The biggest changes in recent years have been related to technology and internet. Social networks connect us and make it possible to share an incredible amount of information about almost everything. We can be stronger if we think together in a more egalitarian and sustainable future to coffee in the world. Together we can build relevant and useful knowledge to promote the empowerment of women along the coffee chain. We can interact, create and tell our history together. This power will be even greater if each one stops “playing alone”.
There are no pleasures in a battale, but some battles are a pleasure to win - by Irene Gutierrez1/30/2015 What is it that they call inspiration? To whom does it belong? The dictionary describes it, as the entry of air into the lungs, but actually it is what takes my breath away and makes me shed tears of joy. It’s an invitation to dream of “what if”.
Change is a factor that has been instrumental in my life and it has left lasting impressions in many decisive moments. It has allowed me to enjoy happy and bitter situations, and each has shaped the woman I am today.
We all look up to strong, independent women. And Sunalini Menon is one of them! by Urvashi Malhotra12/19/2014 Motivation – it’s a multi-layered word, full of depth and emotion. It’s what keeps us going, what propels us forward and gives one the inspiration to meet the challenges that come our way.
WHERE ARE THE WOMEN?
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If we think of humans as energy, we understand that we are part of the infinite transformations that exist. Physical changes are evident with the passage of time and the inner changes, although they are harder to identify, they are real and aren't related with time, they depend only on us. |
However, I agree and recognize that there are small changes we all can do every day, making a big difference in us and in humanity.
The changes we make may have consequences at the time, such as a pregnancy or a bomb. Or it may have future consequences like studying a profession, conducting research or even the infamous global warming.
Changes may be a conscious decision such as saying "I do" or could be an adaptation like a chameleon's skin… as Mercedes Sosa says in her song: todo cambia.
Analyzing my changes, I recognize that in 26 years, changes are evident, even though I look younger, I measure and weigh more than when I was born! These changes are predestined, but the changes that make who I am today are what really matter. I know I have not been the stereotype daughter, student, or professional female model, but the model according to whom?
I have been the best person I can be and I am focused on always being better. I grew by my own experiences as well as the experiences of society that I have adopted for myself. I will not deny that along the way I made mistakes and some I prefer to forget, but every one of those mistakes and goals make me unique and help me to be prepared for what comes later.
I have studied and constantly broken those limitations that keep me from moving forward; they might have been easy or difficult, but clearly inevitable when I have a goal to reach. Upon arrival, I have to confess that I always doubt whether it is the process or the achievement that is more enjoyable, since most of my learning comes from the process.
As is the yin-yang in this case, the opposite of change is immobility and it is true that at times we must stop, but it should not be forever. It should be like a pause to design and choose the best option, try to always be and do better than ever. Inaction? Not an option! I don't accept it as a standard for any society. We are part of the evolution of life; and well…nothing is more dynamic than life itself.
At the end of the battle, the combatant dead, a man
approached him and said to him:
'Don’t die; I love you so much!'
but the corpse, alas!, kept on dying.
Two more came up to him and repeated:
'Don’t leave us! Be brave! Come back to life!'
but the corpse, alas!, kept on dying.
Twenty, a hundred, a thousand, five hundred thousand
appeared, crying out:
'So much love, and no power against death!'
but the corpse, alas!, kept on dying.
Millions of individuals surrounded him
with a common plea: 'Don’t leave us brother!'
but the corpse, alas!, kept on dying.
Then all the inhabitants of the earth surrounded him;
the corpse looked at them sadly, deeply moved;
he got up slowly
embraced the first man; started to walk…
"Mass" by Cesar Vallejo
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It sometimes happens that life seems to have no direction, fate turns gray. Life is a long journey with wonderful experiences, but also with stones that hindered the way. I’m sure we've all had to fight for something sometime; we’ve been doing it since childhood. But if we have meaningful goals in life, this will helps us to move forward and never give up.
I recently tripped over some of these stones during my life’s journey. I must confess, they were hard and undesirable moments, but if you are sure you can overcome them, these stones will make you stronger. I recently had an episode in my life that troubled my health and it became more worrying when I realized that also the doctors didn’t know what was happening to me, they could not find an accurate diagnosis. My health was getting worse, the daily routine, activities and objectives were left aside. The frustrating daily pain did not let me think of good things. But within all this darkness, I found angels who helped me get ahead, starting with my family that has never left my side, helped me to dodge the stones. We fought together and found caring people, good doctors who at last we able to give me a diagnosis and possible treatment. It was a long time of uncertainty, but I was able to the see the light at the end of the tunnel.
My friends also played an important role. Their concern moved me and filled me with strength. My friends and my family gave me the desire to heal and move forward.
At a certain point, I stopped thinking about the bad things and I decided to change those negative thoughts into positive things, short term goals initially – things as simple as finishing my lunch, come home and fall asleep in my bed . Little things like dessert after lunch filled my day with joy! I then started to give myself more ambitious goals, some of which I have been able to fulfill already.
This journey is difficult. I know there are still visible stones up ahead, but from my own experience so far, I know that anything is possible. The unconditional support of my loving family, the goals I have set for myself, the concerns of my true friends have all helped me to continue on this path and to never give up.
We cannot control the wind, but we can adjust the sails - by Raquel Santos Soares Menezes
11/14/2014
Diversity. This is my inspiration to join this project. In the area where I work professionally – in administration - the relevance of this topic in organizational space led to the creation of the term "diversity management", such is the importance of achieving an environment where people can live harmoniously and productively, with others from different cultures, nationalities, races, genders, sexual orientations, etc.
Diversity has been one of the most achieved goals in companies that seek to recognize and enhance the competitive advantage through people. In practice, effective actions that promote diversity have been encouraged for several reasons.
In the case of multinational organizations, for example, the coexistence between people of different countries is a clear need, and therefore efforts are targeted to expatriates and locals take the best advantage of its multicultural experience for both.
However, with the diversity of gender, this "need" is not so clear, since men and women cannot always occupy the organizational space "as equals". Although women have gained rights and opportunities in the aspect of the public life in many countries and sectors, this reality does not correspond to effective gender equity - in other words, diversity by means of the difference, with equal opportunities for all.
When I started researching on the topic of women in business, I faced representations of masculine women, reinforcing gender stereotypes rooted in the social imaginary. Acting in business management and preserving femininities still seems to be a difficult barrier to be overcome, particularly in some sectors such as agribusiness. Referring to femininities in the plural means recognizing that each woman is unique and creates her own way, her different way of being and expressing herself as a woman. This is the real wealth of diversity: that every woman can choose to be herself, creating and recreating the countless possibilities of the feminine in organizations.
In a global project for the coffee chain such as the "Quiet Revolution", diversity means acknowledging that women in each country - producer or consumer - have their own gender history and symbols. By sharing our stories and experiences, we can build an environment more prosperous for the role of women in this sector.
As the flowers of each variety of coffee beans that produce different types of drink, each of us brings our own contribution to diversify and enrich the debate on greater participation of women in coffee. Creativity, entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability and even more collaborative organizations in business involving coffee: these are the fruits that diversity can bequeath us.
I moved away from my job, I took over my coffee farm; I built my Kaba Café business -- a coffee specialty marketer both nationally and internationally--, as well as Kaba Coffee Center, the first barista, cupping, and coffee roasting school in Costa Rica. |
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