It remains part of most parents' debate, whether children should be hit or not. Many parents experience negative consequences from beating in raising children, others report positive change. Yet we know that both kinds of parents, beating or not, have the same goal: to make their children well-behaved.

Each child is different. Each child has their own mental state and their own physical condition. There are those who can bear being hit and change for the better, but there are those who got damaged by corporal punishment they received when they were younger.

In every community, there are those people who testify that being hit once they were kids shaped the person they are as adults in a positive way. As for them, corporal punishment help remember discipline and behave appropriately in public. Many found that beating education was one of the factors that make them achieve better academically.

However, it can also be observed in children, who were frequently beaten, that they can become violent once teens and adults. Violence can take the form of bullying friends or worse, perpetrating violence against spouses or children.

It is important to note that spanking children can be considered positive if done appropriately. According to scientists, parents should not slap on certain body parts if they do not want their children to get injured for their entire life.

Ear is an important and the most vulnerable part of the body. A strong slap can lead to swelling, which affects the eardrum and the brain. Back is where vital parts – the spinal cord and the backbone – are located. Excessive hitting on the back can lead to spinal cord injury.

Butt is the part that parents often hit on, unaware of its small blood vessels. Spanking may affect children’s health and their cognitive faculties. For little boys in particular, it may leave lifelong after-effects on their genitals.

Nape is the part that parents must avoid hitting on, in order to not expose the kid to respiratory risks.

Nonviolence aligns with children’s rights protection. Parents who still use physical punishment must be aware of the risks their child are running. Some parents are unconsciously killing their kids. That is why many unaware parents or educators get sometimes imprisoned. There are countries where ban on parents smacking their children has become law.

Sources: Psychology Today, Kids Health, Washington Post, Voice of America

In many foreign countries, numerous tales are written to educate children such as "Sleeping Beauty", "Beauty and the Beast", "The Little Mermaid", and many others. Those stories are wonderful, but Malagasy people also have their own. For the Ntaolo, the Malagasy ancestors, they created the Angano — Malagasy tales— for their descendants to learn from. In old times, Angano were told in the evening around the fire when the sun sets, and the moon rises in its place.

Angano is typical of Malagasy culture. It remains a wonderful art because an Angano-teller uses many figures of speech which make the story amazingly humerous. Nowadays, many Malagasy parents still have the privilege to use Angano as a tool to instruct their children through the messages and teachings conveyed in these Malagasy tales.

Angano is an original way to communicate essential Malagasy values, such as Malagasy unity, honesty, human spirit, and many others.

Today, the story recounted by the Ntaolo has not changed, but the way it is told has varied with more modernity. They have been recorded in books or interpreted in order to reach and inspire more a wider audience.

Hasina Samoelinanja, a mpikabary and narrator, has revived the Angano because the myths— which were created by the ancestors long ago— are still relevant in modern life. When he was young at school, he learned some of the stories in the Malagasy tales; now he notices that the values and teachings of the ancient people are still alive, and it would be important to revive them.

In the past, children were the main targeted audience of Ntaolo’s stories. Nowadays, adults are interested in and enjoy these storie as well.

There are many types of Angano, which relate to each person's life and help readers or listeners to draw lessons and grow as humans. Angano is characterized by imagination, fiction, and romance. These three elements are cultivated in any child. The point is to make children feel as if they were living the story.

Imagination allows children to escape from reality, which is often not as beautiful as a dream. Fiction reflects the aspiration to surpass oneself to reach the magnificent and sublime lifegoal. Romanticism is simply the hope that everything will have a happy ending.

Sources : Edition Jeunes Malgaches, California Newsreel, Travel inspires, Center of Echotechnologie, Hasina Samoelinanja

Many people feel abnormal and nauseous once in the Santa Cruz, California cabin. Some of them are extremely dizzy, others are not capable of entering in the cabin. They do not even dare to look at it. Everyday, many people wonder: "What is all this mystery? The question remains unanswered.

A lot of people believe that it is more than just an optical illusion. Some suggest that it is more of a physical illusion. Others suspect that the story involves ghosts. The main mystery here is that this is a gravitational anomaly. It is already known that the cabin is tilted; but how is this possible? Why didn't it slide down the hill? It seems like at every attempt to debunk it, other questions come out. One answer begs another million questions.

The Santa Cruz Mystery Spot hides so many weird things and so much mystery that Scooby-Doo and his crew would be unable to unveil.

