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phataisle · 3 months

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Week 6: The Rise of Slow Fashion and the Power of Influencers

The fashion industry has emerged as a leading contributor to environmental pollution on a global scale. Numerous environmental impact assessments have documented the concerning extent of the industry's detrimental impact, which intensifies alongside its growth (Nguyen Thi Van, Vu Tran Bao & Pham Quang 2023). A study conducted by the United Nations reveals that the fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of water globally, while simultaneously contributing to 10% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of global wastewater generation. Experts widely acknowledge "fast fashion" as a significant factor exacerbating this environmental wastefulness.

Emerging in the 1980s, "fast fashion" has become synonymous with rapid trend cycles and frequent new collections at low prices. This business model, characterized by its emphasis on affordability and trend-driven production, has fostered a culture of overconsumption, resulting in a significant overproduction of textile waste (Pucci, Tufarelli & Giliberti 2022).

Emerging in contrast to the prevalent fast fashion model, "slow fashion" presents a multifaceted approach to the global fashion landscape. This philosophy extends beyond mere environmental sustainability and waste reduction, encompassing the well-being of individual workers, often possessing highly specialized craftsmanship. The term "slow fashion" was first coined by Kate Fletcher, who envisioned it as a holistic approach to design, production, consumption, and ultimately, improved living standards. Fletcher emphasized that slow fashion transcends temporal constraints, prioritizing quality over fleeting trends (Fletcher 2007). It advocates for a paradigm shift, fostering increased awareness among designers, buyers, retailers, and consumers regarding the multifaceted impacts of fashion products on workers, communities, and ecosystems (Fletcher 2010). Driven by growing environmental consciousness and a commitment to individual well-being, consumers are demonstrably shifting their value perceptions and purchasing behaviours (Domingos, Vale & Faria 2022). This evolving landscape has witnessed a surge in support for slow fashion in recent years, as consumers increasingly demand higher standards from brands in terms of sustainability and ethical practices.

Influencers play a significant role in promoting slow fashion due to their ability to shape consumer behaviour. Beyond traditional beauty and fashion influencers, a growing number of individuals promote sustainable engagement by advocating for green products and encouraging environmentally friendly practices on social media (Jacobson & Harrison 2021). These "sustainable influencers" utilize various content formats, including articles, images, and videos, to not only introduce novel ideas, creative styles, and diverse perspectives to the fashion world but also to cultivate a sense of community and inspire others to adopt more sustainable consumption habits (Kapoor, Tagore & Dua 2022).

Driven by technological advancements and the burgeoning online presence of digital citizens, the fashion industry has witnessed a rapid shift towards digitalization (Sayem 2022). This era of "digital fashion" has given rise to a novel form of marketing – virtual influencers (Bieńkowska 2023). These computer-generated characters, crafted using software like Unreal Engine and Photoshop (Conti, Gathani & Tricomi 2022), are exerting a demonstrably real influence on consumer behaviour (Jin 2023). Studies reveal that virtual influencers boast three times the engagement rate compared to their human counterparts, captivating audiences with their unique aesthetics and digitally enhanced appearances (Zhong 2022). A 2022 report by The Influencer Marketing Factory indicates that 58% of respondents follow virtual characters on social media, with 35% having made purchases based on their recommendations. Additionally, 27% are drawn to the content these virtual figures generate. This compelling evidence suggests that incorporating virtual influencers into marketing strategies can significantly enhance brand recognition, stimulate discussion, and foster interaction on social media platforms.

Transcending mere digital mannequins, virtual influencers cultivate vibrant online communities through their carefully constructed personas and narratives (Conti, Gathani & Tricomi 2022). Notably, several virtual influencers have emerged as champions of slow fashion, actively promoting and amplifying sustainable practices within the online fashion sphere (Shin & Lee 2023).

Noonouri, a CGI creation born in 2018, has garnered significant attention on Instagram with over 371,000 followers. This "branded demon girl" transcends traditional influencer archetypes, promoting not only high fashion from renowned brands but also ethical and sustainable practices. Created by Joerg Zuber, Noonouri's aesthetic draws inspiration from Bratz dolls and Betty Boop, offering a unique blend of cuteness and rebelliousness. Notably, Noonouri actively advocates for vegetarianism and sustainable fashion, refusing to endorse fur products. This commitment extends to social activism, as evidenced by her participation in Naomi Campbell's Fashion For Relief event in 2018. Beyond fashion, Noonouri has established herself as a beauty influencer, collaborating with Dior Makeup since 2018 and recently appearing in Kim Kardashian West's makeup tutorials. By combining high fashion with ethical and sustainable values, Noonouri offers a unique perspective within the influencer landscape, potentially influencing consumer behaviour and perceptions of beauty in the digital age.

By combining fashion with ethical and sustainable values, Noonouri and other virtual/social media influencers are influencing consumer behaviour and perceptions, potentially shaping the fashion industry's future towards a more responsible and sustainable future.

Reference list

Bieńkowska, J 2023, ‘Virtual versus Sustainable fashion: a Systematic Literature Review’, Zeszyty Naukowe, vol. 2023, no. 178, Silesian University of Technology, pp. 101–126.

Conti, M, Gathani, J & Tricomi, PP 2022, ‘Virtual Influencers in Online Social Media’, IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 60, no. 8, pp. 1–13.

Domingos, M, Vale, VT & Faria, S 2022, ‘Slow Fashion Consumer Behavior: a Literature Review’, Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 5, p. 2860.

Fletcher, K 2007, ‘Slow Fashion’, The Ecologist, vol. 37, no. 5, pp. 60–61.

Fletcher, K 2010, ‘Slow Fashion: an Invitation for Systems Change’, Fashion Practice, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 259–265.

Jacobson, J & Harrison, B 2021, ‘Sustainable fashion social media influencers and content creation calibration’, International Journal of Advertising, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 1–28.

Jin, C 2023, ‘The Influence of Virtual Influencers on People’s Consumption’, Proceedings of the 2022 3rd International Conference on Big Data Economy and Information Management (BDEIM 2022), pp. 362–368.

