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linghxr · 1 month ago

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Why you should watch 乘风破浪 and 披荆斩棘 to learn Chinese

What are these shows?

Both 披荆斩棘 and 乘风破浪 follow the same basic format: 30+ celebrity contestants, mostly actors and singers ages 30+, form teams and compete in singing and dancing over several rounds. Viewers vote on their favorite performances and contestants, and 1-3 contestants are eliminated each round. The top contestants form a temporary "group" and appear on a follow-up reality show.

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Why you should watch

1. Exposure to different accents

Contestants come from all over the Chinese-speaking world: Dongbei, Sichuan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and even Malaysia. I can personally say that watching these shows has vastly improved my ability to understand the Hong Kong Mandarin accent.

2. Pop culture knowledge

Because the contestants are celebrities, you'll be introduced to dozens of famous actors, singers, etc. Also, you'll hear the many iconic songs that they cover. I've impressed several native speakers with my with knowledge of pop culture and music.

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3. Branch out to new media

These shows serve as a gateway to Chinese music, movies, and TV. if you really like the contestants who are actors, you can check out their shows and movies. If you enjoy a certain song or like a contestant who's a singer, you can explore more music.

4. Casual and formal registers

You’ll get to hear casual, unscripted speech while watching the behind-the-scenes and rehearsal clips. But you’ll also get to hear more formal speech when they’re announcing rules and also from the MC who hosts the actual live performances.

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5. Incredible talent

Also, you should watch for the awesome performances and general fun. I love seeing the contestants' friendships, and I’m also obsessed with the amazing sets. There are some incredibly talented performers on these shows, and I love getting to see them shine.

Where to watch

All seasons are free to watch on YouTube! Sometimes clips may be muted or missing, probably due to YouTube's restrictions. But the vast, vast majority is available, and when a clip is missing, you can usually do a separate search and find it. I also pay for a Mango TV subscription, which is $1.99 USD/month.

乘风破浪 full episode playlist links:

乘风破浪的姐姐1

乘风破浪的姐姐2

乘风破浪3

乘风2023

乘风2024

披荆斩棘 full episode playlist links:

披荆斩棘的哥哥1

披荆斩棘2

披荆斩棘3

披荆斩棘4

To help you get started, below is a YouTube playlist of my some of my favorite performances (5 per season, except for the most recent season of each). Cause why not! Also, below the cut I'll put more details along with direct links to my favorite performances.

And if you're a fellow fan emotionally preparing for the 披荆斩棘4 finale 🥲, feel free to message me and commiserate!

See similar posts: I watched all the Chinese idol survival shows so you don’t have to (but you should anyway) Tips for finding Chinese-language media you like

Sisters Who Make Waves

Chinese title: 乘风破浪的姐姐 (S1-2) / 乘风破浪 (S3) / 乘风 (S4-5) English title: Sisters Who Make Waves (S1-3) / Ride the Wind (S4-5) *I call it Sisters for short

This series is the original, having started in 2020. The focus was on female empowerment, particularly of women 30+. A lot of the celebrities had slowed down in their careers, and the show served as their reintroduction to audiences. While female empowerment is still a theme today, I do feel it has lessened in prominence.

Season 1

The original, iconic season. You can tell they had a limited budget and not a ton of space, but it doesn't detract at all thanks to the incredible talent and energy of the contestants. And they had no idea what a phenomenon the show was going to be! Many of my most rewatched performances come from the season.

得不到的爱情

大碗宽面

相爱后动物感伤

FLOW

新物种

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Season 2

This season has a special place in my heart as the first one I watched! It's the only one I've seen twice (when it originally aired and rewatched with friends). Compared to season 1, you can definitely tell they had a bigger budget and started to refine the format. Also, some of my all-time favorite contestants are from this season.

现在不跳舞要干嘛

归零

快乐宝贝

给自己的歌

我

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Season 3

This season was the first with the show's "modern" and fully-developed format, which remains to this day. For example, they started to include more complex sets and recruited more diverse contestants, such as dancers, an athlete, etc. Also, my favorite performance of the entire series, 雾里, is from this season.

雾里

梦中人

山海

孤独颂歌

有吗炒面

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Season 4

This season was the first time I felt there wasn’t improvement over the previous season. I think the stage design took a step backward, and I didn't love the international focus. It was hard to identify my favorite performances because I didn't feel strongly about many. That being said, my friends and I still enjoyed this season.

从头

千里万里

下个，路口，见

归途有风

I'm Not Yours

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Season 5

Though this season has already ended, I'm not done yet. I watch with friends, so we move at a slower pace. So far, it seems largely in line with season 4. I'll update this post after we finish.

Call Me By Fire

Chinese title: 披荆斩棘的哥哥 (S1) / 披荆斩棘 (S2-3) English title: Call Me By Fire *I call it Brothers as a nickname

A show about female empowerment gets a male spin off? Out of skepticism, I did not plan to check out this show when it premiered in 2021 (after Sisters S2). But at some point I changed my mind, mostly because I had to run out of other shows. Little did I know I would arguably become a more devoted fan of this show than the original!

Season 1

This season had too many iconic performances to count, and in particular, the Hong Kong contestants really took the world by storm. Due to scandals, they edited out 2 contestants (Huo Zun and Li Yundi), which admittedly does make for an awkward viewing experience at times, but you should totally watch anyway.

凄美地

MMA

飞云之下

达拉崩吧

如果还有明天

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Season 2

Looking back, season 2 did not have as many stand out performances as season 1, but it does boast my favorite performances of the entire series, 新地球. It also features a fantastic group of contestants, probably my favorite overall cohort of the show.

