Learn more about Msiba, My Love

Lily Strand publishing has created a website---http://www.msibamylove.com so that online viewers can learn more about their latest publication -Msiba,My Love and its writer Ivan A. Khayiat.


It is also possible to order the book online.


The site has material from Ivan A. Khayiat's early collection of poems Quest by Day, Vigil by Night.. Msiba was launched last Friday in Suriname and has had an enthusiastic response from the public.


This coffee table photo book with the Tagore  award winning poem is a collector's item and an ideal gift. The book is an excellent example of the creative skill of Surinamese.


The book was printed by Suriprint N.V and Design work was done by Studio TMC and ChadLab.com.


Suriname buyers can come to the AlphaMax Academy to get their copies.

To Us; Reann Kersenhout's First Prize Speech in Tagore Art Competition

Reann Kersenhout won the first prize for prose in the Junior section of the National Tagore Art competition held in May 2011. This is her speech.

To Us

            A great Sind once said, “Forced as we are to live in a society which is itself tyrannical, and which cannot always be gainsaid, I was often obliged to concede what I did not believe in, but what others around me insisted on.  But I always had it in my mind to create an atmosphere.”  This Sind, who goes by the name of Rabindranath Tagore, awakened us to acknowledge the difficulties that lie ahead.  One of these difficulties is grasping our freedom. 

            Freedom from greed, fear, anger, and narrow-minded convictions is a challenge we need to face.  Because we are surrounded and influenced by illusions and walls even in our own society, it reaches our inmost being.  Yet our thoughts, our feelings, our truth should not be trapped; as long as that is free we can all escape. 

But what is freedom? Freedom is not an object, and therefore “free from” is different from “freedom”.  It all starts with the “freedom of mind”, the thoughts, the sensitivity, the awareness.  To allow your moral thoughts to wander freely and guide you, it would mean that you have mastered one of the basic senses of freedom.  And it is because you allow these thoughts in, you will realize that disciplining yourself is also a form of freedom.  Being free means upholding the truth, for only then can you really face the lies that form a blinded vision.  It will also make you see that freedom is not only what is desired, but being able to control that desire.  Naturally freedom brings peace for it satisfies an inner calmness.  This and many more are the inner realms we are looking for.  But we should not look far into vanity to search for our freedom, for Nature is constantly reminding us that freedom is right here to allow us to change for the better; to strive for perfection.  Nature, with its very grace, is telling us through the changing of the days that we have a new chance everyday to become better.  In fact we receive freedom from the universe; we just need to appreciate and allow ourselves to connect with it. 

Strangely enough, the restrictions that do not permit us to be free are of our own doing.  Somehow we have allowed our thoughts to become corrupted and have therefore created systems that confine us.  Generations pass, and now the illusions are controlling- or even worse -shaping us.  Look at education, for example. The task of guiding our children’s knowledge and development has become too much concerned with whether you understand the text rather than becoming wise in life.  Yes, even education is part of the difficulty, but it is not only education. What about laws?  What is it based on these days? Do free people, free minds need law? The creation of such restrictions is due to the belief that we were not free.  Free people are never really concerned with just law but with justice, which should be what law is based on.  And this justice is really found in our own inner court, in our moral consciousness, which brings us back to the freedom of mind. 

Although we are at this stage of the world, we should not degrade ourselves.  We could for example, redeem ourselves from a “tyrannical society” by creating an atmosphere.  But what exactly is the atmosphere?  It is the energy glowing from us, encouraging our thoughts to direct itself in a direction that will show us our path of freedom.  And to create an atmosphere is to create a space that will allow us to do this.  A great way to apply this atmosphere is in education in order to start with the children.  This is what it is about, educating our children in the free way so they can create a better tomorrow. 

 There are certain reasons why people such as Tagore come and bring us something.  He reminded us that there are ways to improve.  And that is freedom; it is a chance to get better.    So now we as humankind, as children of the Universe, are at a new age, and are asked to accept this chance.    The real question is: will we do it?  Will we stay in our confined space, or shall we head in a new direction? Change is something that will always happen, but the only thing to do is to change to become perfect; to become free.   It is true that we are facing growing challenges, and major successes.   It is therefore our job to get rid of the foolishness of the world, and bring a proud, unified, and free name to our Age. 

Reflections by Kristina Taylor

This the Prize Winning  Entry for Junior Poetry in Suriname's Tagore Art Competition 2011

 Kristina Taylor

Reflections

Confronted with the horror of modern days,

I often think to create a better tomorrow,

As corruption imprisons us in a maze,

My eyes start to fill with sorrow.

So, I often travel to an unknown land

Which not many journey to see,

For too few in these times can understand

How enchanted peace and harmony can be.

As the trees reach up to the blue sky surround me

The sage of Sind keeps me company;

Amid natural steams, peace and simplicity

We speak freely of mysteries that set all living souls free:

For this fair land which too few have found,

Waits for all who want to be unbound!

Jason Jones' Prize Winning Poem in Tagore Competition

This is the third prize winning entry in the School  Poetry Section of the Tagore Art Competition in Suriname –May 2011

The Biggest Problem in the World by Jason Jones

The biggest problem in the world.

Is the lack of love.

If we have love, we have everything we need.

If we have love we automatically have,

 Respect ,honesty and almost everything,

That will make the world a better place.

If we have respect that means,

That there will be no more wars.

We will respect each other and there will be only peace.

If we have honesty that means,

We're going to have honest governments.

And there will be no more rich and poor.

But we all will unite as ONE.

A Better World by Xiomara Getrouw

                               

Second Prize Winner in The Tagore Art Competition --Schools

A Better World by  Xiomara Getrouw

A better world

We can make a better world

When telling people about God (Holy Spirit)

and pulling them out of the mud

When we give cove with a pure heart

We can make a better world

By being color blind

Respecting everyone by being kind

Wether black or white, poor or rich

We can make a better world

When we realize we have no other place

Only here our children could be save

and a bright future can be made

This earth must be treated as it should

Give all the love to each other

To make this place a better world.