Kapoor, PS, Tagore, A & Dua, S 2022, ‘Social Media Influencer Promoted Sustainable Fashion: Effects of Sponsorship and Benefit Association’, Journal of Promotion Management, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 1–30.

Nguyen Thi Van, A, Vu Tran Bao, N & Pham Quang, H 2023, ‘Sustainable Fashion Consumption Trends of Vietnamese Youth’, IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), vol. 28, no. 8, pp. 8–17.

Pucci, E, Tufarelli, M & Giliberti, L 2022, ‘Slow Fashion Accompanies Digital Towards a Sustainable Future: from Quantity to Quality. Reflections on the New Paradigm of Sustainable Fashion’, Proceedings of the Design Society, vol. 2, pp. 1091–1098.

Sayem, ASM 2022, ‘Digital Fashion Innovations for the Real World and Metaverse’, International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 139–141.

Shin, Y & Lee, S 2023, ‘Issues of Virtual Fashion Influencers’ Reproduced bodies: a Qualitative Analysis Based on Body Discourse’, Fashion and Textiles, vol. 10, no. 1, Springer Nature.

Zhong , L 2022, ‘Analyses of the Relationship between Virtual Influencers’ Endorsements and Customer Brand Engagement in Social Media’, Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, Atlantis Press International B.V.

#mda20009 #digital citizenship #week 6 #slow fashion #virtual influencers #social media influencers

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k12academics · 6 months

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Level Up Village (a product of Language Testing International) is a global communication platform that is uniquely designed to allow students to expand their learning and engage in meaningful exchanges with students around the world. With Level Up Village, students engage in collaborative tasks that encourage the development of 21 st century skills and global competency through our unique peer-to-peer global collaboration experience.

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discluded · 2 years

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Full article here. Please give it a click to support this kind of journalism! (I snipped out the highlights for a shorter read)

The state of Utah in the United States has no citizenship requirements for marriage licenses, and Utah County is the only place there that allows international couples to register their marriages online. Since the county rolled out virtual weddings during the Covid-19 pandemic, it became a wedding haven for same-sex couples who are not able to officially marry in their own countries.

As sexual minorities in China face suppression at home, Utah County is allowing them to officially marry and celebrate their love — all for around $100. Although the marriages aren’t recognized in China, some 200 same-sex couples from mainland China and Hong Kong have gotten married via the county’s digital marriage license system since 2021.

For authorities in Utah County, the influx of international couples came as a surprise. The Utah County and Auditor’s Office moved its marriage licensing service online, as part of a digitization initiative in 2019. At the start of the pandemic, a number of couples requested Zoom ceremonies, and the county made those available as well.

The service first attracted couples in Utah, followed by people from across the U.S., and later, from all over the world. From May 1 to September 20 this year, at least 77 same-sex couples with mainland Chinese addresses have been married there, said county deputy clerk Russ Rampton, who oversees marriage licensing, to Rest of World.

Although same-sex marriage remains illegal in Hong Kong, under a different set of laws to mainland China, residents who get married in other places are able to apply for dependent visas in the city for their partners. Married gay people are also able to mark themselves as married in tax filings.

In his vow, however, [one marriage certificate applicant] Zhu said he was looking forward to getting married a second time — in China. “If one day our country allows this, I hope we could get married again in this country,” Zhu said to his husband before they kissed.

Marriage equality does not stop in the West.

#lgbtq #queer #marriage equality #gay rights #lgbtq rights #utah #china #hong kong #international marriage equality #i'm not an emotional person but i saw this and almost started crying #this is so heartwarming but heartbreaking at the same time #and from utah of all places #God truly loves the gays after all huh

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probablyasocialecologist · 8 months

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Articles, reports, and studies about agriculture are likely to contain some version of the following sentiment: “The population is expected to grow to almost 10 billion people by 2050. We must double food production in order to meet demand without hiking up prices. How are we going to produce enough food to feed all of these people without destroying the planet?” Increasing food production to meet the demands of a growing population is presented as the ultimate conundrum. Proposed solutions are predominantly centered on increased reliance on technologies to maximize yields and feed ‘all of these hungry people’ as the population grows, accelerating at a seemingly unstoppable rate. Whatever new technologies or techniques are introduced, they are, first and foremost, measured along the metric of increasing yield. This narrative isn’t just misguided — it depoliticizes the problem, shifting blame in a dangerous way. The reality is that we have enough food on the planet to feed every human being a calorically complete and healthy diet. Contrary to popular belief, hunger is most often caused not by a lack of food but by a lack of access. With the amount of food we produce today, we could feed the highest population prediction of 10 billion people by 2050 — today. This has much more to do with economic inequality than anything to do with population. The people who cannot afford food are most often the people involved in growing it. The vast majority of the world’s impoverished people, most of whom live in rural areas, are involved in agriculture. This seems counterintuitive, but many farmers worldwide are net food buyers, meaning they do not subsist on the food they grow, they sell their crops and use that money to buy food for their families. When prices for crops are too low to offset input prices, when farmers face barriers to accessing markets or credit, or they are forced into exploitative contracts or other arrangements, farmers do not have adequate funds to purchase food for themselves and their families. This is the result of the long process of industrialization that has displaced millions of rural people and removed them from their traditional agricultural practices, replacing polycultures with monocultures. Perhaps the other most damning piece of evidence to counter the narrative that we must ramp up production to end hunger is that some cities have already ended it — without increasing yield. Belo Horizonte, one of the largest cities in Brazil, managed to virtually eliminate hunger through a network of policies addressing different facets of the issue. They expanded school meal programs; partnered with local small farmers to deliver produce to underserved parts of the city at fixed prices for staples; created subsidized restaurants where people could eat affordable, dignified meals, and a host of other policies. It never took more than 2 percent of their annual budget, and the whole transition took less than 10 years. It didn’t require corporations ‘innovating’ or developing expensive technologies. It required political will, the strengthening of governance systems, declaring food as a right of citizenship, and correcting for hunger as a market failure. We are choosing not to end hunger. Presenting it otherwise obscures the fact that it is, at its core, a matter of political will — not a matter of ability.

