As the old year comes to an end and the new year begins, it is often with a sense of new beginnings, and of hope and curiosity for the future. This week's Feedback revisits some of the stories of hope and inspiration sent to RNW over the past 12 months.
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One of the wonderful things about contact with our listeners/readers is that we are constantly reminded that our broadcasts and website form a two-way communication, so the following letters and mails sometimes speak of hope and inspiration gleaned from us – but also often gave us hope and inspiration in return.
2009 began with a delightful poem sent to us by Mani Sankar of West Bengal, India, who wrote:
“Another fresh new year is here
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!
I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!
To write some wrongs and sing more joyful songs… and many of you did, showing us a different way to look, to see and to perceive – under sometimes very difficult circumstances. Back in March, the Critical Eye column by Perro de Jong “God Hates Holland” generated a lot of response.
In his opinion column, Mr de Jong explores what would have happened if a group of religious Americans, who choose to protest and voice their beliefs at funerals, had come to the Netherlands for the funerals of those who lost their lives in the Turkish airlines crash.
According to the column:
"Yes", they said in the pamphlet, "we will picket their funerals in religious protest and warning. God hates the morally depraved and murderous Turkish Muslims. God Hates Holland.”
Cheering at funerals - particularly those of US soldiers who died in Iraq - is what Westboro pastor Fred Phelps, his wife Margie and their thirteen children became notorious for. It's why documentary maker Louis Theroux once branded them "America's most hated family."
Our prize for surprise and unexpected response, was not so much the content of the comment, but who was saying it; Nate Phelps from British Columbia, Canada wrote:
“Ahem... yes, there are thirteen children, but four of us left. Of the four who left, I'm the only one who has abandoned any notion of a god, benevolent or malicious. Any philosophy is as good (or bad) as the next. None of them give us definite answers because they can't. What's wrong with just admitting... we don't know?”
We thank Mr Phelps for the courage to write and inspire us, to allow us to learn from him. The following letter from May shared a similar experience from one of our listeners/readers, Shelly Tarin of the USA, wrote:
“There used to be times when I would feel sorry for myself about things that have happened to me or feel bad because I couldn't afford to buy my son the latest and greatest game or gadget, but I now know that I live a privileged life.
Thank you for all the stories you report on, you make me stronger, more informed and thankful for what I do have.”
We very much appreciate being reminded to be thankful as well, Shelly, and take our work very seriously. So in June it was lovely to receive the following from William Curry, who wrote:
“Please, accept a thank you for the excellent quality of "Network Europe" and
"Earth Beat", two programme podcasts that I regularly listen to and genuinely enjoy.”
Producer of Earth Beat, Marnie Chesterton spoke for many of us when she replied:
“That's made my day.”
In July, the article “Bin Laden Naked - laughing at extremism” by Abdelai Ragad reported on the publication of “a comic book that illustrates the humorous contradictions of religious extremism.”
We had many responses to this article, in particular a spat of poetic one-liners. One of our favourites came from Anonymous, who wrote:
“Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.”
We don’t actually have a “Letter of the Week”, but if we did, the following mail from Carolyn Hayes would have definitely qualified back in August [edited for space]:
“I am a listener in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. My son and I love your programs. Earlier today, on Radio Books, I listened to The Distance penned by Jeroen Theunissen. It brought tears to my eyes, such a wonderful story! My son is a Chef and, at only 18 yrs. old, one of the world's youngest...
His second love, after food, is CBC Radio and RNW. It's all he listens to during his long hours of prep. Earlier, at the end of David's beautiful reading of The Distance, I ran into the kitchen to ask Luke how he had enjoyed it, only to discover that he had been downstairs, gathering ingredients. He was crestfallen to learn that he had missed it.“
Radio Books producer, David Swatling, was very happy to point the way to our podcasts, so the moment could be shared. Sharing, crossing borders and using communication as a way to break down some barriers was very much the theme of the next article, which gave hope and inspiration to many.
The news article “New Israel-Kurd magazine surprises Arab world” by Mahnaz Murad was quite a bit of a surprise, not only in Kurdistan, where the second issue over the Jewish Iraqi community was on local news stands at the end of the summer, but also abroad.
According to the article:
“Dutch journalist Judit Neurink, who gives media training in the city of Sulaymaniyah, says, “I was a bit surprised when I saw the magazine. It means that freedom of expression in this part of the world has improved and is making progress...”"
