Ambassadors vs Lobbyists

The name says it all: lobbyists are people who linger at lobbies of law-making institutions waiting to meet lawmakers to pitch them something (check “The Origins of ‘Lobbyist’” on the link below). This practice began, on a regular basis, in the 19th century and it has been evolving ever since. Now, it is a recognized profession. The European Union has even created a way to officially interact with them, in the name of transparency. The idea is to give an opportunity for everyone to be heard. This means that environmental conservationists have the same opportunity as oil companies to influence lawmakers, for example. Except… oil companies have way more money and the possibility to provide more lucrative advantages. Is it equal? No, definitely not. Besides, in lobbying, the line between presenting arguments truthfully and presenting them using manipulative tactics is very thin. And manipulation usually wins.

Ambassador is a very old word, with an interesting evolution. The English word comes from the French word ambassadeur, which comes from the Italian word ambasciatore, which comes from the Latin word ambactus, meaning “servant” (at that time, servants were actually slaves). The first time the term was used was in the 14th century, when Europe was immersed in turmoil. Alliances were made and broken often, thus, kings needed to know what was going on in other countries. So, they would send “servants” to be their representatives. They had a limited scope to negotiate in the name of their king, being in constant contact to provide information and receive instructions. These ambassadors were sent in missions to different countries and could be called back or redirected to another country at any moment.

In reality, they were spies. As foreigners, they didn’t belong to any organization, but, as representatives of kings, they could access everywhere and talk to everyone. The information gathered could serve as leverage (or blackmail) in official negotiations. The ambassadors’ role was not to pitch anything, but to find ways to make their kings’ will prevail. It could be a kind of manipulation too, like lobbyists, although with a different focus: instead of defending a cause or the interests of a specific company or a specific industry, ambassadors defended a political view and the (economic) interests of a country.

Gradually, permanent embassies were built and steady diplomatic relationships between countries were established. The goal was still the same: defend the interests of their country and getting to know what was going on in that country (especially backstage). Of course, those embassies were also used by the secret services… unofficially, in most cases. Breaking diplomatic relationships is rare and it is usually mainly symbolic because it is important to stay present to achieve the goals mentioned. Over time, embassies’ duties were expanded and they became responsible to protect national citizens visiting or living in that foreign country.

Nowadays, ambassadors are definitely not servants (much less slaves). They are respected diplomats. Diplomat comes from the French word diplomatique, which comes from the Latin word diplomaticus, meaning “regarding official documents”. In other words, they are official agents. The term has expanded to other (diplomatic) domains, such as the United Nations. The UN has “Messengers of Peace”, “Goodwill Ambassadors”, and “Advocates”, famous people who champion a certain area. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio is the Messenger of Peace for Climate Change, Cate Blanchett is a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, and Petra Nemcova is the UNDRR World Tsunami Awareness Advocate. Recently, Professor Brian Cox was appointed UN Champion of Space. Their role is to raise awareness and positively influence public opinion, taking advantage of their public image. Other organizations, such as non-governmental organizations, are following the example and appointing their own ambassadors. Some organizations have ambassadors, to raise awareness, and lobbyists, to press lawmakers.

Although these concepts are very well defined and distinct from one another, in practice they can be mixed up. Ambassadors may act as lobbyists and lobbyists can become ambassadors. Nevertheless, in both cases, corruption has a very fertile ground here to flourish. When lobbyists or ambassadors are championing a cause, the corruption factor may be minimized (but not entirely eliminated, unfortunately). Temptations are abundant and, in some areas, a lot of money is circulating. However, when they are championing a company or an industry, anything goes as long as there is a win. Is it fair? No, of course. Partly, this is the reason why climate change is being ignored, for example.

Sources:

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Jazz, rock and other tunes

Any given music fan who studies languages may become curious about the origins of the names of the different types of music, like “jazz” and “rock”. Strange and intriguing names. Music is music regardless of its category, but most people need to organize everything in clear labels. After all, names are important to identify the music and, thus, the people who enjoy that specific genre. Indeed, music is much more than tunes, it can be a lifestyle. It is hard to find individuals who don’t like music and/or who don’t identify themselves with a specific genre. “Tell me what type of music you like to hear and I’ll tell you who you are…”

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Classical music doesn’t refer to “old” music, not least because there are currently good composers who still create classical music. Strictly speaking, classical music refers to the period between the second half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Until then, what is now considered classical music was in fact Western religious music. In other words, composers would create music to be played in churches and to praise the Lord. It’s no coincidence that composers like Bach are known for their religious pieces.

