Blog - The Kaizen Times

Women in Art: Celebrating the Triumphs and Trials of Female Artists

21Sep

By Kaizen HighNo Comments

K-Global, K-Literature

Women in Art: Celebrating the Triumphs and Trials of Female Artists

Throughout the pages of history, women have stood as silent architects of society's grandeur. Yet, their extraordinary contributions, gracing the realms of art, literature, and science, have remained the concealed gems that have often been overlooked and undervalued. This disregard can be attributed to the presence of gender-based obstacles and societal biases that hindered the recognition of women's achievements. In the realm of art, women have often faced discouragement as they have frequently been depicted as subjects in numerous artworks, such as the Mona Lisa, but have seldom been celebrated as artists. However, they have made significant progress, evolving from marginalized figures to influential creators. It is imperative to celebrate the creativity and resilience of women in art b...

The Pakhtoon Community: A Tapestry of History, Culture, and Resilience

11Jul

By Kaizen High2 Comments

K-Pakistan

The Pakhtoon Community: A Tapestry of History, Culture, and Resilience

The history and customs of the Pakhtoons, a distinctive community with a rich heritage, have been extensively studied by authors such as Olaf Caroe, Dr. Bellew, Longworth Dames, Ghani Khan, and Brigadier Omar Shahid Afridi. In fact, emperor Jahangir also had a great interest on this topic and the very first work on the history of Pakhtoon was also completed in his reign in 1612 by his courtier Niamatullah under the name Maghzan e Afghani .His book also brought many controversies with it as for the very first time he associated pakhtoons with the lost tribes of Jews and this lacked factual grounds. The Pakhtoons are of Aryan stock and have strong ties to the Turkish-Persian race. They are a conglomeration of tribes that have retained their identity over time, often migrating due to conq...

18Jun

By Kaizen HighNo Comments

K-Global, K-Pakistan

The Quiet Cleansing

Pooja Kumar, an 18 year old Hindu girl was shot dead by people of influence in the rural, and feudal town of Rohri, Sindh. Her sin only consisted of resisting forced marriage at the hand of Wahid Bux Lashari, the accused, according to police reports. Although exact figures are arduous to obtain, almost twenty Hindu girls are abducted and converted to Islam in Pakistan every single month. As per UN reports, Hindu girls as young as thirteen are being kidnapped, trafficked and coerced to marry men twice, triple their age and consequently forced to convert to Islam. These marriages and conversions take place through coercive mechanisms such as threatening, violence or excommunication and although coercion is hard to prove, humanitarian activists say close to a 1000 Hindu girls have beco...

The Viability of Premarital Screening in Pakistan

11Jun

By Kaizen HighNo Comments

K-Pakistan

The Viability of Premarital Screening in Pakistan

With its first human settlement dating back to 5000 years, Pakistan and its lands has witnessed several population trajectories; translating into the modern age in the form of the several ethnicities found across the country. This diversity is homogenous and is often strengthened by consanguineous marriages as a consequence of antiquated ideas of unity. In recent years, these practices have given rise to a discussion about the viability and potential risks of premarital screening to guarantee that two partners can produce genetically healthy offspring. Alswaidi and O’brien define premarital screening as a medical examination of individuals about to enter into marriage. This test checks for potential risk of blood genetic and infectious diseases like thalassemia, HIV, Hepatitis, etc. On th...

28Mar

By Kaizen High1 Comment

K-Entertainment, K-Global

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

It’s a tale as old as time, really. Humans have always been drawn to power, to beauty, to glory. To everything that will eventually be their undoing. Throughout history, brilliant men and women have found themselves seized by a deep, subconscious desire that has slowly consumed them fully. There has always been this undying wish, this undeniable thirst, to prove their worth and to leave behind something. A mark; a scar. Anything to let it be known that they once lived. That they once walked this very Earth. Let me tell you a story. 10,000 years ago, a young child stumbled upon a cave hidden in the mountainside while tending to his herd. Ignoring his mother’s calls for supper, he went to explore, to poke around and see all that his little heart desired. He took in everything: the ...

