such facilities.

Currently there is a stigma attached to other professions such as musicians, over doctors, lawyers and engineers which are considered respectful jobs. What do you think?

We have this mindset that the more power, money and respect we have the better person we are. But that is not true. It is okay no matter what job you have, as long as you are a good person. I think we need to get that mindset here instead of "You have to study and become a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer or you will never amount to anything in life". And this discourages so many artists to pursue their true passions.

If you think about it Maldives has the highest percentage of girls that finish O level in the world and then we go to A levels and this proportion is greatly changed. And then we look into higher studies and its even lesser. There is so much potential in our midst but we are not tapping into it.

I feel like the unemployment problem is there because of this mindset that you have to reach a top position or you will never be good enough, which is why no one wants to apply to become, say, a librarian or a blue collar job because that is not "good" enough here.

What are your thoughts about the 16 Days of Activism?

I think that in an ideal world, we wouldn't need it and that is what we should work for. There also seems to be a huge stigma that men can't be feminists and only women can be feminists because it involves them only. But think about it, even though you are a guy, your mothers, sisters, daughters and friends are female, so don't you want them to have the same rights as you?

And another point is that when people say “women should dress modestly unless they want to get sexually harassed or attacked�, it should anger men more than women. It implies that men are so weak, or are such animals that the amount of fabric a woman wears can turn an honest gentleman into a rapist.

There is this idea that if you are a feminist you are a bra-burning person that won't shave and hate men and only do it because we're all lesbians etc:- There is this whole taboo about feminism. And I think that is setting us back a lot.

42

Speech bubbles or thought trains?

Thought trains. I have nothing against speech bubbles, it is just that what we say is very much edited out of what we think. So what you think is what you really feel.

How were you inspired to take a stand against Gender-based violence?

My aunt works in the Family and Child Protection Services. I grew up in an environment where there were people who were actively working against this. She used to take me to her office on Saturdays and it was all very interesting. The first workshop on GBV and VAC/W I did was a CBT one and from them on I just got opportunities and got involved in this field. I went to Sri Lanka last year for the UN study follow-up by SAIEVAC (South Asian Initiative to End Violence Against Children), we found out that we have the highest-percentage of sexual abuse here, because we don't help people and tell others about it in this country. And that's just the recorded stuff; imagine how much goes unrecorded.

What would be the best course of action for someone caught in a situation of gender-based violence?

Go tell an adult. There’s this little thing I learned when I was quite young its called No, Go and Tell. If something happens to you that you do not like or do not approve of you say NO. Then you GO and TELL someone. And we had to write down the name of 5 people we trust the most. It could be a teacher or a parent of a friend, it doesn't necessarily have to be your parents or family. And you should never say there is no one you can trust because there are services you can contact regarding these matters. I have found myself in this situation and I'm sure many of you have where someone tells you that they are experiencing some sort of abuse or violence and most of the time we do not know how to react to this. This is also a great example of what our education system is lacking, awareness of how to react to real life situations or lifeskills. This inspired me to start the 1412 campaign, where we go telling people about what 1412 is, which is the Child Protection Services Hotline. It doesn't seem like much, just going around telling people about 4 digits, but that's the beauty of volunteerism and self initiation. Even that little glimmer that it might change someone's life for the better is worth doing all the work for.

As for someone who knew this was happening to your friend, you should talk to them first, get to know their whole story. Don't go around pointing fingers at her father or- at least be a bit more subtle about it. You dont want to completely take that person's life apart, maybe give this person a moment of reprieve or something. And if you are not in a position to help this person directly, refer him/her to someone who *can*. For example, I would refer them to my aunt who worked in the Family and Child Protection Services since she would know how to handle this situation much better than me.

43

If you could do three things before you die, what would they be?

Firstly, I wanna go to Ukraine and be part of the Femen Protests. It is brilliant the work they do and quite smart too. I watched this documentary about Femen, and in Ukraine, 90% of girls don't know what feminism is. I think that's something us Maldivians can relate to also.

I also want to go to Amsterdam... or France and live there. Amsterdam is just beautiful and in France, the government sends someone to do your laundry and household chores until your child is 18 so that is always appealing! In France, the hospital pays you! They pay for your taxi home and they have the best healthcare system. Also that's where French films are made. And French food. But if I had to choose between France and Amsterdam... it would be Amsterdam. Everybody rides in bicycles there.

And lastly, I want to attend the Cannes Film Festival. You can only go there if you are invited. And since money is no object, I can hopefully buy it out. And I will sit next to Johnny Depp, Darren Aronofsky, Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton and Jared Leto. Oh and Spike Jonze.

What kind of music do you listen to?

I love Arcade Fire and Caro Emerald. Also Imelda May, who is this Irish Rockabilly singer. Mostly Indie, Jazz and Blues. Though I occasionally listen to Lady Gaga. She is my guilty pleasure.

What would you describe as you best experience of your life?

There are so many. First time I had Falafels. First time I had waffles. First trip abroad on a workshop. First CBT workshop. The Bangkok street markets (Which I strongly urge everyone to experience, it is spectacular :P). The First movie I watched in a cinema, which was Santhimariyambu. Yes, I was very cultured even at a very young age.

