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  • Home
  • Actions & Love 
    • War 1st Aid
    • Emotional 1st Aid
    • War animals rescue
    • Emergency relief
    • Caring actions ♡
    • 📷 Photos gallery
  • Kindness School & Lab
  • Rising voices
  • Connect 
    • Quick message? 💌
    • Join as volunteer
    • Join the school program
  • …  
    • Home
    • Actions & Love 
      • War 1st Aid
      • Emotional 1st Aid
      • War animals rescue
      • Emergency relief
      • Caring actions ♡
      • 📷 Photos gallery
    • Kindness School & Lab
    • Rising voices
    • Connect 
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      • Join as volunteer
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Any support is amazing ♡
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    We all have the power to have an impact and make a difference

     

    WE ARE SUPERHEROES is a non-profit (non political, non religious, non commercial) organisation encouraging positive change for humanity through collaborative humanitarian, educational and solidarity actions. In all humility, our objective is to inspire, encourage and empower people, those every day heroes, to build a better world together. It is just about trying the best we can, a day at a time.

     

    Read the story
  • The Humanitarian School

    Free educational programs to empower those who care to make a difference

    The key? Human development, skills & emotional intelligence

    LEARN
  • The Solidarity Think Tank

    Crowdsourced think tank for ethical actions towards humanity

    Yes we can make a difference if we work together.

    JOIN THE TALK
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    WE ARE SUPERHEROES is a non-profit (non political, non religious, non commercial) collaborative organisation encouraging positive change for humanity through collaborative humanitarian, educational and solidarity actions. In all humility, our objective is to inspire, encourage and empower people, we and those every day heroes, to build a better world, together. At least, to try.

     

    Volunteer ♡ Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much
  • To give hands and hearts

    “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention,”

    Just to try to love people, to find ways to bring happiness and relief

    KINDNESS
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    To help to dream
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    To make initiatives
    To save lives
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    To love
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    To educate
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    To rescue
    To be present
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    To fill the gap
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  •  

     

    The everyday heroes voices

     

    To collect the testimonies of simple everyday heroes to show them that they have value, build concrete solutions with local organisations and inspire people around the world to make sense and encourage them to help from the heart with meaning.

    TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHERS
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  • « I have been a shoe doctor for 55 years. I have only one goal in life: make enough money to buy my meds, i work every day for that. I was at the hospital last night and they gave me oxygen for 2 hours, because I have asthma. People like you come and, you know, help me, and then I wan buy these meds. It’s hard for me to continue but I need to. It is hard to find the money: it costs approximately 56 liras, depending on how many attacks I have. I live with my wife and I have children but they’re also struggling so they cannot help me. Stealing is a shame but working is not a shame. »
    It is also something I certainly don’t want to remember or talk about. Even if I do talk about it, no one can feel what it really means. I don’t want to think about it. It makes my heart ache. However, if I don’t want it to ever happen again, it seems wise that I should write it down somewhere. The roar from the B-29 on that day was unlike the regular ones – it was deep and strong, as if it shook my gut. It was just as I came out of my house, I saw a huge black aircraft disappearing towards the west, barely above Mt. Gosaso. There was a tremendous explosion and the ceiling in my house and the soot fell to the ground, scattering ash everywhere. The paper sliding doors and mesh windows have not been straight since then. I only discovered this long afterwards.  Some time passed, and we received information that there was a fire in the middle of Hiroshima city, but I still didn’t believe what I had heard. « It couldn’t happen, » I told myself but at the same time, my heart was beating fast since I knew that because we were in the middle of a war, it really could happen. This might have been how my neighbors felt, I guess, as we all walked up to a nearby mountain. No one spoke a word, we just quickly made our way up. The mountain was where we went on the 3rd of April every year with packs of food for Hanami, to see the cherry blossoms. From the very top, we could enjoy a view of all of Hiroshima city. What we saw on this day, however, was literally a sea of fire over the entire city.  Every one of us felt numb, our feet were rooted to the spot, shaking without even a word or noise. This could not be happening. Just could not. Some time later, people came back to their senses, and started to feel anxious about their husbands who had left for work this morning. We started to walk back home. Still in silence.  Soon the news about the victims spread to each of us in our quiet village. We gradually discovered who had been injured or burned. None of us knew what to do or how to be of any help. While we were too overwhelmed to help, people who were injured started to be sent on trucks to schools and temples. I did not eat. No, as a matter of fact, I did not remember to eat. All I could think of was how my father and my husband were. I realized it was becoming dark already. No one in my family said, « They might have been burned to death » though that was going round and round in each of our hearts. We just walked here and there, in and out.  We had lights outside but they were only dim. At around nine at night, in the dim light, there was a voice saying, « I’m home! » I rushed to the entrance to find it was my father. « Ghost » is how people might express what I saw. He was covered with black on his face, or his head, I couldn’t tell which. What seemed to be his clothes were torn apart and fell to the ground. It seemed as if he was covered by wrinkled wakame (dried seaweed). Even his trousers were like that, and I could see through the holes in them that his skin was also covered with something black. Even so, he was alive and was now safely home, so I was relieved.  My husband, however, did not come home that night. Not knowing how to look for him, time just passed and I worried all night long. He did not come home on the following day either. Two days later, he finally came home. He was a teacher and was safe as he was at the bottom of a school stairwell when it happened. He told us that he couldn’t come home as he had to help his students.  When the city was bombed, my father  was on his way to work, only about 600 meters from the hypocenter. When the bomb exploded, he was buried alive with debris. His memory about time was not clear, but when he finally managed to push his head above the debris, some students who were in the town because of Gakutodouin* pulled him out. He then walked, avoiding the fire, and a woman he didn’t know offered him her umbrella, saying, « Please take this. It’s too hot out here. » Taking the umbrella, he walked for half a day to come back home.  He was so glad that he survived, and told our family and neighbors that it was a narrow escape. We counted his injuries though, and found nineteen. He also had some pain on his body, so he went to see a doctor. About ten days later, small red spots — each of them was the size of a chestnut — appeared over his entire body. The chief doctor at National Hataka clinic said that it was the effect of the poisonous gas from the atomic bomb, and unfortunately he did not have any medicine. Still, the doctor suggested that blood exchange might help, and we tried several times with his son’s blood. His body got weaker and weaker, however. Something, like guts from a fish, came out when he vomited and in his diarrhea. It filled several washing bowls. When this happened, it seemed as if all the guts in his body had been forced out. What came out gave off a horrible smell, which filled the air for a very long time.  Day after day, he became weaker, too weak to move or eat. We heard that grilled worms from chestnut trees would be good for his throat. So we actually cut the trees and grilled the white worms we found, which he still could not eat. That was all we could do, as in those days there was not much medicine available to ordinary people like us. At last he lost his voice. After that we tried to communicate using a pen, but he was too weak to hold it. He became weaker. Three days before he died he told us to fetch a parcel wrapped in a purple cloth from the second drawer in his bookshelf, which we did and showed to him. Inside was money he had withdrawn from his own bank account. Then he told us to separate it and give it to our relatives and his close friends who had meant so much to him.  On the morning of the 3rd of September, he wanted us to help with changing his pajamas as he wanted to hear the seven o’clock news. We changed his underwear and put the futon higher on his back so that he could sit straight up. He was listening to the radio with both hands on his lap and his eyes closed, looking so beautiful. The news was about the Instrument of Surrender which had been signed on the USS Missouri only the previous day. The broadcast finished at twenty-five past seven. At the very same time, my father’s heart stopped. It was such a beautiful last moment of his life, so apt, so suitable for my father’s meticulous character.
    « He put his knife in my foot. I didn’t have enough money to go to a hospital, but the tourists gave me a small amount of money. One and a half month has passed since,but it’s difficult to cure myself. It costs a lot, and if you don’t have this money, you cannot be cured. »
    About why you are here, why are you staying here ? « I’ve been on and off for about twenty years now. I’ve been in New York on and off for 3 years. I went back to my hometown in Richmond Virginia for just over a year, where my husband passed away… then I came back up here because I like it here, I have of friends here and I wanna try and get off the street and they are better social systems to help with that here than in Virginia. I wanna go back to school, I wanna get off… first and foremost I wanna get off the street, I wanna get a job. But it is hard to get a job being on the streets because you carry all your stuff around so you have to find somewhere to put it and they won’t let you, you know, even in the back… and then there is this the whole, you know, being able to shower, and wash your clothes but then you know, there are places around the city, all over the city that give you a chance to shower and wash your clothes and do that, but there are limited days that you can do that. But if you go the HRO, the Human Resources Office you know they can put you in a shelters where it’s a lot easier to do those things, they have a lot more programs that you can get in to help you find jobs, they give you food stamps, taxes sytems like it’s a lot more that they do for you here because of the homeless problem here… from what I heard, they’re trying to cut back on to the services they offer to, you know, homeless people… which I don’t find very… I don’t think it’s a good idea cuz you know, because even with the services they offer now there are still a lot of people on the streets… I don’t know if it’s because they want to be or if they just… haven’t tried to go get help or what it is… but to cut back on the funding or anything that they have for that, it’s just gonna make the situation worse than it already is. »
