International Food Festival

AIESEC Indore Food Fest

On 15th July, 2012 AIESEC Indore organised an International Food Carnival where 55 international interns from 12 different countries showcased their culinary culture and cuisines. The event was held at Mangosteen Eco life and was powered by Radio Mirchi. The event started at 5 o clock in evening where 30+ dishes from various different countries were put in the form of stalls.

The 55 interns from 12 different countries were in Indore for Choithram International School for a social project on Child Rights, Child abuse and Child Education.

160 people gathered to experience the mouth-watering culinary culture of different countries. Their were musical performances as well such as Internationals singing Karaoke and a small live band performance. Interns from Taiwan and Bahrain also performed some dance routines.

The primary objective of the event was to showcase the culture and
cuisines of various countries to foster greater cultural exchange and harmony amongs those gathered. One other fun way this was implemented was by having the interns say a cuisines of various countries to foster greater cultural exchange and harmony amongs those gathered. One other fun way this was implemented was by having the interns say a few phrases in their native tongues, which the audience had to decipher.

The names of the interns who sang in their own languages were Acho, Fatima, Xinxin fu, Tedio, Williams and Charles. Prizes were distributed to the best 2 singers: Acho and Charles. The gifts were distributed by the team of Radio Mirchi. The event was broadcasted Live on the Internet and was covered on air by Radio Mirchi which helped in gathering online audience as well as local listeners.

At the end of the day AIESEC Indore provided each intern with some memorabilia from AIESEC in return for presenting their native cultures to the people of Indore via their Culinary Heritage and giving everyone present a day to remember.

The atmosphere in the kitchen was highly charged up. The discomfort of the heat was more than made for by the rich smell of spices and excited chefs.

The Scourge of Corruption

CORRUPTION

“Corruption” is defined as “the act of corrupting or the state of being corrupt”. In philosophy it refers to moral decadence and character contamination, while in economics it refers to unlawful practices carried out by people in authority, usually for selfish gains. It’s derived from the Latin word “Corruptus”, past participle of “Corrumpere” which means “to abuse or destroy”.

Corruption can be political, economic or spiritual. In all cases, a corrupt individual foregoes all ethics and morals to obtain undeserved gains – may it be influential, monetary or in kind. The individual resorts to any and all kinds of measures to ensure maximum gain, regardless of how much harm it causes to society.

Corruption is rampant in every part of the world. No country is immune to it. Hence there is only relative corruption. There appears to be a strong correlation of corruption development in a country. Most developed countries have less corruption, in relation to less developed countries – which usually top the list of most corrupt countries. Some of these countries are also lawless states and active warzones.

Corruption is not a recent phenomenon. It has existed since the dawn of Man, and through the ages countless measures and revolutions took place to combat corruption. Fall of Empires, French Revolution in France, Jasmine Revolution in Egypt (and elsewhere in North Africa) to movements initiated by Anna Hazare in India. All took place to combat the scourge of rampant Kleptocracy, Embezzlement, Nepotism, Extortion, Human Trafficking, Drug Trafficking, Bribery, Money Laundering etc.

“Rule of Law” is usually the first casualty in the rise of corruption so as to facilitate corruption, people in authority, enforce restrictions on rights and freedoms to retain power over the public; whereby any actions taken by the public to question and investigate allegations of corruption are met with intimidation or death. Also with the loss of Lawful Governance; the police force, who are supposed to uphold the law, weaken and become tools that power this machine of rot and decay, spreading like gangrene into every part of society, permeating on all levels. The temptation of power and wealth can be summed up in the quote:

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” - John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton.

The empowering of legal watchdogs and mandatory enforcements of the Law is paramount to ensure Rule of Law and restricting corruption. But that is easier said than done, and not always useful, as pointed out by Publius Terentius Afer (195/185–159 BC), better known in English as Terence; A Roman Playwright of Libyan descent:

“Corruptisima re publica plurimae leges” translated as “In the most corrupt state are the most laws”

 Two thousand years ago, Juvenal, the satirist of the corrupt Roman legal system asked, “Quis ustodiet ipsos custodies?” translated as "who will watch the watchers?" This question is timeless. It is not just that power corrupts. Corrupt people seek power and absolutely corrupt people seek absolute power... Nothing has changed much since then, and by the looks of things; they never will.