新地球

袖手旁观

私人生活

理想

凤毛麟角

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Season 3

This was the first season to air after I started watching, though I didn't watch it live because I was still on season 2. While it's probably impossible to top the iconic status of season 1, I think season 3 was an improvement over season 2 in terms of memorable performances. We also got the iconic 0713 (2007快乐男声全国13强) contestants.

行走的鱼

爱人错过

Joker

走麦田

有没有一首歌会让你想起我

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Season 4

This season is sadly coming to an end, although I have not started the finale yet. I'll start this weekend and update this post in the future after I've had some time to gather my thoughts.

Now I have to go finish 披荆斩棘4 episode 11 so I can watch the finale. Bye!!!

#my watchlist #deciding what to include was soooo hard I was in pain #also sadly some really good ones are not available on youtube prob cause of the usage rights #if just 1 person checks out these shows it will be worth the inexcusable amount of time I invested in this post #to contextualize my obsession know that I have painstakingly translated and subtitled 20+ songs from Sisters #just so my friends who don’t know chinese could enjoy them #I think amber liu and xue zhiqian must have the same stylist cause so many of her outfits look like they could be his lol #sisters who make waves #ride the wind #乘风破浪的姐姐 #乘风破浪 #乘风 #chengfengpolang #call me by fire #披荆斩棘的哥哥 #披荆斩棘 #pijingzhanji #cvariety #chinese variety show

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jokobub · 1 year ago

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The Great Thing About HNKNA Being An Otome Game

I had an epiphany a few months ago. I’ve talked before about how many pitfalls HNKNA experiences by nature of it being a dating simulator, and how a lot of the cooler parts of the story and lore are overshadowed by the core romance mechanic and how I’m not a big fan of it, blah blah. But I’ve also seen way too many modern Alice in Wonderland adaptations as a result of my ridiculously long-term Kuni no Alice hyperfixation, and allow me to say that there is one thing that it nails that nothing else can even come close to touching— Alice herself!

The Kuni no Alice series brings about what I think is the best modern interpretation of Alice I’ve yet to see in any media I’ve consumed. She’s quick-witted and brings the attitude, but she cares. Her reactions are realistically absurd and there are few moments throughout everything where she feels out of character or unrelatable. And I think the otome genre is crucial to why that is.

By nature, dating simulators don’t have strong protagonists. They’re supposed to be a blank canvas for the player to project onto to achieve their goals. Am I calling Alice flat? No, quite the opposite. Her story is set in a Victorian-inspired fantasy land with lots of guns and danger and a strict social structure, but it’s intended for a modern audience, and when connection with your protagonist is the key to connection with your story, a modern audience means a modern Alice.

The modern Alice is one of the hardest characters to write.

In most instances of an adapted, cool, edgy Alice in Wonderland, the most insufferable character on screen is, in fact, Alice. This is true of the Disney films, SyFy’s Alice special, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, etc. More often than not, Alice Kingsleigh, Hamilton, whatever you want to call her, is a young adult frustrated by life in an oppressive society who will only accept her if she acts in a hyper-specific way, usually at the risk of being institutionalized should she fail to comply. She argues with her parents, who want her to get married, and all of this turns her into a spiteful girl who is always on the defensive.

It’s insufferable to watch.

The character of Alice is too often portrayed as relentlessly mean, but under the guise of empowerment. The audience is tired of weak-willed women, so the director hunches Alice’s dress up passed her ankles and gives her a sword, an attitude, and an ugly man to kiss without her parents’ involvement. Biologically engineered to shatter every well-known gender role established in Victorian England and basically nothing else, movies and TV deliver their “strong female protagonists” in the form of a curt, unchangingly rude version of Alice whose words and actions are supposed to be justified by her circumstances. And god, does it fucking suck!

You can't connect to this Alice, this armed and ready, sharp-tongued, "curiouser and curiouser" Alice who lives in a world that practically clears a narratively untouchable path to every foot she plans to step on. Personally, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. The misunderstood to confused, to disgruntled, to aggressive pipeline is overplayed to the point where the Alice of any and all modern interpretations has become, essentially, the same character, forced to loop the same 6 emotional plot points from now into eternity, no matter how many coats of science fiction you put over it.

(Yes, there is a part of me that understands this comes from the fact that Alice is most often written by money-hungry, corporate studios, led primarily by men, who do not understand feminine audiences, or how they want to see themselves represented in media. I get that. And Alice Liddell is not safe from that. But consider: she's my babygirl.)

Am I saying the character of Alice can't be mean, can't say fuck, can't have a sword? Of course not!!!! Give women swords!!! But I am saying that every time a director phones it in with that "Oh, I know that book" budget and gives a British blondie trust issues, a prophecy, and a quirked up, top hat-wearing sidekick to have unfulfilling sexual tension with, i lose my wings AND my marbles.

Enter: our Alice Liddell.

What do we have with her, really? Well, the protagonist of a mid-shelf otome game, which has sequels out the wazoo, a movie and 2 stage play runs, but still somehow only enough translated media to fill a single Barnes and Noble shopping basket about halfway. Thanks QuinRose.

But for real.

Alice Liddell is written, from the ground up, as an otome protagonist. As such, there are narrative must-haves that she can't shake. She needs to be relatable to the modern young adult, even if she's supposed to reflect the Victorian female experience. This would usually be the Achilles Heel of an adapted protagonist: you, the player, get to watch in horror as your favorite whimsical Main Girl is watered down into a bowl of nothing soup for the sake of projection and selling more copies of a game with eye candy catboys and toxicity glorification.