In 1939, a man named George Prather bought a beautiful land, which has now turned into a parking lot, and was warned that if he really wanted the land, he must not put anything on the hill. The hill company warned him that anything he would put on the hill would slide down onto flat ground.

However, the Santa Cruz cabin was built in 1940 in January, about 10 feet up the hill. Over a period of three months, it slid down the hill, and stopped right next to a tree. The tree was thought to have kept the cabin from sliding. The tree is about 55 years old though, while this cabin was built in 1940. The reason why the cabin stopped there is, then, because it slid down the hill and stopped when it reached the right balance — when it was at the center of the mysterious spot.

George Prather hired a team of surveyors to examine the land.  What they found was really interesting. His surveyors reported that they had incorrect compass readings up to 180 degrees off. This would mean that in some places: north is south, south is north, east is west, and west is east — which is completely mind-blowing.

On this site, there are six different demonstrations to justify the gravitational anomaly and the origin of the mystery spot. Some visitors would think it is a bit of a scam; others would find the experience amazing and enjoy some great time there.

Sources: Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Cruz Chamber, California Historical Landmarks, 90.3 KAZU for Monterey. Salinas. Santa Cruz

A 2007 study concluded that 12.5 billion dollars in total output was lost in the U.S. annually because of music piracy. It was often claimed radio was great but users wanted to choose their own music. That left the market open for a small Swedish company— “Spotify”— to make its way in.

Spotify was founded in 2006 and made its way to the US in 2011. It started with an invite only beta program for the free trial and quickly garnered favorable reviewers. Yet it faced an uphill battle to reach the top.

One reason for the company’s delayed entry into the US market was because of music rights. It was a complicated business that cost Spotify 9.8 billion dollars from its launch until 2018. Clearly, the company was onto something that piqued the curiosity of some major brands. Now it seems every major tech player has its own music streaming platform. Apple dropped iTunes and created Apple Music. Amazon created Amazon music. Google created Google Play Music and then YouTube music; But Spotify kept its spot at the top thanks to its freemium model, where users can listen for free with ads or pay for a subscription without ads.

By the end of 2019, Apple music had 60 million paid subscribers worldwide. Amazon music had 55 million subscribers worldwide, nearly all of which were paying subscribers. Chinese company Tencent had 39.9 million paying subscribers, while Spotify had 124 million paying subscribers.

Platforms like Apple Music are more exclusionary, asking customers to pay after their free trial is up. Apple even tried to beat Spotify’s free version back when Apple music was launched. Free only makes sense for customers, which is the major reason why Spotify is so popular today. However, free is not so great for musicians. As Spotify gained popularity, artists started to wonder why they were not seeing the financial gains they were used to with CD sales and downloads.

In 2019, Spotify announced it was moving its music focus to a more general audio focus to broaden its offerings and widen its global lead on competitors. It acquired the Joe Rogan Experience — a Spotify-exclusive audio and video show hosted by Joe Rogan, an American comedian and television host— early in 2020 and penned exclusive podcast deals with celebrities like Kim Kardashian.

The company’s stock jumped by eight percent at the announcement of the Joe Rogan acquisition alone. Just after these podcast deals were penned, the global pandemic started taking its toll on the economy. Nevertheless, Spotify is one of those few companies that weathered the storm.

Sources: Open Spotify, National Public Radio, Consumer News and Business Channel

The collaboration was initiated by Lucas Sergio Andriananja, known as PONK, the famous wall painter whose works can be seen in almost every corner of Madagascar, especially in Antananarivo. In the past, PONK gave many drawing and painting classes for various projects. His main inspiration has always been the creative exchanges with children.

"My life goal is to pass on the culture and traditions of my country, to exhibit and raise awareness of the reality of Madagascar through my paintings." – PONK

Many of PONK’s mural paintings are visible in Antananarivo. From 2015 to 2018, he had been working with Jamerla Koonaction to embellish some city areas and schools, including the Ampefiloha and Ankorondrano areas, Dzama company, Marie Stopes NGO, humanitarian association CRS Madagascar, Idées Madagascar NGO, and Hennessy Café. In 2020, he also worked with the Alliance Française Taolagnaro and the French High School of Antananarivo for various projects. Yet all this is only part of PONK's incredible know-how. His talent and ability to visualize realities of life and then reproduce them, whether on papers, walls, or canvas, make PONK unrivaled.

