Mom-educator, reflections on being a mom and a guide in our son's learning journey

 Giancarlo, my only son, was a baby born when his experience with education started. I became his guide in all the learning experiences he will go through from learning to breastfeed to each milestones, to learning subjects. In the process, he was my student and also my wise guru who taught me many lessons.

GC made eye contact with me the moment he was born, he was furious, filled with tons of good crying. Perhaps because crying is what most babies do to comunicate or because he found himself outside of his womb comfort zone. The reality was that he cried and cried tons. He cried so much that the pediatrician had a name for it "colicky baby".

I remember GC looking around the room, confused, scared. By the time he was all clean attached to my breast, I was so nervous and exhausted. I did not know if I was going to be able to make it. I guess 24 hours of labor pain without success or epidural anesthetic can make any one feel hopeless. Still, GC connected with me inmediately and the ritual continued with every breast -feeding. 

I talked to him, We made eye contact, I felt that he always understood but could not speak, yet. It was not easy to breast-feed and  I could tell you all the times I cried in frustration but the latching happened and the bond was build forever.

 GC was  always famished and I was constantly lacking sleep. 

While I was learning to be a mom, and learning that GC will guide me into this motherhood profession; I realized with every passing week,Gc’s awareness and interest for listening to conversations, music, and sounds.  

Everyday, from diaper changing to a bath, breastfeeding, to rocking him in the chair I talked and talked to him. 
My mom who was helping at the time talked to him too. While dressing him up, while feeding him and doing anything around the apartment. My husband talked to him when he came from work and every stroll they took together.

 I knew somewhat that GC understood us. His wide-open eyes  expressed his desire for communicating with us always. 

Every day when he interacted with us we talked to him. We took him in his stroller around town and talked to him about whatever we encounter on our way there. We took him to the forest, and talked about nature, the marvelous trees, the wind and everything that surrounded us. 

We fed him and talked about his meal. We mentioned the name of the food, described the texture, the colors.

When Gc sat for his meals at 4 months, we noticed his frustration when he tried to mimic, repeat, express something back. He mumbled sounds that I almost understood. 

I never forget that we took him for a breezy evening walk and the gorgeous trees leafs seemed making sounds. GC pointed at them and I believed I heard from him the word leaf! "He was a baby", we thought, "he could not have possible talked", but he did. 

GC’s awareness and love for nature will increase with the years. Later on around his 2^ndbirthday, while he was running and climbing a playground he will stop all of the sudden while being mesmerized by the strong wind sound rocking the leaves in such a musical  movement “ shhhhhh, listen”. He would say.

Since then, I learned to listen to Gc’s innate ability to know what he wanted to learn. 

Gc was only 9 months when he spoke his first words. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean he pointed at it and said in Spanish “water” followed by “sand”, “sky” “birds” and every object he started to identify. He was  communicating. Finally he too, could talk. 

It was around the 2008 Election time that GC one day said to me “mom, teach me”.  He was barely a year old. I remember asking him who is the President " Obama" he will reply.

With delight I talked to him about letters, numbers, colors. I read and read hundreds of books to him. We spend hours at local libraries and at home reading. We loved play-dates and outdoors and almost every day we were either at a beach or at a park.  

Although we communicated with him in both English and Spanish at that time, He spoke Spanish to us so clearly that my family in Mexico was impressed with our son’s ability to read at the early age of 3. 

Gc never showed confusion with one language or another as many parents  implied will happen when teaching multiple languages. To the contrary, he was such a verbal child that it was no problem for him taking an Italian class during the spring and a Chinese class during the summer. Gc was confident and teachers asked me if I was married to a Chinese or Italian due to his fluency in languages. 

Almost 12 years now, he is a master of spelling playing scrabble. One favorite game that he started playing when he was 7 and has taught him plenty of words. 

Giancarlo keeps reading by the bundle. One week he can devour books about science and another he will be interested in how mechanical things work. He has read classics ahead of his grade,  and Speaking Spanish and English has only make French easier and enjoyable. 

Chinese is a complicated language but  in his months  of private tutoring classes he has been very dedicated.

