New Zealand

¿PORQUE ESTE BLOG?

2009-05-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

Este blog lo tuve que crear como parte de otra meteria que vi durante mi carrera, y me gustaria compartirlo para que lo conozcan y vean lo interesante que puede llegar a ser averiguar sobre otras culturas y sus valores.

¿ARE VALUES AND BELIEFS DIFFERENT OR SIMILAR?

2008-06-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

Values and beliefs are considered similar aspects in the human’s lives. For example, values and beliefs help to educate people about their behaviors and actions that they should done, also people think that a value is the same that a belief, for that reason are values and beliefs similar or different?

First of all, a value is “a foundation upon which other values and measures of integrity are based”1. About that, people have to recognize that values are an important element of any culture, values help people to make decisions about right and wrong, good and bad, should or should not. For example, people know that kill somebody is wrong, only because it is as a universal rule, and because it is something that affects the society of any culture, and affect the human dignity too. For this reason, there are social values that are shared by members of different cultures. “The values identify those objects, conditions or characteristics that members of the society consider important; that is, valuable.”2

Secondly, a belief is “the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true.”3. This definition say to us that a belief is something that a human being defends, such as Religious, there are many types of religions, and each one have its own beliefs, and people defend it until death, because beliefs are so powerful and important in a culture, that are influenced by values.

On the other hand, there are many people of many cultures that think in a value as a belief, or think in a belief as a value, and it is common and popular, because help to many types of cultures to understand the real meaning of each aspect.

To conclude, it is easy to see the differences between each meaning of beliefs and values, these two aspects can be related to educate the human behavior, and have to be considered as different, because the object of each one is distinct, and help people to be smart at time to make decisions.

1.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_(personal_and_cultural)
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_(personal_and_cultural)#Cultural_values
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belief

PEOPLE OF KU KLUX KLAN SHOULD BE CONSIDERED CRIMINALS

2008-06-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is the famous name of secret organizations in the United States, they believe in the white supremacy and they hide behind conic masks and white robes. They tend to use the violence against African Americans, Jews and other types of religious groups. The KKK was founded by people of Confederate Army in 1866, the first objective of KKK was to restore white supremacy, but they started to use violent methods to maintain the white supremacy, and they destroyed and damaged diversity in the country, almost because it was a group that has much force in other countries. For that reason the people that integrate the Ku Klux Klan should be considered criminals.

First of all, the Ku Klux Klan people start to be judged few years ago for their crimes. They tend to murder people because they believed that white people are the most powerful and intelligent, and for that reason they killed black people, Jewish people, and indigenous people. For example they murdered black soldiers returning from World War I while they were still in military uniforms, because the KKK people thought that “blacks” have to respect the “rights of the white race”1. That type of actions damage the diversity value in any culture.

Secondly, the Ku Klux Klan people begins to murdered blacks, Jewish, indigenous, immigrants, such as Edgar Ray Killen, he was an American and he was a member of the KKK that “conspired to kill the three civil rights activists in 1964.”2. These three activists were black people, and were killed without compassion and without blames, “The Mississippi Civil Rights Workers Murders”3. In addition, the majority of these actions were punished few years ago, and there are many others that are not known.

On the other hand people that are part of the Ku Klux Klan, or people that defend the thinking of this group, believed that their white race were rejected by the black race because they thought that black people are bad. Also they thought that black people wanted the power of the country, and appear many political issues, for that reason they started to defend the white supremacy creating the Ku Klux Klan group.

In conclusion, I can say that people that were member of the KKK have to be consider criminals, because they committed lot of murders and crimes that affect diversity and violate the human rights of many cultures and countries.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan#Activities_2
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan#Activities_2
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Ray_Killen

THE POPULATION OF NEW ZEALAND CAN RECOGNIZE HELEN CLARK AS A DIVERSITY LEADER?

2008-06-20T05:25:00.000-07:00

Helen Elizabeth Clark is a political leader in New Zealand, she is the Prime Minister in New Zealand, and she is the second woman to acquire this work. Also she was recognized in 2007 by Forbes Magazine as one of the most powerful woman in the world. Helen Clark should be considered as one of the diversity leaders in New Zealand.

First of all, Helen Clark studied at University of Auckland, she studied politics, across her studies she always focuses on rural political behavior and representation. Moreover, as a teenager she became politically active protesting against the Vietnam War. Then, she has worked actively in the New Zealand Labour Party (NZLP), and in these days she represents the NZLP. In Addition, she always worked to build a national identity; this is a good reason to refer to her actions as good ones, because she always cares about people’s needs and desires. With her success she demonstrates to others that women can do the same things that men do. Furthermore, she gained her first election to the New Zealand House Representatives in 1981, she was one of the 4 women who entered to the Parliament, and also she was the second woman elected to represent an Auckland electorate.