HOWEVER,

(stay seated girlies don't go yet)

This necessary mundanity that is baked into Alice's character, inseparable from her very being as the taste of weed in a brownie, is what singlehandedly saves this adaptation and makes her objectively the best. Unlike in a lot of cinematic adaptations, she's not meant to be the (failed) vehicle of a "deeper narrative" about the strength and roles of women in society. She doesn't exist for any higher purpose, she isn't the chosen one who will declare "Damn The Man" and force the world to listen.

Alice is a girl doing everything she can. She's experienced profound loss. She's self-deprecating. Snarky. She's been through break ups, gotten even with bullies, cuddled with her cat on a Sunday, everything that doesn't matter. The crux of her character is that she's been burned by life and love, yet she can't truly give up on them. Hers is a story of healing, of adaptation and getting back up when life kicks the shit out of you. No matter how sharply she speaks, Kuni no Alice's Alice almost always acts from a place of concern and love for others. She crucially never wields a weapon, reacting to the violence of Wonderland with that extremely jaded "holy fucking shit, what the fuck?" energy that I think any of us would bring to the table, given the circumstances. She's not her community's """lunatic,""" she's not sailing the high seas sideways, she's not on drugs, or destiny's favorite, or anything like that. She's new in town! She's sick of these people! She just wants to go home and read!

She's you. She's me. She's a clusterfuck of a damaged girl, trying to sort out what matters, find her passion and move forward without letting her past stray too far from memory. She's someone whose self-importance and perception by others is foreign to her. She wants to matter, wants not to be left alone by the people she loves, but god forbid she ever admit it.

QuinRose gives us Alice Liddell, suffering failgirl, not Alice Liddell, conceptual landmark, and that was the best possible route anyone could have taken with this character. Alice is the main character, but she is not a hero, and that's a fucking genius move.

thanks for coming to my ted talk. i love u alice.

#hnkna #heart no kuni no alice #alice in the country of hearts #wonderful wonder world #kazh.txt #ndposting #alice in wonderland #sorry had to milk all the tags i could #i'm the world's biggest alice stan #if i kinned i would kin her #shes me #im her #my baby #spade no kuni no alice #snkna

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bfpnola · 1 year ago

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Fifty years ago, 15-year-old Sonia Yaco ran for the school board in Ann Arbor, Michigan, one of the youngest people in the country ever to run for a seat on the Board of Education. A member of a group called Youth Liberation, whose platform was founded in 1970, she believed schools would be best run by the people required to be inside them for about seven hours a day, 180 days a year.

Youth Liberation developed a 15-point platform that was far-reaching in its vision. In addition to calling for an end to sexism, sexual discrimination, class antagonism, racism, colonialism, and what they called “adult chauvinism,” the group wanted to form communities outside the structure of the nuclear family, live in harmony with nature, abolish juvenile detention centers and mental institutions, establish global solidarity with youth all over the world, be free of economic dependence on adults, and have the right to their own “new culture,” which included everything “from music and marijuana to free clinics and food cooperatives.”

The 20 or so young people in the group, ranging in age from 12 to 16, wanted “a nationwide movement for youth civil rights, akin to the Black Liberation movement and the growing women's movement,” one of the founders, Keith Hefner, later wrote.

Backed by the radical socialist Human Rights Party, Yaco tells Teen Vogue she delivered stump speeches in a hand-sewn, black ruffled skirt and a black leather jacket. At the time, Ann Arbor, birthplace of the Students for a Democratic Society, was a political hotbed. Youth-led organizations had helped rally support for the 26th Amendment, which was ratified in 1971, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. With popular books like Children’s Liberation (1973), Escape from Childhood (1974), and The Children’s Rights Movement: Overcoming the Oppression of Young People (1977), the idea of youth liberation was gaining force. Youth Liberation of Ann Arbor distributed their message through an underground newspaper, which was a collection of news items, how-tos, and stories from youth all over the country. Yaco informed her parents that, given her political commitments, having a curfew wasn’t going to work, though she did still do the dishes. She talked to PTA forums and rock concerts of thousands, all with the message of youth empowerment. Each time she arrived to speak, she remembers, there was the question of whether or not she would be allowed on stage. She tells Teen Vogue that a school board member once told her to “shut [her] fat lip.” At another event, she says she encountered labor and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, who told her, “I’ve been hearing about you.” The resistance against her candidacy was so great that the Board of Education prohibited Yaco from running, instigating a Supreme Court case which she ultimately lost. Still, with 1,363 votes, Yaco says she got the highest number of write-in votes ever received.

When we think of ageism, it commonly refers to older adults, not the other way around. Though many don’t tend to think of young people as oppressed, a recent study published in the Children and Youth Services Review argues that young people are, in many ways, similarly vulnerable to exploitation. Though young people under 18 can be tried in adult court, they are generally not allowed to vote or hold federal office. They are surveilled and policed in schools, medicated and institutionalized without consent, and paid less for their work. In some states, they cannot get vaccinated without parental permission. Many of these issues are particularly acute for youth of color — some as young as preschoolers — whom research has shown are viewed as older and not as “innocent” as their white counterparts. “You're actively teaching children how to deal with an active shooter, but you can't let them have a say in budgeting, you can't let them discuss curriculum,” says Yaco. While rhetoric about the need to “save the children” is rampant, much public policy in the United States — from the struggling childcare system to gun violence in schools — reveals otherwise. The U.S. is the only country in the United Nations that hasn't ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a historic human rights treaty.