    "All my life I worked as a waitress. 40 years at the same place and earned pension 7000 rubles. Now they added, ok then. Where I just did not work (in the meaning – she worked everywhere) – Labor veteran. Labor veteran state pays 700 rubles surcharge, shame! I live in the communal kitchen 40 years. Filed when my husband died, they lost it. I was killed by grief, my husband died, – work and work and that’s all, so I thought – Ok about the loss of the document, and I’m live in the communal kitchen, we have 4 hostess, 4 tables, I thought to change two rooms to one, they said « We come to you, grandmother’, but no one came. Then, one drunkard, that live at us, now she are dead, Kingdom of Haven to her, made a fire, no one cared, then flooded my apartment – I live at the second floor, and when the pipes of my neighbor at the third floor ran down, all flowed to me. All my wall was wet, I somehow coped, and nobody does not helped. No help! Such disgrace – worked 40 years at one place and 700 rubles surcharge for the Labor veteran! How the state is not ashamed! 700 rubles! Shame! At least a thousand rubles! What can I speak! I’m afraid to be photographed, but I told you what I know."
    "At a very young age, I knew I was different. I felt very feminine inside and my attraction is more towards boys and not girls. But I had to keep this secret growing up because I was afraid that my family would disapprove it and society won't be accepting. I tried to live my life a normal boy growing up but my feminine side were slowly manifesting. After I graduated college, I was asked by mom if I would be interested in working in Paris, France with my aunt. Since I was a kid, I have always wanted to be independent and so I said yes with no hesitation. It was quite a journey moving to France. There was no guarantee of what life would be. I was living as an illegal immigrant. The first two and half months were very difficult. I am living in a foreign country with a different language I could barely understand. With patience I was hired by a couple who were both airline pilots. They gave me a chance even though I have zero experience with housekeeping. Few months later, my female employer gave birth to a healthy baby boy. I was asked if I would be interested in also being his "nanny" in addition to my housekeeping work. I was nervous and hesitant since I have not taken care of an infant before. This was probably one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. There was a sense of joy and fulfillment holding and caring for a baby.   We spent a lot of time together since his parents were both busy with work. My life wasn't easy but I had no choice. I was feeling homesickness for a year and cried myself to sleep. Being away from your family is not easy. But I persevere and held on to my faith. While working for this family, I gradually started with my transition. I finally had the courage to break free and be myself. I realized that it was the perfect time since I am away from the family and I would be able to transition without them seeing the changes I feared they wouldn't understand or be supportive of at the time. I met trans women like myself whom I was able to relate to and felt comfortable hanging out with because we all have similar journey. After 4 years of being employed with this family, I finally got my 1 year legal working status. Living my truth and living as a legal immigrant changed my life dramatically. I felt more comfortable with myself and empowered. It also has opened more opportunities and experiences. I was invited to participate in parades where I wore beautiful dress. I felt like a princess. I was also able to compete in beauty pageants. Something I have never imagined doing but it allowed me to know myself better and appreciate the unique beauty that was given to me. Life was not all about the happy moments, glitz and glamour. I experienced unemployment. These were the dark times in my life. Times where I felt I reached rock bottom. Times when I had no place to live but with the help of good friends I had a place to sleep. Times when I would only eat once a day. Times when I had no money in my pocket since most of the monies I had from work were sent to the Philippines for my family. I was lucky I met amazing people who I have considered family. These people sheltered me and help me find light. Currently I am working for a wonderful family. I still see the first baby I took care and raised. He is a big boy now but he still yearns for my love and affection. I get to visit my family in California, USA every summer. I am happier. All the struggles made me the strong person I am today. It wouldn't be possible if I didn't find myself and my truth. With courage and hope anyone can be the person they want to be and experience happiness."
    « I decided to become a gynecologist for different reasons, but the most important one is about an unforgettable experience, an experience that I never dream about having it. It’s like I am scared about travelling but I still decided to try, you will never know if you don’t ever try. When I was 18, I went to Ethiopia just because I wanted to do something for the women there and see a little bit of the world. We had 5 people working in an AIDS orphanage. I remembered there was a 4 year old little girl, this little perfect girl with mosquitos all over her body and was playing with some plastic things… It was a really big problem because you know, the HIV could be transmitted from mother to children but it’s really easy to be avoided. We just have to give some medications to the mother and then almost 100% of the children will show positive to the HIV when they are born. I have a lot of respect for those children, since they have nothing but they are still self-sufficient, just like I take my own clothes, I eat by myself and I want to learn and they are able to turn everything into a toy for themselves to play without passing any judgment on anybody. These children, so innocent, for sure they are still innocent but… they are conscious about themselves that they are different, being conscious that they still need to move forward. That really push me to think and to respect. It was a really good experience, I choose to go with a medical way with this useful specialty after that experience. I still have that little girl in my mind, innocent but peaceful. Maybe I can make a contribution to this world »
    « I wanna share my story in Sweden. I fell in love with a Russian guy who moved to Sweden at the age of 7. He was an undergrad when we met. He is a wonderful guy and we spent 9 months together. I wanna stay as long as I want just because I loved him so much. I told him a lot about hong kong because I want him to come to live with me here. I have not any good chance to work in Sweden as I couldn’t speak any Swedish at all. The only work I could do there was to be a dish washer in a chinese restaurant. But I dun wanna be like that because I am an accountant and I don’t wanna waste my education. So i used up all my savings there without earning a penny but just staying together with him. In early Feb 2013, I made a difficult decision to leave Sweden. I need money and work here in Hong Kong but i have my love there in sweden. He showed me his interest to come Hong Kong so I kept my heart for him. That year He has a chance to be an exchange student in Hong Kong for 6 months. And yet he suddenly told me he met an other girl. I was really sad and angry. Was this whole thing a lie? But later when I think back, I have sacrificed and done so much for him and is that worth it? Now I don’t have any stable relationship. I’m 30 now, some of my friends has been married. Of course I wanna get marry, I don’t want children, I just wanna get marry. I just wanna have a man who will love me whole-heartedly. I dun wanna rely on a man. But it’s difficult to have such a man here in Hong Kong. In this experience I have learned that I am quite a blind girl when I fall in love. If I would give any advice to any girl in this kind of situation, I would say, don’t overcompensate to your man. Don’t go all the way for your man. I know it’s easy to say but hard to do and love is blind. But try to stay clear. I think the biggest enemy of a girl is loneliness. But if you ask me if i have anything to say to this man, I would say,  » I hate you, but still , I love you. » I would. »
