[COP-19/UNFCC] Warsaw Climate Change Conference

During Nov 2013, Warsaw, Poland hosted:

COP19	19th Conference of the Parties (COP19) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
CMP9	9th Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to Kyoto Protocol (CMP9)

Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDG)

• Oil rich:Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Bolivia and Malaysia
• Coal rich: China and India
• Chillar party.:Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Thailand.

Ok, What does this gang want?

• They want strict separation between ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries’ responsibility in climate change
• @Developed countries: You were the first nations to industrialize. You’re the one that cause this global warming. So, you’re obliged to cut emission. Our emissions are different from yours, for ours are produced in the process of industrialization while you are already in the post-industrialization era. In short you’re the main villain.
• @Developing countries: we’ve responsibility to combat climate change. but we want no legally binding obligation to cut our emission. The developed nations (you) must not prescribe/preach us about climate change. We’ll set our commitment ‘voluntarily’.
• LMDG wants new climate change agreement to be on above theme.
• Obviously developed (rich) countries are against this LMDG group. Rich nations argue “China and India are growing so fast that by 2020 your LMDG gang’s greenhouse gas emission will be lot higher than us! You can’t keep holding us responsible forever!”

Loss and damage

• One of the contentious issues in the COP19/Warsaw talks.
• Extreme events because of climate change= typhoons, floods, drought etc.
• Loss
• Permanent. e.g.  loss include loss of life, culture, livelihood, ecosystems, or territory.
• Can be economic or non-economic (e.g loss of entire culture/tribal religion in a low lying island)
• Damage
• Repairable. e.g. deforestation and temperature rise.
• In short- the Poor countries want ca$h from rich countries because rich countries caused climate change and poor countries suffering extreme weather/disasters because of them.
• Demand grew because thousands died in Philippines by Typhoon Haiyan just as the COP-19 started.

But Developed countries donot want to admit any legal liability – after all, China and India are also rich (GDP wise), and emitting more greenhouse gas than many of the developed countries.

REDD+

• REDD+: Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation PLUS.
• Under REDD+: ca$h comes from developed countries =>green climate fund=>developing countries=>national agencies.
• It is a result based understanding/framework. Meaning, Developing country will have to prove the ‘result’ they have fought deforestation without harming local communities or biological diversity. Only then, they’ll get the ca$h.
• REDD+ negotiations have been ongoing since 2005, finally @Warsaw talks 2013, the participating nations agreed for REDD+ mechanism.
• UK, Norway and USA have already allocated $US280 million to a World Bank-led fund operating REDD projects.

REDD vs REDD+

REDD	REDD+
Only UN	UN’s REDD PLUS following 1.    Forest Carbon Partnership Facility: which is  is a global partnership of governments, businesses, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples. 2.   World bank’s  Forest Investment Program (FIP)
Just deforestation	Deforestation PLUS following sustainable management of forests Increasing forest carbon stocks Forest conservation

CA$H

• In all climate change talks- everything boils down to one thing: ca$H.
• Earlier developed countries had promised to give $100 billion dollar fund for developing countries by the end of 2020.
• But developed countries did not elaborate how they’ll come up with so much cash.
• Poor countries wanted some cash in the meantime (2013-19): but this demand was rejected in Warsaw talk.

anyways, enough of the issues, let’s check India’s stand:

India’s stand @COP-19 Warsaw

We want CBDR

• As usual, India called for CBDR: Common but Differentiated Responsibility.
• We accept that UNFCCC Convention and the Kyoto Protocol are also applicable to all.
• but this Universality does not mean uniformity. We’re against any legally binding commitments.
• Developing countries should be provided the flexibility to choose their actions.
• Rich nations should not to treat global warming issues with a business perspective of providing markets to their MNCs.

We’re not irresponsible

India reiterated @Warsaw that we’re not as irresponsible / evasive as rich nations portray us.

Consider some of the steps we’ve taken to combat climate change:

NAPCC	We’ve already made National Action Plan on Climate Change. Under this NAPCC, we have launched eight missions in areas of energy efficiency, solar energy, sustainable habitat, water, forestry, sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, agriculture and strategic knowledge for climate change. Our states have also formed their plans and missions.
SOLAR	We have set a target of generating 20,000 MW of solar power by2020Already achieved about 1200 mw presently.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY	We have also introduced an innovative trading mechanism(Namely PAT – Perform, Achieve and Trade)for energy efficiency. (more given in one of my economic survey articles)
COAL CESS	A National Clean energy Fund (NCEF) ca$h comes from cess on coal of (Rs. 50 per tonne) this ca$h is used for financing renewable energy and environment friendly projects.