But I guess this one time where my best friend and I decided to form a music duo and perform at the school talent show was pretty memorable. No no, we weren't that good. I don't even think the audience paid any attention. But the fact that we did it, that was awesome.

Do you regret not doing anything?

I am one of those weird, hippie people that believe that we do things for a reason, so even if I don't do it or do it, I am right here where I am supposed to be because I didn't do that whether it is positive or negative. I am pretty sure I must have done it all in one or the other parallel universes, so technically there's nothing to regret not doing.

But I guess one of the biggest regrets I have is understanding how Wall Street works. Its basically like the fish market except people are better dressed and instead of fish they sell stock. They keep yelling and at each other and bargaining‌.and I understand everything and it is the saddest thing ever.

Roses or plastic pipes?

Roses smell nice, you can dry a rose and it'll last forever. So I guess, roses.

But I don't like cut roses 'cause cutting flowers kills them. If it is a rose bush however it can last for a long time.

Swim in the ocean or drive along the seaside?

Neither! I get seasick so... no. I have severe motion sickness. I can't even play those first-person shooter games because of it is so disorienting. And then, I don't like swimming... or the ocean... or the sun or sand... which is why it is unfortunate that I was born here. Sure I like going out, but... small doses.

Misinformation or no information at all?

No information. Because with no information, I am pretty sure would eventually figure it out myself. I can give a good example of this: When I was a child, my dad convinced me everyone had their expiration date written on their self, and you can't see yours... and I thought I couldn't see the expiration date on other people because I thought there was something wrong with me. He is super mean! I could have had no information and eventually I would've realized that everybody would die of natural causes someday.

Is there anything you'd like to say to our readers?

One of the biggest things is that, we need to get this mindset out that guys should not take the responsibility for gender-based violence and their actions. For example, if you left your wallet here and you came back and found it stolen, *you* should not be put to jail for keeping your wallet there.

Sure it was irresponsible to keep the wallet there but eventually the person who steals it is more at fault here. I think this applies to gender-based violence: sure you might've done something to provoke this but you should not be victimised for it. There is this quote which says that "Instead of teaching your daughters not to get raped, teach your sons not to rape".

Even street harassment is a huge thing here. Like, if I was walking with my friends and this happened and I told someone about it, their first question usually starts out as "What were you wearing? What were you doing out at night?" The attention is drawn automatically towards you. And in most case of rape and sexual harassment, it is not about sex, but power and domination. It is more psychological than physical. We should teach our sons that they should take just as much responsibility and they should get offended when someone says "the men couldn't control themselves because she was wearing a short skirt".

Also, it would be really politically incorrect to say gender-based violence just affects women because rape against men is very understated. You can't get rid of a problem unless you are willing to accept the fact that there is a problem. So I think Maldives is in denial and that we don't have our priorities straightened out. We are not being as alarmed and angry about the statistics as we should. 1 in 3 women are sexually abused and yet we are more concerned about what one or the other politician did or elections and parliament. We should be thinking about protecting our children and citizens before we get to all of that.

And another thing is that if you've ever wanted to get involved or do some good, just do it! Don't stick around for someone else to ask you to. Its inexpensive, it can be simple and yet the reward of absolute satisfaction for helping someone else is worth any hard work you put in.

As you know myself and Azzam are involved in an SRHR project and one of the things we've just started up is an Ask.fm page. So if you have ANY (and we mean any) questions about SRHR (which covers GBV, VAC/W and all), just pop on over to ask.fm/askSRHmv and ask away! You can ask anonymously and we'll assure you that our answers will be accurate and medically correct and we will always refer to a professional from SHE to answer every question.

And if you want to get involved or help or ask a question you can email us at youthchampion.mv@hotmail.com and we'll be happy to help!

44

45

46

Tell us a little bit about you, yourself your interests, etc.

Name : Aminath Mohamed Saeed (Ainthu) Birthday : November 26 I love certain Creative hobbies like cooking and interior decoration. I also like social Networking, Internet browsing, photography, travel and exploration.

How did you get started?

I have started this business through internet. Later on, in May 2013, Finesse showroom was opened to display the collection.

What was the inspiration behind the business?

My inspiration to start this business was derived from my personal desire to wear beautiful shoes. It is my passion. I love to wear stylish matching shoes for parties and appropriate shoes for various occasion and outings. The main reason why I have started this business is to make wide range of stylish shoes available for shoe lovers in Maldives. I always ďŹ nd it challenging to shop the right shoes in Male'. Hence it made me to work on this business and provide a better solution for the existing market. My aim is to have a wide range of stylish shoes and accessories available for fashion lovers in Maldives.

47

Tell us a little bit about you, yourself your interests, etc.

I grew up in my home island, Fuvahmulah. I still remember most of the shoes my parents bought for me to wear as casual and for school. I have always loved shoes and loved to wear accessories. I remember I was a big shoe critique as a child.

What do you think is the biggest challenge entrepreneurs face in Maldives?

The foreign exchange issue is the biggest challenge most of the entrepreneurs are facing at the moment. Moreover, the political instability is one area which is breaking the backbone of Maldivian economy!