To bring out the artist in kids, PONK has chosen to work with ALFA Madagascar or African Leader for Africa (ALFA) since they have already performed a few projects together such as painting in public schools. This time, they intend to work further on an artistic and cultural project which aims at developing children's creativity and helping them to strengthen themselves and express their vision of the world that surrounds them.

On this occasion, an educational program for children aged 10-13 has been developed. The project is already part of ALFA's educational component as well. It will be accompanied by a set of environment-related activities. In short, this collaboration seeks to give art a positive image and to develop youngest children's potential.

What is on the agenda?

The project runs from June 1^st to June 18^th every Tuesday and Friday and will involve five to six staff members.  PONK and ALFA Madagascar have chosen a school in Alasora as the beneficiary of the program. About 35 Grade Eight children will receive a drawing course. The objective is to raise awareness about the world children are currently living in and to give them an idea of the future of humanity.

PONK and ALFA Madagascar have also included environmental education activities. Children will be asked to create and present 30-minutes long stories relating the benefits of a safe environment, the negative effects of environmental degradation, and environmental protection activities.

PONK and ALFA Madagascar expect beneficiary children to be aware of the effects of environmental degradation and to be ready to take action, even the smallest ones wherever they live.

In Mahajanga and on the northwest coast of Madagascar in general, people are fond of manly sports — contact sports. Welcome to the land of moraingy, also called “ringa” in the southern side of the island

Moraingy is a typical Malagasy martial art whose origin can be traced back to the 16th century, first as a means of defense against zebu rustlers. According to research made by experts, this local game rooted in a fight called "Tomoi Maley". It was introduced to Madagascar during waves of migration from Malaysia and Indonesia.

Formally, moraingy is a kind of boxing match, without leather gloves but only with a small traditional loin cloth — the “salaka”— which also serves as a protection. Tournaments are traditionally held on market days, when men are available and in a teasing mood. Either in an indoor gymnasium, a municipal stadium or a simple vacant lot, the show would certainly attract a large crowd, of any age and gender. 

What is the rule of the Moraingy?

It is simple: the goal should be to put the opponent on the ground, and all techniques are allowed, including an attack on the opponent's salaka. The main purpose is not properly to win or lose, but to show off their big muscles. Contrary to Western boxing, the knock-out or K.-O is not sought after; we simply count the number of successful punches to determine the winner.

The ring has a classical quadrilateral, stretched with nylon ropes. On the outside, a small corridor separates it from the attendance. It is there that the most excited spectators, young people in particular, come to challenge the wrestlers— called “fagnorolahy”— by raising their fists and whistling loudly.

There is no tatami—a flooring material for martial art— yet the assaults are tough, but fortunately always in a brief duration— about 30 seconds per round. In two to three rounds, the fight usually gets over, under the watchful eye of the referee, who punishes mistakes harshly: no biting or scratching, only punching, and always avoiding vital points.

At the end, the opponents shake hands or exchange hugs, a sign that they do not hold grudges but in the fair play spirit of “Fihavanana” (Malagasy sense of kinship) and “Firaisankina” (Malagasy sense of solidarity).

Moraingy has its own regional champions who remain true stars in their village. Many of them have developed fighting techniques whose secret is carefully passed on from one generation to the next. While long time ago, the winner was rewarded with a cup or a zebu; today, players can win cars, motorcycles and even a great deal of money.

These days, the number of women in the ring is increasing, and that makes the moraingy even more exciting. Moraingy has many fans among the local population but also among foreigners who visit the country. Its practice has also spread to neighboring islands: La Reunion, Mauritius, Mayotte, Comoros and the Seychelles.

Sources: Traditional Sports, Site Lulu Madas, Nosy Be 360, New York Times

Throughout America's history, the Liberty Bell has embodied the ideals of freedom for a myriad of social movements. Originally known as the Pennsylvania State House Bell, the Liberty Bell first rang and resided in the tower of the Pennsylvania State House.

In 1753, the year the State House was completed, the Whitehall Chapel Foundry in London cast the original bell, but within weeks of its first use, problems arose with its integrity. The owners of Pass and Stoves at a local Philadelphia foundry were commissioned to recast the bell. Starting in the 1750s, the Pennsylvania State House Bell rang to announce news and gatherings throughout Philadelphia.