As  the adult immigrant that came from Mexico at age 25 with no English spoken neither written which was very difficult to achieve on my own.  Gc's ability to switch from one language to another without the difficulties adults face, is fascinating. 

Giancarlo’s ability to switch from Spanish to English at age 3 was an incredible gift. Still he has conversations in Spanish with relatives in Mexico or with me. 

Gc is to me, the proof that children can learn everything if we do not tell them they cannot. 

Because we focused on Giancarlo's love for reading at an early age followed by any interest he had; was how Gc’s ability to learn chess on his own, followed by his interest in keyboard, to learn all about magic tricks to creating electric circuits and origami Art, ceramics, painting and sketching and coding.

It is as if his mind has no limits to explore with joy different options rather than only learning by memory facts and equations.

If you asked me years ago, while I was living in Mexico, I would have never imagined I could be fluent in English. 

I never intended to move to another country or learn a language at the moment I graduated college. I had worked hard to obtain a professional job after years of college, I had almost finished my Masters in Education and at home was not a priority to learn languages as it was getting a degree to get a better job and a better life.

As a Mexican- Immigrant who came to the USA with a profession but was unable to understand the language, it is a big accomplishment to have taught my son a language that for me was so complicated to achieve. 

In many ways, I learned the language idiomatic expressions, slangs, lullabies, by being in charge of my son’s education.

Of course my husband first language is English and he always was there to answer any questions and to correct my pronunciation or spelling. 

For those who asked me over an over, the answer is yes. It has been exhausting to take the challenge of being the mom and the teacher; but I know in my heart of hearts that we moms are meant to be the guides of the individualized education that our children require. 

We moms can prevent the overwhelming wave of violence known as “bullying” that generation over generation we all have experienced in a classroom and that teachers, principals and board of educators seem not able to eradicate.

12 years of educating our son have gone beyond home schooling because we are mostly not at home. We combine the common basic skills of Math, Science, Language Art, History with our outdoor-schooling, beach-schooling, park-schooling, travel-schooling, world-schooling and beyond.  

We have volunteered at a community garden, we have organized walks for Peace, we participated in campaigns to support women rights, Animals rights, indigenous people rights. We have visited National Parks such Yosemite, Lassen, Miur Woods, Redwoods, Sequoia. 

We had discovered Darlingtonia in Oregon, the only State park dedicated to preserve California cobra carnivorous plants. We have driven from California to Canada, passing Oregon and Washington. We have driven from San Francisco to Ensenada, Baja Mexico and visited the Chichen Itza ruins in Cancùn.  

A round and global education I believe is what Gc has been fortunate to have. No, we don't have money, savings, retirement. We don't owe a home, we are part of the middle class families who rent and contribute taxes for education although our son has been receiving all of his Education from us. I gave up a salary as a professional but never stopped working. So mostly Love is what has taking us on this path of guiding our son unto his education.

We have observed that Giancarlo’s creative mind arises constantly when studying Science, Math or any subject. His creative ideas little by little stolen by a system of compulsory education that does not see individuals but lineal groups of over 30 kids have been coming out constantly.

 In his few months in Kindergarten. the  creative, thinker mind of our son was restrained and controlled  when he tried to be himself. In school, when you have a mind that uses imagination to paint the palette of colors and not only one color, is not acceptable and you are told that you are not following “rules” which is reason enough to send you to a “thinking chair” as if you have committed a crime for having ideas, imagination, creativity. 

Your kid can come out of the classroom crying, frustrated somewhat violent and teachers will ensure you that he is doing fine, nothing to worry about. Teachers will try to make you feel as if you are an “overprotective mom” or " helicopter mom" for wanting to know, for caring, for refusing that what you as mom have shared with your free thinker son will disappear in the hands of the system. 

Being a free spirit, having knowledge of your own, in school seemed not acceptable. You are not supposed to know, you are a student who is going to be given all this programmed information and how dare you came prepared for school or ask questions.  

    

In our experience school was not focusing in what the student talents were, in their innate and unique interest, neither focused on what the student already knew. It seemed not to matter as much that each child is different from one another. The focus in school was how well a student could memorize or obey. 