What's your view on Domestic Violence (we are going to be very focused on elimination of violence against women in this issue) Domestic Violence does exist in Maldives to a greater extent. Various researches carried out by journalist and other concerned authorities shows surprising results on violence against women! In my opinion women in Maldives need to be more independent and contribute more towards achieving economic and social goals. Women need to have a clear career path, socialize in a product way and be more conďŹ dent.

48

What is the unique selling point of your business?

We demonstrate a product line that reects fashion on everyone's feet. We are committed to give the right shoes for every girl. We get continuous feedback from our customers and cater to their needs and expectations based on our know-how and capacity. We also support models and various fashion shows to enhance their beauty and make them stand out in the crowd.

If you had to pick just one shoe to wear for rest of your life which would it be?

I love shoes and collecting shoes is my hobby! I'm sure it will be a big challenge for me to survive with one pair of shoes for the rest of my life.

However if I had to choose one shoes I would go for a comfy platform peeptoe shoes as an essential everyday pair of shoes.

Who are your biggest supporters?

My biggest supporters are my product fans.

Why the name Finesse?

Finesse is a name derived to portray a brand name that carries fashion, style, ďŹ neness and quality, to cater a solution which is appropriate to environmental change, lifestyle, and culture.

49

You have included handbags and other accessories now. Any other plans for expansion?

We have a vision for future expansion. Adding evening handbags, party clutches, office handbags and accessories to our product mix is part of it.

Our dream is to develop a local brand and sustain a brand image.

What is in store for future?

We will have customized shoes and accessories to portray our life style, culture and environment

What would you tell your customers/fans?

I'm really grateful to all our fans who are committed to experience our products. I would like to say thank you for their continuous support and commitment. Finesse will always try it's best to cater your needs and wants and will always deliver what we promise.

HITHIGAS MAGU

FINESSE SHOWROOM

TASCALOOSA

BUREVI MAGU

CIBO

OXYGEN

BODUTHAKURUFAANU MAGU

FIND FINESSE ON FACEBOOK:

www.fb.com/finessemv

50

four : one It is undisputable that throughout history, patriarchal

Islam; yet, polygamy existed way before the age of

mind-sets have polluted many beliefs, turning personal

Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and was practiced by

discriminations into norms, cultures and even law. Many

people of different cultures and religions. In fact, both

fail to understand the primal fact that a superior gender

forms of polygamy (polygyny and polyandry) had been

does not fit into a creationist ideology. In fact, it goes

around for centuries. It was common at that time for a

against it.

man to have any number of wives without any limitation

Gender equality was clearly advocated for, and addressed in the age of the Prophet. In Prophet Muhammad's era, with the revelation of Qur’an, came protection and rights for girls and women, that were revolutionary at that time. As a result of these new rights and improved status, women attained important positions in early Muslim society. During the Prophet’s life, women played prominent roles in religious, political, educational, legal, moral, economic and military arenas.

With the death of the Prophet, with many contributing

at one time.

Islam, while bringing about many

limitations to disruptive issues in society, tried to limit and restrict polygamy. Thus, restricting the traditional practice of marrying an unlimited number of wives to only four was itself a major step in limiting polygamy.

Islam has often introduced changes gradually, as in the case of the prohibition of alcohol and the prohibition of slavery. By this accord, many scholars in fact, believe that polygamy was an issue that should have been abolished from the religion through ijthihaad.

orthodox,

According to Imam Mohamad Abdou, a great nineteenth

"misogynist," "androcentric" Islam, which from then on

century Egyptian theologian and reformer, polygamy,

remained in tension with the original Islamic ethical

“although permitted in the Quran, is a concession to

vision, which is stubbornly egalitarian.

necessary social conditions that was given with great

factors,

came

a

codification

of

an

One of the major debates that hold this tension in the spotlight is Polygamy. Polygamy is one of the many things that we, as a Muslim society, blindly accept with faith. “It is how it is in the religion.” or “It’s God’s will.” are the dead ends put up to questions regarding the issue. While we are taught that Islam is the religion that advocates for gender equality and rule of law, we are also told by scholars of this practice that encourages discrimination against women. So the question today is, should polygamy really be accepted in a Muslim society?

Let’s start off by debunking one of the many myths that relate polygamy (or polygyny as it should properly be addressed) to Islam. It is popular to relate polygamy to

reluctance, in as much as it is permissible only when the husband is able to take equal care of all of his wives and to give to each her rights with impartiality and justice.”

He "'also says that the welfare of a society is

superior to the satisfaction of sensual desire of its individuals, since the condition [that all of one's wives must be treated] . . . with perfect equality is most difficult, he argues, it is clear that the Quran's recommendation is towards monogamy.’

This of course brings us to the one and only verse that scholars use in an effort to tolerate polygamy: Surah 4, Verse 3. This verse, which was revealed during the Battle of Uhud, translates to: “And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry

51

those that please you of [other] women, two or three or

long as his daughter Fatima was alive. This incident is

four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry

related in Sahih Al-Bukhari, one of the principal and

only] one or those your right hand possesses. That is

most trusted sources of Sunnah, yet has never been

more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice].”

raised when patriarchal arguments are articulated to

The verse does permit polygamy (and slavery might I

defend polygamy.

add, but we will get to that in a minute) but if we take into account Verse 129 of the same Surah, which states that “You are not able to be just and fair between women, even if it is ardent desire”, we see that the Quran, while allowing for polygamy in situations where you can be just, also acknowledges the human flaws of inequality. Hence, many feminist scholars believe that these verses combine together to base an abolishment of polygamy.