After the French and Indian War, relations between the American colonists and Britain deteriorated rapidly. Despite the colonists' loyalty to the crown during the war, the British parliament imposed higher taxes on them to pay for debts incurred during the conflict. With the passage of the Revised Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765, the American colonists were quickly agitated by these new taxes. In the city of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania State House gathered citizens for the announcement of Britain's laws. The colonists associated the chimes of the Pennsylvania State House fell with unwanted tyrannical legislation from a parliament where they had no representation.

Throughout history, the Liberty Bell has remained a beacon of freedom. At the top of the bell is the biblical passage Leviticus 25:10 “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land and unto all the inhabitants thereof.” This statement inspired the famous abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. Although the exact person remains undetermined, historians credit the abolitionist movement with giving the Pennsylvania statehouse bell its new name, "The Liberty Bell."

Abolitionists were inspired by the Liberty Bell in a literal sense. The Friends of Freedom - an abolitionist group headquartered in Boston - chose to name their annual publication "The Liberty Bell." Each year, the publication's cover uses images to protest the evils of slavery. The American women's rights movement began in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. In its early days, the movement focused primarily on voting rights, but its desire was that women receive equal treatment in all areas of society.

The relationship between the women's suffrage movement and the Liberty Bell began when Mrs. Charles Wistar Lucien Burger paid for the creation of the Justice Fell. The Justice Fell was an exact replica of the original Liberty Bell and traveled throughout the United States to raise funds for the women's suffrage movement. The bell clapper was modified so that the Justice Fell would ring for the first time when women gained the right to vote.

In the 1960s, all of America found itself embroiled in a fierce battle for racial equality. Across the country, many African Americans were unable to vote due to illegal racial practices. After the turmoil that took place during the famous 1965 civil rights march in Selma, Alabama, a group of students from the University of Pennsylvania staged a sit-in at the Liberty Bell. In March 1965, the students distributed leaflets to build support. Their intention was to get the attention of the national media and they succeeded. Their sit-in turned into a sleep-in, and in August 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed but did not end discrimination. Thus, they made discrimination at the ballot box illegal.

Throughout its history, the Liberty Bell has been associated with many social movements. Today, we still see logos and advertisements that feature this sacred old bell as a symbol of American freedom.

Sources: Britannica, Constitution Center, History, US History, Visit Philly, National Park Service, Philadelphia Encyclopedia

The World No Tobacco Day was established by the member states of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1987 to highlight the tobacco epidemic and the preventable deaths and illnesses it causes. In 1987, the World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA 40.30 designating April 7, 1988 as World No Tobacco Day. In 1988, resolution WHA 42.19 was adopted, designating May 31 of each year as World No Tobacco Day.

These celebrations are intended to inform the community about the dangers of tobacco use, the marketing practices of tobacco companies, the steps the WHO is taking to fight the tobacco epidemic, and what individuals around the world can do to claim their right to wellness and a healthy life and to protect future generations.

Why the theme “Commit to Quit”?

Tobacco causes approximately 8 million deaths each year. It has been reported that smokers are more likely to develop a serious disease with COVID-19. The pandemic has led many smokers to quit. Quitting smoking can be difficult, especially given the combined societal and monetary pressure of the pandemic, but there are many motivations for quitting.

The benefits of quitting smoking are practically instantaneous.

Only 20 minutes after quitting, the heart rate drops. Within 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal. Circulation and lung function improve within two to twelve weeks. In one to nine months, coughing and shortness of breath diminish. Over five to 15 years, the risk of stroke is reduced to that of a non-smoker. By ten years, the lung cancer death rate is almost equal to that of a smoker. After 15 years, the risk of heart disease is the same as that of a non-smoker.

If that is not enough, here are some other justifications. It is never too late to stop smoking even if someone has already developed smoking-related health problems. If they quit smoking at the age of 30, they can gain up to ten years of life expectancy.

At around 40, they can gain nine years of life expectancy. At nearly 50, they can gain six years. 60-years-old people can gain three years if they stop smoking. People who quit smoking even after having a heart attack have 50-percent less chance of having another heart attack.

Quitting smoking also reduces the risk of many secondhand smoke-related illnesses in children, including respiratory diseases such as asthma and ear infections. In addition, it reduces the risk of impotence, difficulty in conceiving a child, premature birth, low birth weight and miscarriage.

Sources: Smoke Free World, World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization

The beautiful bond of love shared between children and mothers is honored and celebrated on Mother's Day. Celebrations date back to ancient times, when the Greeks and Romans held festivals in honor of mother goddesses.

