Photos c/o Jacques Fleury

Jacques Fleury is a Boston Globe featured Haitian American Poet, Educator, Author of four books and literary arts student at Harvard University online. His latest publication “You Are Enough: The Journey to Accepting Your Authentic Self” & other titles are available at all Boston Public Libraries, the University of Massachusetts Healey Library, University of Wyoming, Askews and Holts Library Services in the United Kingdom, The Harvard Book Store, The Grolier Poetry Bookshop, Amazon etc… He has been published in prestigious publications such as Spirit of Change Magazine, Wilderness House Literary Review, Muddy River Poetry Review, Litterateur Redefining World anthologies out of India, Poets Reading the News, the Cornell University Press anthology Class Lives: Stories from Our Economic Divide, Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene among others…Visit him at:  http://www.authorsden.com/jacquesfleury.–

Renewal and Kindness Celebration

Navruz is one of the most ancient holidays in human history. It symbolizes the arrival of spring, the awakening of nature, and the beginning of a new life. This holiday is celebrated every year on March 21, during the spring equinox. On this day, day and night become equal, and nature enters a period of renewal. The word “Navruz” comes from the Persian language and means “new day.”

According to historical sources, Navruz has a history of at least 3000 years. Its roots go back to the ancient Zoroastrian era. In the ancient book Avesta, there are also references to ceremonies connected with the arrival of spring and the awakening of nature. Initially, this holiday was celebrated as the beginning of the agricultural year, and people held various rituals wishing for a rich and fruitful harvest.

Today, Navruz is celebrated not only in Central Asia but also in many countries around the world. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 21 as the “International Day of Navruz.” In addition, in 2009, Navruz was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

In Uzbekistan, Navruz is considered an important holiday reflecting national values and traditions. During these days, public festivals, national games, and concerts are organized, and traditional foods such as sumalak are prepared. Navruz unites people in the spirit of kindness, friendship, and solidarity.

Navruz is not only a spring holiday but also an ancient cultural tradition that expresses the ideas of peace, renewal, and goodness. For centuries, it has united different nations and continues to remain an important spiritual value for humanity today.

afternoon heat

naps stretch and blur 

in liminal rest

two hot days 

zephyr lilies 

predict rain 

ponding

frogs echo 

one another 

Grokipedia profile: https://grokipedia.com/page/Christina_Chin

REGRET

Why do you test me so much in these trials,

Your dark nights crush me every moment.

Why do you make me suffer this way,

Tell me, will my bright days ever come?

My fate is written in the verses of my life,

I do not know what else you have written there.

While I was walking embraced by dreams,

You handed me a mirage and called it happiness.

Was the life I was meant to see in your world only sorrow?

At your feet my tears were shed without mercy.

Were the pains you gave me still not enough,

Look — my back has bent from misfortune.

Though grief pulled at my hair through the years,

I endured it with courage and left it behind.

Whatever passed over my head until this day,

I lived with patience and hope.

But now for those whose hearts have burned,

When will the torment and pain disappear?

With every frost that falls upon my brows,

I do not know how long my patience will last.

Every time wandering through the city of my heart,

Did you hear my regrets, O God?

Did you cast me mercilessly into these flames,

Or did you love me this much, O God?

Or did you love me this much, O God?

Uzbekistan

GREEN AND YELLOW

Without those colourful floating pills you sink –

bones dropped by a chemical vulture –

to shatter on the rocks of a dead planet.

The pieces of you left intact then wander

through the ruins of lost civilisations

hung with leathery shrunken heads

before boarding a plague cruise ship

to an island of abandoned labyrinths.

After that, it’s dinner with fires all around

while cruel regrets appear like species thought extinct

and wait as snipers for the next mass killing

in this permanent opium war.

EXTRADITION

These little white pills photoshop your mind,

taking you beyond facial recognition

to where anxiety is a distant tremor,

then just a dog stirring in its sleep

and into the fog and silence

of peaceful, invisible zodiacs

where you are the only citizen:

a limpet sheltering on a rock

a trilobite calmly cruising forever

a jellyfish drifting free

a dust mite in a desert.  

CLICKBAIT

The most solid thing I remember

of that day is the gleam, the honest face

of life’s dwindling. I could not keep you,

but only suffer alongside for a while

and then confront the geography of pain,

lost as a lighthouse in the sun.

Maybe I am just inventing a dream

that only a digital clone could give,

but I hope you are still really somewhere

in perfect convergent evolution.

INTROVERSION

An endless silent ceremony

before the white ashes of vanity.

