Gerald D'Cunha

“ I f you cannot treat someone with dignity and respect – then, you need to get out. If you cannot treat someone from another gender, whether that’s a man or a woman, with dignity and respect – then, you need to get out. If you demean someone in anyway – then, you need to get out. And, if you can’t treat someone from another race or of a different colour skin, with dignity and respect – then, you need to get out.” Do you want to know who said this? Watch this… About three years ago, when Lt. Gen. Jay B. Silveria, the Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy, stood before his staff, coaches and cadets – over five thousand of them – to let all of them know what it took to ‘develop character’ and grow to be a ‘leader with heart’. He was responding to a disturbing incident at the academy… A couple of Afro-American cadets had been the target of a racial slur… The poison was spit on the room-doors of these Black cadets! Imagine this: t...

“When you make peace with yourself, You make peace with the world.” Maha Ghosananda I f the images of a White police-officer in Minneapolis state in America choking down (with his knees) his fellow-Black citizen to death was extremely disturbing and provocative, the images of the White Police-chief of New York City and of several other cities in America kneeling down to hug the protesters, walking with them in solidarity in their peaceful protest-march… yes, these images are extremely empowering and healing. What a time for this unfortunate episode to explode, and what a way! In a way, all over the world, episodes like these are waiting to explode… It can be anywhere, any moment. Trust me, I am not a Prophet of Doom… I am a die-hard advocate of peace… I am an incorrigible optimist! But, that doesn’t make me bury my head in the sand and say, “Everything is fine… Sab changa si”! Everything ' will be'  fine… Yes, I believe in that. S...