#food #farming #hunger #agriculture

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theliterarywolf · 3 months

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Hey, you don't think that future generations are royally fucked, do you? I mean, is it really too late to educate our kids for the real world. I sure hope not.

It depends on several factors, really: the school a teen goes to, the teachers a teen has, and parental/guardian involvement.

Because, look at me: before getting hired at my current virtual teaching job, I was at a private school that crowed about presenting opportunities and strict tech-focused curriculum for disenfranchised students.

The wi-fi would go out every other hour, the school didn't have enough computers for the students, and teachers (myself mostly) were constantly told that our curriculum was 'too hard'.

When, in actuality, it was just trying to get students used to meeting the technical length for a paragraph (200 words).

And then, of course, parents and guardians have to take some initiative with their students' learning; I'm sorry, even the most passionate educator can only do so much in the few hours a day they have with kids when they're just going to go home and have none of the parameters established in school reinforced at home.

There's a reason why there's the growing schism between educators and parents/guardians: because the prior's core job is supposed to be educating and preparing students' with applicable career and citizenship skills. Yet too many parents, particularly in the U.S., send their students to school thinking that it's basically government-sponsored babysitting.

So, of course, that schism has allowed the lazier of administrations and educators to come in, throw their hands into the air, and say 'well, the kids don't care anyway; why not just let them use ChatGPT and AI and just push them along to the next grade?'

Because, the way that things are going, the young adults graduating out of American high schools in the coming years aren't going to have half of the rudimentary skills that young adults graduated with ten years ago, allowing job gaps that will gladly be occupied by foreign graduates, and then the ouroboros of 'all the good jobs keep going to foreigners' will continue so on and forever ad nauseum.

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schraubd · 5 months

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See No IDF Evil

I'm in the throes of grading and I'm traveling for most of the period from now through New Year's. But I did want to quickly (for me; it's all relative) speak a bit about the way the American Jewish community is adopting a "see no evil" approach to IDF activities in the Gaza Strip (and beyond). There are plenty of reports of IDF soldiers targeting non-belligerents. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem just accused IDF snipers of killing two women sheltering in a convent "in cold blood". Reuters claims IDF tank fire deliberately targeted its journalists in circumstances where there were no nearby belligerents. MSF likewise claims Israeli forces deliberately targeted its medical personnel (I remember this one because MSF initially did not accuse any particular party of responsibility, which gives credence to the notion that it was not reflexively lobbing out an allegation but rather actually engaged in some measure of investigation). One could go on. One thing that often isn't part of these conversations is the catastrophically high levels of overt racism that exist towards Arabs in the young (which is to say, military-age) Israeli population. If roughly a third of population from which Israel is drawing its soldiers endorses things like "stripping Arab Israelis of their citizenship" and otherwise endorsing hate against Arabs, it would be stunning if we didn't see significant instances of at the very least indifference towards protecting Arab civilian life, if not outright infliction of war crimes. That'd be true in all circumstances, but particularly in the context of this conflict and the brutal Hamas massacre that precipitated it. Meanwhile, David Ignatius reports what many have seen, which is that soldiers drawn from the more radical parts of the settlement project basically view their IDF service and their status a price tag raiders as more-or-less interchangeable. Given all that, the denialism that IDF forces likely are in a non-trivial number of cases either deliberately attacking protected persons, or at the very least not paying due heed to Palestinian life is absolutely incredible. One place one "pro-Israel" American Jews could retreat to would be to concede abuses may be occurring, but say that they (a) are not policy and (b) should be investigated and punished as appropriate. The first part is likely true (or true-ish; whether the rules of engagement are properly respecting the legal boundaries about proportionality and distinction is an open question). The second part causes problems. Even before the current conflict, it was increasingly apparent that potential war crimes that occur in the midst of combat operations will never be significantly investigated or punished by the Israeli government. Just convicting and then commuting the sentence of Elor Azaria almost ripped the country apart; the current government is full of zealots one whose general approach to vigilante Jewish violence targeting Arabs is to propose giving the perpetrators medals. Nobody actually expects significant or serious Israeli investigations into alleged war crimes committed by its soldiers. But accepting that IDF soldiers likely are, in non-trivial numbers of cases, engaging in criminal conduct towards Palestinians during combat operations would put into stark relief the paucity of actual investigation and punishment, at which point it'd be virtually impossible to defend the Israeli government's conduct. Far easier to take advantage of the fog of war to cover one's eyes to the primary instances of abuse. That such denialism relies on almost impossibly optimistic presuppositions about the IDF's professionalism and its putative status -- more of a slogan than an empirically-testable proposition -- as "the most moral army in the world" is besides the point. via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/S4PlMwt

#Israel #Palestine #war crimes

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ireton · 1 year

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The Swiss are cited as ‘gun control’ models. If ever a nation had “a well-regulated militia,” it is Switzerland. Nineteenth-century economist Adam Smith thought Switzerland the only place where the whole body of the people had successfully been drilled in militia skills. Indeed, the militia is virtually synonymous with the nation. “The Swiss do not have an army, they [ARE] the army, says one government publication. Fully deployed, the Swiss army has 15.2 men per square kilometre; in contrast, the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. have only .2 soldiers per square kilometre. Switzerland is 76 times denser with soldiers than either superpower. Indeed, only Israel has more army per square kilometre. Switzerland is also the only Western nation to provide shelters fully stocked with food and enough supplies to last a year for all its citizens in case of war. The banks and supermarkets subsidise much of the stockpiling. The banks also have plans to move their gold into the mountainous center of Switzerland in case of invasion. The nation is ready to mobilise on a moment’s notice. Said one Swiss citizen-soldier, "If we start in the morning, we would be mobilised by late afternoon. That is why the gun is at home, the ammunition is at home. The younger people all have automatic rifles. They are ready to fight.” Citizen-soldiers on their way to mobilisation points may flag down and commandeer passing automobiles. Since 1291, when the landsgemeinden (people’s assemblies) formed circles in the village squares, and only men carrying swords could vote, weapons have been the mark of citizenship. As a Military Department spokesman said, “It is an old Swiss tradition that only an armed man can have political rights.” This policy is based on the understanding that only those who bear the burden of keeping Switzerland free are entitled to fully enjoy the benefits of freedom.

