meethapani

    While most of the world has been riveted to the latest war bulletins, rising costs of living, or planning protests, a few young men and women have been training all year for horseback archery, building up their body strength for tug of war, training falcons and producing beautiful crafts, to participate in the World Nomad Games in the rugged mountain valleys of Kyrgyzstan.    Although this is the 6 th World Nomad Games, the earlier games have not been on the sports radar the way the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, World Cup Football or Wimbledon are. This year thanks to the expanding reach of social media, “the spirit of people echoing across time” reached out to us from the scenic shores of Lake Issyk Kul. There are sports we never knew the names of like Tenge Ilu, Asyk Atu, Zhamby atu, with thrilling horseback archery by both male and female contestants, or Kushbegilik eagle hunting and some familiar games from bygone days like Kok Boru known to us as Bu...

  “Uncertain times” is a refrain that fills UNDP reports, discussions by climatologists, economists, political scientists and filters down to individuals anxious about the future of their children.   It is seen as a sign of our times – an anomaly of our making, of our neglect, suggesting urgent attention will redress and restore all to an even keel.    However, increasingly scientists propose that uncertainty is a fundamental feature of the universe. American mathematician John Allen Paulos concluded “Uncertainty is the only certainty there is", echoing the 1 st century Roman thinker, Pliny the Elder’s statement, "The only certainty is that nothing is certain." Seeking certainty is a modern construct whose roots can be traced to the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment.   It separated state and religion, promoted reason and scientific inquiry over ‘blind faith’. The truth was what could be experienced by the five senses, be scientifically examined and...