Latest news with #HansChristianAndersen
Daily Maverick
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
We need the brilliant original thought of those who sit on the fringes and make change happen
Whether we are aspirant leaders or currently in leadership positions, most of us have role models whom we either look to for inspiration or against whom we calibrate our own behaviour. It goes without saying that who we choose to emulate determines just how successful we will be in our quest to be the leaders we aspire to be. So, the million-dollar question is: what should we be looking for in a role model? Perhaps more importantly, the question is, why? Personally, I admire leaders who have an unshakeable sense of purpose, the vulnerability to reflect on their actions and the ability to admit when they get it wrong – and who get things done. I respect those leaders who have the incredible humanity to never sacrifice the needs and fears of the ordinary people on the shop floor or the constituency on the altar of their own ambitions. Most of all, the leaders I revere embody hope, which is probably the ultimate warrior attribute of all. Hopefulness gives you the energy to fight, and keep on fighting for that greater goal. Nelson Mandela is someone who ticks all those boxes. He's almost over-exposed in his own country, held up as a secular saint across the globe, but he deserves every single accolade because he had a vision, he was unashamedly honest and capable of changing course, and he trademarked the common touch. There are very few world leaders now who can say the same. Most have the vision of where they want to go, but very few have the profound ability to hold themselves to account and even fewer care anything about the ordinary person in the street – unless it is as a stepping stone to achieving their vanity projects. Great statesmen and stateswomen understand humanity and never lose sight of it, despite how much their personal experience might conspire against them to harden them and to protect them from further hurt. Another vitally important aspect to a great leader is to generate change; the ability to stretch the continuum of what they and the world around them accept as normal. As a young man travelling to the US, I was struck by an experience I had on the bus from JFK International into Manhattan. A man on the bus started mouthing off, declaiming and raving, and everyone went about their business as if nothing was happening. As a then-reserved Briton, I was simultaneously aghast at the public spectacle and strangely fascinated because that kind of behaviour was wholly foreign where I came from and would have been immediately condemned out of hand because of that. Yet sometimes that's precisely what we need to shake us from our lethargy – to have someone saying the unsayable. Neurodivergence may be a case in point. We need certain behaviours, often a strength of neurodivergent people, to stop us from heading full speed into a brick wall because we are locked in groupthink, and no one wants to be Hans Christian Andersen's little boy calling out the vain emperor for having no clothes on. Technological leaps We need the brilliant original thought of the neurodivergent to provide the technological leaps we take for granted today, whether it affects personal computing, mobility solutions, saving the planet or even settling on Mars. There's a more prosaic reason, too, for all of us to understand neurodivergence; some research indicates that up to 15-20% of us are neurodivergent in one way or another; statistically as many as one in six of every family, every workforce, every sports team. If we cannot accept and make space for that in them and that in us, literally and figuratively, the consequences are massive, not just to the bottom line, but to relationships, too. Great leaders with a great sense of humanity make space naturally for everyone, even those who they might disagree with, because as George Bernard Shaw famously wrote, it is the 'unreasonable man' who persists in trying to adapt the world to himself while the 'reasonable man' adapts himself to the world; 'therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man'. Our species needs people who aren't just in the middle, but sit on the fringes and make change happen when we need it, break up entrenched habits so that the aberration is the mass of people that won't move. It's not necessarily that unreasonable leaders are great leaders. But they must make space for those who are, if not on their team, then at least within earshot. And it's not always about neurodivergent differences. In an often extrovert-oriented world, introverts suffer. The best salesperson isn't always the extrovert; on the contrary, if the service or product being pitched is complex, often the more introverted is the best to sell it because they are the ones that listen to the client and try to understand, rather than rush in headlong to make the sale