    "I was born in Broken Hill. My parents moved when I was only three to Adelaide. Dad used to work underground in the mines. It was a pretty dangerous occupation so once he started having a family he thought he’d better stop this. I was brought up in Adelaide and it was boring. I went to Perth and was there for a while. I bought a motorcycle – a Triumph and hanged around with bikies for years. I was a hippie first though and I was going to come up here (Nimbin) but instead of that, like I said in 1978, I went to Perth and I ended up with the motorcycle crew. In 1993, I came up here. I met a beautiful woman and we had five children together. I’m not with her anymore because I got cancer and she was really busy with the kids, they were young and it was about five or six years ago now. She couldn’t look after me and the kids. Nimbin saved my life! It’s just such a beautiful place. (I’ve only ever been to New Zealand for a few weeks.) It’s relaxed and you can chill and grow a bit of pot if you can and find a bit of land. The most beautiful moment of my life was every time my wife had a baby. Every time you get the same feeling, the same rush. It’s the best feeling. You come out of the hospital. Woohoo…on top of the world. Another beautiful baby. A baby drug would be the best selling drug in the world if you could sell it. It’s such a buzz. It’s hard work for them but I was there for the birth, the attitude had changed. Not like the old way when dads had to wait outside and they didn’t get to take the baby. It’s all different now. I used to help in the Nimbim museum but it burnt down a few years ago in a fire. Id di that for 22 years. The rainbow café which was owned by the hippies. You can just see the colours of the rainbow serpent. It used to go right through the museum. You just follow the rainbow serpent. It was pretty big in the Aboriginal dream time of creation of things. It created all the rivers and mountains. The original Aquarius was in 1973. I got here just in time for the 20th anniversary of it and it was a really good time to get here because there were all these people in the hall talking about their experiences and that. I didn’t hear that much about Nimbin, a few people had filled me in a bit but if you just go and sit in the hall for a couple of hours over the couple of weeks of celebration and it just taught me about Nimbin. I was going to come up here and I was going to bring speed up here from Melbourne. I was going to get it brought up but when I got up here thought I’m not going to bring speed into this town. This is so chilled out and beautiful, you know. Somehow I ended up with the museum crew. Otherwise, I would probably have ended up on the other side of the road with all these junkies. They used to be all over that side. Like, I’d never been into heroin but that’s where I was heading. But I was gambling and stuff on horses, horse-racing at the TAB. I lost a lot of money. The most important thing I learned? That’s a big question. I don’t know. Treat people how you want to be treated or expect to be treated. Just mellow out, just relax. It’s all going to happen anyway. Don’t stress. Chill out man. Have another joint. That the only dug now. That’s the only drug I take now. Marijuana. That’s it. Nothing else. No alcohol, no tobacco. I don’t smoke marijuana anymore, I use a vapouriser. My lung are stuffed from many years of smoking cigarettes and joints. They said you’ve gotta give up smoking. “Your lungs are fucked!” I said, “But I have!” He goes “No, you’ve got to stop smoking marijuana too. That’s just as bad.  That’s got all these tars in it too.”  So then I went onto a vapouriser. It doesn’t actually burn the pot. It heats it up to a temperature where you can get stoned but you don’t burn it so you don’t get the tar. My lungs have cleared in the last three years but because of my cancer I’ve got to get yearly X-rays. There’s been a visible improvement in my lungs since I stopped smoking. There’s a chance the cancer will come back so I’ve started on medicine again but no chemo this time."
    » I was born with a head problem. Basically I’ve got a pipe that goes from the back of my skull, running along here. You can feel it. You can touch. It runs from the back of my head to my stomach. It drains fluid. In your head, you’ve got a valve that puts water in and drains water out so you maintain pressure and temperature. Mine was broken. So my brain was being crushed.  So my mum took me around the country trying to find out what was wrong, I had everything in my head that was removed trying to figure out what was the problem. Everything that can be taken out and doesn’t affect you ? It got taken out. I couldn’t walk. If a fluid is doing this and crushing your brain… I wasn’t the clever one, because of the operations. And then I always wanted to be in hospitality… I like to speak to people, I like to serve people. I also love food. But I wasn’t clever at all. So I worked during the World Cup, managed 10 private suites at Elis Park and a private lounge. Then did the whole African Games in Mapuccu. I was there for 3 months, it about killed me but we did it. And I came back and opened this. So I’ve been pushing on with this, I mean it was something inspiring. During my service  I served Nelson Mandela 3 times. I was his personal waiter. So he told me… He always asked questions about how you’re doing, and what you’re doing, what are your plans… and he said to me that it takes a great man to be served but it takes a greater man to serve. So that always inspired me to keep going through hard times. »
    « We are a couple from China, from a poor village in the province of Hunan. I am 54 years old and I used to play part time music in the village. My wife and I have a farm in the village but that’s not enough to make a living, we only earn RMB60 per month, even less especially after we are old now and start to have eyes and legs problems. We used to play music and beg for money in Guangzhou. But that only made several ten RMB more a month. so we decided to take trains to come to hong kong. Here we can earn about HK$200 each day! Today is our 4th day and we have to leave 3 days later. after that we may enjoy a bit of life back home and later we may come back again for begging. since I’m a real blind, the government has issued me a ‘disable certificate’ by which I can have all free travel inside the country, and I can have half price discount for my ticket to hong kong. with this card no one can bully me or kick me out from any kind of transportation. »
    « I remember when I was very young I asked my mum why she went to the hospital, and she told me it was because of the atomic bomb. It was my first time hearing about this. My mother’s sister died in that incident. The bomb destroyed everything, and fear continued all night. My mum was 20 at that time, she had no idea how long she stayed unconscious but when she woke she found her clothes turned all black. Many people were completely naked. Some seemed wearing in black but actually it was their burnt skin. she went into the city center to look for her sister. There were lots of dead bodies on the ground, some dead mothers still holding her babies in the arms. Those dead bodies were white, with worms covering. She was afraid to move around. Many people died without being identified. The city smelled horrible. Some survivors were asking for water or trying to get into the river to drink and cool themselves down. Some had internal damages and dehydrated due to the bomb. Some survivors can’t overcome the tragedy. Some left and never come back. Some closed their heart and not willing to talk about it at all. But now some feel its a duty and want to tell the generation what has happened. »
