First Instagram Documentary Lets Girls Rally Against Female...

First Instagram Documentary Lets Girls Rally Against Female Genital Mutilation, Child Marriage What’s being called the first Insta-documentary is galvanizing international efforts against some of the darkest human rights abuses girls face every day.



Girl Summit, a global conference taking place Tuesday in London and co-hosted by U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and UNICEF, has created the short documentary, “Freedom Is…” from hundreds of Instagram submissions sent from around the world. The footage — which features users’ responses to the simple question, "What does freedom mean to you?" — is honoring the rights of girls everywhere to live free of violence and discrimination, particularly when it comes to the abuses of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child, early and forced marriage.



Female genital mutilation: A UNICEF study suggests at least 30 million girls will be at risk of FGM over the next decade. The painful procedure, which is considered essential for marriage in some cultures (predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia) is defined as the intentional alteration to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons by the World Heath Organization. The procedure, which has no health benefits and can cause a wide range of medical complications, is typically carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15.



Child, early and forced marriage: According to a 2011 report by UNICEF, one in three girls in the developing world is married by the age of 18. These girls are more likely to live in poverty throughout their lives and are at an increased risk of domestic violence, sexual abuse and marital rape. The World Health Organization reported last year that Niger was the worst-offending country in the world in terms of child marriage, with 75 percent of girls forced to wed during adolescence. Beyond physical and psychological ramifications, child marriage effectively ends a girl’s access to education and vocational or life skills.



“It’s fantastic to see so many people coming together to show their support for girls,” Justine Greening, the U.K.’s international development secretary, said in a press release regarding the event. “There are too many girls around the world who are being denied the freedom to control their bodies and their futures.”



Girl Summit has garnered far-reaching support from dozens of national governments and organizations from around the world, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Save the Children and Oxfam. Anyone can contribute to the summit’s mission by pledging support on social media.

"Children should be allowed to be children, without exceptions" says @EngstrmHillevi, #Sweden. We agree! #GirlSummit pic.twitter.com/tfCLuK6ujI

— UNICEF UK Campaigns (@UNICEFuk_action) July 22, 2014

To take the pledge supporting young women everywhere, visit the Girl Summit website.



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Follow Us On Twitter July 23, 2014 at 12:56AM

Extreme Close-Ups Reveal Remarkable Elegance Of Insects...

Extreme Close-Ups Reveal Remarkable Elegance Of Insects

lalermerah by Yudy Sauw on 500px

Humans of New York, created by Brandon Stanton, seems to have inspired quite the portrait photography trend across the Internet. We are fascinated by discovering the inner feelings and lives of people who are complete strangers to us. Maybe that’s what makes Yudy Sauw’s portraits of insects — yes, insects — so fascinating.



The photos, taken by Sauw at his home in Banten, Indonesia, can be challenging to look at for those of us that find bugs terrifying, but there is something enchanting about getting close like this. Just as Stanton’s photos and conversations pull us close to people we pass on the street and see more of who they are, Sauw’s photos bring us into close quarters with creatures we ignore, swat at or never even see. Looking into their big, weird eyes, we see that they are so much more than stings and bites.



Of course, climate change has the ability to impact the insect population in Indonesia and around the world. Rising temperatures may actually increase the area that insects inhabit. This is good for the bugs, but bad for us, as it could mean more insect-spread illnesses and more pests on farms.



Below we present our mash-up of Sauw’s photos and Stanton’s quotes in what we’re calling “Bugs of Banten.”

Mantis by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"I once had a small role in a Darren Aronofsky film. I was a warlord." (Source)

GOLD ANT by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"All I want is a girlfriend, a place to work, and a glass of wine at night." (Source)

Yellow Ant (Camponotus consobrinus) by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"I’ve been training in martial arts for 24 years. And I’ve never once been in a fight outside the academy." (Source)

Blue Eyes by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"Sometimes I’m not sure how to ask for help, without making them think they made the wrong decision in hiring me." (Source)

Flood by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"When I have to work, the weather’s great. Day off? Weather sucks." (Source)

THE BEE by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"I just want to stop working." (Source)

Horsefly In Pose by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"What’s your best quality?"

"My body." (Source)

OWLFLY POTRAIT by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?"

"Have sex with as many people as possible." (Source)

Brown Bee by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"I’m a little headstrong at work, which can get me in trouble with my manager. But if my way works just fine, why do we have to do things his way?" (Source)

orange by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"I don’t take selfies. Not that I have anything against them. My arms are just too short." (Source)

Dragon Fly by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"I’m sure I’d be less jealous if I was more confident." (Source)

Dews On Me by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"The haters are going to be so mad when I make my millions." (Source)

Hello by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"There’s a lot of competition out here." (Source)

TIGER BEETLE by Yudy Sauw on 500px

"Should I do my dinosaur face?"

"Yes." (Source)

July 23, 2014 at 12:44AM

60 Most Inspirational and Motivational Quotes

There are times in life when bad things do happen to you and you are not able to handle the grief of such things and seem to stop living your life to the fullest. These are the times when you have got yourself a hard task and you are just not able to gather up the motivation to do it. You know that you have this in you, but you are not just ready to do it just because your heart says so.

In these times you have to keep believing in yourself and have faith in your abilities which you have acquired over the years. People have either the choice of sitting in sadness where their life will be absolutely immobilized by the loss, or they can choose to forget the pain and rise to celebrate the most precious gift of all which is life itself.

You have to be able to rely on your confidence that you can do such things with ease. When a task looks difficult to you, you just have to gather your inner energy to work a plan out and do not ever display the weakness of giving up on anything. The most certain way which allows you to succeed is the way to try the task just one more time. You have to believe that the only way you can gather happiness is by trying again and again. If you have encountered a failure, you need to know that your life is built on failure.