based on the benefits of the product, whether the client needs it or not. Opening the door to the team is one thing, but as always, you must open the door to your own mind, too. Nobel laureate, psychologist Daniel Kahneman, discovered that most of (some say up to 90%) of our decisions are based on our emotions – and then I wonder if we spend the rest of our time rationalising those decisions. A great example of this, if we are brave enough to admit it, is impulse buying. To properly lead, we must understand our triggers and our biases and our deep-seated prejudices – and in doing so, allow far more logical thought to take their place in our decision making. We need to lean into what we fear, give it a name, look it in the eye and deal with it. When we do that, perhaps we will make better choices about those we hope to emulate as leaders – and perhaps see the error in our ways of blindly accepting, following and idolising the wrong ones, while there is still time. DM
South China Morning Post
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Spark Study Buddy (Challenger): Little Mermaid, Big Ben underwater sculptures raise awareness of climate change
Content provided by British Council [1] A mermaid made of rescued metal scraps with hair fashioned out of red plastic tubes was lowered into the waters near Stockholm, Sweden, on a recent windy spring day. [2] The sculpture looked like The Little Mermaid from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, with a nod to Disney's 1989 film. It was joined underwater by artworks inspired by famous landmarks from around the world. These included the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer and the Statue of Liberty in New York. [3] They are all part of the 'Atlantis' art project. It aims to 'create an underwater city of the world's most famous buildings', project manager Fredrik Johansson said. All the sculptures are made from scrap recovered by his organisation Hands2Ocean, which picks up rubbish dropped in the waters around Stockholm. [4] Johansson said that in the six years he has been doing Hands2Ocean, they have collected 43 tonnes of batteries, 44 tonnes of electric scooters, 180 tonnes of tyres and more. In total, the organisation has picked up 400 tonnes of scrap. [5] The Atlantis project mainly seeks to bring attention to the threat posed by rising ocean levels. 'All forecasts today say that the water will rise. When the glaciers melt, the water will rise 1.2 metres [four feet] in 80 years. Then the Seychelles will be gone, the Maldives are gone, Bangladesh is gone. We don't want to go that way,' Johansson said. 'Atlantis symbolises where we are heading today. When all these cities are under water, then we have a new Atlantis,' he added. Atlantis was a submerged island in Greek mythology. [6] The artworks also include pieces inspired by London's Big Ben and New York's Empire State Building, complete with King Kong climbing the top. They will be submerged underwater for a year. 'Then we take them up to an auction where the money goes to continue this work,' Johansson said. [7] One of the artists, Paul Svensson, is making a replica of Dubai's Burj Khalifa. It is the world's tallest building. 'This one will be called Beer Can Khalifa,' Svensson said with a smile as he stacked beer cans. 'I think the symbolism is very funny. It's the biggest bling-bling property we have in the world. In the ocean, the bling-bling we can find are beer cans flashing back at us,' he said. The artworks can be seen on the project's website and by divers. Source: Agence France-Presse March 18 Questions 1. What materials was the mermaid made from according to paragraph 1? (2 marks) 2. In paragraph 2, what do the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer and the Statue of Liberty in New York have in common? 3. What do the numbers mentioned in paragraph 4 refer to? (i) 44 tonnes (ii) 400 tonnes 4. According to paragraph 5, Atlantis is a … in Greek mythology. A. floating city B. mountain range C. submerged island D. huge glacier 5. According to paragraph 5, what does Johansson believe will happen if ocean levels continue to rise? 6. Rewrite the following sentences in passive voice. The first one has been done for you as an example. (2 marks) Example: Hands2Ocean collected scrap from Stockholm waters. Passive voice: Scrap was collected from Stockholm waters by Hands2Ocean. (i) Paul Svensson created the Beer Can Khalifa. (ii) Johansson's team will submerge the artworks for one year. Answers 1. recovered metal scraps and red plastic tubes 2. They are famous landmarks. 3. (i) the amount of electric scooters Hands2Ocean picked up; (ii) the total amount of scrap Hands2Ocean picked up (accept all similar answers) 4. C 5. places like the Seychelles, the Maldives, and Bangladesh will be submerged, leading to a new Atlantis 6. (i) The Beer Can Khalifa was created by Paul Svensson; (ii) The artworks will be submerged for one year by Johanssons' team.