Living in a world of your own words

until everything is a mirror.

The cries of a fabulous creature

hovering pitilessly overhead.

Clinging on like weeds around barbed wire

or birds nesting among spikes and syringes.

Fearing an embassy from another planet

or looters profiting from disaster. 

S.C. Flynn was born in a small town in Australia of Irish origin and now lives in Dublin. His collections are “The Colour of Extinction” (Renard Press, October 2024; Observer Poetry Book of the Month) and “An Ocean Called Hope” (Downingfield Press, May 2025).

Human Salad

A.

In the world of the living,

The dead can be freely controlled.

Producing the dead is crucial;

One must choose refined ingredients.

Select someone you dislike,

Define them as a failure,

And then use death to prove—

They’re even more of a failure.

Then pile up the dead,

As prepared materials.

When the emotions of the living need release,

Place them in the position of gods.

When the living need to prove their own greatness,

Put them into books or carve them into stone…

Use them whenever needed;

The more they’re used, 

The more solid the claim becomes—

That they were failures without doubt:

The living control the dead,

Yet the dead haven’t controlled the living.

B.

After natural disasters that attack without distinction,

Or attacks created by the living,

Those lying on the ground,

Are called “the dead”.

The dead are collectively called the innocent,

Or the weak.

Yet during the years they lived,

Some among them had controlled other dead.

It’s only that this time they weren’t fortunate enough;

They became the dead,

And were likewise labeled with the mark of “failure”—

Innocence and kindness.

To fear being marked as “a failure”,

And to be unable to speak in one’s own defense—

To say that one was actually strong…

This is the true root of the fear of death.

C.

Human beings mixed together,

Become a kind of sauce.

When tasted, it seems to come from only one thing,

Yet it’s actually a heap of things that have been crushed.

Each peanut kernel has the taste of peanut,

So once crushed, the flavors can mix.

Since humans can also be treated this way,

It seems that the taste of humans is no different…

This is the reasoning and conclusion of the living…

This plate of salad has already been mixed,

Waiting for the dead to taste it and give their commentary.

The Role of Environment and Upbringing in Human Development and Personal Growth

Uzbek National University of Pedagogy, Primary Education Department, 3rd-Year Student

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of environment and upbringing in human development and personal growth from a pedagogical perspective. Personal formation is a complex and multi-factor process, in which the natural-geographical environment, social environment, family conditions, and purposeful upbringing play a significant role. The article explains, based on scientific evidence, how external factors influencing human development are interconnected, and how the environment impacts a person’s worldview, behavior, and life activities. The role of microenvironments, such as family and educational institutions, in a child’s development is particularly emphasized.

Furthermore, the article highlights the purposeful nature of upbringing and its leading role in forming positive traits, social skills, and moral qualities in a person. Through upbringing, it is possible to develop a person’s natural abilities, reduce the negative influence of the environment, and ensure the individual’s adaptation to society. The article demonstrates, with scientific evidence, that pedagogically well-organized activities contribute to intellectual, physical, and volitional development.

The study concludes that human development emerges from the harmony of heredity, environment, and upbringing, with upbringing acting as a leading factor. This article is of theoretical and practical importance for students in pedagogical fields, teachers, and specialists involved in the upbringing process.

Keywords: personal development, environment, upbringing, social development, pedagogical process, personality formation

Introduction

Human development and personal growth are among the most important and relevant issues in pedagogy. The progress of any society is directly linked to how the younger generation is raised, the environment in which they grow up, and the values instilled in them. The formation of a well-rounded individual is not a random process but a complex pedagogical and social process resulting from hereditary potential, environmental influences, and purposeful upbringing.

From birth, a person lives and develops within a specific environment, which includes natural-geographical conditions, social relations, family upbringing, and the education system. These factors play a key role in shaping a person’s worldview, behavior, interests, and attitude toward life. Initially, the child receives upbringing in the family, and later acquires social experience under the influence of school and society. Therefore, the environment serves as a natural field for personal development.

Modern pedagogy emphasizes that human development cannot be explained solely by innate abilities. A person’s capabilities, social activity, and moral qualities largely develop through the upbringing process. Upbringing is a key factor in purposefully guiding personal development, fostering positive traits, and raising an individual adapted to societal needs. Educational institutions and teachers play a crucial role in the intellectual and moral development of the younger generation.

In today’s era of globalization and increased information flow, individuals are exposed to various social influences. Therefore, studying the interaction of environment and upbringing scientifically and identifying pedagogical conditions that positively affect personal development is highly relevant. The aim of this article is to analyze the role of environment and upbringing in human development from a pedagogical perspective and to highlight their interconnected influence on personality formation.