However, the “classic era” witnessed a change of the situation and composers like Mozart and Beethoven, with their major breakthroughs, paved the way for possibilities to be expanded. They have influenced musicians to this day. The following era was dominated by the introduction of the piano, which gave rise to big stars like Chopin. We could say that, at the end of the day, classical music is the Western evolution of human melodic composition.

FOLK MUSIC

Folk music is a very broad term that encompasses traditional music from all over the world. It is also known as “world music”, meaning music which is not English-related. In truth, each country has its own musical style with different categories. However, as they don’t usually reach international status, they are considered “folk”. This word comes from Old English and Old German, meaning “people”, as in “common people”. Therefore, folk music means that it is the music of common people (as opposed to classical music, for example).

BLUES

The blues is a musical folk genre originally sung by the Southern African-American, mostly slave descendants. It emerged in the second half of the 19th century to sing away the oppression and misery felt by them. The name comes from the expression blue devils, which refers to the feeling of melancholy and depression.

JAZZ

Jazz is a “child” of the blues, but with upbeat melodies. The true origin of the word is not clear, but it is believed it comes from unwritten (and unspeakable) slang. Besides the musical genre, “jazz” nowadays can mean enliven and “similar but unspecified things”. The music was designated as jazz unintentionally, but the name stuck.

COUNTRY MUSIC

If blues and jazz are considered “Black” music, country music can be considered “White” music, namely the music of white people living in rural areas. This musical folk genre was born around 1920 in the Southern USA and it sang the life of countryside people, especially using the harmonica and the banjo. Nashville is the capital of the State of Tennessee (USA) and it is also considered the capital of country music.

POP MUSIC

Pop is the abbreviation of “popular”, which is basically whatever is the most listened to at a given time. These types of songs tend to mix different genres and use key words, which is different from generation to generation. The melodies are simple enough to appeal to a large number of people and are created by using the technology available. It is believed that popular music was born with music hall shows, which were live musical shows performed in theatres during the Victoria time (in UK), with easy-to-follow songs. However, it was in the 1950s and in the USA that the term was broadly applied.

RHYTHM AND BLUES (R&B)

This name came directly from its roots (the blues) and the beat with which they were now played. In a time when Black and White people were segregated in the USA, R&B was the popular music of Black people. It was mostly played in cities and aimed to help escape the trouble times Black people were living.

A type of R&B for many, soul music aimed to strengthen the pride in belonging to that culture and it was based on blues and gospel. Gospel is a kind of religious music, which was adapted by Black people at the beginning of the 20th century to reflect their cultural heritage.

ROCK AND ROLL

Rock and roll (or rock ‘n’ roll) is a type of rock music, which, in turn, is a type of popular music. Probably, the term rock ‘n’ roll came first and, then, when it expanded, got its name abbreviated. Emerging in the 1950s in the USA, it was initially a mix of blues, jazz, and R&B, and was played by Black musicians. It is believed that the name came from an expression seamen used in the 17th century to describe the movement of boats. Just as jazz, this expression could have another meaning and, just as jazz, the name was unintentionally designated, but stuck.

Rock ‘n’ roll boomed when a white young man with a black voice, who played the guitar and had very characteristic dancing moves, came to the scene. His name was Elvis Presley and he dramatically changed the course of music in the USA. In the meantime, a group of young men from Liverpool, UK, did the same on the other side of the pond. Their name was The Beatles (which actually is the name of an insect). Rock was played in cities and soon became a way for young people to express themselves and rebel against what was established in society.

HEAVY METAL

Originally a rock sub genre, heavy metal became a genre of its own in the 1970s. It is not clear how the name came to be. The electronic guitar was a feature of rock music, but in heavy metal that sound was pushed to another level. Maybe it was due to this sound, maybe because the concept of “heavy metals” was in the air, no one knows. The fact is that this type of music characterized a generation and it was connected to a certain type of looks (men with long hair, black weird outfits and mean face). Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Kiss, AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Alice Cooper are some of the most famous groups of this genre.

PUNK MUSIC

The first time the word “punk” was written (as “puncke”) was in Shakespeare plays. At that time, it meant “female prostitute”. Centuries later, the word evolved to mean a kind of male prostitute. Some centuries later still, the term expanded and became a general insult for all kinds of minor criminals or similar. By the 1970s, it was used to designate a rock sub genre that was emerging and taking a path of its own. Punk music was characterized by its strong social criticism, reflecting the disillusion and lack of perspectives of the younger generation at the time.

