Author: Creatively Curious

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A race against time…

150 million children have plunged into poverty due to COVID-19.

Unicef reveals the number of children living in multi-dimensional poverty without access to education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation or water has risen by 15% since the start of the pandemic. Warns the situation will likely worsen in months to come.

Social protection, inclusive fiscal policies, employment & labour market interventions are critical to lifting children out of poverty. We need to prevent further devastation. Expanding access to quality health care, providing technology needed for children to continue remote education, investing in family-friendly policies like child care need additional focus.

This pandemic has caused the biggest global education emergency. Increase in poverty will make it very hard for most vulnerable children to recover. Children are more likely to be forced into child labour, early marriage, sex trafficking if basic life needs like school, medicine, food, water, shelter are unmet. Hope governments prioritise marginalised children – expansion of social protection systems, child benefits, remote learning opportunities, healthcare services, school feeding.

Donate to Prayas – an urgent appeal

We can’t afford to let an entire generation of children become victims of this pandemic.

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Concrete coasts…

Our world’s coastlines are turning into concrete at a huge cost to wildlife, the climate. Hong Kong’s Zhuhai-Macau bridge used 1 million tonnes of concrete, critically endangering Pink Dolphins. Their population plummeted by 60%. Dolphins aren’t the only victims when large volumes of concrete is poured into our oceans.

3 tonnes of concrete is used per year for every person in the world. Production of concrete is a huge emitter of CO2. 8% of carbon footprint comes from the concrete industry, production of cement. Generates 2.8 billion tonnes of CO2 per year. More than any country other than the US, China. Concrete accounts for 70% of coastal & marine infrastructure – ports, defence structures, water-fronts. 60% of China’s coast is effectively concrete. 14,000 miles of US coastline is concrete.

Scientists say over 1 metre of sea level will rise in 80 years. Hope we can find timely, creative, sustainable solutions to balance development with impact on our environment. Eco-shorelines.

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Sufi music…

Email: Grandma’s birthday. Loves Sufi music, flowers. (Pakistan)

Happy Birthday!

Sufism – Islamic mysticism, devotion to the divine, an esoteric dimension of Islam to feel closer to God. There is not in the horizons, beyond the horizons or below the horizons anyone more elegant, more noble, more knowing, more just, more fearless, more compassionate. He’s the leader of all created beings – The One.

From 13-16th centuries, Sufism produced a flourishing intellectual, musical culture, a ‘Golden Age‘. Turkey, Persia were the main centres. Qawwali – devotional music of Sufi’s was inspired by beautiful Sufi poets like Rumi, Hafiz, Bulleh Shah, Amir Khusrow, Khwaja Ghulam Farid. 

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a legendary Pakistani vocalist, protagonist of Sufi music. Passionate, profound.

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