However, the origins of modern Mother's Day, as celebrated in the United States, date back to the 19th century.

A woman named Anna Reeves Jarvis helped establish Mother's Day work clubs to teach local women how to properly care for children. In 1868, Jarvis organized "Mother's Day Friendship Day". Mothers gathered to promote peace on that day. The official Mother's Day holiday began in the 1900s through the efforts of Anna Jarvis, Ann Reeves Jarvis’s daughter.

After her mother passed away, Anna Jarvis conceived Mother's Day as a way to honor the sacrifices mothers made for their children. She organized the first official Mother's Day celebration in 1908 after securing financial support from a Philadelphia department store owner.

Thousands of people came to attend a Mother's Day event at one of the Philadelphia retail stores. After the success of her first Mother's Day, Jarvis was determined to see her holiday added to the national calendar. She claimed that American holidays were biased in favor of male achievements. She launched a massive letter-writing campaign to newspapers and leading politicians calling for a special day to honor motherhood.

By 1912, many states, cities and churches had adopted Mother's Day as an annual holiday. Her persistence paid off in 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson officially established the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

Anna Jarvis originally imagined Mother's Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting mother. Once Mother's Day became a national holiday, it did not take long for florists, card companies and other merchants to capitalize on its popularity.

By 1920, she was disgusted with the commercialization of the holiday. By the time she died in 1948, Jarvis had completely disowned the holiday and even lobbied the government to have it removed from the American calendar.

In the United States, Mother's Day continues to be celebrated with gifts and flowers for mothers and other women. It has become one of the largest holidays in terms of consumer spending. Families also celebrate it by giving mothers the day off for activities such as cooking and other household chores. Another way of celebrating Mother's Day exists in Ethiopia. Families gather each fall to sing songs and eat a large feast as part of a multi-day celebration honoring motherhood.

While versions of Mother's Day are celebrated around the world, traditions vary by country. In Thailand, for example, Mother's Day is always celebrated in August, on the current queen's birthday. In the United States, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May each year. In the United Kingdom, Mother's Day is always celebrated three weeks before Easter. As for Madagascar and some other countries, Mother's Day is held on the last Sunday of May.

Sources: History, Britannica, National Women History Alliance, Legacy Project, Hopkins House

The Fanorona is a traditional Malagasy entertainment that requires a lot of thought. During the royal era, the fanorona was related to "Fanandroana"— the Malagasy action of telling the good and bad days. As time went by, it was played like go or chess, checkers or other games. Basically, the Malagasy were the first to create and to play fanorona.

Indeed, the fanorona originated in the 14th century, according to researchers. It was a very popular game and was favored by the kings so that they could learn how to rule, to undertake their kingdom and to manage their state and military. In addition, kings had to teach their descendants many things before handing over the throne. The royal heirs had to master the strategies and techniques of war. And it is through the fanorona that this education was done. At that time, the kings were trained at a very young age, at 6 or 7 years old.

This game is highly valued in the Malagasy society. The "wise men" and the fanorona players have always been the promoters of "fihavanana" - the Malagasy solidarity. Until today, fanorona players and enthusiasts value this game and continue to prize its importance.
The fanorona is a Malagasy culture of which Malagasy people can be proud of. In fact, young Malagasy people are the most encouraged and sensitized to practice the fanorona instead of always spending their time in playing video games or drowning in the international culture. It is often said that the problem which prevents a country from advancing is not to appreciate what is already its own.

The fanorona is the only strategy game in the world where you are expected to fight and give life to the one who is defeated. Like all other games, there is the one who died and there is the one who lives, but the objective is not to kill the opponent but rather to bring him back to life. By the way, when you lose in a fanorona round, it means first that you are dead, but at a later stage called "the vela", your life is brought back to you.

The other feature that makes the fanorona special is that it can be played anywhere, as it can be drawn on the ground, on a bench or on a table. Any kind of piece can also be used as pawns as long as it can distinguish the sides of two opponents, players can use orange peels, beans, corn, or capsules, for example.

Accordingly, fans and players of the fanorona have decided to create the fanorona federation in order to foster the promotion of this traditional game. The federation regularly organizes meetings; there is even a fanorona championship. The objective is primarily to educate and then to promote the game.

Sources: Association Fanorona Madagascar, E-fanorona, Voyage Madagascar