The social and economic difficulties that arise from polygamy do not need to be discussed here. It is the mere astonishing fact that our beautiful religion allows for a equal and just society yet, we allow demeaning and discriminatory practices to flourish under the guise of ‘Islamic practices’ when there are clear instructions within the helm of the religion that allow us to abolish them.

"During the Prophet’s life, women played prominent roles in religious, political, educational, legal, moral, economic and military arenas."

Furthermore, one of the major concerns that arise from this verse is that this verse also contains a reference to ‘those your right hand possesses’ or in laymen’s terms; slaves. Islam has, as I have said before, gradually abolished slavery through restrictions, encouraging emancipation and prohibition of ill treatment of slaves.

In our modern age, there would not be a single educated, dignified scholar willing to advocate for slavery, yet the issue of polygamy, which is addressed in the exact same verse as slavery, being restricted in the Quran, remains engraved into the religion.

If you would really read into the Sunnah of the Prophet, you would see interestingly enough that the Prophet (PBUH) forbade his son-in-law Ali, who was married to the Prophet's daughter Fatima, to take a second wife as

Even classic scholars who do believe in the existence of polygamy within the religion claim it to be the exception to the rule, which is monogamy. Polygyny is certainly not imposed, nor should it be regarded a universal practice and its exercise is strongly restricted to exceptional cases of orphans and situations where women are left as widows after wars. If utilized by Muslim men to facilitate or condone sexual promiscuity, it is not less condemnable than adultery, and no less detrimental to the society. Yet, in our society Polygamy is advocated for, by using the same reasons. If sexual promiscuity and adultery is the reason for Polygamy to exist, I for one, have a few more slightly painful solutions that I’d like to recommend.

by Aryj 52

ACT

SE BU

N S I T A A G A

53

54

Youth Aisha Ibrahim, 26 Psychology Student (Child & Adolescents) Violence or physical abuse does not only leave bruises, and cause physical pain. It goes beyond that. I have always been interested in the helping profession. I've read about these issues, done reports and assignments. It would be easy for me to write down the statistics, and findings of research and studies to let people know how important this issue is. I don't mean to say that this isn't an important aspect, it is. But for me, experiencing and working with children; young girls who have been through abuse most of their lives is what opened my eyes. It completely changed how I looked at these issues. That's when I really understood just how much this impacts a person's life.

Seeing how lost, lonely and confused the countless violence/abuse they've been through has left them with. These women and girls need more than just financial help. They need companionship, guidance, love. Get more involved, volunteer!

Mohamed Saif Zahir, 23 Professional Freestyle Footballer Women and Girls of all ages, backgrounds, races, religions are at risk of many different types of violence. Millions of Women and Girls all over the world, have experienced violence in different ways. Violence directly impacts their Self confidence and the relationships with other people around them. At the same time causes Physical and Mental Health Issues. And changes their everyday life and behavior. And the impact can last for days and years. Even a lifetime!!

Mohamed Anaan, 19 Asst. Project Coordinator (Democracy House) In Most cases victims have been known to carry the effects and the memories of violence on them throughout their life. This causes even minor acts of violence on them, to have and take a major destructive role in their life in the future. This not only affects them, but people around them as well and these acts of violence, may be transferred to other people as the victims are unable to cope with these bad memories. This causes a chain violence to take place, to which, there is almost no end.

55

Profiles Ibrahim Dhanish Nashid, 19 CBT Facilitator “We currently live in a society where women are told that it's their fault that they are abused. Convenient, is it not?"

Hassan Rasheed Hussain, 16 Student at CHSE Violence and abuse against women and girls comes in all forms from all kinds of backgrounds everyday. It may come from strangers or in most cases people who are very close and dear to them. It causes a lot of terrible physical and mental pain to women and girls. Physical impacts include injuries such as cuts, bruises, fractures, dislocated bones, hearing loss, vision loss. In the case of women who are pregnant some suffer miscarriage or even early delivery. Physical injuries causes many longterm medical difficulties such as back pain, headaches, seizures, gynecological problems and many more . In addition to physical impacts there are many mental impacts as well. Such as depression, anxiety, PTDSD (Post traumatic stress disorder), loss of self confidence, inability to trust others and some may become emotionally numb. The abuse and violence even leads women and girls to resort to substance abuse or even suicide due to not being able to cope with it. Violence against women and girls is something which is still on going in our society and in our very homes. It is inhumane and it must be stopped.

Hawwa Lubna, 22 Journalist at Minivan News / Development Studies Student at Lund University “Injuries heal & scars fade. But for an abused woman, most painful is the stigma of living in a society where abusers walk free and violence is condoned." chain violence to take place, to which, there is almost no end.”