School was holding our sons innate desire to share with others what he knew. He was bored, he raised his hand at 5 years old and told the teacher " I am bored" which the school did not take as a guideline to improve or change their ways of schooling, instead they were offended.

How do I know this?Gc did tried school, I went to  public school, I have worked at  Middle schools and college, I have volunteer at school and ultimately I continued my education to obtain a Masters in Education in a school system. 

I can relate to all the beautiful children minds I have met everyday who are not 100% themselves because institutionalized, compulsory schoolization somewhat repressed them. 

As Einstein used to say referring to school, “The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education”. 

Learning is a personal process that should not be made into a factory process or lab formula but given individualized.

Seeing our son loving to read, loving words, speaking tons, having a mind of his own, asking questions, not conforming with answers and always continuing to be a seeker; confirm us that 12 years of educating him have been the right choice. 

The question “what about socialization?” has been answered by the example of my son being very outspoken, extrovert, every time I got a compliment about how social, kind, good sharing sport he is. He really socialize with kids of all ages, with adults, real world strangers and he is polite beyond what school can teach.

Every time that I have seen my son asked a schooled child “Do you want to play? to receive a cold “NO, I do not know you, or you are not my friend”; We  have confirmed that schoolization which sounds more like colonization is not education neither socialization. 

School did not teach my son to integrate, to be kind to others, to embrace all races ot new friends even if he has never seen them before. 

School did not teach him to share with others, to promote peaceful games over violent games allowed in playgrounds and in other families. School did not teach him his first words to write or read. It was us, his parents who took on the responsibility when he asked “mom, teach me, teach me”.

It has been my husband and I who have been teaching him to integrate and embrace everyone around him. 

To overcome the many occasions in which kids use prejudice towards or son due to his Latino name or our Spanish speaking background. It has been us teaching him that not all the kids are outspoken like him. Us who have justified kids who have been rude or not really friendly in order that our son did not see that there are cliques, prejudice, exclusivity and many unfriendly people around us. 

I wish if I could prevented him from the pains of noticing that the world has so many humans who are not really good at embracing people with different ways of thinking. 

Just because we are not part of a school system, we have been ostracized, criticized by people who are not educated judging by their vague opinions. In many instances just because we stand strong for our ideals of never using guns as toys, no playing good and bad, no playing violent at playgrounds and defending Peace over war an violence.

Being a Mom and Educator has been a huge, huge challenge, so intense. 

Tons of learning experiences, plenty of disagreements, many frustrating moments, but also one of the greatest, greatest gifts of life. 

Every milestone, goal reached, silly moments and infinity memories of traveling that we have shared with our beloved son; recorded forever in our hearts.

                                                    ©KarlaGMundo2018

Building relationships instead of walls and advocating for non-violence

When I think of President Trump sending the troops to the border and about his insistence of building a wall and ending the NAFTA treaty with Mexico. I wonder what is it that he wants to achieve for women, men and children who have created and contributed to the United States as a country.

 I wonder if as a leader he is giving the message of being a Global citizen, a compassionate leader, a leader who comes together with the world rather than  a leader that divides.Unfortunatelly, It has been my experience that in America, people tend to separate from each other rather than come together.  Many families move away from their parents and kids to find themselves  absorved in their  daily routines and demands, with little time for enjoyment and friendship, living a very lonely life.

 As a citizen of this country I have noticed that people in the United States, mostly caucasian, are either afraid of building relationships. I have tried and tried in many different ways but it seems that culturally in the United States people rather be alone. I have met many people who live very isolated and lonely and in many instances refusing to get to know new people or becoming friends with their neighbors. I have lived in many different cities and different neighborhoods and although I have met a few very wonderful, all inclusive people, it seems that most Americans are too busy with their own activities, achievements, etc.

 When I hear leaders speaking of building a wall, I wonder how many of us who make the country are in agreement. I wonder if we, the constituents of the USA are entitle to oppose policies that go against our moral? For many of us, Not all in the world is about creating divisions, or having enemies as or going to war with those who do not agree with us. Many of us enjoy humans and togetherness and work towards Peace and Education rather than war and ignorance. Fighting constantly will not solve the greatest problems we have. Have we not learned yet anything through the history of violence, imperialism, land grabbing, colonization, etc?