The Guardian
31-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Vance's posturing in Greenland was not just morally wrong. It was strategically disastrous
No one would allow that he could not see these much-admired clothes; because, in doing so, he would have declared himself either a simpleton or unfit of his office.' – Hans Christian Andersen, The Emperor's New Clothes Elon Musk and Donald Trump inherited a state with unprecedented power and functionality, and are taking it apart. They also inherited a set of alliances and relationships that underpinned the largest economy in world history. This too they are breaking. The American vice-president, JD Vance, visited a US base in Greenland for three hours on Friday, along with his wife. National security adviser Mike Waltz and his wife also went along. Fresh from using an unsafe social media platform to carry out an entirely unnecessary group chat in which they leaked sensitive data about an ongoing military attack to a reporter, and thereby allegedly breaking the law, Waltz and Vance perhaps hoped to change the subject by tagging along on a trip that was initially billed as Vance's wife watching a dogsled race. The overall context was Trump's persistent claim that America must take Greenland, which is an autonomous region of Denmark. The original plan had been that Usha Vance would visit Greenlanders, apparently on the logic that the second lady would be an effective animatrice of colonial subjection; but none of them wanted to see her, and Greenland's businesses refused to serve as a backdrop to photo ops or even to serve the uninvited Americans. So, instead, the US couples made a very quick visit to Pituffik space base. (Pete Hegseth, another group chatter, stayed home; but his wife was in the news as well, as an unorthodox participant in sensitive military discussions.) At the base, in the far north of the island, the US visitors had pictures taken of themselves and ate lunch with servicemen and women. They treated the base as the backdrop to a press conference where they could say things they already thought; nothing was experienced, nothing was learned, nothing sensible was said. Vance, who never left the base, and has never before visited Greenland, was quite sure how Greenlanders should live. He made a political appeal to Greenlanders, none of whom was present, or anywhere near him. He claimed that Denmark was not protecting the security of Greenlanders in the Arctic, and that the US would. Greenland should therefore join the US. It takes some patience to unwind all of the nonsense here. The base at Pituffik (formerly Thule) only exists because Denmark permitted the US to build it at a sensitive time. It has served for decades as a central part of the US's nuclear armoury and then as an early-warning system against Soviet and then Russian nuclear attack. When Vance says that Denmark is not protecting Greenland and the base, he is wishing away generations of cooperation, as well as the Nato alliance itself. Denmark was a founding member of Nato, and it is already the US's job to defend Denmark and Greenland, just as it is Denmark's job (as with other members) to defend them in return. Americans might chuckle at that idea, but such arrogance is unwarranted. We are the only ones ever to have invoked article 5, the mutual defence obligation of the Nato treaty, after 9/11; and our European allies did respond. Per capita, almost as many Danish soldiers were killed in the Afghan war as were American soldiers. Do we remember them? Thank them? The threat in the Arctic invoked by Vance is Russia; and of course defending against a Russian attack is the Nato mission. But right now the US is supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine. No one is doing more to contain the Russian threat than Ukraine. Indeed, Ukraine is in effect fulfilling the entire Nato mission, right now, by absorbing a huge Russian attack. But Vance opposes helping Ukraine, spreads Russian propaganda about Ukraine, and is best known for yelling at Ukraine's president in the Oval Office. On the base, Vance blamed the killing in Ukraine on Joe Biden rather than on Vladimir Putin, which is grotesque. Vance claimed that there is now an energy ceasefire in place between Russia and Ukraine; in fact, Russia violated it immediately. Russia is now preparing a massive spring offensive against Ukraine; the response of Musk-Trump has been to ignore this larger reality completely while allowing Biden-era aid to Ukraine to come to an end. Denmark, meanwhile, has given more than four times as much aid to Ukraine, per capita, than the US. Greenland, Denmark and the US have been enmeshed in complex and effective security arrangements, touching on the gravest scenarios, for the better part of a century. Arctic security, an issue discovered by Trump and Vance very recently, was a preoccuption for decades during and after the cold war. There are fewer than 200 Americans at Pituffik now, where