DISCO MUSIC

Although disco music was around since the 1960s, it was only in the late 1970s that it boomed, mostly due to the famous film “Saturday Night Fever”, featuring John Travolta. It was a genre connected to nightclubs and its name came from the French word discotheque, the place where people went to dance at night. “Discos” were what DJs played for people to dance. Later, disco music became linked to the LGBTQ+ rights’ movement.

HIP-HOP

The name of this music genre has many stories. The most told one is that of a man who enlisted in the army and his friend told him he was hip-hop-hip-hop, imitating the soldiers’ marching. True or not, hip-hop was not just a musical genre, but a cultural movement that started in the South Bronx, New York City, USA, in the 1980s, mixing cultural influences from the Black community, the Caribbean community and the Latin community. It includes rap, break dancing, and graffiti.

ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC

This type of music used synthesizers and was created to make people dance all night long. Although there had been some experiences since the 1970s, it was only in the 1980s that it officially emerged. It includes sub genres, like “house” and “techno”. It is also connected to “rave parties”, where people would party to the sound of electronic music sometimes for several days. Drugs were known to be used in those parties to keep up the pace.

CONCLUSION

As we can see, the 20th century was very prolific in terms of discovering new musical genres. This is connected to the profound social changes that were undergoing at that time. People left the countryside to live in the cities, creating a whole new cultural scene. The segregation between Blacks and Whites in the USA was reflected in different musical genres that evolved in parallel. Underground movements gave rise to new styles. Old tunes were reinvented to match the new social realities and make use of new instruments. Will the 21st century keep up the pace, or all the genres are already discovered?

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 12 June 2025 at 07:52
A fascinating summary of music genres, which leads me to think that there really is something out there for everyone! I can’t imagine a world without music and to paraphrase Shakespeare…’if music is the stuff of life, then thank goodness for it!’

By Words in Ideas | On 12 June 2025 at 23:11
Indeed!

Keyword: RELIGION | God or no God, is that the question?

God is a supreme being that is above all other beings. Religion is a system that sets the rules for worshipping God. It is possible to believe in God and not follow a religion such as it is possible to follow a religion without really believing in God. Religions are social spaces that give people a place of belonging and an identity in society. Being part of such a community and following its rituals bring a sense of security and stability that is important for mental well-being.

Although nationality and religion are two separate concepts, religion is so deepened and entangled in a country’s identity that many people think religion is part of the national identity. However, even in religious countries, there are nationals who choose a different religion. This is the reason why Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that people have the right of freedom of religion, including change of religion.

Before there were states with full sovereignty, people belonged to borderless communities, for example, tribes or clans. Some of these communities were bonded by blood, which was strong enough to keep the community together. Family is still very important nowadays and loyalty to the family is deemed paramount. Yet, people sometimes would change families due to marriage, due to orphanage (they would be adopted by a different family), or due to some other reason. Besides, different family members could have different ideas about the future of the community.

Religion was (and it is in some cases) the glue that would keep the community together, especially in the case of communities not bonded by blood. In a time when science was not very developed, religion gave the answers; when there were no therapists, religion provided mental support; when there was no humanitarian aid, religion helped people in need. In return, religion would demand loyalty and exclusivity, exercising its power by making people believe in dogmas, making threats and even terrorizing them. If someone would “sin”, God would punish him/her, religion would state. If someone would neglect the Church, God would destroy him/her crops. And if someone would change religion, he/she would be cursed forever.

Ritual ceremonies are designed to anchor believers to the Faith. Besides having a social component that helps people bond with each other, rituals are important to keep people calm and stable, encouraging them to face and overcome difficulties and challenges. For example, praying is a balsamic action to avoid despair, panic, and the feeling of powerlessness. There are also ceremonies of initiation and milestone achievements, providing a sense of purpose and evolution.

In the name of religion, many atrocities were carried out, for example: the Crusades (Catholics vs Muslims), Inquisition (Catholics against everyone else), the Thirty Years’ War (Catholics vs Protestants). In these examples, the aim was for the Roman Catholic Church to obtain power. Recently, we are witnessing Muslim fanatics carrying out acts of terrorism to gain a foothold on the world stage. There are also some local cults, whose spiritual leaders isolate the community from the world and commit all sorts of crimes. None of this has anything to do with religious purposes. Religion is a peaceful endeavour aimed to help its community.

If in the past it would be difficult to find someone who did not believe in any religion, nowadays it is very common to stumble across someone with no religion whatsoever. Societies today provide structures to support citizens in areas where religions used to dominate. Thus, religion is increasingly seen as an option and not as a duty. However, it is also common to find those who believe in God, but do not follow any religion. And then, there are the agnostics, who have doubts about the existence of God, and atheists, who do not believe in God at all.

