Friends With Benefits/Hooking Up Defined

If you are a parent leaving in this day and age with teenagers in the house or pre- teens, there are certain terms that you cannot avoid knowing the definitions, lest you are viewed redundant and your child ends up in a mess and yu are left wondering where were you?
Must know words for present day parents include:

Friends With Benefit(FWB):

1.The site Urban Dictionary has a variety of definitions as to the present use of the term friends with benefit, among them include:

1. A relationship where a man and a woman enjoy having sex with one another, but do not see each other as potential relationship material. Friends with benefits usually never works successfully with ex-boyfriends/girlfriends or anyone else you might have feelings for. The benefits are not exclusive, buyer beware!(most voted upon use)
2.  Friends with benefits can do things couples can do except without being labeled as a BOYFRIEND and a GIRLFRIEND, when you ask if they want to be friends with benefits with you, you both have to agree on what those BENEFITS are, and it doesn't have to contain sex. If you both agree on sex, then it's also considered as friends with benefits. 

Example:Guy: Want to be friends with benefits?Girl: Sure, but what are the benefits?Guy: Hugging, kissing, holding hands.Girl: No sex?Guy: NopeGirl: Okay sure then.

2. ABOUT.COM defines it this way:

An agreement between two people who are both friends and physically attracted to one another to have a sexual relationship. Neither party is considered committed to the other, and both can start dating someone else at any time with prior warning. A friends with benefits arrangement is not considered dating, a relationship or even casual dating by most people who use the term. 

How popular is this new phenomena: Psychology Today Blog discusses  a survey done by researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit and Michigan State in East Lansing.The report which involved interviewing 125 undergraduates (65 women, 60 men) found out that Sixty percent  of those interviewed i.e.40 men &35 women said they'd been involved in an FWB relationship, and about one-third were in one when surveyed.

Suffice to say with the digital divide having been narrowed by the internet and local Tv and Radio stations featuring talk on Friends With Benefits , i wouldn't be surprised if teenagers and young adults in local schools ,colleges and universities in Kenya engaging in the vice; In fact the trend has been described as "a cultural signature of today's college and post college experience"

However certain Dangers accompany the trend ,including:

1. Inherent danger of Sexually Transmitted Disesaes(STD)associated with casual sex ,Unwanted Pregnancies, Abortion...etc.
2.Fatal Attractions /Murder etc
3.Emotional Instability, Guilty Consciences
4.The Vice encourages ,dishonesty,selfishness and me first attitudes.

Without doubt the above list is not exhaustive the Physical, Psychological ,Spiritual and moral dangers associated with this practice far outweigh any temporary pleasures that such un inhibited sexual relationship may bring.It is therefore important that parents take the lead in safeguarding their youths from engaging in practices that will hinder the development of the youth into successful and respectable members of society.

(For more information see this NewYork Times Article:Friends With Benefits ,and Stress Too )

Youth For Human Rights International Global Campaign

Youth For Human Rights International(YHRI) is a global youth organization seeking to educate young people everywhere on their human human rights as enshrined in the United Nations 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights through grassroots campaigns.The organization operates several chapters and youth clubs worldwide. The Term 'human rights' is pretty vague for many youths , and actually only a few who probably have had some legal training ,do know the range and depth of rights that the term encompasses. Hence it is especially essential that youths in Africa acquaint themselves with the activities of the Youth for Human Rights International in order to guard and protect their most basic human rights from abuse from any quarters.



The YHRI campaign "What Human Rights Are" has received quite an impressive global response.Another particularly successful campaign orchestrated by YHRI was the audio visual tool UNITED which featured a five minute music video which according to their website

won a number of awards for its portrayal of how human rights and cooperative action can curb violent confrontation and intolerance. UNITED,inspired the production of a series of 30 public service announcements (PSAs), each depicting one of the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Harnessing modern audio-visual technology to articulate every right the .UDHR grants brought praise from educators, media industry executives and human rights advocates. The first three PSAs have already aired to more than 130 million people in over 60 countries.

After viewing the ad on CNN recently i decided to visit the YHRI website @ http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/ and was pleasantly surprised at their activities seeing that the group is little known in Kenya .For more information ,you can actually sign up and volunteer and or initiate a local chapter down at their site.I however believe their $40 Dollar Registration fee actually cuts of the vast majority of poor youths from developing Countries especially in Asia and Africa from being truly part of such a global phenomena

MTV's New Social Network Website!

Social networks have rapidly gained prominence in the internet industry in the last three years.The popular MTV company has also joined the bandwagon having recently launched its issue based and youth oriented social network site at www.think.mtv.com .The site was launched with the joint coordination and effort of various philanthropic societies such as the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation,Goldhirsh foundation,MCJ foundation among others.

The site which had been under beta testing since November 2005 and is aimed to be a pro -social initiative to empower young people on issues of fundamental concern especially in relation to education,sexuality,morality,human rights,health,discrimination,politics and global concerns.Its emphasis initially targeted low income and minority students who hardly finish high school or join college.The site aims at offering these groups information and resources to enable them see the benefits of pursuing a college degree course and accessing higher education as a means of empowerment.The site provides facts and information on the importance of graduating high school and resources on gaining access to college.The users are able to exchange ideas,video, and other forms of media.

In an attempt to get more youths involved in politics the group recently recruited 51 young citizen journalists in its "Choose or Loose Political Campaigns Coverage " in order for them to collate information on the USA 2008 elections throughout the country with weekly reports that will include short videos, blogs and animation that will be featured in the site.This initiative is being partly funded by the John S and James L Knight foundation,a private journalism foundation based in Miami.

The MTV Think site boasts a membership of over 5,000 individuals and though initially intended and tailor made to suit the US market is now increasingly gaining a world wide audience with membership including some African youths and bloggers.Indeed the youth are taking a pro active stance using the blogosphere to address issues of fundamental concern to them and social networks are providing such a platform.Make Money online with eBay