The Role of Environment

Personal formation is a continuous and complex process resulting from the interaction of multiple factors. In pedagogy, environment, upbringing, and personal activity are recognized as the main factors influencing human development.

These factors are closely interconnected, and their harmony ensures comprehensive personal growth.

The environment forms the natural and social foundation of human development. It includes external conditions, social relations, lifestyle, and life events surrounding the individual. The natural-geographical environment affects a person’s way of life, work activities, and even character traits. Climate, living area, and natural conditions influence daily life and activity patterns. For example, the habits, work activities, and adaptability of people living in different regions vary depending on their natural surroundings. Thus, the environment acts as an indirect factor influencing personal development.

Microenvironments, such as family, occupy a special place in personal development. The early years of a child’s life are spent in the family, where initial ideas, behavior, and attitudes are formed. Relationships among family members, moral values, and educational approaches significantly affect the child’s psychological and moral development. Human qualities such as affection, respect, and responsibility are primarily instilled through the family environment. A child raised in a positive family setting adapts quickly to society, develops self-confidence, and grows into a socially active individual.

The social environment is another key factor in personal development. Social relationships, cultural values, laws, and interactions within society broaden a person’s worldview. Through interaction with others, individuals gain life experience, prepare for work activities, and adapt to societal requirements. Educational institutions are a vital component of the social environment, where students not only acquire knowledge but also learn to collaborate, assume responsibility, and understand social values.

The Role of Upbringing

However, environment alone does not determine personal development. Upbringing serves to purposefully guide human development. Its key characteristic is its goal-oriented nature. Through educational activities organized by teachers and mentors, positive moral qualities, social skills, and life values are developed in individuals. Upbringing enhances a person’s potential, brings out their abilities, and helps them grow into a socially valuable individual.

The upbringing process not only imparts knowledge but also enriches the inner world, strengthens volitional qualities, and fosters diligence. Many traits—such as responsibility, patience, discipline, and perseverance—develop through upbringing. A well-structured educational and upbringing process also supports physical development and forms healthy lifestyle habits.

Moreover, upbringing helps mitigate or eliminate the negative influence of the environment. A child left unsupervised or exposed to a negative social environment may develop behavioral problems. Pedagogically well-organized upbringing prevents such issues and guides the individual correctly. Therefore, cooperation among school, family, and society is crucial for effective upbringing.

The Role of Activity

Activity plays a distinct role in personal development. Through activities, individuals demonstrate their abilities and acquire new skills. In childhood, play is the primary form of activity, while during school years, learning and work activities become central.

Conclusion

In summary, human development and personal growth are complex, multi-factor, and continuous processes. Environment, upbringing, and personal activity interact harmoniously to influence development. The environment provides natural and social conditions, while upbringing purposefully directs these opportunities to form positive traits. Family environment, educational institutions, and social relationships in society are particularly important in shaping worldview and moral perspectives. Pedagogically well-organized activities support intellectual, moral, physical, and volitional development. Age-appropriate progression of activities fosters growth as an individual.

Educational efforts carried out in cooperation among family, school, and society are essential for raising well-rounded, independent, and responsible individuals.

Human development is thus a unified process shaped by the interaction of environment and upbringing, in which personal activity also plays a vital role. Through purposeful pedagogical influence, each individual’s potential can be realized, enabling them to mature into a capable person who contributes to societal progress.

References

R. Mavlonova, N. Voxidova, N. Rakhmonqulova, History of Pedagogical Theory. Tashkent, 2010.

www.pedagog.uz⁠�

www.ziyonet.uz⁠�

Daminova Sevinch 

Born in 2006 in Shahrisabz district, Qashqadaryo region. She graduated from Secondary School No. 72 in Shahrisabz district, Qashqadaryo region. In 2023, she became a student at the Uzbekistan National University of Pedagogy. She has volunteered at the “Pinnacle Science” Republican Scientific Center.

Her scientific articles have been published in prestigious journals from the United States, Singapore, and Russia. She is the holder of more than 50 diplomas and certificates. In 2025, she received the “Future Star” statuette organized at the level of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

She is a recipient of the “Advanced Generation” breastplate and the “High Devotion to Science” breastplate. She also won 1st place and the “Friendship” badge in the “Mosaic of Nations” competition held by the “Jadidlar” International Scientific Research Association. She has earned more than 50 international certificates and is the author of several poems and international articles.