56

57

Catharsis b y a l a n a l a t h e e f

This month we celebrate the rights of women and work towards making people more aware of the cases of violence and abuse that women have to face – and I think it’s the right time to discuss certain issues that need to be addressed. It’s easy to paint the aftermath of trauma as a period where the world is willing to wait on you for being the victim and is ready to serve justice to the predator who had the cowardice to abuse you his due justice – but is reality really this black and white? As a survivor who’d been through the process, I’d have to say the grey areas are too many and the actual support too little: and all of our problems stem from the cracks in society. Not everyone who got abused would’ve faced the same hurdles as I have, but as my story is not that uncommon in Maldivian society, let us look at the oppressing factors in society that make it harder to get the right help, from the point of view of someone who had actually experienced it.

FAMILY WON’T ALWAYS HAVE YOUR BACK When you consider the fact that most Maldivians are quite prideful about their reputation and would not let anything tarnish it, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. I’ve known a mother who continuously let her husband have his way with her daughter, but kept quiet about it for what anyone else might think. Our society being as small as it is, it’s hard to point fingers and lay the blame without dividing the neighborhoods or society itself, and without making families question those that aren’t directly related to them. For me, the trauma of what happened to ME upset my mother so much she got angry and took to blaming me for my stupidity for having something like that happen to me. I was thirteen. Maybe I should have known better.

I don’t blame myself anymore though – I carried the blame for someone else’s indecency for so long because my own Mother was afraid of what anyone else might think if they knew I was ‘tarnished’ so it was easier to not talk about it or take necessary actions because then, no one would know. No one would question their parenting methods when disbelieving my integrity. It was the easy way out – and families mostly take the easy way out. It’s how Maldivians have shaped society to be and it’s hard to break out of that mould – why else is this a topic people are not willing to talk about or are not really aware of the scope of even when considering the fact that 2/3 women get abused between the ages of 13-20?

WHAT ABOUT FRIENDS? Maybe it depends on the right friends, but you don’t always know. Most of the time when you DO come out of the closet about your trauma, some people, sheltered as they are, will not understand your reality. They would also expect you to be over it within a few months and carry on like it was no big deal – even though you would carry it with you for the rest of your

58

life. Others take it as an opportunity for bullying when they get a hold of the story and will use it subsequently to make you feel worse about the existing situation while they twist the facts so that it’s a story about your sexual indecency – a story that is taboo in our society and based on how we know people to be, we all know that the chance of surviving such a story without being labeled as irreligious and immoral is slim to nil and people you don’t even know of will have you labeled as a sexual deviant for a long, long time. Contrary to popular belief, the victim doesn’t always get sympathized or empathized with.

Sometimes the victim gets even more victimized.

THE KNOWING Most of the time the person who molested/abused you is either family, family friend, or a ‘friend’. The fact that they belong to your social or family circle makes it harder to talk about it, and makes YOU more susceptible of being alienated and accused of fabricating lies in order to gain attention. Specially in a society so small, betraying acts of unkindness by someone you know and revealing their true colors to their friends and family means expecting them to chose between your version of events and THEIR version of events – in which the abuse/molesting was probably consensual or didn’t take place at all – and you can be sure that their friends and family would go into denial about your version of events. No one wants to believe that they are breeding or being friends with ‘monsters’ which makes YOUR case that much harder to fight for. We speak of victim’s rights, but what if the abuser claims to be victimized by the victims ‘lies’? How will the right help and the right justice be served in such a case with the current way of how things work? All it causes is greater divisions in society, and more problems.

People talk about victim’s rights but don’t understand how complex it can be. If we are to fix society we need to start from the roots where the victims have a chance of being heard without being labeled as the most immoral person to walk the earth. No matter what anyone’s lifestyle, no one deserves to be abused, and the abuser should not get to walk away without taking full responsibility for his/her actions and redeeming themselves. I know some of you readers have been abused – and some of you HAVE abused. If you’ve done the latter instead of blaming the victim of wrongdoings against YOU by speaking about it, admit you’ve made a mistake and earn their forgiveness and sincerely work towards becoming a better person. Our society needs to heal and healing can come only from catharsis. It falls on each and every one of us as an individual and a whole to make it a better society to live in.

projectunbreakable.tumblr.com

Project Unbreakable was created in October of 2011 by Grace Brown. Grace works with survivors of sexual assault, photographing them holding a poster with a quote from their attacker. Grace has photographed about three hundred people and has received over a thousand submissions. TIME magazine has also named it one of the top 30 Tumblr blogs to follow.

59

60

61

62

LifeList: Shaha’s

One of the things in my life list was to buy an iPhone so I saved up some money, and bought it one ne day and since then I have been sucked into the magical world of smartphone apps! I have found a couple apps that make life real easy for me. Here’s a couple of them List This is your all things list app. Shopping list? Check To do list? Check Inventory of random paper clips you own? This is the app for you. So simple to make lists, check off items and make more lists. It does exactly what it says. List!

Instagram Everyone’s favourite photo app. It’s pretty handy for keeping track of your food intake, keeping count of the number of selfies you take and other important things like that. I love the fact that I can follow my favourite celebrities and bloggers and see their lives.

Goodreads If you are a reader, I would recommend to have a Goodreads account. It’s a great app for keeping track of your reading lists, check out new releases, read some reviews, discover great books and have conversations about books. A bookworm’s dream come true, they also have some e-books for free so you can read at your own time.