1.   We’ve made “voluntary” commitment that we’ll reduce emissions intensity of our GDP by 20 to 25% by 2020 (compared with 2005 level.)

2.   We have also committed that our per capita emissions will not exceed those of the developed countries in future also.

3.   We’re large country with a very small carbon footprint. our per capita emission is only 1.7 tonnes per annum, despite our heavy dependence oil import, we’re committed to follow the path of sustainable development.

India’s stand on Agriculture vs climate change

• India is against any mitigation mechanism to reduce emission from agriculture.
• for example, if UNFCC gangmember comes up with some idea that all nations should stop paying urea subsidies or cheap electricity to their farmers or stop paying grants to slaughter houses etc=>

then India will oppose such ‘mitigation’ mechanism for agriculture

• Because Majority of Indian junta depends on agriculture- poverty, food security angles (and ofcourse vote bank)
• So, Instead of mitigation, India advocates ‘adaptation’ mechanisms to reduce emission from agriculture e.g. organic farming, watershed, sustainable development etc. but that too without any legally binding commitments or targets.
• Same stand by China and some African countries.

India’s stand on Ca$h 4 climate change

India maintained that:

1.   Simply creating the institutional arrangements like Green Climate Fund does not help because they don’t have much ca$h.

2.   COP-19 conference needs to comeup with a clear roadmap on provision of finance for 2013-15, 2015-2017 and then up to 2020.

3.   Public finance should be the primary source of fund for climate finance. (US wants majority of ca$h should come from private companies, MNCs etc.)

India’s stand on HFC

• Montreal Protocol (1987)= to phase out ozone depleting substances – chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) , hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)  etc.
• They were used as refrigerants, aerosol propellants, solvents, AC in building and vehicles, and fire retardants.
• everyone including India banned those ozone depleting substances.
• but then refrigeration/AC industries shifted to using Hydrofluorocarbons  (HFCs) because
• HFCs are cheap
• HFCs are technically not an ozone depleting substance. Hence not covered under Montreal protocol

However they’re still potent greenhouse gases, with a warming effect much higher than carbon dioxide.

USA	India
wants HFC matter to be covered under Montreal protocol that way everyone, including India-China will have to ban HFCs.	wants HFC matter be kept under UNFCCC+Kyoto- then it’ll be mandatory only for the developed (rich) countries to phase out HFC gases. And India/China won’t have legally binding responsibility=>their local industry will be saved.

India reiterated this HFC stand during COP-19 Warsaw talks.

India’s stand on Technology transfer

• UNFCC wants developed countries to give (secret james bond) technology to developing countries – so they can combat climate change. But America is now reluctant. Instead of giving technology- USA wants to just promote investment in third world.
• In that respect, Indian wanted that Green Climate fund (GCF) should give special funding to transfer IPR protected technology from rich to developing countries.
• Because without ca$h and technology transfer, developing countries cannot carry out Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions NAMAs.

India’s stand on Misc. issues

• we support the demand of poor countries for “Loss and damage”
• We’re dismayed to see some rich countries (Japan, Canada and Australia) have rolled back from their earlier commitments about reducing Greenhouse gas emission.

Warsaw outcomes:

List not exhaustive

2015 Deal	In December 2015, we’ll hold a summit in Paris to outline what to do after 2020 (i.e. when Kyoto mechanism expires) but before this Paris summit, all countries must announce their plans before end of 1st quarter of 2015 about how they’ll curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emission beyond 2020 such national plans will be called “intended nationally determined contributions”. (Observe it doesn’t contain the word “commitment”- because India-China opposed that term)
Loss And Damage	agreement called the “Warsaw international mechanism for loss and damage (IMLD)”. As per this agreement, disaster victims in developing country will receive aid from the developed countries. BUT it will not be linked with any liability /commitment. will also provide expertise and aid, to help developing nations cope with extreme events related to climate change. 2016: we’ll review the exact form of this mechanism.
Cash	Merely urged developed nations to set “increasing levels” of aid to poor countries. but didn’t set any targets for 2013-19.
CDM	@countries that donot have legally binding emission targets.we’ll encourage them to use carbon credits under CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM (CDM)In 2014, we’ll hold a special technical meeting to iron out the details.
deforestation	adopted REDD+ to combat deforestation.