#Switzerland #Female

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rhapsodynew · 13 days

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John Lennon and Yoko Ono waving white flags at the press conference to launch Nutopia in 1973.

Everyone can get citizenship of Nutopia — the virtual state has launched a website where such a service is provided. After registering via e-mail, the user receives a digital identity card.

The citizens of Nutopia are celebrated on the globe. You can click on the dot symbolizing a particular resident and read the message, or you can click on the heart icon and "spread love."

John Lennon and Yoko Ono founded Nutopia in 1973.

"We are announcing the birth of the conceptual country of Nutopia. Citizenship of the country can be obtained by declaring your awareness of Nutopia. Nutopia has no land, no borders, no passports, only people. Nutopia has no laws other than cosmic ones. All people living in Nutopia are ambassadors of the country. As two ambassadors of Nutopia, we ask for diplomatic immunity and recognition in the United Nations of our country and its people."

The name of the country arose as a result of the merger of two words: "new" (new) and "utopia" (utopia). Thus, Nutopia acted as a living embodiment of Lennon's ideas about the ideal social structure, so vividly described by him two years earlier in the song "Imagine", - a state in which there is no religion, government and its own territory; where anyone can freely accept his citizenship or renounce it.

True, at that time, the only new Utopians were John and Yoko themselves, but according to other signs, Nutopia could be described as a completely normal microstate.

The Declaration on the Creation of Nutopia, signed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono on April 1, 1973.

The country's flag consisted of only one color - white, similar to the cover of the Beatles' "White Album", which personified freedom. However, the journalists saw this as a symbol of surrender, to which Lennon, waving a white cloth at the conference, replied to them as follows:

"We surrender to peace and love."

The flag of Nutopia

Nutopia also had its own seal. On it, John depicted a seal holding a ball with yin-yang symbols on its nose, which can be explained by a clever wordplay (in English, "seal" it means both "seal" and "seal") or a reference to another pinniped, which John once proclaimed himself in the song "I am the Walrus".

And to top it all off, the Lennon couple opened the embassy of Nutopia, located in their New York apartment in the Dakota house. However, the corresponding sign was hung not at the front door, but at the black, kitchen, entrance to the apartment, which, however, did not prevent everyone from finding the embassy. (Decades later, Yoko Ono noticed that her guests still prefer to use the back entrance.)

The Embassy of Nutopia is the main entrance to the Dakota Building, Manhattan, New York. It was at this gate that John Lennon would be shot dead in 1980

Here's a funny April Fool's joke. Or was John Lennon not joking at all?

Happy New Yorker John

Fans of John's work, we can consider ourselves full citizens of Nutopia, even though neither its founder nor she herself has been gone for a long time. After all, Lennon's ideas are still alive. And what if not the idea was the only force that kept this small invisible country afloat...

youtube

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headingalaxys-spicy · 11 months

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Hello darling

Can I ask for yan france, england, america and Germany with a darling that's using them to get citizenship/green card?

America: Kei….No, don’t you dare write this while watching and making references to 90-day fiancee.

Me: Too late bitches! This ask demands it! *laughs maniacally while typing like an absolute maniac*

Germany: “Oh nein, Sie hat vier Espresso-shot getrunken…”

France: Mon Dieu

🇺🇸 America 🇺🇸

In short, he’ll bring on the hellfire like Danielle and he has actual power, so that makes it even worse for you.

He will figure out that it was all a clever ruse when you’re not giving the relationship your all when it comes to emotional closeness. The way that you refuse to cuddle with him, don’t kiss him with passion, the looks you give him are devoid of warmth that someone in love would usually. Don’t worry you’ll get your green card with strings attached.

“Y/N, I have a surprise for you.” He guides you along a cobblestone pathway down some winding pathway. You pretend to have fun with his antics until he pulls the blindfold off your eyes. You were staring at a dressing room and a few ladies who were covered in pins, measurement taps, and needles.

“Hello, Y/N, we’re going to be preparing you for tonight!” The eldest lady with a nicely made-up bun states to you with glee.

“What do you mean?” Confused, you’re sure you didn’t want the answer to it. But you try to have an air of excitement around you.

“Your surprise wedding to Alfred! You’re going to become Mrs. Jones tonight!”

‘Oh shit I thought I had like 45 more days to figure this out.’

“Aren’t you happy! We’ll be married Y/N, and that means you’ll be an American and mine. Well, I’ll leave you ladies to it I have to get ready myself!” He gives you a peck on the cheek and tauntingly whispers, “You’re mine.” in your ear as you see a glint in his eye that you’d never seen before he walked backward for a few seconds before dashing off from the place where he’d brought you.

You knew you were fucked if you didn’t because for the last week or so he’d been telling you about his exploits of having to hunt down people who were here illegally and had been convicted of fraud, robbery, or some kind of crime they committed while in the United States. This conversation always seemed to pop up after the two of you discussed how long you’d be staying in the States from (country name), saw an ad for 90 Day Fiancee about a mystery couple or something that remind you of the shortening time for you to make a decision about the future. And since it was close to impossible without it being illegal (under the table) for you to find work, you really had only two choices: go home or depend on Alfred. You, of course wanted to be in the States, so you choose the latter but since a surprise wedding, and Alfred showing his far more dangerous tendencies, you wondered if heading back home to try a different way was possible. After all, you weren’t at the altar yet!