63

TV Show Tracker I am always forgetting the last episode I watched on a series so this app comes in very handy.

Keep track of your favourite shows and TV schedules and never miss an episode. Really easy to navigate as well. Since the notification shows the number of episodes I have yet to watch in total, it’s also motivation to watch more.

Star Maker A fan of Karaoke? Then this app is a must-have! Sing along to your favourite songs, get scores and unlock more songs. All the popular songs are available and there’s different levels of difficulty. It can entertain you and your friends for hours! iWish For everyone with a bucket list (hello life list!) this is a fantastic app that comes with so many goals that you can add, or you can even write your own personalized goals and cross them off when you are done! Always keep your bucket list on hand with this app and it even has motivating quotes and other fun things to make your life more exciting.

Style.com If you’re a fan of runway shows and want to keep up with the latest trends, then this is just the app. Check out all the latest shows, read trend reports, watch runway videos, check celebrity styles, etc. So many great things in one app, this is just amazing.

Plates Have you ever gone to a restaurant and had a hard time deciding how much everyone has to pay and got so frustrated you paid more than you should have? Then you need this app! Find out exactly how much everyone owes (even to the last laari!) without any hassle and manage your money better with this app.

Google Drive This doesn’t even need an introduction. Always have all your documents on hand and blah blah. DYMag owes much to this app. Believe it or not the whole team has never been at one place in person (go figure) and all our work is done smoothly and efficiently with the help of the Drive. It’s so easy. I wonder how the world worked before this came into existence.

Appsfire Lastly, when you need some cool free apps, this app finds them for you. It has characterized apps based on type so you can set your preferences to get exactly the kind of apps you want.

Ah, the power of setting personal preferences eh.

Most of these have their Android counterparts so those without iPhones can also enjoy them. And if an app isn’t available on Android there are similar apps available. Which of them are your favourites? Let us know by tweeting them to us @Dhiyouth.

Photos from http://osxdaily.com/ and http://thenextweb.com/ 64

infirmities in life

alopecia

by Thihnan

Alopecia simply means gradual hair loss leading to balding. Even though most of us think of women when they hear the term hair fall, it is a misconception. When females experience hair fall, it is often controllable or treatable. Get a haircut to trim off the split ends and you are good to go. Hair loss is much harder to deal with and unfortunately more common in men. In fact, alopecia is also known as male pattern balding further emphasizing this issue.

Another common misconception is the belief that balding is natural as it comes with age. Balding can occur in any stage of your life and never is it supposed to happen.

This is commonly known as premature balding. For men, it starts from the crown and for women, it is from the frontal lobe.

Hair fall starts with thinning. This is where your hormones come in. The human body has hormones which control and regulate what goes on in the body. When hormones fail to balance out, it can promote the production of excessive sweat in your scalp leaving it very oily or sometimes quite dry, both leading to hair loss.

It is often vital to understand the progress of hair loss in each individual. Finding a few hairs on your pillow or when combing is not an indication of alopecia. On an average each human loses about 100 strands of hair per day. This is all replaced by new strands of hair. When hair fall exceeds the average, the body cannot compensate the loss and therefore leads to complications.

Alopecia can be caused by drugs, diseases or complications such as diabetes, lack of nutrition, puberty, stress or even through genetic inheritance. There is a 4 out of 7 chance that you can inherit the gene for baldness.

65

Raising awareness in celebration of International Men’s Day this November the 19th There are several ways to identify if you have alopecia. The most common is the pluck test, where a gentle force is applied to any three specified areas on the scalp and the hair plucked out are observed under a microscope. There are techniques for those who prefer the do it yourself method. Hair that is lost is carefully collected either like after combing or sleeping etc and counted to see if the average amount of hair lost in the day is less than about a 100. Always know that it is okay to have a slightly increased percentage of hair loss right after shampooing.

Alopecia is not something that should be taken lightly. If you notice hair thinning or rapid loss in hair, it can be an indication of a serious infection or genetic inheritance so it is highly advised to consult a medical professional immediately.

Photo from http://www.centrodermo.com/en/content/different-forms-alopecia-causes-hair-loss 66

Any questison for us? fb.com/dhiyouthmovement

AG

DHI YOUTH MOVEMENT MAGAZINE

@dhiyouth d h i y o u t h m o v e m e n t. b l o g s p o t. c o m dhiyouthmovement dhiyouthmovement@gmail.com

67

68 68

69

70

what’s your by Thihnan berry We all know the berry family are super rich in antioxidants but what exactly is so great about that? Antioxidants neutralize free radicals produced in the body which is the main cause for rapid cell division or cancer and tumor growth. Most fruits contain 3 or 4 of them while these guys win the race by having over 20!

But is it the berries altogether that are so effective or do each and every individual berry have its own special treat for us all. Find out which berry you are most compatible with!

Blueberries - Having trouble remembering things? A study conducted in England by the University of Reading and the Peninsula Medical School proves that blueberries have a chemical in them which helps people improve their memory. This is especially effective if the cause of your memory fading is age.

Blackberries – If you have trouble with remembering to fill up your fiber content, this is the berry for you. One standard cup can give you one third of the fiber requirement per day!