Limitations/Criticism of Warsaw Talks/COP-19

1.   They contemplated over the post-2020 scenario but did not outline any near term actions (2013-19) to combat climate change.

2.   No mechanism on how $100 billion will come in 2020

3.   No special funding to poor countries for 2013-19 period.

4.   It’s all a useless exercise as long as the world’s prominent emitters India and China receive special treatment. Both act as a ‘firewall’ between rich and poor countries, refuse any legally binding commitments.

5.   More than 800 NGOs staged a walkout from the Warsaw talks because developed countries are making no firm commitments to combat climate change, and the corporate interests/lobbying are taking over the environmental interest.

6.   Japan’s “Gaddari” to UNFCC:

o    Earlier Japan had promised we’ll cut our emission by 25% (from 1990 levels)

o    But during this summit, Japan announced, “not possible!, we’ll infact increase our emission by ~3% compared to 1990 level”

o    Similarly, Canada and Australia also scaled down their targets.

7.   S.Africa’s “Gaddari” to BASIC:

o    Earlier S.Africa followed BASIC stand = We don’t want legally binding commitments to reduce Greenhouse gas emission

o    But recently S.Africa wrote an official letter to UNFCC that new climate change treaty should impose legally binding commitments.

8.   Russia’s “anger”

o    that UNFCC’s conferences are failing to be impartial- Not taking decisions based on consensus.

o    Instead a few vocal members tend to overshadow the proceedings.

9.   India’s “dissatisfaction” that

o    Rich nations are treating global warming issues with a “business perspective of providing markets to domestic companies”.

o    How rich nations — including Japan, Canada and Australia — to scale down ambition and lowering of targets of emissions.

o    How Green Climate fund is useless without any coffers.

10.               Mere Lip service to issues related to black carbon, agricultural methane, energy efficient buildings-equipment etc.

Raising Responsible Boys !!

TWO BOYS AND A MAD MUM

TRYING TO KEEP A STEP AHEAD OF KIDS AND MOSTLY FALLING FLAT

‘Girls can’t fight.’

That was before I defeated the two of them in the Nerf gun face-off.

Not only did they end up miserably defeated but I managed to confiscate their arms too.

‘So you were saying?’ I had a distinct air of superiority as the boys stood pleading for their guns.

‘Girls can not only fight, but can also kick our sorry backsides at it.’ mumbled the little one.

‘Huh? Did you say something?’

A louder humiliation and an apology later we settled for goodnight hugs.

Yes, an apology – for making a generic gender statement. You might argue that it was just a game, but then, that is exactly how it all starts. ‘Girls always whine,’ ‘girls can’t fight,’ and worse ‘girls do not play cricket,’ or ‘girls love to cook.’ – these are not just random harmless statements, they lay foundation for a dark wall that defines gender boundaries.

Minimising sexism is one of the most daunting tasks that we, as parents, face today. From seemingly harmless stereotyping to abominable acts of sexual violence, all are a product of sexism so rampant, that at times it is taken as an inseparable, imperceptible part of our society. As mothers we shield our children, irrespective of their gender, from news pertaining to rape and other forms of sexual attacks. But as women, the onus of responsibility falls on us to raise a generation braver and more respectful than before.

Like most moms, I have been hiding newspapers, hurrying to switch channels and have hushed conversations about it – all in a bid to protect the boys from news of gruesome acts of violation. The mother in me wants to shield them but the woman in me wants to sit them down and tell them. The younger one ended the conflict with three words, ‘what is rape?’

It was time. Time to let the can of worms spill. I told them as simply as I could, and tried to answer every query they had. But had I done enough? Are we doing enough? I am a mother of two preteen boys and the horrid thought that some day they might mistreat a young girl, constantly hounds me. When people casually turn and say, ‘what do you have to worry, you have sons!’ I flinch. And I worry as much as my neighbour who has a teenage daughter. So, as a mother of boys, how can I make it safer for neighbour’s daughter, their female classmates and friends, or for that matter the girl on the road? This is what I try to keep in mind:

1. My boys can never do such a thing.

Any boy, irrespective of financial, or educational background can be tempted to misbehave with girls, belittle them or harass them. So, the sooner you lose that illusion about innocence, the better. My boys are capable of doing it so I better make sure that I educate them and sensitize them otherwise.