The same justifications historically used to deny other groups their basic freedoms are still applied to youth, explains scholar Mich Ciurria. “The popular narrative about children — as spoiled, ungrateful, and mentally ill — mirrors the popular narratives about 1960s housewives, Black working mothers, and disabled people,” she wrote in a recent essay. To be “childish,” after all, is a derogatory term. As psychologist Robert Epstein argues in an article for Scientific American, what is commonly chalked up to an innate “irresponsibility” or “laziness” — the idea of the unformed teen brain — may simply be a response to living under the repressions of modern society. A 1991 study reviewing research on young people in 186 preindustrial societies — more than half of which had no word for “adolescence” — revealed little evidence of the kind of antisocial teen behavior found in the West, according to Epstein’s summary. In his research for the piece, Epstein found that, based on surveys he conducted, “teens in the U.S. are subjected to more than 10 times as many restrictions as are mainstream adults, twice as many restrictions as active-duty U.S. Marines, and even twice as many restrictions as incarcerated felons.” Young people have long been at the forefront of liberation struggles. Youth played a big part in the Civil Rights movement, which would inspire other movements that followed. In 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks became famous for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, a 15-year-old named Claudette Colvin was arrested for the same action. Galvanized by the Civil Rights movement, the National Indian Youth Council, formed by a group of young people in 1961, organized “fish-ins'' in support of land-use rights. The 1963 Birmingham Children’s Crusade saw more than a thousand young people, some as young as seven, attacked and jailed after taking to the streets in peaceful protest. In 1972, the Gay International Youth Society of George Washington High School, a group of students of color in the Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights, formed one of the first gay-straight alliances on the basis of student civil rights.

By 1979, Youth Liberation of Ann Arbor had disbanded, and the idea of youth liberation gradually faded from popular consciousness, but activists today are still organizing around age as one form of discrimination in a larger system of interlocking oppressions. For Margin Zheng, the former president of the National Youth Rights Association (NYRA), a group founded in 1998, youth liberation is deeply intersectional. “Young people are BIPOC, young people are queer, young people are of various genders and of no gender, young people are disabled, young people are poor, young people are immigrants and migrants — just like older people,” they write as part of their principles of anti-ageism. Zheng, the child of conservative Chinese immigrants, felt constrained both by their family life and their experience in school. “I secretly longed to be homeschooled and have the freedom to do my own thing, but my parents did not believe in nontraditional education,” they tell Teen Vogue. They attended their first school board meeting in ninth grade and soon began to question why students didn’t have more of a voice. “People think that they can make sweeping generalizations about people of a certain age, but you can’t generalize about youth just as you can’t generalize about people of a certain race, gender, etc.,” they say. Ashawn Dabney-Small, who ran for Boston City Council as an 18-year-old and former vice president of NYRA, became involved in youth activism to address the issues that affected him. “It's not about advocating, it's about speaking from your experiences,” says Dabney-Small, who has experience with the foster care system and the effects of poverty. “That's why I got involved in certain issues, policies that revolve around my life because it's literally my life.” As an activist, Dabney-Small worked on campaigns against gun violence. Recently, he advocated for Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s bill to lower the federal voting age to 16 — a move that could revolutionize American politics. “Schools and families are the places where we (young people) begin to feel that we have to struggle for our freedom,” Youth Liberation Acnn Arbor wrote in 1972. (One of the indirect results of Yaco’s campaign was the founding of the alternative Community High School that same year.)

Indeed, many activists today — in movements from unschooling to family abolition — see the institutions of school and family as structures that should be radically reimagined. From Indian Boarding Schools to the school-to-prison pipeline, unpaid domestic labor to assaults on queer chosen families, critics say schools and certain family structures have long been used as tools of oppression for women, queer people, and people of color. In a utopian world, Zheng says, people wouldn’t be judged and set apart by age. Instead, they envision more intergenerational spaces where younger and older people — of all races, genders, sexualities, and abilities — can learn and grow together. “Just as young people would be empowered to cultivate and apply their strengths to work they find meaningful, older people would be embraced in their own personal growth, knowing that learning and unlearning are processes that happen all throughout the lifespan,” they say. Each person would be recognized for their own unique potential. The vision is not unlike the original platform outlined by Youth Liberation more than 50 years ago. As Zheng says, “There would be no prisons, no police, and no schools, only communities of lifelong learning, caring, and joy.”

#undescribed #resources #youth liberation #history #black liberation #bipoc #michigan #socialism #abolition #education #civil rights #anti racism #family #autonomy #queer #trans #intersectional feminism #signal boost #reaux speaks

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the-guide-to-effective-csr · 2 months ago

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"The Guide to Effective CSR Collaboration with Marpu Foundation."

In today’s world, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become more than just a buzzword. It’s a vital part of how businesses contribute to society, building goodwill and making a tangible difference in communities. A great way for companies to create meaningful impact is by collaborating with non-profits, and the Marpu Foundation is a perfect partner for such efforts. Let’s explore how companies can engage in effective CSR initiatives with Marpu and why this collaboration can be a game-changer.

What is Marpu Foundation? Marpu Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on improving the lives of underprivileged communities. Their work spans several key areas, including education, healthcare, women’s empowerment, and environmental protection. By creating sustainable solutions for social problems, Marpu helps businesses make real, measurable impacts through their CSR efforts.

Why Collaborate with Marpu Foundation?