Religion is important for believers, but those believers do not have the right to impose their religion on others. Likewise, it is not right to deny a community or a specific person the practice of the religion of their choice. There are different reasons why an individual chooses a certain religion (or no religion at all), family tradition may be the first one. Yet, if someone does not believe in God, he/she should not be judged by those who believe. Faith, in the sense of a “firm belief in something for which there is no proof” is personal: whether you believe or you do not. Non-believers should also not try to convince believers they are wrong. Rational arguments will not work in one way such as emotional arguments will not work in the other way. However, fanaticism of all forms is not religious and should be fought by everyone.

Keyword: WORK | The purpose of work

In his book “Work: A History of How We Spent Our Time”, James Suzman starts by defining what work is. He goes back and forth, discussing different angles, and comes to the conclusion that “work” is every activity living beings (humans, animals, plants, and fungi) do, for which they need energy. This means that, under this definition, what some people consider “leisure” is actually “work” (in fact, the same activity can be considered “leisure” by some and “work” by others).

According to James Suzman, the concept of “leisure” was born when humans learned how to master fire and they found time to spare between hunting and recollecting food. Instead of “doing nothing”, they dedicated themselves to painting, building tools, and creating accessories (like necklaces). This means that, just like other animals, plants, and fungi, humans have the compulsory need to be engaged in some kind of activity. Once the energy intake is secure, imagination is the limit of what one could do.

As imagination evolved, so did the number of activities and their complexity. After figuring out how to plant and master crops, everything changed. Humans were now able to store “energy” to consume later, which gave them even more time without being worried about hunting and recollecting. They began to plan yearly: there was a time to sow, a time to let crops grow (controlling pests and the like), and a time to harvest. Then, during winter, as humans didn’t hibernate, they were “free” to do what they liked. Usually that meant making big constructions (like Stonehenge, for example). For these purposes, communities were needed and societies were developed. Hierarchies and specializations were ever more consolidated. Besides, as the agricultural fields were being exhausted, people had to move to other lands. Thus, migration commenced.

Fast-forward to our highly complex and globalized society, in which people move around all the time, we can see where imagination and “free time” has led humanity. People still work to sustain themselves and their families (that haven’t changed) and they still use their free time to do other things they find more interesting (that haven’t changed either). What is changing is the purpose, the meaning of work.

At some point during the Industrial Revolution, workers fought for the idea of having 8 hours per day of work, 8 hours of free time (to have fun and spend time with the family), and 8 hours of rest (mainly to sleep). It was also believed that the 8 hours of free time was the most important of them all. Hence, the hobbies, the focus on the family, the holidays and day outs. People would work to make money to meet the needs of survival, and their compensation was to have fun in their free time.

Now, people are realizing that work is actually more important, that it builds their sense of self. So, it needs to have meaning to themselves and to the community. People relate to work more than it was expected during the Industrial Revolution and having fun after hours is just not enough. Besides, people are working increasingly more hours. The 8-8-8 balance is getting lost (if ever was a reality). As a result, the separation between work life and personal life is also getting lost. In truth, this separation only made sense during the Industrial Revolution, when people went to work in the factories and then went back to “their own life”. With the rise of “flexible working hours” and “working from home” it feels like we are going back in time, when people were developing agriculture and their own life was intertwined with the work they did.

As we can read in James Suzman’s book, developing agriculture throughout thousands of years was hard work filled with much frustration. Farmers would probably have felt they had enough of it many times over during the course of their lifetime. When the Industrial Revolution came, moving to the cities to work in the factories was like a promise of a better life. After all, they wouldn’t depend on climate to have their earnings; they would have a salary at the end of the week or the month. However, this type of work brought with it a number of new problems, and workers had to deal with them in new ways: hence Unions and social fights that are part of history.

Nowadays we have burnouts, stressful objectives to be met, toxic working environments, fierce competition, long hours of work… We are also witnessing the emergence of new ways of work, like: the 4-day work week, remote work, hybrid work. We have an enormous variety of different jobs and the possibility to change jobs. Specializations are not the end of the line. If we think back, before the Industrial Revolution, farmers’ children didn’t have much choice. And whoever started a trade would hardly switch to another trade. Today, there are infinite possibilities (or so it seems).

The future is unforeseeable, although many experts are busy trying to predict it. However, one thing seems to be certain: people need to work, whatever may that turn out to be.