2. Dolls for girls, trucks for boys.

So you think that if your son picks a doll, he’ll grow up to be a sissy? Wrong. It is perfectly fine if your little boy likes to cuddle with a teddy bear. If girls haven’t grown a moustache after playing with Lego, chances are our boys will be fine too. There is no connection between acceptable masculine behaviour and choice of toys.

There is however a definite connection between varied, healthy choices and a wholesome personality growth. For the record – my younger one loves to cuddle up with his stuffed raccoon and sissy wouldn’t be the word anyone would use for him! Same thing goes for books too. Gender based book category is the most despicable classification that I have come across.

3. What’s on Television?

Another reason why I am not a big fan of the idiot box – The girl forever needs rescuing, boys teasing girls is portrayed as a normal thing, and the idea of perfect woman is entirely delusional.

So keep a check on what they watch, discuss the gender portrayals, and the fact that TV shows aren’t real. If the boys watch the hero treat women as an object, that adds to one role model they shouldn’t be emulating.

4. Stop justifying!

Stop using phrases like, ‘You know how boys are!’ or, ‘boys are wild,’ or ‘they are boys – of course they are aggressive.’ There is no reason a dash of testosterone should translate into higher aggression and result in violence. Aggression of any form should not be acceptable, period.

5. Respect begins at home.

If his sister doesn’t want to share her toys, he needs to respect that. If you are shouting at the maid, you are teaching your son that it is okay to be rude to women of a weaker financial background. When he gets in a fight with a girl, tell him it is unacceptable to touch. If she or for that matter any classmate is getting nasty with the child, he needs to be encouraged to seek help from an adult.

6. Talk, talk and more talk!

Sometimes listening to the loopy, distracted stories from the school about the day can be excruciating. Make that extra strong cup of coffee for yourself and listen to them. You have to know what is going on in their life to be able to guide them regarding appropriate behaviour with girls. When the elder one told me he had a fight with a girl, we talked about why it wasn’t okay to get into a physical fight with girls and what constitutes a gender bias in a verbal fight. His verdict: ‘Ma, I think I am better off staying away from them.’

Don’t worry, he’ll come around!

7. Don’t cry like a girl!

Excuse me? And how do girls cry? The mechanism is fairly similar. So saying that he is crying like a girl usually tops the silliest-things-ever-said list. Encouraging boys to express, talk about and acknowledge their feelings will not make them lesser men. When you use such statements, you are squishing two birds with the same stone: You are telling the boy that men do not cry, so whatever it is that’s bothering him, needs to be brushed aside or taken out on someone. And you are also telling him that crying is an inferior thing to do, girls cry a lot and hence are inferior. Also, when they see a strong assertive woman, it interferes with the picture of a docile, forever teary-eyed woman they have deluded themselves to believe. This can lead to an internal conflict and sometimes a perceived threat to their manhood.

8. Talk about sexism

If they do not know what it is, they wouldn’t know how not to indulge in it. It takes a lot of information for them to understand the do’s and don’ts and a whole lot of talking to understand the implications of the same. Be honest and they will listen. You can’t expect boys to be genetically coded to know of all behaviours that could be labelled as sexist. You have to engrave it on their minds.

9. Aww, he is still a baby!

Trust me, even when he is fifty years old and you are toothless, he’ll still be a baby. My elder one is 12 and nearly my height and of course is my baby. The other day, we went out for lunch and he got up to wash his hands. A young girl of nearly 20 was already at the basin and he, unmindful of the constricted space stood right next to her, making her uncomfortable. So, I gently told him about physical space boundaries that he needed to respect in future. The fact that he is my baby is no excuse for not learning basic etiquette pertaining to minding himself around others.

Don’t be just besotted with the chubby infant you had birthed a decade ago. Be vigilant and help him adapt to the changed demands from him as a grown up boy.