For companies looking to expand their CSR activities, working with Marpu Foundation is a smart choice. CSR isn’t just about giving back; it’s about building partnerships that drive change while enhancing the company’s reputation. Marpu’s deep understanding of community needs, combined with their proven ability to execute successful projects, makes them an ideal partner for CSR.

When businesses collaborate with Marpu, they are not just donating funds; they are part of well-thought-out projects that address critical issues. This engagement not only boosts the company’s image but also creates a positive relationship with local communities.

Examples of Successful CSR Projects with Marpu Foundation

Let’s look at a few examples of how Marpu has partnered with businesses to create positive change:

Healthcare Projects: Marpu worked with a healthcare company to provide free medical camps in rural areas where access to doctors and medicines is limited. The initiative improved the health of over 5,000 villagers while boosting the company’s image as a responsible corporate citizen.

Women Empowerment: Another CSR partnership focused on empowering women in rural areas by offering vocational training programs. Through this project, Marpu helped train over 300 women in tailoring and handicrafts, giving them a source of income. The partnering company gained recognition for supporting women’s economic independence.

These are just a couple of examples that show the impact businesses can make when they partner with Marpu Foundation.

How to Start CSR Collaboration with Marpu Collaborating with Marpu Foundation for your CSR initiatives is simple. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get started:

Initial Contact: Reach out to the Marpu team via their website or social media. They are always open to discussing new opportunities for collaboration.

Discuss Goals: Have a conversation about your company’s CSR goals. Whether it’s education, healthcare, or environmental sustainability, Marpu can tailor a project to fit your objectives.

Project Planning: Once both parties agree on a cause, Marpu will develop a detailed plan outlining the project’s scope, goals, and expected outcomes. This stage includes budget discussions and timelines.

Execution and Reporting: Marpu will handle the on-ground execution of the project while providing regular updates to your company. Transparency and accountability are key aspects of their work, ensuring you know how your contributions are making a difference.

CSR collaborations with Marpu Foundation allow businesses to create meaningful, long-lasting impacts while enhancing their corporate reputation. By partnering with a trusted organization like Marpu, companies can ensure that their CSR efforts are effective, sustainable, and aligned with real community needs. If you’re a business looking to make a difference, now is the time to explore the possibilities of working with Marpu Foundation.

Ready to collaborate for a better tomorrow? Reach out to Marpu Foundation today and begin your journey towards impactful CSR.

#CSR #MarpuFoundation #SocialImpact #BusinessCollaboration

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savebylou · 8 months ago

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Article below.

LITTLE MIX star Jade Thirlwall is finally dropping her debut single – and it includes a dig at her former boss Simon Cowell.

It seems she has unfinished business with the music mogul and takes aim at him in the lyrics of the song, Angel Of My Dreams.

It features the telling line: “Sold my soul to a SyCo” a reference to Simon’s now- defunct record label — which the girl band quit in 2018.

And Jade also looks to have taken a pop at the former X Factor supremo himself in the big-budget video for the track, which she has been secretly shooting in London.

The promo depicts Jade as a youngster trying to find fame, along with a mysterious man smoking a cigar who controls the music industry.

Fans will see this as a nod to Simon, who plucked Jade and her old bandmates Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock from thousands of pop hopefuls on the talent show back in 2011.

However, the relationship later turned sour after the group confronted Simon in a strongly worded email over their writing credits.

A bigger row then erupted between the band’s management company Modest and Simon, who decided to cut ties with them in 2018.

The dispute saw the girls move to RCA, which released their fifth album, LM5.

Jade — whose spokesman declined to comment on the apparent Simon references on the new single — later revealed the group were then stopped from pushing a message of girl power.

That really f***ed us over’

Asked why fans didn’t see much female empowerment in their music videos, Jade added: “We did a little bit but we had a switch of labels during the LM5 process and that really f***ed us over.

"It was harder to put all our creativity out there in the way we would have liked.“

The LM5 album was very heavy on women’s rights and our experiences in the industry.”

With ex-bandmates Perrie and Leigh-Anne both dropping new solo tunes imminently, I can’t wait to hear what Jade has to say with her new tracks.

#jade thirlwall #looking for to see the video #simon cowell #the x factor #music industry #syco #modest management #one direction #little mix

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townpostin · 4 months ago

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Budget 2024: MP Bidyut Mahato Lauds Comprehensive Development Plan

Initiatives for employment, farming, and infrastructure highlight fiscal roadmap Recent budget proposal outlines strategic approach to foster growth across various sectors, aiming for nationwide progress by 2047. JAMSHEDPUR – The local Member of Parliament, Bidyut Baran Mahato, has praised the Finance Minister’s budget presentation, highlighting its emphasis on promoting balanced development and…

#जनजीवन #Budget 2024 #economic growth strategy #employment initiatives #India development plan #Life #MP Bidyut Baran Mahato #PURVODAYA scheme #rural infrastructure #tribal welfare #Vivaad se Vishwas scheme #women empowerment

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fiercemillennial · 2 months ago

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The Realest Money Advice I Give My Friends: 7 Insider Tips You Need to Know About Saving

Tired of hearing the same tired money advice? I’m breaking it down with 7 real savings tips I actually tell my friends. It’s time to level up your money game without cutting out all the fun in life! #SmartSaving #FinancialFreedom #RealTalk #LifestyleTips #Career #Finance #FierceEmpowerment

From side hustles to smart shopping: here’s how to stop stressing about money and start building a savings account that works for you. Let’s keep it real: the conversation around savings can be dry as toast and just as unappetizing. But we all know that ignoring your bank account won’t make the money stress go away. Trust me, I write about savings for a living, and even I’ve felt that sinking…

#Black Women In Finance #budgeting #Career & Finance #empowerment #FIERCE EMPOWERMENT #FIERCE MILLENNIAL #Finance tips #financial freedom #Lifestyle #Saving money #Side hustles #Smart shopping

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beardeddetectivepaper · 3 months ago

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$390/$1,000‼️‼️

Who Are We? Hello! We’re Braah Alrashid and Hibatallah Suleiman, fifth-year medical students at Ahfad University for Women in Sudan. We’ve been best friends since 2017, and now we’re reaching out to you together to share our story and ask for your help. We began our journey at Ahfad Medical School in September 2017. Despite the unstable situation in Sudan — from the Revolution in 2019 through the COVID-19 lockdown and now the ongoing war — we remain dedicated students with two years left to graduate!

