In recent times, there have been clear indications that male of the human species is on a suicidal path. Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of the macho rule of men? Here I am not talking about the mess created by myopic/desperate men (and not just in Iraq and Afghanistan), but the British scientists’ recent claim that they have created human sperm in the lab.
If there’s no need for sperm, goes the thought, why do we need men? Imagine a world without all the testosterone, says Richard Inham, AFP’s Health & Science editor.
“The male-vs-female debate is of a course time-honoured debate, though I have often found it rather sterile, with predictable stereotypes that are rounded up and fired, probably to ease some ancient resentment against the opposite sex.
“Today, as we move into the post-industrial economy, the future for women looks brighter than ever. An economy that wants to be based on knowledge has to be gender-equal in order to survive, for it cannot afford not to use half of its intellectual assets.
“Countries that do not allow women a good education that is equal to men’s and let them have the means to use it are doomed to fall behind.
“In the most conservative societies, change seems to be interpreted as a mortal threat that can only be combatted by denial and iron-fisted enforcement of tradition. Yet even in western countries that were the first to experience change, adaptation has not been easy.” More here…
In the Indian countryside bulls were given a special privilege of entering any farmer’s field for grazing until a few decades ago. Now in the artificial insemination age, these can be found loitering in the city/town streets and stoned when they try to grab a mouthful from a vegetable shop.
Perhaps that would be the plight of men in the not too distant future.
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.