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Report on Alliance of Women Scientists, 2014

The Fourth International Conference of the Alliance of Women Scientists and Scholars for a Better World was held July 21-24, 2014. The theme of the conference was: The World is as We Are: Culturing the

Balancing Praise and Criticism

Like many girls of my generation, I was raised to be nice and not make waves. I also happened to be an extremely sensitive child, which on the one hand was useful as I developed my skills as a writer. Writers, after all, need large reserves of empathy to understand the people they write about.

On the other hand, writing for publication requires you to develop a tough skin, to become impervious to praise and criticism. Writing is a profession that subjects you to rejection, revision, and in some sense, criticism, on a daily basis. Of course it also subjects you to praise and accolades when you hit it right. A rather tortuous career choice for someone who cares too much about what other people say about them.

Saving a Bathhouse in Uzbekistan: The Human Side of International Development

 Linda Cloutier is a certified teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique in Ottawa, Canada. Before becoming a TM teacher she worked for 20 years with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), an organization that administered

Moms Say: Taking Time to Meditate is Good for Kids

Having watched the “Mommy Wars” from the safe perspective of one who has no children of my own, I do wonder how moms these days keep up with their jobs, their marriages, their kids, staying fit and posting on Facebook every day.

In a sometimes funny, sometimes poignant piece in the Sunday Review opinion column of the New York Times, Heather Havrilesky, journalist and mother, comes down squarely on the side of “enough is enough is enough.”

What Makes Great Literature Great?

What makes great literature great? Why do some short stories, plays and novels strike a universal chord and impart relevant and meaningful wisdom hundreds or even thousands of years later?

According to a new book on literature and language, it all comes down to the consciousness of the writer. If the writer is able to fathom the depths of silence within herself, she can convey that depth of wisdom to others through her writing.

A Woman’s Right to Excel

I live in New York where recently I have been receiving a relentless flow of mail and email from the Women’s Equality Party. Speaking about gender inequality a few days ago, President Obama commented. ‘‘The

Educating from the Inside Out in Thailand

A University that Develops the Full Potential of Students

(Part three of a three-part series)

Gail Connellee didn’t expect to go back to school in her 60s. She already had a BA in education and worked as a counselor. But when she heard about the opportunity to earn an MA degree at the Rajapark Institute in Bangkok, Thailand, she decided to return to the classroom.

Press Delete on Women’s Five Top Health Concerns

I checked with Amy Ruff, BSN, RN, WOCN, to learn how the practice of the TM technique reduces the risk factors for, onset of, or difficulties that come along with the five top health concerns

The Family that Meditates Together

I grew up in the era when families ate their evening meals together (think the Donna Reed Show and Leave It To Beaver). Intuitively, it makes sense that it’s good for kids to share the family meal as an anchor in the day.

It turns out science backs up this notion. First of all, there are benefits for digestion and healthy eating itself. A study by Harvard Medical School has shown that children who eat with their parents eat less junk food, eat more fruits and vegetables, and ingest more of the nutrients needed for their developing nervous systems and to fend off heart disease and cancer later in life.

Educating from the Inside Out in Thailand

The Story of Two Students

(Part two of a three-part series)

The word “education” comes from the Latin verb “educere” which means “to lead out.” For children in many parts of the world, an education is a way to lead their families from poverty to prosperity. In Thailand, education for girls means the difference between a life spent working in a respected trade or profession and living on the street.