Secondly, she promotes the traditions of other cultures and countries, such as celebration of Chinese New Year at Parliament in 2002. With this act, she recognized that “Chinese New Year is the oldest and most important festival in the Chinese calendar.”1 Moreover, she likes to promote the important festivals around the world, because it helps to population to understand the real meaning of diversity.

On the other hand, many people believe that Helen Clark is only a Political Leader; they do not think that she can be a good “Values Leader”, because she is a woman. Furthermore, people thought that Helen Clark was monopolizing the Parliament, because she was there for more than 3 years.

All in all, I can say that Helen Clark is a Political leader, but she is a Diversity leader too, because she works for many things, changing the system. In addition, she always demonstrates to New Zealand population her preoccupation for their lives and for their rights as human beings. For that reason we can recognize Helen Clark as a diversity leader.

1. http://www.stevenyoung.co.nz/The-Chinese-in-New-Zealand/Poll-Tax/Helen-Clark.html
2. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Clark

VIDEO ABOUT DIVERSITY IN NEW ZEALAND

2008-06-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

THE ENVY AS A DEADLY SIN IN NEW ZEALAND CULTURE

2008-06-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

In this huge world tend to appear some deadly sins. These sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, are been seen by many cultures as the worse sins that a human being can commit. The seven deadly sins are Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Grawth, Envy, and Pride. I chose the Envy, which is more related with the value that I chose before; it was the diversity. Because when we talk about people that commit the envy, they are people that not appreciate the diversity of any culture, in this case the New Zealand Culture.

First of all, envy is one of the seven deadly sins, as I mention before; it is about an insatiable desire. The envy is associated with general things, not with material things. Researching information about Envy, I found this: “occurs when a person lacks another’s superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it”1. It refers to combative, confused, evil, lonely, upset and wicked people. On the other hand, the envy is not the same that the jealousy, because the jealousy refers to the fear of losing something that one possesses to another person, while Envy is the pain or frustration caused by another person having something that one does not have.

Moreover, when we said that any type of person is an envy one, we are saying that is a person that not believe in the beliefs of others too. These types of people do not appreciate the thinking and successes of the others, because they think that they can do it better, and because they believe that they are more glamorous, aggressive, and important people. They also think that they are the only ones that can use expensive, powerful and modern things that they use to be successful people. Furthermore, these people do not appreciate the effort of the others, and this awful characteristic affects the value of diversity in any culture, especially in New Zealand where this value is been damaged for people like these.

On the other hand, many people appreciate the effort, and the successes of others. However, when these people is being influenced by racist people, intolerant people, and disrespectful people, they tend to destroyed, damaged, and disturbed the population and culture of New Zealand, and the population and culture of any country.

I think that all people around the world can be people who commit envy, but if we believe that the good feelings and thinking as tolerance, respect and friendliness can stop the sins as Envy, we can be better people every day.

1. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Envy)

DIVERSITY IN NEW ZEALAND

2008-06-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

New Zealand appreciates the social values, as friendliness, tolerance, education, health; but they have to do something with the DIVERSITY in that country, where tend to be an ethic tensions, because its population is conformed by Maori people, indigenous, and the New Zealander people. When I started to research information about values in New Zealand, I found that the DIVERSITY is a value that contains many others like tolerance, racism, respect, dignity, justice, and many others that help to people to think in their behaviors and in their personal lives.

Fist of all, the RESPECT is a value that is represented by lovely, smart, calm, cooperative, friendly and open people that accept the differences between a Maori person, and a New Zealander person. These people tend to defend the rights of the people, and the most important tend to accept and defend the Maori culture applying this amazing value. The respect is applying for reasonable and good people.

Moreover, the TOLERANCE help to New Zealanders to respect the Maoris. The tolerance is represented by helpful people that accept the differences between all the cultures around the world, by determined people that defend the human rights, by friendly people that help the others, and they do it in an enthusiastic and courageous way. This value helps people to understand from where they are and the origins of their culture too.

Finally, the JUSTICE refers to people that believe and think that everybody shares a common humanity. The justice is represented by faithful, helpful, cooperative, energetic and great people. This value is being damage by people that think that the other cultures are dangerous, mysterious and bored, and create the wrong feeling in these types of people, creating injustice in the New Zealand population to the Maori culture. This type of thinking influence in the racism that exist in this world, and that is an awful thing that confused and damaged the culture.

I think that all people deserve the same attention, and the DIVERSITY is a value that help people to understand the real meaning of many other values. In addition, the diversity help people to be calmed, to be determined, to be faithful, to be helpful , and the most important to be good people that are interesting in the others feelings and thinkings.

INTRODUCTION

2008-06-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

The country that I chose was New Zealand, it is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean, it is an island. It was influenced by the Maori indigenous culture, they usually named it Aotearoa, this means in English, The Land of the Long White Cloud. I chose this cpountry because it has an amazing culture, and it is interesting explore about new cultures for me.

In this blog, you can find some information about the world wide values that influence in the culture and in the population of New Zealand, because is important to us, know how is the influence of the values in other countries around the world, including Colombia.