Strawberries – We all know the benefits of vitamin C and that’s why we eat oranges. Just add strawberries to the mix because strawberries have a much higher vitamin C content. Say goodbye to those bleeding gums!

Raspberries - If you are a little overweight and trying to lose weight here’s a berry that could be your best friend. Raspberries are proven to boost metabolism rate in your body meaning you can digest and use up the energy stored in your body leading to weight loss. Raspberries directly attack those fatty cells that are often hard to get to.

Boysenberries - Trying to build muscle? This is the berry made for you. Boysenberries have specific proteins your body needs to reach this goal with external shaping. Moreover, it is a great snack option because it is super low in calories!

71

Photos from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090419170112.htm http://savorysweetlife.com/2009/08/how-to-make-blackberry-or-raspberry-jam/ http://fruitwarehouse.blogspot.com/2012/02/strawberry.html http://americanfood.about.com/b/2012/08/25/fresh-raspberries.htm http://hitchhikingtoheaven.com/2010/07/boysenberry-jam.html1 72

Under the U

73

Umbrella

by Sifr

Artwork from 5 Centimeters per Second by Makoto Shinkai

74

Please don't stand so close to me I'm having trouble breathing I give you everything I am All my broken heart beats And I will make sure to keep my distance Say, "I love you," when you're not listening How long 'til we call this love, love, love?

- Distance by Christina Perry

In life sometimes you find yourself in places you never expected to find yourself. But life is like that.

Unexpected and unpredictable.

Like a completely off hand coffee get together with a stranger that soon becomes a fateful meeting for two lost souls.

What made me ask her? I cannot say. What made her agree? She doesn’t know. It was one of those things that doesn’t have any rhyme or reason to it.

It just was.

It was a warm sunny day. I had been hounding her to meet with me. For no reason in particular save for perhaps only that I am too bull headed to admit defeat and because she had said yes and was now acting coy.

She was a queen with capacities to be reckoned with. One lady with formidable stamina in playing hard to get.

For those who know me well, it is no secret that I can be rather notoriously late. Such is my tardiness that I have been constantly told that I will most likely be late to my very own funeral so it was a little bit of a surprise when I found myself preparing for our meeting an hour beforehand.

And soon I was hurrying along the streets.

I arrived early. (Yes, early. The universe might indeed shatter before you are done reading this)

After a brief scouting of the fine establishment. I sat down at a table in the al fresco area. The table had a generous view of the entrance and the service counter, perfect for my purposes of careful observation. Quick to capitalize on my new found ‘respect’ for time I tapped off a message to her gently mocking her for tardiness. All the while I was softly smiling to myself for making it on time for once in my life. It wasn’t long before a demure figure waltzed in cautiously. She looked around and walked into the café past my line of sight. It was her. I knew. We had never met before but I knew.

She sent me a message asking me where in that labyrinthian layout I was. After giving myself a once over I walked into the indoor area with as much nonchalance as I could muster. There she was, sitting at a corner table. She was like a vision of beauty in a soft cream square neck blouse with floral prints. Around her neck was a long pendant necklace with a peculiar wide eyed owl resting on her bosom.

Her glorious hair a bewitching fiery red.

Thinking back now I swear I might have heard some harps play in the backgrou nd. As I walked up to her I gave her one of my roguish grins and she blushed.

Swiftly we made our introductions. And swifter still she informed me that her family knew where she was, that her friend was nearby and that she was in a relationship. What a way to greet someone! I for one was impressed. Sheepishly I admitted that my scheme to abduct her was now in vain, not paying attention to her admissions. In no time we were joking and laughing. The time slip ped away like a stream of water through cupped hands.

After some consideration we agreed that it was too early to part for the day. And so we 75

made our way to a bazaar nearby. There we realised our shared passion for dreamcatchers and certain odd trinkets. Then it began to rain, suddenly the relaxed young lady before me became near hysterical trying to keep her fiery red hair dry. I shrugged and followed her as I personally loved the rain. With no sign of the pour letting up I found an umbrella and we made our way to find transport home. Under that umbrella, as I was busy trying to hail a cab it took me a moment to realize that she was leaning towards me staring at my face with wide beseeching eyes. It was a moment most precious and romantic. A moment I will cherish forever. I gave her a quick grin and returned to my duty of getting us home relatively dry.

Finally we got a cab and were on our way when she spoke again of her ‘imaginary boyfriend’. Though this time she seemed determined to not let me dismiss the topic. I felt a slight dreading.

What does one do when one finds someone who is obviously looking for more than what they have?

What does one do when such a person seeks comfort in one? Does one push away citing morals? Or does one get off the high horse and give comfort to those dark enticing eyes?

While it is definitely not altruistic when you are acting in your own self interest. You are still faced with some difficult questions that might culminate into an existential crisis.

When life decides to take one on a tempest like ride that is a rollercoaster of discovery one can hardly say no.

Every time we met again it seemed like the connection between us strangers was stronger than ever. We shared everything, our hopes, dreams and fears. Our lives took on an almost dreamlike quality. We made plans for our future as if she had already chosen to stay with me.

Alas this was only me being fanciful.

When you are the other man it is not the exciting

If I lay here If I just lay here Would you lie with me And just forget the world?