We are passionate about medicine, global health, research, and women's rights & empowerment. We've always aimed to be purposeful, not just academically, but also in serving our communities. We proudly belong to various associations, including the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA) worldwide. Our Situation On April 15, 2023, when war broke out in Sudan, our lives were shattered and fell apart. We lost everything — our homes, our land, our loved ones, and most sorrowfully, our dreams. We've been forcibly displaced from state to state, exhausting all our family savings, and have now ended up in Egypt. We once dreamed of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon and a psychiatrist. Now, our only dream is to graduate, as we are almost 24 and feel like burdens to our families. Call to Action Ahfad University has decided to collaborate with the Arab Academy for Science and Technology in Egypt, El-Alamein. Unfortunately, the tuition fees are $4,960 per student, which we cannot afford due to the ongoing financial hardships our families are facing because of the worsening war. We humbly ask for your generous support to help us collect the fees before the deadline on September 1. Detailed Budget: Study fees: $4,960 each Accommodation and life expenses: $1,200 each Medical books and scrubs: $1,000 each GoFundMe transaction fees: $600 TOTAL: $14,920 Each and every dollar counts. Please donate, share our story far and wide, and keep us in your prayers.

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mariacallous · 5 months ago

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On May 28, Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council elected former Prime Minister Garry Conille to lead the country once again and head its transitional government, which holds a mandate through 2026. No women were interviewed for the position. Although the move offers a step toward stability amid the widespread gang violence that has marred the country in recent months, the council still has much to achieve, especially when it comes to prioritizing women’s empowerment and addressing gender-based violence.

Haitian women are on the front lines of the country’s crisis: as first responders, as political and civil society leaders, and disproportionately as victims. Yet the council’s seven voting members are all men; one woman, Régine Abraham, is a non-voting observer. As the transitional council will wield significant power over Haiti’s response to instability and state reconstruction, women’s voices and needs must be represented.

It has now been more than seven years since Haiti held elections; its last elected officials left office in January 2023. In April, acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry stepped down in the face of a violent insurgency as gangs united to demand his resignation and greater political involvement. Although gang violence is a long-standing issue in Haiti, the current crisis was triggered by the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.

The power vacuum created a space for gangs to expand territorial control and exercise a greater monopoly on violence, including through rape. In addition to overseeing the planned Kenya-led international security intervention, the transitional government aims to create a national security council to respond to gang violence and establish a government action control body, which would oversee government budgets and pursue accountability. Even still, it needs to do more when it comes to prioritizing women’s inclusion and safety.

The lack of female voting members on the transitional council is at odds with Haitian women’s demonstrated leadership. Since the Haitian Revolution began in 1791, women have played a vital role in the country’s history. Although they remain underrepresented in politics, they have served at Haiti’s highest levels of government, including as a provisional president, prime ministers, Supreme Court justices, mayors, ambassadors, government ministers, parliamentarians, and leaders of political parties.

Excluding women from leadership roles thus deprives Haiti’s transition of crucial expertise.

Today, women are at the forefront of addressing Haiti’s gang conflict. Women-led organizations provide lifesaving humanitarian aid and are in close contact with the needs of those most impacted. Women leaders have also achieved rare victories in ending gang violence. Yvrose Pierre, the mayor of the northern port city of Cap-Haitien, joined forces with the National Police to aggressively tackle gangs—in part by demolishing structures on the city’s outskirts—and has maintained its continued stability.

Haitian women also bear the brunt of gang violence. Fighting remains characterized by brutal sexual violence, including gang rape, which predominantly targets women and girls. In the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Cité Soleil, according to a study published in May 2023, 80 percent of women reported having experienced gender-based violence, and the number of identified survivors has increased throughout 2024. Women are disproportionately affected by poverty, food insecurity, displacement, and lack of medical care caused by gang violence, as well as the decimation of public services.

There is a critical window of opportunity to identify and address these harms: If the needs of Haitian women are not accounted for within the unfolding leadership transition, it risks prolonging their suffering and exposure to violence.

There is a legacy of women’s leadership generating tangible gains for Haitian women, with women leading the establishment of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Rights, achieving the vote on the constitutional principle of a 30 percent quota for women’s participation in public service, and enabling the passage of legislation reclassifying rape as a crime and criminalizing trafficking for both sex and labor.

Women’s expertise will be an asset to achieving a just political transition and security for all Haitians, in addition to furthering the specific needs of women and girls. Cross-national research finds that women’s inclusion in peace negotiations strengthens the durability and quality of agreements reached, while greater gender equality is associated with more resilient democracies.