    "I am from New Zealand. I love New zealand but i see a lot of violence here. I was raised in a gang environment. My father is a very high member of the gang, life was horrible. And I was trying to run away from the gang so became homeless. I met my wife in a party and she was with me while I was homeless. People looked down on us, one guy just throw a 50cents and walk straight away! But I really feel tired of that kind of gang life and i really wanna get rid of it. But my father is the gang ! It's on my back! Forever! I remember, we went into a debtor's house when he did not pay his debt. we had to hurt him. His family was there, we had to hurt them too. That's the suckest moment in my life. You say you forgot? Bomb! But what can i do? I don't like it but i can't stop it. When a short gun is pointing at you, you have no choice.  My mom is a bit sick in the last couple of months. She's a lovely person, very different. she is weak and could only be able to take her salad. When I'm home I will make her favorite avocado salad, I would say, "mom, i made this for you!" and it's my happiest moment when I see her enjoying the bowl of salad I made. My dream is to buy a sky tower, kick out everyone I don't know and invite all my friends to get in, haha. My mates are normal people, never be able to live there. Dream is a dream, right?"
    "I burned everything I had in Germany. I burned everything like all the furniture and all the stuff that I owned on a big pile and then I just grab my backpack with my kilograms and went to Australia. I just brought myself up here in Nimbin and I just stayed. I was invited to a community where I was living for nearly one and half years; it’s a self-sustainable community. So, we’re just using rainwater and we’re growing our own veggies and we have couple of chickens to get some eggs, and stuff like that. We’re trying to be self-sufficient completely. And my story is like; I want to step out of the society really. Don’t want to be part of that, like normal. Because for me, it makes no sense, for me, I have to come back to nature. I have to find myself. I have to sort out my problems and I have to go my own little pathway. For me, the normal society is just about rushing and being something and owning something. And like, the more money you have the more you’re accepted in society. So, I am just trying to get out of all that.  I’d like trying to be on myself, to support myself. That’s what I need and I just don’t give a f* about what people think of me or don’t wanna be in a work structure as well. I don’t like to work for the company just to raise their profit. Because I would like to work in a company where everybody is owning the same kind of money, the same amount of money so there is no f*king hierarchy; boss, vice boss and then its like going down and down and down. For me, it should be, everyone, and everybody should earn an equal amount of money when we work for the company together.  Don’t know, its just about that the whole f*king world has been surrounded the capital. I’m not a big fan of that. Especially, because we are producing all the problems of the world, like all the countries that are really well with money like Germany for example in Europe or France, is not too bad as well. But on the other side, you have all that countries where people are really like suffering and you got so many refugees now, like all over the world. And its just like the people are not thinking, okay, let’s do something together to figure out the problem. The people are just like, separating again. They’d like; there’s we and there’s the others. So, I really don’t like that. Because for me, the label ‘refugee’; just the label ‘refugee’ for human being. It’s just wrong because it’s a human like you and me. Its like not a like, I am a refugee; you can say that as well. Like, I was escaping from Germany you know. But only by putting that label on persons you make them different. That’s why people are scared of it because it is a different thing. And it is like not part of me, it’s part of something else. That’s the problem. I think people have to get over that.  I was struggling the most really when I was living in Germany and I just didn’t feel accepted. In my way of thinking, I just felt pushed out and I mean, there are lots of hard moments actually in my life. My mom got cancer for example and I had lot of troubles with the police. They broke my nose, they broke my chin, and they broke my ribs just because I stand up for my right and were just saying my opinion on protests and stuff like that.  We had a little house where all the alternative people were living. It was unoccupied house. It’s like an empty house that we just used for cultural center to give the people the chance and the opportunity to come to our place to be out of that moral structure. And then one night, police just came in and they smashed the whole building. They just beat everybody up who was in that building. We couldn’t do anything. We were like sitting on the ground, with our hands up but the police just didn’t give f*. They just came in and pepper sprayed and directly beat up everybody with their f* truncheons. And I don’t know. It’s just like, you know when you’re trying to be, you tried to do your own thing and you’re not harming anybody. So you’re not like you’re doing anything, which is disturbing anybody else. But there’re still people trying to push you down.  So yeah, for me, the hardest thing is anyway, to accept how the world is running, really. That is my biggest issue, like why the world as it is. Why the people is f* greedy? And why they’re not supportive? Why they’re not like living in solidarity? Why they are not using the potential that we have to create something beautiful? Create something for everybody happy. But people are always on their own ego thing. So, that’s my think. That’s my thinking. That’s my issues. That’s my kind of stories.I’m kinda of hiding here, really. I mean Nimbin is beautiful and I really like it. But in the end, I’m really like hiding. Because there’s nothing else what I am doing here. Just like being here is time stops and you don’t have to think too much about any problems and you can just like live from day to day. But in the end, that is not the solutions as well. You know, it’s not. Because I wanna make some changes as well. It is not happening by just sitting here and smoking some joints. It is pretty much some kind of retreat as well, to calm yourself down and to get some new energy. To use that energy; to use that energy to get out of that with more power afterwards. So, it’s just like… That’s what I’m saying it’s not a place forever. It’s a place where you can have like your retreat, your leave and everything. You’re taking a leave with your time. When you have the power again, you have to use that power to do something else.  When my mother got cancer, I was pretty much with myself all the time trying to suck it all up and didn’t let it out. I am trying to figure it out with myself. I was not talking to anybody. I was not like the guy who is always around my mom. And then I wasn’t talking to people, talking to her and trying to help her. I was just like mainly on myself, just to figure out what I can do but I couldn’t find a way to help because it was really hard for me. But in the end, I just like I figured out that it was not my fault that I was not there. Because there was an issue for me that I had overthinking; I was not there enough for my mom at that time. Eventually, I thought, nah, that’s just a way for me how to deal with it. I couldn’t be there all the time because that would have destroyed me.  I was just trying my best, trying to figure out with myself how I can handle the situation. In the end, it worked well. She fought the cancer. It was quite nice. But it was just heavy experience. It was just like having Christmas and then my mom having no hair and baldhead, looked really sick. In the end, it made me stronger anyway. I’m just following my way actually.  From that experience, I learned that it is not about guilty. There is nothing you have to feel guilty about. Because it doesn’t matter how you react or how you’d like to do or what you are doing in that whole situation like that. It’s just like; your own personality, which is creating that behavior. So, it is not bad to have that kind of behavior. Even if you feel guilty about something, it doesn’t matter because it’s just you. So it makes you as a person. That’s what I found out really. For me, Nimbin is just a place. I can just shut off all that bloody thinking. I’m thinking so much all the time. And see, I just can like shutting it off. I can put a switch and I am not thinking anything. I can’t do that anywhere else in the world. I could never sleep in Europe; I was not able to sleep. Here, I’m sleeping like a baby.  There is so much about that energy. For me, it’s all about energy. The place, which has energy where I can suck up that energy and use it for my self, for my inner body, then it’s definitely the right place for me. So that’s when I felt Nimbin is right. Because I just felt the energy of the area. There is a lot of healing energy here; the sea, and the wind."