once there were 10,000; there is only that one US base on the island where once there were a dozen; but that is American policy, not Denmark's fault. We really do have a problem taking responsibility. The US has fallen well behind its allies and its rivals in the Arctic, in part because members of Vance's political party denied for decades the reality of global warming, which has made it hard for the US navy to persuade Congress of the need to commission icebreaker ships. The US only has two functional Arctic icebreakers; the Biden administration was intending to cooperate with Canada, which has some, and with Finland, which builds lots, in order to compete with Russia, which has the most. That common plan would have allowed the US to surpass Russia in icebreaking capacity. This is one of countless examples of how cooperation with Nato allies benefits the US. It is not clear what will happen with that arrangement now that Trump and Vance define Canada, like Denmark, as a rival or even as an enemy. Presumably it will break down, leaving Russia dominant. As with everything Musk-Trump does, however, the cui bono question about imperialism in Greenland is easy to answer: Russia benefits. Putin cannot contain his delight with US imperialism over Greenland. In generating artificial crises in relations with both Denmark and Canada, America's two closest allies these last 80 years, the Trump people cut America loose from security gains and create a chaos in which Russia benefits. The American imperialism directed towards Denmark and Canada is not just morally wrong. It is strategically disastrous. The US has nothing to gain from it, and much to lose. There is nothing that Americans cannot get from Denmark or Canada through alliance. The very existence of the base at Pituffik shows that. Within the atmosphere of friendship that has prevailed the last 80 years, all of the mineral resources of Canada and Greenland can be traded for on good terms, or for that matter explored by American companies. The only way to put all of this easy access in doubt was to follow the course that Musk-Trump have chosen: trade wars with Canada and Europe, and the threat of actual wars and annexations. Musk and Trump are creating the bloodily moronic situation in which the US will have to fight wars to get the things that, just a few weeks ago, were there for the asking. And, of course, wars rarely turn out the way one expects. Much effort is spent trying to extract a doctrine from all this. But there is none. It is just senselessness that benefits America's enemies. Hans Christian Andersen told the unforgettable tale of the naked emperor. In Greenland, what we saw was American imperialism with no clothes. Naked and vain. As a parting shot, Vance told Greenlanders that life with the US would be better than with Denmark. Danish officials have been too diplomatic to answer directly the insults directed at them from their own territory during an uninvited visit by imperialist hotheads. Let me though just note a few possible replies, off the top of my head. The comparison between life in the US and life in Denmark is not just polemical. Musk-Trump treat Europe as though it were some decadent abyss, and propose that alliances with dictatorships would somehow be better. But Europe is not only home to our traditional allies; it is an enviable zone of democracy, wealth and prosperity with which it benefits us to have good relations, and from which we can sometimes learn. So consider. The US is 24th in the world in the happiness rankings. Not bad. But Denmark is No 2 (after Finland). On a scale of 1 to 100, Freedom House ranks Denmark 97 and the US 84 on freedom – and the US will drop a great deal this year. An American is about 10 times more likely to be incarcerated than a Dane. Danes have access to universal and essentially free healthcare; Americans spend a huge amount of money to be sick more often and to be treated worse when they are. Danes on average live four years longer than Americans. In Denmark, university education is free; the average balance owed by the tens of millions of Americans who hold student debt in the US is about $40,000. Danish parents share a year of paid parental leave. In the US, one parent might get 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Denmark has children's story writer Hans Christian Andersen. The US has children's story writer JD Vance. American children are about twice as likely as Danish children to die before the age of five. Timothy Snyder is the Richard C Levin professor of history at Yale University, and the chair in modern European history supported by the Temerty endowment for Ukrainian studies at the University of Toronto. His latest book is On Freedom. This post originally appeared on his Substack, Thinking About
The National
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Eid Al Fitr 2025: Eight UAE concerts and events, from Amr Diab to Sting