When do we give up fighting every country including our neighbor countries that have done nothing but welcoming us? How far are our leaders capable of going for power?

As a mom, wife, neighbor, educator, taxpayer in the United Stated, and citizen of the planet, a very humane human; I want my voice to be heard.

Perhaps the President forgets that if the treaty ends, not only will have an impact on Mexico or Canada but the USA.

(According to Agweb  Vermont is the State that benefits the most from this treaty with 80% of its agriculture exporting to Canada and Mexico followed by North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware and Missouri). Also, another business, one most profitable of Nafta has been the car Industry. Autoworkers have made a profit by having factories in Mexico paying workers a fraction that they would have pay here in the USA. The benefit is not only for the Auto industry but also for all the franchise companies name it Wall-mart or Starbucks brought to Mexico, indeed providing jobs, yet profiting from low -wage labor.

In regards Migration there is so much been said. I believe Migration has been the side effect of countries being invaded through history for the purpose of land grabbing or exploitation and acquisition of their resources. President Trump threat to Mexico, reminded me of President Bush threat when he asked the world if they were with him or against him in the war in terrorism that now ½ of American condemn as inexistent.

When I think of Migration, I cannot help it to believe that humans deserve the same freedom and safety to travel when in need as our Grey whales do from Russia to Mexico or our Monarch butterflies from Canada to the USA to Mexico. The Grey Whale I read, chooses to give birth in Laguna de San Ignacio Mexico because the warmth welcoming.

I read that anthropologist Haide Castañeda wrote that " Migration is a necessary response to various forms of violence and adversity". So how can a President deny humans trying to escape adversity the right of Freedom that we protect so much in this country, isn’t every individual human regardless of what side of the border they live?

 I recently read a booklet entitled “International terrorism and the CIA”.

In this booklet the author speaks about how when political situations have been unfavorable to the USA, there have been operations directed by the CIA especially in Latin American country. All of these operations protecting the interest of the monopolies such were the case of Guatemala in 1950 and the United Fruit Company; in this book the author also speaks about Chile and Allende coup in 1973. The author of this booklet refers to all of this operations as crimes committed by the US monopoly due to the extraction of enormous profits in Latin American through ruthless exploitation of natural resources and manpower. If all of it is true, sounds very disheartening.

I still remember a book I read to my son about the Declaration of independence and why the colonies wanted to detached from Great Britain domain. The book spoke about Imperialism and tyranny. 

My question is: Are we in the USA making sure that we don't use tyranny as a way of ruling. The very same behavior we disliked from king George should not be embrace.

Are we using tyranny within our country and in other countries? 

It seems unreasonable to me, to ask anyone to stop the journey of migration, or the journey of seeking refuge, a journey with the purpose of finding security and freedom. Wasn’t that the same very thing the people escaping Europe in the Mayflower pursued?

Rather than threatening the Mexican people with the ending of Nafta, why don’t we support their unique spirit? Mexicans have always been known for being hospitable, friendly, happy, hard-working people who regardless of oppression and poverty have always welcomed tourist who visit or have permanently stayed to live in Mexico. Mexicans do not demand that foreigners speak Spanish only, neither they take back the properties or land that many foreigners have bought illegally.

Trump talks about a wall, protecting the borders.  From whom or what?

Mexicans have never been a threat to the world or at war with the world; Mexicans in the other hand are embracers of others. If not how do you explain that thousands of Americans and Europeans living in Mexico without a Mexican- citizenship or without speaking the language.

 Why in the USA we always use violence as a method of getting away with what we want? Peace, has been written in many ways it cannot be achieved by war or threats.

In a book written by Pema Chodron entitled “Practicing Peace in times of war”. Pema invite us to have the courage to change our heart. She talks about the amazing power of softening our hearts instead of hardening them.

 I would like to suggest to our leaders in the nation to have a change of heart in regards to the world immigration rules and in regards to Mexico. 

It will be the only way that we as a Nation can be great again, softening our hearts, opening our hearts and doors instead of closing our hearts and borders to other members of the human specie who seek for the same freedom that we constantly speak of.  In doing so, we could truly help our nation in cultivating Peace. 