How wonderful to hear of such a groundbreaking venture. Not quite so groundbreaking, but one of the news articles that caught your attention and brought out the latent poets in our readers was the article “Amsterdammer tackles Fox News” by RNW English section that highlighted a 25-year-old Dutchman’s response on YouTube to comments made in The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News that “Amsterdam is a cesspool of corruption, prostitution and crime”.
According to Robert Nieuwenhuijs in August:
I just couldn't accept Amsterdam being portrayed in such a negative way'
Our favourite poetic response came from anonymous 1, who wrote:
“You see what you want to see. Two men looked out from prison bars; One saw mud, the other stars.”
In September we received a lovely note of praise from one of our regular listeners' clubs: Friends Radio Club in Bangladesh, who wrote:
“All of your programmes are informative, educational, and from time to time, life-changing.”
It's that last bit, life-changing, that makes what we do so important to so many, and your stories so important to us. Even if it is only to provide a much needed opportunity to express yourself publicly. The following listener has taken several steps of the life-changing kind, and one of them, she said, was writing to us. Timi Okoko, from Nigeria wrote [edited]:
“... For me, writing to you is like an experiment. That is good, as I am a biochemist. Biochemistry is the search into the chemical composition of life itself. I am a young African woman in my early 30s. As a little girl I had made up my mind to break down the barriers against female children in African society. I also dedicate time for voluntary work, such as the Red Cross. And, I am a member of the Radio Zeater Club.
My brother in law, Wariebi Porbeni is the coordinator of the club, he says: 'if you don't talk about yourself, no on else will'.”
The following letter, received only last month, inspired many a romantic image on both sides, and was a wonderful example of turning adversity into something else entirely. Kyaw wrote to us from Burma [edited]:
“Just by accident, I tuned into your broadcast on my battery-operated shortwave radio. I fell in love with your RadioBooks programme.
I am a teacher of English from Burma, where electricity goes on and off. On some nights we don't have electricity for hours. So now I can listen to RadioBooks in the dark when there is no electricity.”
We hope that all of our listeners find the path to turn adversities into something else entirely, and that 2010 be a wonderful year for you all. Please keep writing.
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Dear Sir,
This world has more then 5000years human cultural history. Each ethnic has its own history and separate style in its language, alphabets, grammar , books ,social beliefs ,family , way of marriage , dressing , praying lord and beliefs ,festivals , way of administrating, women status like this many matters have to be considered . It should be considered at lest 2500years. Whatever angle we are considering it should show separate identity
If you are taking Tamil ethnic, it has great value in all test for separate ethnic test, so this world should understand its age and it identity. World should understand to save ethic like Tamil, just like world treasuries Tamil have to saved,
More over Tamil people are living in many countries; it has bad history in that area now many Tamil people are living as refuges all around the world. They should be given separate country; it is International community’s duty. like German , French, English, Japanese , Chinese, Spanish , Thai, Russian and Hindi is dominating in India, and Sinhalese is dominating in Sri Lanka .But both Hindi and Sinhalese are not have ethnical status But Tamil is having
Its duty of United Kingdom to solve the Tamil people problems, because all English men used Tamil people for their work in their colonies and after world war two they left Tamil people in streets in their colony English men are fist accused people. At least during ethnic war in Sri Lanka they should tried to stop the war and give separate nation for them because one day if there is chance for china to control Asia, all Tamil people will support English men that much royalty still they have in their heart
United States loosed this opportunity to show its power and develop a new friend nation in south Asia. Even India have to know that northern side of Sri Lanka its safe for her because Indian during war time Sri Lanka supported china and Pakistan, even today their is clear picture of direct involvement of Chinese and Pakistan arms and amenities
If united states it is big problem for them to retain its power in Asia especially in south Asia
Even for Australia, Canada, France, Netherlands have to consider this issue because in Sri Lanka, deep ethical feeling have been seeded in both Tamils and Sinhalese, there own be any peace may be peace will prevail only for short time, because Sri Lanka law and order will support only Sinhalese because in their mind all are feeling this should be Sinhalese nation, you can find recent election result how Tamils and Sinhalese voted, then how above said nations will solve their Tamil refugees problem , more over human rights problem is there many video, photo evidence is there, just like other living being why should a single soul have to die in Sri Lanka in the name of ethnic Tamil’s soul have to be respected at least like other beings , international communities have watch Sri Lankan government action for welfare of Tamil civilian.
Mani Sankar has written really an incredible poem & i love this blog.. I always found fantastic blogs here, thanks a lot for this..
It proves that RNW journalists are humans afterall and crave appreciation for their work. All the selected letters are only words of praise for rnw, nothing much...Though my poetic response gets mention too...thanks
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