The current lack of female voting members on Haiti’s transitional council also raises the specter of impunity for gang members for widespread rape. Haitian gangs are pushing for greater inclusion in the political transition and amnesty to protect them from prosecution. The absence of women’s voices may lead officials to abandon accountability for sexual and gender-based crimes in the service of negotiation. Doing so would deny justice to victims, inhibit efforts to address socioeconomic vulnerabilities that fuel gender-based violence, and risk signaling that these violations are tolerable. In other cases, such as that of Peru or Colombia, such impunity and normalization have driven high rates of post-conflict violence against women and girls.

Yet there is hope. Haiti’s National Commission on Truth and Justice, established in 1995, was the country’s first commission to explicitly include sexual violence in its mandate. Although its impact was limited, its final report identified how sexual violence was weaponized against women and recommended enhanced legal protections against rape. This demonstrates that inclusion of sexual violence in present-day justice efforts is possible.

Tackling impunity and the underlying socioeconomic drivers of gender-based violence is even more urgent given the pending deployment of the Kenya-led mission. Although the intervention could help stabilize the country, past international interventions in Haiti have been marred by reports of sexual exploitation and abuse perpetrated by foreign troops, including U.N. peacekeepers—another gender dimension that Haiti’s interim leadership must consider and address.

A failure to recognize and condemn sexual violence by gang members could create an enabling environment for future abuse by other actors. Poverty is a significant underlying factor in sexual exploitation and abuse; taking steps now to support economic opportunities and job creation for women is a key part of prevention. With U.S. personnel already laying the groundwork for the international mission in Haiti, time is running out.

As a first step, the transitional council must seek to more meaningfully include women in its decision-making now. Doing so requires enhanced protection for women leaders from both online abuse and physical violence. UNESCO Ambassador Dominique Dupuy was initially named to be on the council but quickly stepped down due to harassment and death threats. On June 11, the new members of Conille’s cabinet were named; the appointment of two women—Ketleen Florestal and Dupuy—to head the finance and foreign affairs ministries, respectively, is an initial victory for women’s leadership.

Women and women’s organizations, including those in the Haitian diaspora, must also be central to the design and implementation of any transitional justice mechanisms. Strengthening relationships with other women-led organizations can help Haitian women learn from past experiences and best practices. Although implementation remains fraught, examples of gender-sensitive peace agreements, such as that of Colombia, could offer further insight into advocating for women’s comprehensive inclusion within negotiations.

Second, women leaders and organizations should use the current window to advocate for women’s rights and organize in advance of the establishment of a long-term government. For example, women’s organizations should encourage the transitional council to adopt legislation on the prevention, punishment, and elimination of violence against women, which was tabled by the Senate in 2018 but ultimately not enacted. The bill was introduced by Sen. Dieudonne Luma Étienne, the only woman in Haiti’s most recently elected Senate.

Women must also use this time to prepare to run in future elections and take on leadership roles in public service, including in the police, judiciary, and military. These efforts must be paired with a sincere push by the council to excise corruption. Research across 182 countries finds that women’s political inclusion is associated with greater development outcomes only when corruption levels are low.

Third, the transitional council and the newly appointed prime minister and cabinet must adopt a gender-responsive approach across relief and recovery efforts. Recognizing and pursuing accountability for sexual and gender-based crimes are vital to ending cycles of violence against women both during and after conflict. A gender-responsive approach is needed to minimize harm for Haitian women and girls who come forward in any consultation, investigation, or justice process, as well as to navigate complex cases in which women were forced or coerced into joining gangs.

Fourth, sexual and gender-based violence committed by gangs, including rape, must be addressed as a critical public security issue. The current crisis highlights how these violations are tools to sow instability, force displacement, and control territory. Ending sexual and gender-based violence is thus central to preventing the recurrence of future insecurity in Haiti. In fact, research in other conflict settings finds that a high rate of sexual violence—even when fighting among combatants has declined—is associated with a greater likelihood of resumed violence.

Ending these violations requires accountability for sexual and gender-based crimes and the elimination of the underlying inequalities that fuel this violence. Creating additional employment opportunities for women, strengthening and enforcing policy and legal protections from gender-based violence, and better integrating women into the justice system are starting points. But both interim actors and the next government must also prioritize long-term support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.

For Haitian women, the stakes of the current political transition are enormous. This moment is an opportunity not only to achieve women’s immediate protection but also to enshrine their long-term rights, inclusion, and security. Harnessing women’s collective power is necessary to achieve a better future for all Haitians.

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rabbitcruiser · 6 months ago

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Wear a Dress Day

Wear a Dress Day is celebrated every June 1 and gives women an opportunity to sport their favorite dress. This includes dresses of all sorts, designs, and patterns — all that is important is that it’s a dress you love. Why create a day that is all about dresses, you ask? Well, the fact is, dresses are easy to wear and super comfy, especially in the hot summer weather when you begin to sweat the minute you step out of an air-conditioned space. So use this occasion to dump your jeans and adorn a cute dress that makes you look oh so lovely.

History of Wear a Dress Day

Amongst various interesting days celebrated across the U.S., one fun occasion is Wear a Dress Day. Dedicated to all women — or basically anyone who wants to wear a dress — the day is all about dressing up and having fun! The origins of the day are unclear but what we do know is, its observation started in 2010 and led to many women taking photos of themselves in dresses and posting them on social media with the hashtag #WearADressDay.

The question is, why are dresses so important to the ladies? Well, this is mostly because there is a long history of how dresses evolved over time and not all were the most comfortable. For instance, from the 16th century till the 19th century, dresses were often worn with uncomfortable corsets that made it hard for women to even breathe. While the dresses looked gorgeous, they were also extremely uncomfortable to wear since they were created out of various layers of heavy fabrics. In 1775, the dresses got bigger and fancier, making it tough for women to move around with ease.