I need your grace To remind me To find my own All that I am All that I ever was Is here in your perfect eyes - Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

and thrilling fun as most series and stories make it out to be. It’s very philosophical. It’s a moral dilemma. It leads you to question who you are and it forces you to face traits that you doesn’t really want to confront. How bad is really bad? Is bending the unspoken rules really bending them or are you just deceiving yourself into doing things that will only weigh on your conscience?

It is the only thing you can do to give a weak grin when she weighs you and him over and over again.

A most horrible feeling. You feel like you have laid your head on a guillotine of your own accord. The apprehension of something bad happening constantly grips your gut. You are wound like a high strung violin.

And yet.

All this you accept in return for that unlikely future.

That one glimmer of hope is worth all the silent heartache.

Unreasonable and illogical.

One glimmer becomes your world.

‘If you love two people at the same time, choose the second.

Because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn't have fallen for the second.’

- Johnny Depp 76

What makes it Worse by: Munzir

Photos from http://www.cosmotography.com/ 77

Life seems endless An insignificant speck In a vast cosmic expanse Why must suffering relapse?

Life is beautiful An intricate pattern is seen In darkness, it lights every lantern Life is meaningless Overcome your fears Can the father hear us?

Life is subjective Suffering is not the objective Is mere survival our primal lust?

Life is good When you overcome ignorance Knowledge becomes your thirst Life is God and religion Embracing painful abstinence Well, that is what makes it worse!

78

Because Brutal is Reality by: Fazu Singa

Photos from http://hdwallpapersuk.com/rainy-day-hd-wallpapers/ 79

In order to get up, you need to fall For you to feel whole, you must break So to heal, you should hurt first.

For you to be independent, you need to let me let you go I will push you, so that you will learn to fall I will break your heart, so you’ll learn to heal.

I will tempt you, so you’ll learn to resist.

I will be ruthless, cold and harsh Break you, hurt you and bring you down on your knees So that you will know and learn to Stand tall again.

I will mock you, taunt you and expose you Pull down your walls of comfort So that you will learn reality That life is not full of melodies, birds and bees.

I will walk in your shadows. Keep my Distance, so that you will learn to live when I eventually walk away Do not mistake my coldness for sadism I wish you well in all you do, just as Well you need to let go so you can move on.

Maybe you mistake my true intentions for arrogance I may appear to be nothing but a hypocrite, anything but docile I’ll grant you space to hate and loathe As long as it fuels you to be free

80

Love Song for the Mistress by: Zueshan

Photos from http://wallike.com/sunset-love-romantic.html 81

If all the world and creation were mine, For you alone the sun would shine.

I'd ask starfish to compliment you, And create words with which to woo.

The skies shall exist to provide you shade.

And next to you, all beauty shall wither and fade.

To caress you alone shall it rain.

And the winds will sing for you time and again.

The sun shall dawn to glisten on your damp hair.

The ground beneath shall crave your footsteps in moments rare.

And I shall be the one to love You, while heavens watch with longing from above.

If all the love were mine to give, I'd dote on you, God forgive.

82

by: Ali Shifraaz We have our own thoughts.

We have different views.

Willpower makes us an optimist.

Intelligence makes us a pessimist.

Imagination is the preview of life’s coming attractions.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

We behave as well as we are treated.

We should not value anything more than freedom.

We will lose our freedom otherwise.

We should live life simply so that others may simply live.

We should destroy our enemy by making him as our friend.

Not by killing him.

But many are killed before they have a start, all the feeling inside them filled gets buried in their heart.

We should remember that fear is the path to dark side.

We should know that fear leads to anger.

We should know that anger leads to hate.

We should know that hate leads to suffering.

We don’t realize we have learned how to hate.

We are being blocked by anger and fate.

We pretend that we are loving the great life.

We know truth of the situation is simply violent and struggle.

We need to realize struggle is the way of life.

We have too much pride.

We know there’s enough on the world for our needs, but not for our greed.

We have pride in our culture.

We know our heritage.

We are conditioned to feel the advantage.

We are not worthless.

83

What had Changed?

We have to remember that always.

Our brightest tomorrow will be based on a forgotten yesterday.

Yesterday’s impossibilities are tomorrow’s miracles for us.

Just because we fail once, doesn't mean we are going to fail every time.

Keep trying, and always believe in self.

Because if we don't then who will!

We can't go on well in life until, We let go of our past failures and heartaches.

We are not a victim of circumstances, but winners of predicaments.

We should not lose our hope.

We should not give up.

We are for peace.

We are for a managed peace.

We cannot keep peace by force.

Peace can only be achieved by understanding.

We must use our brains and think.

What had changed!

Me? You? Us? Islands?

Atolls?

Cities?

Nations?

The world?

This is our moment of test of our faith.

Hold on to our faith and trust in Allah!

Photos from http://iliketowastemytime.com/2012/06/17/beautiful-earth-from-space-andre-kuipers-18-pics 84

Thank you for reading.

See you in December!

In the meantime, find us at: fb.com/dhiyouthmovement @dhiyouth d h i y o u t h m o v e m e n t. b l o g s p o t. c o m dhiyouthmovement dhiyouthmovement@gmail.com

photo by Imy 85