10. Fathers, get your act together.

Gender awareness is one arena where the male role model can have an indelible mark, so put away the laptop, newspaper or the mobile you are hiding behind and take charge. Respect your wife, do not hesitate in apologizing, help around the house and stop making statements that reinforce gender bias (like the one about us driving). Talk to your son about respecting boundaries and being courteous to women. Never hesitate in praising women achievers. These are just some of the things you could do to help him be the man we all hope you both can be.

11. They will date. Accept it.

The sooner you accept that, the healthier it is. Once that reality is digested, you can help him understand the boundaries that he needs to respect in a relationship. Teenage romance might not culminate in marriage but it definitely lays the foundation of how he treats the partner in a future relationship. So there are going to be girlfriends but we need to decide who would we rather be – The mom who tells him that it is bad/immoral to fall for someone, or the one who talks to him that it is okay to feel like that at his age, and helps him learn his limits?

12. Promote sensitivity and kindness

If your son is crying over a dead sparrow, an emaciated beggar or the pet he lost last week – don’t shuffle uncomfortably. Give him a hug and appreciate his sensitivity. Rewards random acts of kindness with praise, and if need be, a chocochip cookie. A kind, sensitive man is more likely to respect woman than the brainless, heartless Mr. Brawn.

This is my list. I keep adding things to it, for when I was younger, I hurried home before dark, my heartbeat quickened every time I passed through a lonely street, I felt angry when travelling in a bus meant unsolicited stares, and somehow I continue to do so. Hence, each day, I try. I try to undo all that they learn when they step out. I try to get them to see that gender equality doesn’t imply crossing boundaries. I try to get them to try varied books and activities that are so callously labelled as feminine. I try to teach them to question, seek answers and constantly evolve.

Yes, I am a mother of two boys and no my fears are no lesser than yours.

A Mother's True Story !!

Reality of Kanya Bhoj ... Navratri...

क्या मम्मी सुबह सात बजे से नहला दिया ...और सोना था न अभी !
जल्दी तैयार हो जाओ ... नुक्कड़ वाली आंटी के घर खाना खाने जाना है !
नईई मम्मी ..इ इत्ती सुबह से खाना ? हम नई जा रहे ! और इन आंटी के घर तो बिलकुल नई जायेंगे! बहुत ही सड़ियल खाना बनती हैं ! बिना नमक के आटे की लिजलिजी सी पूड़ी , बिना घुले चावल की खीर और ठंडी आलू की टिल्ल सब्जी ! हमसे नई खायी जाती ! ऊपर से कन्या भोज के बाद केवल दस पैसे देती हैं !
ज्यादा बातें मत करो ! जाना है माने जाना है ! और इसके बाद फलानी आंटी, ढिमाकी आंटी के यहाँ जाना उसके बाद फिर वो वाली आंटी और फिर उनके पड़ोस वाली आंटी के घर भी जाना है ! अभी सात बजे से शुरू करोगी तब बारह बजे तक सबके घर निपट पायेंगे !

बेचारी कन्याएँ निकल पडतीं नवरात्रि की सालाना जंग पर ! सबसे खराब खाने से शुरुआत कर यहाँ वहाँ विभिन्न प्रकार का खाना ( यहाँ भिन्नता खाने की क्वालिटी में हैं , मेनू सभी जगह कमोबेश समान है ) गले से उतारते हुए लास्ट खाना उन आंटी के घर का रखतीं जहां का खाना सबसे स्वादिष्ट होता था ! जिन घरों में टी .वी . देखने जाने पर या घर के अन्दर बॉल चले जाने पर या फूल तोड़ने पर साल भर कर्कश ध्वनि में कटु शब्द सुनने की आदत थी , उन घरों में आज श्रद्धा पूर्वक चरण छुए जाते , माथे पर टीका लगाया जाता ! मनुहार कर करके भोजन कराया जाता और ना ना करते भी दो पूड़ी और थाली में पटक दी जातीं !ये बताने पर भी कि " आंटी हम सात घरों में खाना खाकर आये हैं , एक पूड़ी से ज्यादा न खा पायेंगे " इन राक्षसनियों को जरा भी तरस ना आता! इन्हें अपना बनाया सामान देवी जी के गले में उड़ेलने की जल्दी मची रहती ! कन्याएं साक्षात देवी का स्वरुप नज़र आतीं उन आंटियों को ! अगले दिन से कन्याएं पानी के लिए भी न पूछी जातीं ! कभी गलती से खेलते खेलते कह दो " आंटी ..प्यास लगी है " तो जवाब मिलता " बेटा , हम ज़रा बाहर जा रहे थे , अपने घर ही पी लो "