You decide that being with Alfred wasn’t worth the green card and you decided that you didn’t want to be under someone's control for it. So you decided to make a break for it. The red flags were blaring in your head, and you were not about to be a part of this! America is going to suspect that you’d do something like that so he did have agents of his ready to tackle you as soon as you tried to make your way from the wedding venue. They’ll hit you with some heavy sedatives so that the dressmakers, stylists, and make-up artists can get you ready for the big moment. This will be televised in and marketed as a Special Episode on 90-Day Finacee where the mystery couple is you and him tying the knot.

He did this so that his nation and others will know who exactly you belong to. He will also make sure that you renounce your citizenship in (country name) so that it will be virtually impossible for you to escape back home.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

He has friends on the other side that will help him in his endeavors to ensnare you.

He’s the king of manipulation and shit-starting. So of course, it only takes him a few days to figure out that all you wanted from him was the green card.

‘If that’s all you want from me love I’ll give it to you under a few conditions.’ He will mention it causally while the two of you are having high tea at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

“So, Y/N love I know that your visitor visa is about to run out in about two weeks' time, right?”

You do your best not to choke on your lavender tea, as you dare to gaze into those toxic pastoral green eyes that held back all of the disdain that he had for your betrayal. They also brimmed over with something else you couldn’t quite place.

“Yeah, what of it, I mean you have recommended getting married soon and I’m excited about it albeit, kinda weary.” You had begun to notice some of his red flags and the fact that he never really wanted you to leave his home so that you could be at your hostel. It was so much so to where you were never allowed to be on your own without him or one of his royal guards dressed in civilian clothes. You just wanted to be able to roam the British Isles and take in the sights on your own without having to worry about a time limit, but the only way that you could do that is if….

“Well, why not? You’ll get your Green Card and become a natural British citizen. After all isn’t that all you want?” Outright accusing you of what he knew was true by your demeanor and desire to do things without him involved.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You put down your porcelain cup. You didn’t want him to try and argue with you in public and expose you.

“You know exactly, what I mean, Y/N; you only want that. Don’t lie to me. I do have the upper hand since I have connections throughout the whole government, and I’m myself a special agent and part of the royal family. There are things I can do right now that will make you tremble in fear.” He whispers-shouts at you lowly as not to attract the attention of the whole tea room.

Your throat is tight from holding back the forming tears.

“I….” Some of them fall, but you were quick to wipe them from your face so that you wouldn’t make a spectacle of yourself. “Yes.” You decide to be honest, knowing that lying would only escalate the situation further. You were surprised that he gently grabbed your free hand that wasn’t trying to wipe up tears with his black leather-gloved hand.

“I have some paperwork for you to sign. You’ll get what you want, and I’ll get what I want.”

It’s, of course, marriage registration forms and some other documents that forbid you from leaving the U.K. unless you have explicit permission from him or that he’s with you. You also have to give him your passport from (country name) and visitors visa, and it’s engulfed in flames right before you. Ensuring that you’d never see your country again. With that he will be nice in the beginning of your marriage but once the honeymoon phase is over he will start his training for you on how to love him properly.

🇫🇷 France 🇫🇷

Oh he goin use his beautiful tears to make you regret trying to use him. Sparkles. Sparkles everywhere.

Like England, France is more upfront about confronting you for your trickery. Although the way in which he does it is tame, romantic, and emotionally manipulative.

As the two of you traversed the Pont d’lena to the Eiffel Tower on a brisk cold Fall night Francis wastes no time in talking about the future that he wants with you in great detail.

“You know Y/N I never thought that you’d use me.” Caught off guard by the sudden statement all you could respond to him was with a “huh?”

“What are you talking about Francis? I thought we were in a good place in our relationship.” Trying to gauge how you’d maneuver out of this conversation and onto something else.

“You just want me for the Green Card so you can stay admit it! You’re not like Jenny to my Sumit! You don’t care for me in the sweet way that she does for him!”

“What has you like this Francis?! It’s so random!” You stated, frustrated that you have to mitigate yet another dumb argument. You brace yourself for the downpour because Francis's now shaded blues covered in massive rainclouds was about to be released in the next few minutes of tears and the realization that he’s caught onto you and your scheming.

“You don’t treat me like a lover! You don’t tell me I love you ! Like you mean it. You’re almost lifeless when we make love and you don’t eat my expertly prepared food that is made with LOVE and COMPASSION your eyes don’t spark up with joy! You look like I’ve just given you some awful canned American or British food. Plus you’re always stiff whenever I hug you! Your LIKE A ROCK!” He will just allow himself to let tears flow freely down his face like a river that's broken out of a dam.

All you could do is let the French man cry his eyes out while passersby wondered if you were tormenting the poor man. There were many raised eyebrows that looked on at you in judgment.

(Yes, I’m referring to Jenny and Sumit because I really do believe that even thought the odds are well interesting. I really do believe those two love each other despite the difficulties they face. Also, this was the best example I could think of in the moment while typing this.)

“Francis can we please talk about-“ He swiftly cuts you off dramatically by forcefully grabbing your hands as he gets down on one knee.

“If you love me Y/N then prove it, marry me!” A sudden burst of sparkles appears around everywhere along with red roses. You didn’t really have the time, energy, or headspace to question how in hell those things apppeared from thin air because you were stuck between a rock and a hard place currently.

“Fra-“

“If you want to save your own face right now and have a chance of ever coming back to France you’ll say yes mademoiselle.” Although he said it sweetly you knew that was a threat.

“Okay, I’ll marry you Francis.” You know full well there would be a much longer conversation later along with not being able to leave his bed for a week straight.

“Wonderful and I even have your engagement ring pick out which will go so well with the outfit you’re wearing!” His sudden change back into being extremely happy was jarring to you and for a few moments you did have to wonder if anything that was happening to you currently was real.

He grabbed your left hand with force and slid it onto the fourth finger. It’s glow radiated a harsh light of malice although a stunning diamond signified your permanent entanglement with him. He placed a gentle kiss on the back of your hand and it sent a shock through your nervous system. You were in danger for sure but it would be disguised as a charming prison with lace, chocolate, wine and other luxuries flowing without any other connection to anyone else on this earth.

🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪

He’s going to make a perfect darling out of you one way or the other and he’s going to do it through ruthless training and reprogramming your brain.

Since he’s asked Italy for help after hanging around you for 6 weeks and you still haven’t treated him like a true lover but someone who doesn’t act like their in love. He plans how he will confront you and the best way to do that is be underhanded. He overheard one of your conversations (he’d set up microphones all through your living quarters) with your friend back in (country name) that you were only sticking around so you could obtain your green card and get into the Masters Program you’d been eyeing for quite sometime. “Since you want to be a snake! I can also pull a reverse uno on you Y/N!”

Lately since you’ve been hanging around Ludwig you’ve felt sick and he’s been having to take care of you during these long sick spells. You’d feel horrendously fatigued, weak, and even somewhat nauseated. He’s been strangely sweeter to you and doting. You don’t question it since he did love helping you out with your green card situation. You never did start to question him since your brain was foggy and you were too disoriented to think about the underlying danger you were in with him. You never questioned why he suddenly became sweeter towards you and why he was so hellbent on making every meal for you.

“Y/N?” He gently placed a hand on your forehead to see if you were running a fever of sorts.

“Yeah?” You say groggily. The nap you took on his couch somehow made you feel much worse than you did before you took a nap.

“Are you really sure you’re up to the task of getting yourself home? I mean it’s across the city and it’s nighttime it’s not really safe for you to be outside anyways.” He states sternly. You could already tell what he’s about to suggest.

“Just stay here Fraulein. It would be foolish for you to get home in this state. And I can’t allow you to get hurt or sicker than you already are. I’ll go get some better blankets and pillows. I’ll be right back.” He’ll diligently march away and prepare his next round of poison for you to ingest. It’s not deadly but it saps you of energy and makes you disoriented. If your this way for long enough you’ll accidentally miss your date to exit Germany and return to (country name). He can pull a few strings with his government and say that your in his care and would be 100% unfit for international travel of any kind even on train you wouldn’t be allowed to leave. He’d have you right where he wants you. You’d be unaware the entire time.

“If Y/N wants to be in Germany wish granted Fraulien. But you’ll never be able to leave I can’t allow it there are so many men who’d hurt you!” He mutters to himself as he laces your Bavarian Griessknödel with crushed up sleeping pills.

You’re essentially going to be in a zombie like state due to all the drugging that he puts in your food and drink. After a few months he’ll light up on it and gradually hint at the fact that you no longer are a citizen of (country) and that it’s thanks to him that you’re safe. He’ll gaslight you a ton and make you believe that he’s doing what’s best for you after all you wanted a green card to his nation so badly he arranged it with the caveat that you have to be with him whenever you leave the house, you’re going to have to learn German, and you’re eventually going to have a tracker on you that will be connected to his phone at all times. You’ll be his sweet Fraulein that obeys him…. Eventually.

#yandere hetalia #yandere hetalia x reader #hws #hetalia fandom #hetalia #hws america #hws germany #hws france #hws england #hetalia imagines #I did the fight thing in this one!#headingalaxys spicy #headingalaxys writes stuff #I’m on my serious nonsense right now #headingalaxys #dark hetalia x reader #dark hetalia #hetalia fanfiction #hetalia fanfiction writers

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saintmeghanmarkle · 11 days

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This has to be an OUCHY for both of them!! by u/media_lush

This has to be an OUCHY for both of them!! https://ift.tt/2O6CYdz King Charles met David Beckham privately while Prince Harry was in Britain - after the Duke said his father was too busy with 'various other priorities' to see himRyan ProsserKing Charles met David Beckham to discuss his charitable foundation while Prince Harry was in the country, the Mail understands.The Duke had said that his father was too busy attending to 'various other priorities' to see him while he was in Britain this week.No pictures were released of the meeting and it is unknown where the pair met.The revelation that the King met the former England captain, 49, while his son was home and attending an event two miles from Buckingham Palace may widen their rift further.Prince Harry's visit was planned months in advance and while the King's visit this week to a barracks was called a 'surprise', his diary is also tightly choreographed.But the Duke of Sussex had reportedly invited his father to St Paul's Cathedral for the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games although courtiers were not aware Harry had made any specific request to see the King.The King met David Beckham to discuss his charitable foundation while Harry was in the UK, the Mail understandsPrince Harry and Meghan during in Abuja during a quasi-royal visit to AbujaThe Palace has remained tight-lipped as to why the two never met despite virtually crossing each other's paths.While in the UK, the prince said it was 'great' to be back, but refused to rule out the possibility of him applying for American citizenship. In a previous Netflix series, Harry had also suggested that he had been blocked from seeing the late Queen, despite his grandmother inviting him and Meghan to stay. Harry rushed over in February when his father was first diagnosed with cancer, but only got a brief meeting with the monarch and Queen Camilla before they left for Sandringham.Meanwhile the Duke of Sussex and his wife were given a rockstar's welcome during a trip to Nigeria.Harry during his visit to Kaduna state in Nigeria. The prince has previously complained that he and his wife had been blocked from seeing royals, including his grandmother, the late QueenDespite Foreign Office official advice warning against travel to several parts of the west African nation, Harry travelled to Kaduna state to visit a military hospital.Leaving his wife in Abuja, the prince apologised for her absence as he arrived in the state, which is partly controlled by armed bandits and is known for reports of rapes and kidnappings.The visit was dubbed a 'quasi-royal' tour, with Harry faced with accusations of 'hypocrisy' after travelling to high risk areas having raised concerns over his security back in the UK. On Monday, the King is due to hand over the colonelcy of the Army Air Corps to his other son and heir, Prince William. post link: https://ift.tt/ytKdCRb author: media_lush submitted: May 11, 2024 at 03:24AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

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k12academics · 2 years

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Our mission at Level Up Village (LUV) is to globalize the classroom and facilitate seamless collaboration between students from around the world.

What Is Level Up Village? Level Up Village (a product of Language Testing International) is a global communication platform that is uniquely designed to allow students to expand their learning and engage in meaningful exchanges with students around the world. With Level Up Village, students engage in collaborative tasks that encourage the development of 21 st century skills and global competency through our unique peer-to-peer global collaboration experience.