An eclectic line-up of music events is set to take place across the UAE in the week following Eid Al Fitr, featuring everything from pop concerts and high-profile club performances to children's musicals. While no official date has been confirmed yet, the Emirates Astronomical Society previously stated that Eid Al Fitr is likely to begin on March 31. The official date will be determined by the UAE's moon-sighting committee in the final days of Ramadan. Here are some of the key gigs announced so far for the season. After his sold-out concert at Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Nights in January, Iranian pop star Ebi returns to the stage to perform some of the greatest hits from his illustrious 50-year career. Doors open at 7.30pm; tickets start at Dh595 The ice show features a cast of international competitive skaters as they bring to life the story of newlyweds caught in the grip of a ruthless empress. With a stirring score, the production will transform the arena into a spectacular ice rink. Doors open at 7pm; tickets start at Dh125 Based on the classic fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, this ice show follows a young girl's journey to rescue her friend from the clutches of an evil queen. Choreographed by 2022 Olympic silver medallist Ilia Averbukh, the production features a grand set design and costumes that evoke a fantastical, wintry world. Doors open at 7pm; tickets start at Dh125 The South African producer's work, which has him mixing progressive house with African styles and rhythms, transitioned from an underground sensation to an EDM star. His growing list of collaborations includes Beyonce, Drake and Alicia Keys and his latest Dubai set finds him playing at the ritzy club in the Five Luxe JBR resort. Doors open at 7pm; tickets start at Dh450 The Grammy Award winner is bringing his Sting 3.0 world tour to the UAE capital. He'll be joined by virtuoso guitarist and long-time collaborator Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas (Mumford & Sons, Maggie Rogers) to perform some of the biggest hits from his discography. Doors open 7pm; sold out Leading musicians from the Gulf unite for separate sets showcasing some of the finest modern Khaleeji music. The latest instalment of the concert series features Emirati-Yemeni singer Balqees, Saudi crooner Abadi Al Johar, and Yemeni singer Fouad Abdul Wahed. Doors open at 7pm; tickets start at Dh195 This ballet performance celebrates beloved fairy tale heroes, from Sleeping Beauty to Aladdin, drawing inspiration from American composer Alexey Shor's piano concert series From My Bookshelf, Childhood Memories and Travel Notebook. Under the direction of choreographer Francesco Ventriglia, principal dancers from European dance theatres will perform on a stage adorned with costumes and set designs by Roberta Guidi di Bagno. Doors open at 7.30pm; tickets start at Dh450 The chart-topping singer has arguably been the reigning pop king in the region since his 1983 debut album Ya Tareea. He also made a mark beyond the Arabic-speaking world, with his 1996 hit Nour El Ain becoming one of the most popular pop songs to come out of the Middle East. Doors open at 6pm; tickets start at Dh326
Khaleej Times
20-03-2025
- Khaleej Times
From UAE to Denmark: Must-see destinations beyond Copenhagen
Once known as the Land of the Vikings, the Nordic country of Denmark is one of the most progressive countries today and ranks among the top in terms of innovation, quality of life, sustainability and inclusivity. While the capital city of Copenhagen is a bustling metropolis known for its uber cool vibe, royalty, cutting edge design, modern architecture, picturesque canals and a vibrant gastronomic scene, there are several places beyond the capital that are equally charming. At the risk of sounding cliched, Denmark offers a medley of sights that offer unique experiences in terms of history, art, architecture and culture. Here are some of the places you can visit on your next trip to Denmark: Odense: located on the island of Funen, Odense is the third largest city of Denmark after Copenhagen and Aarhus and is just over 160km from the capital. Easily accessible by train, this city offers a multitude of interesting attractions. One of them is the Funen village which is an open-air museum centred around the pillars of sustainability and community. It focuses on the life of the past and its relevance in today's times. With over 25 buildings including schools, farmhouses, residences, hospitals, barns and granaries from the yesteryears, this museum shares invaluable lessons from the days of the yore. The display serves as an inspiration and shows the benefits of a circular lifestyle that is eco-friendly. Odense is incidentally the birth place of literary genius Hans Christian Andersen and is a haven for all you fairy tale lovers. While here you can visit the original house in which he was born; a simple structure that has been preserved impeccably. The Hans Christian Andersen Museum, which