6Mar

By Kaizen HighNo Comments

K-Pakistan

Elite Capture Of The State

The current political and economic turmoil in Pakistan has led to polarization on a magnitude not only within Pakistan but around most of the politically tense world. Whether you have been awarded the title of a Patwari or a Youthiya, whether your opponents are the Beggars or the Niazis, you are still affected by the universal consequence that the ‘Us versus Them’ political mentality encompasses - an inability to hold the real perpetrators accountable - the elite. Elites within Pakistan, whether they be military elites, industrial elites or feudal elites, have in essence managed a chokehold not only on the entire political machinery of Pakistan but the state itself. A subtle, yet ironically explicit way through which this chokehold on the state is enforced is political polarization whi...

<strong>The Enigma of Anne Boleyn: A Queen Slain or a Scheming Sinner?</strong>

16Feb

By Rameen GillaniNo Comments

K-Entertainment, K-Global

The Enigma of Anne Boleyn: A Queen Slain or a Scheming Sinner?

Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII's second wife, has been the subject of much historical conjecture for centuries, leaving one to ponder whether she was a cunning manipulator who rose to power through her wit and charm, or rather, a victim of political conspiracies - unjustly accused and executed. The answer, unfortunately, remains shrouded in mystery, but it is worth exploring the story of this intriguing figure. Anne Boleyn, born into a prominent family in England in the early 16th century, was renowned for her intelligence, charm, and quick wit. In 1525, she caught the eye of King Henry VIII and their romantic relationship began, despite the fact that it was controversial as the king was still married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The importance of King Henry's marriage to Anne...

4Feb

By Bilal NajafNo Comments

K-Entertainment, K-Global

Contemplating The Face Of God: Sufi Art

"A way and a means of striking a root through the 'narrow gate' in the depth of the soul out into the domain of the pure arid un-imprisonable Spirit which itself opens out onto the Divinity." That is how Ahmad Al Tajani (a revered Sufi born in modern day Algeria) defines Sufism and even though there have been many definitions, this quintessentially addresses the core embodiment of the Sufi philosophy. Just like art, Sufism knows no bounds. It could be found in the hands of the dervishes in India while also residing with the Alawiyya community in France. Sufism echoes through history and paves the way for a more meaningful future and to aid this ART at its forefronts. It is deep rooted in Sufi philosophy but the most well-known and exalted example would be of Jalal al-Din Rumi. ...

31Jan

By Noor-ul-AinNo Comments

K-Pakistan

Through the Lens Of The Diminished : A Chronicle of Amin Maktab Visit

Amin Maktab. A sanctuary for the ostracised. A refuge for the unacknowledged. An abode for the dismissed. An institution that symbolizes hope in the utmost sense. Despite the dark hallways that encompass Amin Maktab, they are juxtaposed with the humanity radiating from its inhabitants. Initially established as a Special Education School, the philanthropic community of Amin Maktab has since evolved from 1985 to have autonomy over their purpose and vision by having their proper infrastructure credited with the provision of credible facilities for over 100 challenged children. On 11th January 2023, our Kaizen Lions-in-Service community collaborated with Special Olympics Pakistan, another organization mirroring the sentiment of their mission as Amin Maktab to empower special needs individu...

23Jan

By Ali RazaNo Comments

K-Global

The Herd-ification of the Ubermensch

German philosopher and an academic professor, Frederick Nietzsche, has served as an inspiration to a plethorha of people from the likes of public intellectuals such as Carl Jung, to brutal tyrants such as Hitler himself. Largely considered a nihilist, his statement on the ‘death of God’ is his more notoriously controversial subject (which is a discussion for another day), but his ideas on the method to live a fulfilling life and his critique of the ‘herd’ mentality is what has influenced the lives of his readers greatly. The ‘herd’, which can be described as the society one lives in, is the easy way out, according to Nietzsche. The way of life where one is told what to believe, what to do, and where self-determination is largely absent is unfulfilling because in a seemingly meaningless...