How Does It Work? Our easy-to-use platform facilitates one-on-one project collaboration and cultural exchanges between students from around the world. The platform provides students with a safe learning environment (COPPA compliant!) where they can build their own profiles, exchange fun facts about each other, discuss their projects, and talk to each other via guided video exchanges. Students send and receive videos using the LUV platform on a camera-equipped desktop computer, a smartphone, or a tablet.

What Do We Offer?

A pairing system that allows you to find and connect with the best global partner match for you.

Courses with themes and objectives that tie directly to international goals and standards (for example, UN SDGs, ISTE Student Standards, and World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages).

Flexible modules that adapt to your classroom needs with 4-8 weeks of collaboration time.

Real-world tasks that focus on building academic knowledge, global citizenship, and intercultural communication skills.

Student Can-Do Self-Assessment and Teacher Analytic Rubrics that build students' awareness of their learning and help them reflect, make comparisons, and develop cultural awareness.

Courses Students participating in LUV courses get to know partner students in other countries by exchanging video messages about their lives and their specific project-based tasks. Through this process, they not only learn 21st century skills, but also develop empathy and global competency. We offer in-school, after-school, and summer enrichment programs. We offer Arts & Sciences courses and Languages & Cultures courses.

Arts & Sciences. For students ages 4-18, our Arts & Sciences courses allow students who are learning sciences, arts, literature, and social studies to pair up with classrooms in another country to discuss various course topics, ranging from music & sound to science & ecology.

Languages & Cultures. For students ages 12-18, our Languages & Cultures courses (currently available in Spanish and English) allow language students to build their intercultural communication skills by exchanging videos with a classroom in another country in their target language. They'll use the language in authentic ways and gain new cultural insights from their peers abroad.

Special courses. We are able to create special STEM and Global Citizenship courses with partners in Africa, China, and Latin America. Contact us for more information.

Fostering Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Global Competency Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an essential part of education and human development. Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making are the core components of SEL as outlined in the CASEL Framework that Level Up Village fosters with its curriculum.

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david-goldrock · 2 months

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You are my age. I haven't had the horror of seeing a wall erected as a border, but my country has one too. There are so many people suffering. The people's front for the liberation of palestine is one of the widely supported resistance movements that existed long before hamas. The british mandate of palestine was cruel, and immigration laws from britain are what prevented jewish immigration. A hundred hamas members in one huge city does not make every child in that city not innocent. It is Israel's government that is choosing to drop bombs. Self defense is not the same as aggressive destruction.

The nabka is not trivial. how as a victim of violence do you dare trivialize pain? haven't you seen an old woman with the key to a house that was razed? haven't you felt that powerlessness knowing a US funded destruction is waged against an entire region?

aren't you angry that anything anyone is trying to justify this?

Look friend, I just frankly disagree on a lot

I haven't seen the wall being built, I am too young, but I know the difference it made. My mother was next to several terrorist attacks in a few years. Had she been early or late a few minutes, neither her not I would be alive today. The wall erected stopped nearly every infiltration, and radically decreased terror from Judea and sameria.

What do you think the Arabs there are "resisting" dear? Over 80% of them, when asked on a poll, answered that the only solution they'd accept is a 1 state for their people "solution". They aren't resisting neither occupation not hardship, only the presence of Jews.

And with all due respect, I'd prefer a hundred innocent Palestinians will die for this war before I will send 1 solider to sacrifice himself for them. Even today, 70% of Palestinians support hamas and their actions on Oct. 7th. Many of the people who die aren't much different from the terrorists in their intentions nor in what they'd do were I to be strapped to a chair next to them, the only difference between them is that one chose to be a salesman and the other, a terrorist. Not ideology, only a career choice. And please, seriously, if we don't bomb their facilities, we send a clear message to them, and every other terrorists, that human shielding works and is good. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't take precautions, and make sure we give every chance possible to civilians to evacuate and save their souls. No intentional killing of civilians either. But I don't have any hard feeling when a building with 10 terrorists and a family of 5 is taken down.

The "nakba" is a virtual event. You start a war, start to lose, go away from your homes to return when the Arab forces kill all of the Jews, and you cry when you aren't allowed back? Not to mention that the ammount of evacuations and deportations in that time was insane. This is after WW2. Millions of Germans and poles and Russians and many more displaced from their lands to others, they all integrated and were fine. "Palestinians" (they weren't called that back then) got citizenships in Jordan, and Lebanon, and america, and many other lands. By any definition except for UNRWA, there are almost no more "Palestinian refugees" alive that were considered so even a year after the war. That is not to say some innocent villages weren't rekt, but this is a wildly exaggerated event, especially when it serves as the "Palestinian people" story of origin, as before the war, these people were all different flavours of arabs from different tribes. The same ammount as that of people who got out of Israeli land in the war is that the ammount of Jews that fled the middle east at that time because of pogroms all over this land. Billions of dollars worth of land and property was lost, do you see Israelis complain for 75 years? We built what we could with what we had, like Jews do.

And please, if I have a criticism of the US's actions in the middle east is that it does not agree to wage war in here. It does everything it can to avoid a war here, even sacrificing every value we had in our relationship, only so that Biden can get reelected in November. If the US was what you claim it to be, it'd have given Israel a green light to do whatever it wants, and the war would already have been over.

#ישראל #ישראלבלר #ישראלים #טמבלר ישראלי #israeli #i stand with israel #טאמבלר ישראלי #עם ישראל חי #ישראבלר #ישרבלר

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petit-papillion · 9 days

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FP1:

Nearly everyone took a trip to the gravel or grass or hit the kerbs

Brief red flag when Alex's car spontaneously stopped working

Ollie Bearman drove for Haas and did a great job

Bryan Bozzi made his debut as Charles's race engineer

P1: LEC | P2: RUS | P3: SAI

FP2:

More lawnmowing

Max still unhappy with his car

Both Williams cars taken apart during the first half of FP2

Some minor griping on the radio, but overall a pretty straightforward session

In the end the "Italians" were at the top: Yuki (adopted home country - lives 10 km from the track), 3/16 Italian Oscar, and Italian-citizenship-when-? The King of Imola: Charles Leclerc

P1: LEC | P2: PIA | P3: TSU

FP3:

Two red flags: first Fernando Alonso crashed into the barrier. Driver okay, back end of the car not so much.

