IAESTE

Btw, the organization that first allowed me to engage in this adventure of spending one month in a foreign country both working and enjoying deserves at least a citation, so here's the link to the international, Portuguese and Israeli sites of the IAESTE organization:

http://www.iaeste.org/

http://iaeste.ist.utl.pt/

http://www.admin.technion.ac.il/IAESTE/

And yes, I know those guys on that picture on the Dead Sea. I've also been there ;)

human rights

In a few days it's the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' 60th birthday, let's celebrate!

Yep, it was in December 10th, 1948.

Another very important thing happened in 1948: George Orwell wrote his book! Cool, huh...?

It's a great book. A bit of an anti-climax though...

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the full text of which appears in the following pages. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories." 

(http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html)

There's a nice animation with the Declaration written on a human silhouette here:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/12/departments/human-rights-interactive

I'm optimistic: someday this Declaration shall hold everywhere in the world :)

As for that piece of land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, here's a little history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine

It's quite general, not specifically about Israel, but I enjoyed reading it a few days ago.

;)

pallywood

I was shown this video while I was in Israel by one of the boys from Technion.

I ask you to watch it and then give me your comment.

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=3330818905742409257