Honorary Chirping Bird, Uli Sharbinie

Chirping Birds come in numerous varieties, from countries all over the globe, and they have many songs to sing.

On facebook a few months ago I had the good fortune to encounter a ‘Chirping Bird’ with a different song. Since I read the first message from this Bird, I have gravitated to his postings with enthusiasm and today I am delighted to add Muslihudin (Uli) Sharbinie to our list of Honorary Chirping Birds.

Uli works as a UNESCO Youth Peace Ambassador in Indonesia where he lives teaching environmental science.  He has a delightful way of expressing his emotions about the problems on our planet that are so prevalent today and in so doing he reveals the tenderness and caring that he feels about children, animals and the environment. One of his dreams is that all children have access to a secure and sustainable education.  He manages an “Open Junior School”, enabling hundreds of low-income children to attend school and he has also established a “Vocational High School” at which older children may develop life skills that are needed in today’s competitive world.

In addition to preparing children to live sustainable lives, Uli dreams that all animals should be free to live in their own world.  He is greatly concerned about the beautiful and loving dolphin and is totally opposed to the annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan. Uli is committed to raising awareness about this Taiji dolphin hunt at which hundreds of dolphins are killed and their young are captured to be trained for dolphin spectator shows. Uli believes that the hunt must be ended through peaceful, respectful and solution-based ways. He expects the change can best come from the Japanese people themselves, motivated by support from the outside world. [If you are not familiar with the Taiji hunt, please see the movie “The Cove”, directed by former dolphin trainer, Ric O’Barry].

Worldwide, people are encouraged to visit Marine parks to watch dolphin shows on the pretext that the shows are educational. The sad truth, hidden from the public eye, is that the dolphins are held captive in concrete pools after being captured in Taiji.  Uli states; ‘These shows are not about education – they are about making money’ and he implores; ‘we must discourage attendance at dolphin shows. They are totally and morally wrong’.

Uli rightly believes that animals, just like humans, have emotions, fears and feelings, and feel stress just like we do. So we should leave animals to lead their own natural lives, without interruption just like we humans like to lead our own lives. As a teacher, Uli feels a strong obligation to deliver real facts to humans, and help put them on the right track.

Uli was also recognized by Captain Manfred Reicher and his team as Outstanding Individual For The Year 2011. And he shares what his students do with plastic waste at; http://sharbinie.wordpress.com

You can visit Uli at his page on Facebook, (Uli Sharbinie) http://www.facebook.com/muslihudin.sharbinie.com and support this kind and loving man with his worthy causes. Uli is a gentle chirping bird with a very strong song.