    "I was a labor worker who renovate houses when i was young. now I am old now and i have to work for garbage company because I don’t have strength anymore. There are nothing special or impressive happens in my life. Why? because I am just someone who deals with garbage everyday, what special things can ever happen to me? Every day I just work and work and work, non-stop. Nothing impressive in my life could happen. After all, I am just someone who deals with  garbage."
    « When I was 19, I went to the university and started to live here. I’m from Ukraine, that’s why I’m so interested about this area, because before my nineteen years, my parents used to live there, I used to leave there… for a long time. My daughter is the fifth generation, who was born in that house. Our house was captured by a local mafia; it was in 2003, right for the 300 birthday of the St Petersburg University. I would like to tell you my story… I met the mafia a second time, they wanted me to sell my apartment, they told me that if I would stay, if I wouldn’t sold the apartment, there will be dangerous consequences. And well I said I will stay and live here. They told me that in that case, I was going to pay. There were renovations to make everywhere, I had money for the renovation but I wasn’t able to pay the mafia. At this moment I was alone with my daughter; my mother is dead, my husband is dead, and we were only two in this three room apartment. If you write about our generation, say we wanted to stay in this house. My husband’s father was journalist, he used to photograph the war, that why I’m so found of literature. We used to have a gorgeous library, his father collected this library. When we started to get pushed out the apartment by the mafia, they used special methods you know… something terrible happened, on the roof, there was a pipe with the hot water and it exploded and my mother was basically boiled up by this hot water. She survived only twenty days after that. She wasn’t able to walk, she broke her legs… and she wasn’t able to do anything. When my husband came into the room, the floor was all covered by hot water and all the books were destroyed, and everything we had was destroyed as well. From this point we started to live from nothing. My mother died and after some time my husband was really sick and he died as well. But after all those things, I stayed alone with my daughter. The mafia had an opportunity, we were defenceless, and nothing could protect us. And now this house… number 23… We had to move out and leave this house. The mafia wanted to build a hotel instead, but finally they didn’t build anything, the house is still here, because inside this mafia group, they were conflicts and they weren’t able to go to the end. I’m so connected to this area, we’ve choose this apartment and started to live here. The library is number 17 and my house is 23. I have two houses now, the library and my home. I don’t go to the theatre because it’s too expensive for me, I rarely go listen to music somewhere, but I can go for free in the church. The rest of the time, I’m listening to the radio, or watch TV, most of the time culture programs.  During USSR time, we had a secret movement, we were working against the government, and our meetings took place in a square. There is this house too, a friend used to live here, we used to meet up here each week and thus I met a lot of people. My first fiancé, George, was studying in the foreign language institute but his mother decided I wasn’t good enough for him so she found a bride for her son. He was also studying at the French department, he was young, he was teaching me French, how to pronounce French… It’s my entire world you know, when it’s about French, it was always my dream. And my first dream flew away when we broke up with George… Now he lives in Moscow, and I gave a mission to my daughter: to search for him in Moscow. And she found him. He is still living at the same address, and I wonder… I have only one question for him, but it is probably too late to ask… But I still curious about it, I want to ask “ how could you do that to me, accept what your mother did, we had such a good relationship, even if it was compromised, and was it your point of view about your mother’s decision? “. She pushed him to act with me like this because of her money; you know so he won’t marry me, she said “If you marry her now, you won’t get material support from me anymore”. I never heard anything from him after that. His mother called me, and told me the usual mother’s speech, that we weren’t ready to get married. You bet we were! We had all the papers, and a home address, and the rings, and everything was going straight to the wedding, planned for the 26th of April… It’s the blackest day for me. We were going to get married but his mother called me on the phone to tell me he won’t come… I decided not to talk to him, because he’s the one supposed to call me, but he never did, he never asked me how I was feeling after that. When I came to Moscow, on the 28th of April, so I could look at him in the eyes, I was destroyed and it was the first catastrophe of my life. But my love for France and for the French language never disappeared. We broke up but I started learning French, of course, and every time, when something was connected to France (music, cinema, art…) everything was precious for me. There can’t be another way, he was a dream, ok, but France is still a certain part of my dream. Everything is interesting and everything went away, but I’m happy to still be able to remember and tell things, because a person dies when the memory die. Now life goes on, and I’m still able to meet beautiful young people who take the time to listen to me and for some reasons, are interested about my story, the story of a crazy old women… Thank you, really. »
    "Trying to cross the USA border on my own was probably the most challenging situation of my life. I starved, get deported, get kidnapped by a cartel, ... but I did it for them, my children. Now, I’m back. My son went to pick me up on the street; he was scared because I was really skinny. I was really dirty on my face. He didn’t recognize me. It was hard.  I’ve lived here for 18 years and then after those years, I got deported to Mexico. I first came here when I was 11 years old, never came back until I was30. I got sent back. Since I did not know anybody in Mexico, I went through a lot of stuffs. I struggled for four years to come back here. I went in 2011 and I came back last year. It was hard, man. It was hard. I came back for my kids, Manuel and Olivia. He is 9 and she is 5.  I did it by myself. I crossed by myself. I just decided I am not going to hire no one, after trying many times. Being locked up in immigration for three months. I just decided by myself. Then I came and I made it. I did it by myself. I tried to cross from Mexicali. I came to the mountains, Tecate then I came to San Diego, in Campo, the hot springs area. That’s why I made it to the Freeway and then I called my wife. I said,“Hey, I think am in the US”. She went picked me up on the freeway.  For 9 days, on the freeway, I was just going straight. I ran to a lot of people, a deer and people who hunted it. I ran to the people from the US army because they have camp base in the mountains in San Diego. I ran to them and they let me go. They gave me granula bars because I did have no food. I lost my bag on the first day. I lost my bag in the river. So, I had no food. I was just drinking water. I was weak. Like on my fifth day, I had no food, nothing. I could see people. I started seeing people like they were following me. It was a mess. I was starting to give up. Like every time, I fell asleep, I would dream about my kids then I would get up and keep on walking for another 2-3 hours and the same thing. I would get tired and I would go to sleep again. It was hard.   