It wasn’t until 1860 when the dress fabric became simpler and easier to wear, but the size of dresses only began to decrease in the 1900s. By the 1920s, the hemlines began to reduce and dresses became more enjoyable to wear. Today, women can wear short dresses, loose dresses, tight dresses, or full-length gowns without worrying about rigid social norms — and it’s this empowerment that makes us want to celebrate Wear a Dress Day!

Wear a Dress Day timeline

1800s The Big Ones

Hoop-skirt style dresses are worn.

1940s Shrinking Dresses

Dress hemlines are reduced to save money and cloth during World War II.

1947T he Hour Glass Look

Christian Dior introduces dresses that highlight a woman’s figure.

1960s Short Skirts

The mini dress becomes fashionable.

How to Celebrate Wear a Dress Day

Throw a party of your favorite era

Donate some dresses

Wear your best dress!

This means you have endless options, ranging from the ’60s to the funky ’90s. The aim is to use the opportunity to wear one of your favorite dresses in public.

Since everyone loves dresses, use this day to donate some of the dresses you no longer wear to charity.

Pick out your favorite dress from your wardrobe and make a plan with friends so you can wear it out. Whether it's a party dress or a cute skater dress, anything that makes you look and feel good will work.

5 Fun Facts About Dresses

The longest wedding dress

Young Michael Kors

Marilyn Monroe’s expensive dress

The 19th-century black dress

The ‘little black dress’

The longest wedding dress has a 1.85-mile-long train.

The first dress that designer Michael Kors worked on was his mother’s wedding dress.

The actress owned a dress with 6,000 rhinestones.

The black dress was worn solely to mourn a death.

The little black dress was compared to the Ford car due to its practicality.

Why Dresses Are Important

They are easy to wear

Dresses make a style statement

What you wear affects your psychology

Short dresses and maxis are super easy to wear, they are comfortable, affordable, and make you feel powerful and feminine. Short dresses are also more desirable for ladies residing in countries with a hot climate.

While everyone likes to suit up once in a while, the variety of dress designs available make it easy for you to make a style statement — even on a low budget!

The ‘little black dress,’ for instance, has become an essence of femininity, and women sporting this color often feel more confident and sure of themselves.

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greensparty · 7 months ago

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This Month In History - April

There's quite a few pop culture landmark anniversaries this month:

April 4, 1984: Double Trouble premieres

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In April 1984, one of my favorite short-lived 80s sitcoms premiered. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 40th DT!

April 5, 1974: Foxy Brown opens

In April 1974, Jack Hill's follow-up to Coffy with star Pam Grier was released. Very few actors are as cool as Grier was in the 70s. This and many films Grier did in that era were known as "blaxploitation" movies, but Grier herself has pointed out in many interviews that to her it was about empowerment and showing a strong female hero who was sexy and kicking ass. As much as I liked Coffy, Foxy Brown is my favorite of that era. It's also a great one to watch with an audience. In 2016, I saw the movie at Harvard Film Archive and Grier came out to do a Q&A afterwards. Sadly she didn't stay long enough to sign my poster. Happy 50th Foxy Brown!

April 9, 1999: Go opens

In April 1999 one of Doug Liman's best movies opened. Here is my piece I wrote in 2014. Happy 25th Go!

April 10, 2009: Anvil! The Story of Anvil opens in limited release

In April 2009 one of my favorite music docs of that era was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 15 A!TSOA!

April 12, 1994: Live Through This released

In April 1994, Hole magnum opus was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2014. Happy 30th LTT!

April 12, 2019: Her Smell opens

Speaking of Hole, in April 2019, Elisabeth Moss got her Courtney Love on! Alex Ross Perry constructed an incredible character study of an out-of-control grunge rocker in the 90s at five different times in her life. But it was Moss's envelope-pushing performance that blew the roof off. I mean WOW! She went there in one take for a something wild and crazier than we've seen her do prior or since. I named it my #3 Movie of 2019! Happy 5 Her Smell!

April 14, 1989: Say Anything opens

In April 1989, Cameron Crowe's directorial debut was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2014. Happy 35th SA!

April 14, 1994: Backbeat opens

In April 1994 one of my favorite Beatle biopics (it takes a lot to get it right) was released. Here is my blu-ray review from 2019. Happy 30th Backbeat!

April 16, 1999: Life opens

In April 1999, Ted Demme's big studio Eddie Murphy / Martin Lawrence comedy was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 25 Life!

April 16, 2004: Kill Bill Vol. 2 opens

In April 2004, Quentin Tarantino's sequel (or second part of the same whole depending on how you look at it) was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 20th KBV2!

April 19, 1974: Caged Heat opens

In April 1974, the directorial debut from Jonathan Demme was released. Produced by Roger Corman's company, the film has often been dismissed as another Women-In-Prison movie, but there is a female empowerment stance that Demme had in here that set the tone for many of his later films. I don't think this is by any means his best film, but you can see the potential Demme had to make a bigger movie on a larger budget in the years that followed. Happy 50th CH!

April 24, 1989: Full Moon Fever released

In April 1989, Tom Petty's first solo album was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 35th FMF!

April 29, 2014: Midnight Sun released

In April 2014, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger’s masterpiece was released. In Feb. 2015, I named it my #1 Album of 2014. Then both The GOASTT and their leader Sean Lennon retweeted it and thanked me! Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 10 Midnight Sun!

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