कन्याएं दस घरों में भोजन रुपी राक्षस का जुल्म सहकर लगभग पांच रुपये कमाकर लस्त पस्त घर लौटतीं ! और घर आते ही पलंग पर चारों खाने चित्त हो जातीं !और शुरू होती इस भयानक भोजन को पचाने की कठिन क्रिया ! आंतें जी भरकर कन्याओं को कोसतीं ! शाम को मम्मी से खिचड़ी या दाल चावल बनाने की गुहार लगती ! और फिर अगली नवरात्रि तक ये कन्याएं देवी से दुबारा साधारण छोकरियाँ बन जातीं जो डांटने पीटने के काम आतीं !!!

A Girl Needs No Special Rights..... Only Equal !!

Gender discrimination is one problem that continues to affect women in India. The traditional oppressive norms have relegated women to secondary status at the workplace and in the household. This has left them with little or no education at all, poor health and financial status, as well as little involvement in the political arena. They are quickly married off when too young, and that means they become mothers at a tender age. They cannot cope with the stringent domestic and financial responsibilities.

No doubt, gender equality in India is something to question. It’s shocking that women are always treated last in the society, last to receive medical attention and last to serve food for themselves. So it’s a common scenario to see malnourished women in India. Statistically, only 54% of women in India are literate, compared to 76% of men. That shows that women receive little schooling, and an unfair inheritance as well as divorce laws.The context in the developing and third world countries is worse. Women here are still subject to ‘honor killings’, they are still denied their basic rights to education and freedom, and face violence and abuse. It was observed in a CARE project working with adolescent girls in India, that these girls were considered as temporary people who would cease to exist, at least for their fathers, once they are married. In many places in India, domestic violence is acceptable to women, and cultural and ethical implications are imposed on their freedom.  Because of all these factors, it’s impossible for them to accumulate a substantial financial asset which means no security for them.

In Rajasthan, gender equality issues have been aggravated by seasonal immigration. Rural Rajasthan doesn’t offer sufficient economy to sustain a family all year round. So women are left behind with the burden of taking care of the entire household. Now, statistics estimate that a woman’s income is 30% lower compared to that of a man working in the same condition in India. This is because while they work, they must also attend to domestic chores back at home. This way of life in Rajasthan undermines women’s rights for gender equality in India.

Most Indian communities have what we call a ”son preference”, and this is something that is widespread throughout the country. Cultural beliefs have made people to submit to the notion that having sons is one way of guaranteed financial security. Therefore, it’s clear that these culture work to devalue the role of women in these societies. They strive to achieve equality with men, making gender equality in India an issue !!

In an effort to restore sanity to women, several NGOs have moved in to campaign on their behalf. They have built small networks among women geared towards giving them economic stability. They also come up with ideas such as micro-finance to give women an opportunity to occupy leadership positions. Other NGOs in the area come with an aim to help women explore their talents and skills which could see them generate income. What these NGOs are doing is to organize change at a local level and also plan participatory action to eliminate stereotypes and generate awareness of what a woman can do.

SO CALLED ...... GOOD BRIDE....

Tomorrow u may get a working woman, but you should marry her with these facts as well...Here is a girl, who is as educated as you ; Who is earning as much as you ;

One, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have because she is as human as you are ;

One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your Sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements.

One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, as much as you do for 25 years of her life ;

One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family name

One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen

One, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more,

and yet never ever expected to complain ;

to be a servant, a cook, a mother, a wife, even if she doesn't want to ; and is learning just like you are, as to what you want from her ; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you.

One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burner to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities.

Yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply

Because you won't like it, even though you say otherwise.

One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met.

One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some

and trust her.

One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it that.

But not many guys understand this...

ARE SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT JOBS GOING AWAY??

“Social Media is Not a Career– these job titles won’t exist in 5 years. Social media is a means to get more awareness, more users or more revenue. It’s not an end in itself. I’d strongly caution against pegging your career trajectory solely to a social media job title.” - Jason Nazar, Forbes Magazine.