Yeah, it was tough. I never done any… like I said I live my whole life here, I didn’t normally in Mexico. When I got sent back on Christmas, it was 2011, December 3rd. I got sent back the first time after 18 years. It was tough because my kids, you know. I was just working. I was coming back from San Diego to Los Angeles. I went to the checkpoint at San Clemente because I had no license or anything. The road patrol said, “OK, you have to go to Mexico.”  I kept on trying to cross but I kept getting caught and sent back to a place like a jail but they keep you only for like three months, then six months, whenever time they want. I went a lot.   I ran to some people in the middle of mountains, they were bringing drugs across. They stopped me and asked if I was following them. I said I didn’t know that I was running to a trail that was used by the cartel where they bring drug across and they thought I was spying on them. I said no, I was just trying to go to the US. They got their gun pointed at me and I said I swear to God I was just trying to cross. So, they said OK, stay here for five hours don’t follow us. It was… I never experienced that way. I only see it on TV.   When I went to Mexico, I saw everything. What you see on TV is nothing; if you go to Mexico it’s like ten times more. It’s no game. They just harassing people who is going across, somehow they got the number from you, your information and start calling your family here, “We have this macho, we’re gonna kill him.” My wife, she got really stressed those years. She was getting called every month. They said they have me captured. They did it twice. They captured twice for two weeks, no food, nothing. They just want money, $5000 once and other time $5000 more. Right now, I am surviving. I came back and I, you know the bills and everything and now I spend more time with my kids.  I learned a lot but I think the biggest lesson in my life is; before, I didn’t realize how important the family is. Now, I am a father and my kids are really important, to spend more time with and show them that life is beautiful. It’s not just to born and to live but you also have to appreciate. I realize that because I was four years without them."
    "I started to work with camels I was 7 years old, I’m 12. I am used to travel inside the desert, walk a lot a lot. I want to become a fighter pilot. Well ... for now ... I drive a camel called Johnny, this is not the glory but perhaps I could set aside enough money to realize my dream one day."
    « We never talk about it; but they just want equality. Xenophobia is a true problem. We know they are taking the properties of foreigners. Like when you have a shop or something like this, and you’re prospering, you know you’re good at business and they are angry, and then they decide to take these shops as targets, and they take everything. Then they beat you, they kill you, and you know it becomes the nasty scenery… So it’s by race, it’s not… I don’t know, good people don’t do that, only bad people bully others. They say “do that, attack these people, do that !”. So then of course, these people do not go to school, they don’t have any education, and then everywhere the thinking is low. »
    « In the beginning I was making marionettes ang giving performances like my Dad. It was sort of tradition in certain slums . Right now I continue doing that for my children, but I have decided to become a woodcarver, as the materials are basically the same as those my puppets are made of. »
    « I belong to  a quite rich family, I can have whatever I want, but I decided to leave it all, stop thinking like everybody else and live this plain life here, in nature’s lap. I love sitting here, listening to nature sounds, watching animals… The first reason for me to give,to share so much love is to help other people. Maybe after the day I die people will remember me. I love feeding animals and people. I hardly have anything, but I would leave it all here. You have to spend energy on feelings, not on materialistic things, as those just make you depend on them. Today you buy this, tomorrow you need that, and you need a car, a house, another house….Your body no longer belongs to you. You need to be able to live with 5 elements. The best Karma, it’s to help. Everybody moves so fast but comes nowhere….Noone can stop me. I am free. All that I can tell you is what I have learnt, and I use it every day ever since: it’s doesn’t matter how much you earn, what really matters is how much you offer to others. »
    « My father is my hero. He has always told me about how hard working he is, and how lucky he has been. He started from scratch: he didn’t have anything. He made money, and he bought the house, he bought a shop. He was a tailor and did this for many years. He was a very good one.  He didn’t have the chance to receive an education. He was really wise and open-minded, and every time I told him something he surprised me. It was like talking to someone who had travelled, who was very educated, and I don’t know where he got all this knowledge. In eastern Turkey, families are very traditional. They always tell you what is ok and what is not ok. One day, I told my dad I had started going to church to learn, and he was like: « very good, go there and learn ». Other fathers would have been like: « don’t go to church, just go to the mosque », things like that. He is truly an inspiration. He always encourages me to do the things I want to do. He is definitely my hero. »
    "-Did I ever tell you that I was in World War II ? One day I was walking. And I was land based. And I was in the navy you know. And I was surrounded by 40 Japs. And I pulled out my trusted knife, and I cut up pass a wall of human flesh. I know you’re gonna say:  » what happened to you ?  »  -What happened to you ?  -They killed me. 40 Japs. "
    "I first decided to live a life of material simplicity when I was eleven for reasons such as this; The material was immaterial, The pursuit of the material was endless due to planned obsolescence so, 'to what end?', I did nothing to deserve being born into a privileged percentile and therefore couldn't live by western standards of exorbitance while billions wanted clean water, The fundamental material necessities for our survival, ie. Shelter and clothing, only needed to be attained simply before one was free to pursue life unburdened by them, Time was priceless so couldn't be exchanged for money, Endless consumerism was a money-tunnel full of hollow promises and fleeting pleasure, Wars would not spell the end of man but rather the exhaustion of our finite, diminishing, non-renewable resources, our system favours economic growth over the growth of all else... Thirteen years on, I now travel between sustainable communities Australia-wide that contain no internal monetary exchange, shooting short films to promote them, while critiquing the success of their environmental, economical and social sustainability. Using what I learn from each community in regards to the dynamics of 'what works' and 'what doesn't', I have subsequently designed an egalitarian poly-centric network that could transform our capitalist system into a conserver system with no use for currency. This will be released soon. Currently, with the oil-portraiture painting business paying the bills, an album being recorded in October and films still to come out, it's an exciting chapter and future I'm prepared for. If I'm to say anything to those who aspire to live minimally however, rather than jargon on about the incredible benefits of choosing simplicity for the right reasons, I'd rather advise and share that over time I found the simplification of my surroundings so addictive, that it eventuated with me simplifying or removing absolutely anything that distracted me from the time I dedicated to passions and path. As a result (to name a few), it's been months since I've worn or thought about jewellery, the majority of my money only going to food or petrol, I own three pairs of shoes (this includes gum boots), I only exchange or buy second hand-clothes once a month if I need them. Let's just say, if it doesn't need to be part of my life it won't be and as a result, liberated from cares of the non-essential, I'm free to read, write, compose, paint, study and live at my leisure."
    « Things happen. I have learnt one thing through the past few years. You can make all your dreams come true, even those that seem the most unrealistic if you have the good attitude. Like « OK, one step at a time, I can handle it, I can make it through. » Step by step ! »