“In the gift of anger” a book written by Gandhi’s grandson, Arun invite us to use our anger wisely to find solutions of truth and love. And in a book entitled “Happiness through Art” I read that violence done to human beings is not only the result of the actions of bad people, but also the inaction of good people.

In the book “Dreams of Freedom” a paragraph written by Aung San Suu kyi  she invites us all to "never let our fears prevent us from doing what we know is right." 

While Trump is talking about building walls, and sending the military to “protect our borders” “The lady” like many call Aung San Suu Kyi, has done something remarkable practicing non-violence in spite of 20 years of house arrest, in spite of assassination intents. In spite of having being elected to lead her country and being denied of that right, Aung San Suu Kyi still invite us to non-violence.

I read that some people are talking about removing her Noble Piece of prize because many blame her for the genocide between Burmese Buddhist and Muslim. The USA talks about ethnic cleansing but we don’t recall the ethnic cleansing of natives and Africans in America or our constant attack towards immigrants from Mexico and Central America.

Suu Kyi refuses to violence, she wants independence and the best for her people. She is a leader of non-violence like Mandela and Gandhi. It is hard to believe that in spite of all who perhaps have said enough, none –sense, she still being judge including by the USA, a Nation that struggles accepting that ethnic prejudice exists.

For ”The Lady” who has inspired me to my own nonviolence path and who has inspired me to write today and for anyone who is suffering due to the leaders of country poor foreign relationships with the inhabitants of this planet. I want to say, I am sorry and enough.

Our Constitution words, We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, promote general welfare must mean that we do something to promote dignity for all, isn’t it?. No more walls, no more violence.

                                             ©KarlaGMundo2018

Speaking out and standing up for what we believe...

By Karla Mundo

Do you express or repress? Do you keep it or let it out? Do you communicate or shut down? Do you get mad, angry, or frustrated because people are not listening to what you need to say? Do you disagree? 

Were we born to follow others or to be the leader of our own destiny? 

Are you very human, hypersensitive, neurodivergent, "different," with strong beliefs and ideas? I am.

I can laugh very loud and enjoy a good joke, but also I carry with me the inherited multigenerational anger of my family. Anger in  low-income families in Mexico seems to be part of our daily struggles to survive. We learn to deal with  it by communicating. In America, anger not expressed is converted into rage that people use to verbally attack you in public places. In America anger turns into mass shootings and freeway road rage. Anger seems to have been trapped in human bodies and converted into so many illnesses, including cancers. I have been reading about physical illness and trapped emotions having a correlation, it makes sense. We should not repress emotions as we are told constantly to be happy. We should be able to communicate in a healthy way and solve issues that have been unresolved and are causing us sickness.

Growing up in Mexico, I noticed that we as a society spoke with vibrancy and passion, sometimes in the spectrum of yelling while having very animated conversations. It was considered being alive, while in America it is considered "loud" and "noisy." I have been told to "speak in my library voice" or to "shut up" for expressing joy, my emotions or feelings.

As a mom, I have seen this use of our voice as the universal rule of parenting. The explaining to your kids, the negotiating, and the falling into arguments we'd rather not have. I have been there explaining to my son and losing my temper when he, as a young adult, has insisted on not understanding our rules or when he is doing what he think is right even do has had consequences in his wellbeing. 

I guess the difference between my Latino roots and the Caucasian culture is that we Latinos speak louder, and we don’t save the words for later. At least I don't. I don't think it is healthier not to speak up when we should. To store in our bellies, hearts, and minds hurts that we have felt from friends, relatives, and strangers needs to be spoken.

Although it seems that women culturally and globally have been repressed in many ways, I have always been willing to express if I see injustice. On this journey as a communicator, I have noticed that a woman's opinion is not embraced or welcomed as easily as a man's opinion. People assume that we don't have knowledge in the matter, period.

Even my husband has said, “Karla, you are being too loud” when I get excited about a beautiful thing or passionate about a topic. If I defend my point of view against people who underestimate my opinion, he will try to change the topic in order to not "have a conflict," and precisely the conflict comes from not listening to each other as we should, with empathy and kindness. Such an odd and filled-with-control way not to let someone be.