Forbes published a list on 20-somethings, for 20-somethings, because 20-somethings enjoy sharing lists on social media (it was nearly the 20th list on my feed this morning.)

Jason Nazar is a Forbes contributor and business owner with startup experience. He has familiarity with what is valuable when staffing a startup, and understands social media trends within the tech industry. About 20% of the way through 20 things 20-year Old Don’t Know, Nazar raises a point concerning many of his 20-something readers: he purposes the idea that in the near future, social media management jobs will be less abundant.

Currently, a great many 20-somethings work in lockstep with social media management responsibilities of some kind, including the measures necessary for maintaining a “personal brand” as employees and citizens. Social information has tremendous power: for collaborative thought, for national interests, and for fun. Brands and individuals will continue to pursue profitable avenues of social information online, and subsequent jobs managing technology in these fields will continue to exist.

In the last five years, the development of social applications (YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc) has produced widely publicized payoffs. The silver lining to the Great Recession has been a renaissance of connectivity; one exciting enough to encourage businesses small and large to rethink digital strategy… and hire.

In 2010, payroll and advertising giant ADP acquired The Cobalt Group, a Seattle-based web development company for automotive manufacturers. The same year, ADP began selling social “reputation” management services to several of its existing Fortune-500 clients, including a recently bankrupted General Motors Co.

Just two years into the global economic downturn, automotive wasn’t the only large American industry in need of a serious reputation makeover. The Department of Defense, the fast food industry, and at least one careless oil company followed suit with third party reputation management investment. Jobs were created for socially savvy grads the nation over.

In 2013, the servicing of massive reputation management contracts still takes bodies. ADP, among other financial services and advertising giants, has multiple departments working exclusively on grooming the social profiles of their clients. These social managers are paid better than they would be at startups, and they are used very differently.

Unlike startup culture– where diversification of individual skills is necessary for the locomotion of the group– larger firms tend to specialize workers in departments like social media. This structure allows the worker to develop expertise in their discipline, coach other departments, and encourage personal acceleration within a silo of the business. The worker will have the opportunity to interface and learn with other departments, but their success metrics will be in currency of their department (i.e. social media statistics.)

The natural, exciting progression of social applications includes several distinct and exciting points for business, among them: (a) the technologies will provide deeper measures of ROI as a function of marketing; (b) the technologies will become more self-reliant; and thus, (c) the technologies will become cheaper to maintain.

These are the points to which I believe Nazar issues his warning. This variety of social technology is thrilling, worth working for, and will always provide employment for those on the progressive front. However, innovation will erase bureaucratic social media jobs whenever a large seller of reputation management resources can implement technology in lieu of hiring a PR grad.

By 2018, I believe social technologies will be easier for companies of all sizes to manage internally, as the cultural threshold for understanding and taking advantage of social media will be higher with every employee. Greater personal understanding of social applications will encourage small business owners to manage their own social brands, rather than pay employees to do so.

Fortune-500’s curate user data and reviews as a part of their searchable brand, and will continue to do so during the next five years. This will likely occur through continued investment in scalable, multifunctional advertisers like ADP; bureaucratic groups that are both more likely to specialize employees departmentally, and stand to benefit most from technology that makes their departments leaner.

It seems logical that the importance of reputation/social management services will remain crucial into 2018. This is clear when considering the bad PR that can develop quickly from whistle-blowers, expansive wars, or a corporate indiscretion gone viral.

Yet, whether the number of social management jobs will grow, slow, or stay the same, remains opaque. Anticipating the demand for social media management positions might be gauged as follows:

• If the demand for management positions continues to grow (and pay three-times the minimum wage,) companies will have greater incentive than ever to aggressively pursue more automated social technologies.

• If the demand for social media management remains steady, current candidates will face indebted droves of younger, cheaper graduates seeking a job in the years ahead. Firms that sell reputation management services will maintain an inclination towards profitability in this scenario, intuitively seeking the most affordable option, be it cheaper technology or cheaper human resources.

• Finally, if lower demand is anticipated due to the development of cheaper automated processes, or the higher minimum yield of internal staff when managing social media, the elimination of positions is inevitable.

In any case, I agree with Nazar that social media managers (and all workers for that matter) would be wise to diversify as quickly as possible in 2013.