    « I was in love with Robin Williams, I wish I had met him, that is why I feel so bad, it just hit me. I was born in Brooklyn, I grew up here and I’ve worked here since the eighties. These past few years have been tough. I had a knee surgery, that’s for what the cane, you know… and I just do the best I can, day after day. I get inspired by people, I don’t know if I’m very inspiring myself but I try to make people laugh. People say I’m funny but i do it for myself, to keep myself from feeling bad and it helps, it’s just everyday life. You see, Robin Williams taught me so much. »
    "If you don't try, you will just sit there and wait to die. If you try, at least there is a chance. I was born during the second world war and was the sixth of 10 children. I had a difficult childhood and that reminds me to help people in need. I used to work as a clerk in a government department but left my post in 1989, being retired allowed me to challenge the government without fear of losing my job.   I’m a 74 years old former civil servant and I am spending my retirement keeping the government on my toes, including forcing it to spend money on defending its policies in court, sometimes with legal aid. I filed more than 20 court applications to try to change and to improve the living conditions of the people around me. You win some, you lose some. Many people criticize me for wasting public money. I find that the government wastes more money than me, they spend large amount on useless consultations, and waste money on questionable infrastructure. I just use the government's money to fix its problems but i use most of my own retirement money for that too, without help I will be not able to try to change the current situations of the society, by the way none of my applications are for my personal gain, and no one ever manipulates me.  Not everyone appreciate my views, you know in this country it’s complicated, I was once surrounded by a group of anti-Occupy activists who scolded me for supporting the other side during last year's yellow umbrella revolution and I am also banned from entering Macau recently. I replied those activists with a smile, yet they just don't understand.   I’m old, I don’t have so much time so i want to use it in a useful way."
    "I am an elephant carer for 25 years. I know how to domesticate elephants which are not able to live in the jungle. It costs me 4 000 roupies per day to feed each elephant, I really put my stomach on it. My papa was a cop and when i was a little boy i came to Rajasthan for education. During this time i met a young boy like me and we became friends. His family has some elephants, and I visited his home for one day, two days, later 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4, 5, and so on… and i spent some very good time there with the elephants. they were free and i have learnt a lot about myself when i was with them. Elephants have been enslaved during the past 1000 years, maybe more, but they are like my babies. Her name is Sarah, she is free, she doesn’t need  to be chained anymore, and i treat her as my baby for 25 years."
    v« I would like to create innovations in bio-genetic engineering, I would like to change GMO. Because food makes lots of people sick and their immune system and fertility decline. This is a real problem for the future. I do not know if I could change the world, but if I could even change it as little as by, that will be a victory. »
    « I never went to school. I developed myself. In Turkey, the government does not help us and life is very hard. I am not talking about other countries but only about Turkey. Life here is not exactly positive. There is not a lot of hope for the future, sorry to be pessimistic (laughter). I had many dreams but I have not really been able to achieve them. Today, I raise my kids, they make me happy, even if I live a life that few people would envy. »
    « We are singing the song of victory each year with other countries by Skype, today it was especially with Berlin. It’s not only a song, it’s really more. My grand father participates in the NAVY, he came to the army by trolley because it was very close from « the point of action ». His friends participate in the Normandie-Niemens and it was really hard cause he was closed from there, but because of the occupation he couldn’t do anything they was 5, at the end of the war only 2, my grandmother gets killed and so on. »
    " When I graduated, I got the chance to work with the best designer in the best design house of India, almost like Valentino. It was 5 years ago. . It was the most amazing moment of my life. But I want to move one, try new things, so finally I made a tough decision to quit this job. I started being a designer for the Indian equivalent of H&M. After that I gave up everything and was travelling for 3 years. I tried to be a freelancer, created few collections. All the money I had I spent to travel around India and abroad. I had to vacate my house. When I started looking for a new one, I had this idea in mind – a house by the lake. There was a place like that in Dehli . But when I saw it I thought there’s maybe little sense for me in having it as I only would see it at night. To be able to enjoy it I would have to start my own studio. Lots of people encouraged me to try, create my own things. I think I never was fully involved, being too interested in travelling and having so much fun from it.  But my business started with just 2 people and grew from it. It was quite simple,  I was just happy to satisfy my basic needs like food, rent etc. 3 years later I had to leave the house, as they increased rent cost and I wasn’t prepared for it. I couldn’t afford it anymore. I realized then I really need to develop my business, because it was tough to leave just because of money reasons.  So initially my work was just sort of fun for me, but now I look at it as a real business, especially as other people depend on me. I have to make sure they get their salaries on time, create a real offer, so all that involves much more than just designing. All in all, I like it, I really enjoy it and I have learned a lot."
    « I was working here, at the port, when the earthquake started. It was unreal and we were really scarred, but it was not the worst yet. When we saw a  wave forming in the open sea, it was already too late to do anything. Everything happened really fast. All people helped us and we managed to set the ship afloat, we sped up, moving towards the wave. Multiple fishers’ boats were making the best out of their engines, even in danger of an explosion, to face the wave and climb it before it comes down on us. It was dreadful. However, we survived. These days I am staying here, as it’s all I have, even if I fear another tsunami may come, I still have to stay here. »
    « I’m originally from Cuba, I studied in Australia for 3 years and, you know, when I came to America in Miami Florida, a lot of things weren’t possible. It’s really about trying, and for example going to study in Australia was something I thought I could never do. So I guess that what I have learnt from my experiences is to believe that things do happen and do workout. Even if things seem really hard, never give up. »
    "I am disabled you see, but that's how life is. It is short, so I have others things to do than complaining."
    « "9 May, this day is the most important for Russian people because we are proud of our history, our history, second war world, greatest celebration I think. I think that my grandparents wrote a part of the history of this war, I’m just proud."
    "Every day, when i play, i feel alive. That's the only one way I found to forget, to forget what happened in my life"
    «The best moment in my life, the one of every woman in general, it was when my children were born, i was so happy ! I’m 25 years old and I have got 3 children, two boys and one girl. We live here with my mother, I am staying here for safety reasons, as my husband is really angry, because he things my daughter is not his. He hurt us every day. This is our normal life»
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  • “ The power of human empathy, leading to collective action, saves lives, and frees prisoners. Ordinary people, whose personal well-being and security are assured, join together in huge numbers to save people they do not know, and will never meet. Unlike any other creature on this planet, humans can learn and understand, without having experienced. They can think themselves into other people’s places. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better. ”

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