Mobile libraries in South America

January 2nd, 2007

One of my New Years Resolutions is to try to be more peaceful with my overall aura. One of the causes of my anxiety issue is angst, both internal and external. And, after witnessing one of the cruelist forms of humanity unfold on television and the Web this weekend, I think the world is in need of a group hug.

(I’ve actually done a 180 on my views of the death penalty, and, after talking to my mother-in-law about it, we concluded that most of us are for the death penalty if we can personalize it - If someone murdered someone in my family, I would probably want them to die. The death penalty is so hard a concept for me to contemplate to be fully conclusive on what I think about it, and I think that’s the point. It’s different for each situation. For me though, I’m now mostly against it. Contradictory, I know.)

I’ve also unsbscribed to a good number of blogs that have added to my angst over the past year. The list would probably surprise you, and I’m not going to publish it, because that would only cause more angst. I just know that I won’t want to scream and yell everytime I read certain types of blog posts.

I’m getting there. It’s a process to peace. As Safam sings, “Peace by Piece, we will bring this world together”

In keeping with the theme, I just read a piece from Springwise on a bus company called Itapemirim:

“Itapemirim, the major bus carrier in South America, covers more than 85% of Brazilian territory, and its buses travel more than 300 million kilometres per year. The company recently started supporting a project developed by well-known local cartoonist Mauricio de Souza: a library on wheels. The library buses will travel throughout the country to give low income kids the opportunity to improve their reading skills and be exposed to a variety of cultural experiences.

Stocked with more than 1,000 books, the mobile library is decorated with Mauricio de Souza’s popular cartoon characters (Turma da Mônica), and is equipped with computers with internet access, aiming to help underprivileged children bridge the digital divide. The library bus also has audio and video installed to be able to show movies, another fairly rare experience for children in rural areas.”

Good on ya Itapemirim. By doing good towards our fellow man and decreasing our worldly angst whenever possible, we may actually find ourselves celebrating life more often than death. If you are interested in other non-profit and social causes, take a look at Springwise’s top 5 from last year.

Here’s to peace.

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