Second red flag was Perez with a minor crash that messed up his front wing. It was cleared and the session was resumed with only a few minutes to go.

This led to some crazy driving as drivers were rushing to make it to the line to still put in a quali sim lap. It got a little hairy for PIA and MAG , and LEC made it seem like he was racing for a win.

In the end only Norris was able to still put in a lap and went to the top of the times table.

P1: NOR | P2: PIA | P3: SAI

Quali:

ALO almost binned it again in his barely-fixed-on-time car and ended up placing P20 before SAR had a laptime deleted.

HUL surprised everyone by going to the top of the list (until Max came along - whi as it later turned out had given Nico a tow)

And Oscar impeded K-Mag which led to another trip to the stewarts for Kevin, but this time the penalty went to Oscar.

Another surprise when Checo landed at P11 in Q2 with Hulk and both RBs making it through.

In Q3 HUL returned the favor to VER by giving him a tow that led to Max getting a top speed 10 kph higher than the rest of the field and putting in a monster quali lap, improving his own P1 time.

Oscar put his McLaren in P2, but after a 3-place grid penalty, he will start P5 with the 2 Ferraris on the row in front of him

Yuki got his highest quali result ever: P7

P1: VER | P2: PIA | P3: NOR

Petit's Race Notes:

Overall pretty uneventful: no crashes, no safety cars, not even any beef between Oscar and Carlos!

ALO started from the pitlane after late setup changes.

Alex picked up a penalty for an unsafe release, after his front right tyre was not properly attached at a pit stop. He limped around the track, and made it back out after another pit stop, but ultimately retired as the only DNF of the race

Alonso's brakes were on fire as he left the pit lane. He eventually also retired towards the end of the race, but was still classified as P19.

Perez and Hamilton both had little excursions in the gravel.

Max was shown a flag for track limits and struggled with his tyres towards the end.

For a bit it looked like Charles would overtake Lando, but in the end Norris walked away from LEC and caught up to Max.

Perhaps with 1 or 2 more laps, NOR could have passed VER, but in the end we had an exciting few laps and professional sim racer Verstappen took another win after already putting in a stint in the Virtual Nurburgring 24 Hours, which his team ended up winning as well.

Top 3: P1: VER | P2: NOR | P3: LEC

Fastest lap: George Russell

Driver of the Day: Lando Norris

Fastest pit stop: Red Bull/Sergio Perez (2:09)

📸 F1, Scuderia Ferrari, leclercsletters

#race 7 of 24 #race week summary #imola gp 2024 #imo24 race summary #f1 2024 season

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bfpnola · 8 months

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The appalling rise in recent decades of Hindu nationalism, however, which views Indian and Hindu identity as coterminous and seeks to transform India from a secular democracy into a “Hindu Rashtra”, highlights the dangers inherent in any project of national identity construction. Such a project necessarily runs the risk, as we have seen not just in India but across the world, of degenerating into a crude chauvinism that defines national identity not on any genuinely unifying basis, but rather in terms of the socially-dominant community—in the Indian case, dominant-caste Hindus—at the expense of everyone else. In the process, the rich internal diversity that characterizes any community—imagined or otherwise—is flattened and obscured in favor of a fabricated homogeneity. Likewise, internal structures of oppression such as caste and gender are swept under the rug, and those who speak out against them are lambasted for hurting the cause of national unity—all while that same national cause is twisted to serve explicitly majoritarian ends.

Therein lies the fatal flaw of the nationalist project. By flattening a community in order to imagine it, nationalism—even in its most liberatory, anti-colonial form—allows crucial questions of power and injustice within that community to remain unaddressed, giving the worst tendencies of human society all the room they need to grow and fester beneath the surface until they inevitably spill over. This is due, in large part, to the fact that even as national identity seeks to promote internal unity, its rigid adherence to a given set of borders means that it simultaneously divides people along those same lines, defining itself in opposition to everything that lies beyond them. If my nationality is X, according to our conventional understanding of what it means to “belong” to a given nation, then that necessarily means that I cannot be Y.

Regardless of the country in which we were brought up, every one of us is taught from an early age that national identity is fixed and finite, with rigid boundaries that neatly correspond to those that have been etched on the world map and given the name of Border. We have all been assigned, we are told, membership in a given imagined community, and it is expected that we will stick with that community, no questions asked—that in times of war or recession or other great national need, we will rally around the flag that was stamped onto our foreheads at birth.

The experience of immigration, however, shatters that illusion of fixity. Cracks begin to form in the rigid walls that supposedly enclose a person’s national identity the moment they step foot onto the soil of a new country, slowly expanding as they establish roots and begin to strive, consciously or unconsciously, towards acceptance by an unfamiliar and potentially unwelcoming society. No matter how strongly a person identifies with the nationality of the mother country, it is inevitable that as time goes on these bonds will weaken. In their place, the seeds of a new national identity—that of the destination country—will begin to sprout, nourished by symbolic milestones such as buying a home or applying for citizenship, new roots penetrating into new soil. By the time a second generation comes into the world, endowed perhaps with citizenship rights at the moment of birth, the ties of nationality that bind a diaspora to the motherland are weakened further as these roots extend themselves yet deeper into the new country’s soil.

—

🚨 want more materials like these? this resource was shared through BFP’s discord server! everyday, dozens of links and files are requested and offered by youth around the world! and every sunday, these youth get together for virtual teach-ins. if you’re interested in learning more, join us! link in our bio! 🚨

#resources #nationalism #hindu nationalism #hindutva #india #community #imagination #immigration #immigrant #second generation

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