I think telling an activist for social change to do nothing is like telling the river that needs to stop its powerful flow. It's like telling the ocean to stop being vast, calm, and ferocious at the same time. It's like telling the sun not to shine! Ultimately it is telling a human not to follow their calling, heart, or passion.

We should try listening to what others have to say as well as try to accept others' points of view. Sometimes I feel that there is this message that if you are not doing what others tell you to do, you are not being polite; therefore, you need to be secluded, excluded, and not considered because you are not behaving like everyone elses. The message becomes you are not priority because you are not like we like you to be, therefore we do not acknowledge your humanity.

We the activists are being rude for challenging the status quo, for not agreeing in politics, religion, or public views that affect groups of people in order to benefit others. But it has nothing to do with being polite or not. It is mostly that others want us to be quiet in order to please those who want to be in control of us, humans.

In my family, with friends and strangers alike, I have experienced that if I disagree, I am wrong just like that. I have been asked, "Why can't you be like all of us, like everyone else?" There is no considering my reasons, nothing. I am wrong, and they are right. Is it this righteousness that causes false views and ideas of others that do not act or think like the whole. It becomes like school cliques or soccer and American futbol teams in which you only are included if you cheer for the right one.

Why don’t I think exactly like them? Why do I always have to go against the current or argue? Well, why do I always have to defend my position? Why do I always have to explain myself? I believe the reason is because I should be me, and they should be them, and we should be able to share views, find flaws where they are, embrace, accept and respect each other, don’t you agree?

Instead of being accepted for who I am, I have to be what others want me to be so they can be happy even if I am not. Well, it does not make sense. 

Over and over I have felt tangled in this constant battle of having to defend myself. Perhaps you will suggest "just don’t pay attention," which is very hard to do when people are constantly in your face with their opinions about your life.

As a home-educating mom, I have always encountered people questioning our decision. It is not a matter of people needing to agree or disagree. It is a personal decision, as was yours of sending your kids to a classroom. As it was yours to vote or not, participate or not, and speak out or not. We all make decisions in life and do not like others telling us how to do it. Why not accept that as the universal way? I have never understood why people get so upset about my life. It is not like they are sponsoring my way of living. Interestingly enough, my choice gets questioned on a daily basis by not only relatives and friends but also strangers.

I have to give lectures about the importance of raising our children. I have to pull out my educational credentials and degrees when others pull theirs, and it has been constant harassment over our life decisions. 

Awhile ago, I spent ½ an hour answering questions for a teacher that made sure to tell me that she had 30 years of teaching experience plus 3 master's degrees. I listened when she told me that mothers many times are not qualified to teach!!!. On and on she went criticizing home-educators, and finally I had enough.

The worst part always comes when these educators and strangers ask, “What about socialization? "What about it? Have they been very social, kind, polite, and respectful towards me? NO.

Many people refuse to see the severe and various issues affecting our kids in school, including the bullying, lack of individualized education, and so many acts of violence happening on a daily basis in schools portrayed in documentaries and books. Educators around the globe, including Holt, Gatto, Grey, and Ilich, have been calling for deschooling society. Why not learn about it, rather than just giving a blind opinion?.

If I don’t know about a subject, I research, compare, contrast, study it, and talk about it, but I don’t go talking nonsense just because I have a teaching credential or a degree. Is a teaching credential enough of a license to undermine others' decisions and knowledge? People are judgmental without knowing, without researching, or studying. 

Many of us learned to debate in school. For what purpose?? Just to take it? 

I believe that we need to have our own points of view. We can share with others, but the common way is not the only way, and being righteous all the time does not make our choices the correct ones.

People talk about how you are wrong and they are right, and I just want to be me, with my ideas and beliefs, like anyone else wants. We talk about respecting others, but as soon as someone shares they are not Catholic or Muslim or this or that, we get mad. Deep inside, many want us to believe, be, or do as they do, but we cannot because we are only like us.

