Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand // Deftly feeling their way along the bumps of the Braille score, the young players of Thailand’s first blind orchestra memorise scales, defying both their impairment and ingrained negative attitudes towards disability.
It is rehearsal time just hours ahead of a concert at an open-air auditorium in a national park, and about 30 fledgling classical musicians enthusiastically strum, pluck and bow instruments they have held but never seen.
“At first it was really hard for me ... I wanted to stop,” said Joe, a 14-year-old budding cellist who picked up the instrument nine months ago.
“But when I realised that others could do it, I gave it another try,” he said, smiling broadly.
Official figures show that Thailand has 1.8 million disabled people, of whom about 180,000 are blind, in a population of more than 64 million.
Yet campaigners say state provision for the disabled is poor, compounding a widely held Buddhist belief in karma that, in the minds of many, links physical impairments with supposed misdeeds in a past life.
The Thai Blind Orchestra, made up of players between eight and 15 years old, offers a rare positive platform for disabled Thais.
The orchestra, who use donated instruments, were brought together by a professional classical musician whose day job is looking after elephants in the Khao Yai national park in northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province.
The seeds of the idea were planted when the blind students met their soon-to-be maestro, Alongkot Chukaew, 43, at his conservation classes in the park.
Teaching with the help of audio aids, including his guitar, Alongkot noticed music caught the attention of the children.
He asked his music teachers to play different instruments and encouraged the youngsters to follow the sound they liked best.
As their affinity with their chosen instrument mushroomed, Alongkot introduced a Braille system for the students to learn to read classical music.
Shown how to position their fingers on their instruments, the children then memorise both the notes and the correct placement to make the right sounds.
“It was hard because they cannot see the demonstration of where to put their fingers or hold the bows,” said Alongkot. “But it was fun.
“Some people might not like their performance, but the kids are happy and have fun with it.”
Attitudes towards disability across South-east Asia are often shaped by a sense of karmic destiny.
The same philosophy that encourages people to do good deeds so they may be rewarded on reincarnation also leads people to believe that the disabled suffer their impediments because of their actions in a past life.
It is something that holds back progressive policies and leaves many of the region’s disabled in poverty or hidden at home by ashamed families.
“Disabled people are the poorest of the poor,” said Suporntum Mongkolsawadi, 48, a Thai double-amputee since childhood who now campaigns for improved rights and heads the Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities
“The belief in karma makes disabled people think they should just surrender and accept their fate.”
Activists say other countries in the region such as Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines tend to have a better track record of rolling out disability aids and policies.
Mr Suporntum blames Thailand’s lag on years of political instability and short-lived governments for hampering policy changes to transport, education and health.
While the law codifies equality, in practice life remains at best complex for many disabled Thais.
Most public transport lacks wheelchair access, few state offices have ramps and there are no Braille signs and few voice signals.
Jobs are also sparse while social opprobrium runs high.
But Mr Suporntum sees some reasons for hope, saying the ruling Thai junta is well placed to drive through change, after it vowed to make society more inclusive and include rights for all in its reform agenda.
In January, a Bangkok court ordered that lifts be installed at 19 more stations of the capital’s elevated skytrain service within a year – up from four currently – an issue Suporntum has campaigned on for eight years.
But for real change to take place Thailand must first shed its preconceptions on disability, says Rosalina Alexander McKay, an activist from the Rainbow Room Foundation in Bangkok who has a seven-year-old daughter with Down’s Syndrome.
“You don’t have to change the belief system but you have to change your ways of looking at things.”
As sighted volunteers prepare to lead the orchestra to their seats – and instruments – on the open-air stage, cellist Joe says he refuses to be held back by received notions of karma.
“I cannot see but I have good ears ... that is my gift in music,” he says, the outline of trees overhead as the stage lights catch his crisp white shirt.
“When we lose one thing, there will always be a substitute.”
* Agence France-Presse
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
HOW TO WATCH
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Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
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Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
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- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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