was opened in 2021 is one of the most popular places to visit in Odense. Designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, this interactive museum houses several unique and rare artefacts from the life of Andersen including his travel souvenirs, personal letters, original manuscripts, awards and even his waste paper basket! There are displays related to his famous fairy tales, including The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina and The Ugly Duckling, which are sure to evoke reflection and conjure new perspectives. Apart from the Odense Cathedral in the city centre, the city has several engaging museums including the Art Museum Brandts and TIME museum for Odense. Before you leave make sure you visit Storms Pakhus which is the city's largest street food market. This erstwhile industrial warehouse has been creatively converted into a food court and sports a vibe that is distinctively quirky and eclectic. Think colourful, kitschy décor, chairs crafted from used drums, tables from soft drink crates and containers repurposed into planters. Roskilde: The former capital of Denmark, Roskilde is located about 30km from Copenhagen and is again easily accessible by road and train. With scenic fjords scattered all over, Roskilde has a number of compelling sights including the Roskilde Cathedral and the renowned Viking Ship Museum. The Roskilde cathedral, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site, was the first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick in Denmark and has been the burial place of the Danish royal family members since the 15th century. While in the cathedral admire its unique architecture, witness the tombs of over 40 queens and kings and the numerous chalk paintings on the walls. It is interesting to note that a model of the tombstone where Queen Margrethe II will be potentially buried is also ready and open for visitors to see. Explore the world of the Vikings including ships, Nordic boats, maritime trades, weapons and warships at the Viking Ship Museum. The museum has a permanent exhibition of five original Skuldelev ships that have been painstakingly and perfectly restored. It highlights the process of restoration including the materials used, trials and tests undertaken. You can also climb onto one of the ships to get a real feel of how the ships of the yesteryears were built. Also on display are objects used by the Vikings like weapons, armours, jewellery and even board games. There is also a section dedicated to the different kinds of ropes used by the Vikings in their ships. Helsingør: Also known as Elsinore, Helsingør is a port city in eastern Denmark and is synonymous with the 15th-century Kronborg Castle. This castle is the setting for one of the most famous plays of Shakespeare, Hamlet and has been immortalised as Elsinore in the play. It is an important historical and cultural sight and has also been accorded the Unesco World Heritage status. Dating back to 1420, the Kronborg castle was a site of strategic importance and all ships passing through the Baltic Sea paid tolls at the castle. Apart from the royal apartments that are located in the first floor, the castle houses richly decorated halls, a chapel and a ball room. The furniture, tapestry and chandeliers are grandiose and so are the sandstone ornaments that have been crafted in exquisite designs. Further, take a tour of the enigmatic crypts and catacombs in the castle. Do not forget to meet the stone statue of Ogier the Dane (Holger Danske) who is a legendary figure in Danish culture. It is believed that Ogier the Dane will wake up from his rock throne whenever Denmark is in trouble and will defend her! While in Elsinore, you can also visit the M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark, which is a time travel of 600 years taking you on a voyage of Danish seafaring history. Frederiksborg Castle: Another important landmark and historical site in Denmark, the Frederiksborg Castle is located in Hillerød and dates back to the 17th century. This stunning castle is nestled amidst three islands and breathtakingly beautiful baroque gardens. This castle built by King Christian IV is incidentally the largest Renaissance castle in Scandinavia and is the epitome of Renaissance architecture and superior craftsmanship. It was destroyed by a fire in 1859 but rebuilt and restored to its original glory by the founder of the brewery, Carlsberg, J. C. Jacobsen. Since 1878, the castle is home to the Museum of National History and traces the history of Denmark right from the Middle Ages to the present times. From scores of sculptures, paintings, artefacts and pieces of art, the museum has objects that have shaped the country's history. You can also visit the castle's state rooms and the chapel. The latter incidentally survived the fire and stands tall since the times of Christian IV. It is key to note that even today the Danish kings and queens are anointed in this very chapel.