I cannot think like anyone else because I think like Karla, but God forbid Karla disagrees with others. What is wrong with her? She went crazy, like so many other women in history. All of this is not letting a person be. I sometimes feel as if we live in medieval times, and women like me are being constantly repressed or condemned if they think for themselves. I think of the Suffragettes and all the women who have been oppressed because perhaps much of what they said was truth. 

The different movements that have been giving women the power to say what they need to say, such as #metoo, #thewomenmarchtoWashington, #Resist, #bringbackourgirls, #gatherthewomansavetheworld, and #blacklivesmatter will be remembered through history..

                                                      ©KarlaGMundo2018

Be Bold for a Change

By Karla Mundo

“Be Bold for Change” was the theme of International Women’s Day 2017. Coincidentally, for the past year, I have been stumbling upon unbelievable stories of courageous women from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Tibet, India, and other places on the planet. All these narratives I have read made me contemplate the clear invitation of what “Being Bold for Change” signifies.

In my case, being bold means writing about stories and people that are struggling to achieve human rights. It is hard for me to write about superficial things like how the weather is, or about a sitcom or a reality show. I cannot think only of fashion, although I love colors and materials that transform into a beautiful outfit.

To me, writing with consciousness and acknowledging others in the world is my calling.

I could not think of a better story that represents being bold than the story of Malalai Joya—a very brave Afghan woman who, in 2003, made headlines for daring to stand up against a very controlling, extremely oppressive, conservative, male-oriented culture and parliament.

In her book, A Woman Among Warlords, Malalai gives us the opportunity to educate ourselves about how countries that have experienced foreign invasion are suffering. Malalai wants us to know that the false image that Afghans are criminals is not how she knows her people, whom she calls “people with a rich culture and proud history. People capable of defending their independence and governing themselves.”

Being bold for change has brought several death threats, humiliations, and the constant censoring of her voice for telling the truth to 38-year-old Malalai. Although fundamentalists and warlords refuse to listen to what she has to say, in 2005, when she was only 27, she was elected as the youngest woman in Parliament.

By reading her book, I understand that Malalai wants you and me to know her story. With Malalai’s story, I think of Parvana, the 11-year-old brave character of the children’s book The Breadwinner, written by Deborah Ellis.

In A Woman Among Warlords, Malalai introduces herself by saying, “I come from a land of tragedy called Afghanistan.” Then she goes on narrating how, when she was a baby in 1978, the Soviet Union invaded her country, forcing her and her parents to live as refugees in Iran and Pakistan. After the Russians left her country, a civil war broke out, then the Taliban arose; seven years of US invasion plus continued foreign occupation has left Afghans terrorized. In spite of all the challenges her country has endured, Malalai Joya keeps advocating for her people.

Malalai Joya’s boldness is going to be recalled in history in the same way we remember Joan of Arc, Margaret Fuller, Sojourner Truth, Emily Dickinson, Emmeline Pankhurst, Simone de Beauvoir, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Wangari Maathai, Dolores Huerta, Indira Gandhi, Frida Kahlo, Rigoberta Menchú, Aung San Suu Kyi, Gabriela Mistral, Isabel Allende, María Izquierdo, Rosario Ibarra de Piedra, María Argentina, Minerva Mirabal, Minou Tavárez Mirabal, Maria Montessori, and many others.

But what does it mean to be bold? What does it take to be bold?

In my opinion, it is courage, determination, perseverance, and resilience.

It was courage that took 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai to stand up while riding the bus to school. When the Taliban asked, “Who is Malala?”, she replied with confidence before being shot in the head: “I am Malala.”

It was courage that took 10-year-old Nujood Ali to court in 2008 to ask for her divorce after two months of being hit and raped by her “husband.”

Child marriages, with the excuse of a country’s “tradition or custom,” have been happening for so many years in spite of organizations trying to change the legal age for marriage. There are children’s rights that must mean something.

We must be brave to tell others to stand up with us for the women who are being oppressed—regardless of if they are close to us as our sisters, mothers, friends, and daughters, or far away in another land like Malalai Joya, Malala, and Nujood.

We all can do something, and in doing so, we will become more united, sensitive, and compassionate citizens of the planet.

                                   ©KarlaGMundo2018