Destitution drives Syrian refugee children to work
This week I found an article that discusses some of the most impressionable refugee problems from Syria. The article entitled, “Destitution drives Syrian refugee children to work”, describes dire conditions where children have to work just so the refugees can survive. The children have to go out very early in the morning, in many cases before 6 AM and work in the fields harvesting crops. This keeps them out of school for a period of time and causes them to be exhausted. The article describes that some families have children as young as three and four years old working in some fashion to help support the family. Since the refugees have left Syria and infiltrated other countries, jobs have become scarce and refugees are doing whatever they can to make ends meet. Unfortunately, the children are the ones suffering. Unicef is attempting to intervene to ensure that children are not being exploited or harmed in any way and they are educating the parents on how this work may be harming their children and their future. The reality is, most of these parents do not want their children to work, they are just left with no other choices or options. Reading this article reminded me of the readings no war in the textbook and how drastically war can change an environment. This article is a perfect example of how a war, specifically a civil war, can change not only the country the war is occurring in but also the countries that the refugees are fleeing to. While a civil war is described as being insulated within the country it is occurring, clearly the consequences of such conflict have far reaching consequences and also affect surrounding countries that have to cope with the influx of people competing for housing, jobs, and sustenance. I also think about those poor children and how difficult it must be to lose one’s childhood and not get to experience school and play time. As a U.S. citizen with children I can not fathom raising children in such an environment. I pray that in my lifetime I never have to make the choice about whether my child can continue to be a child or must grow up and start working at a very young age. It makes me think about the child labor discussed in David Batstone’s Not For Sale book when he discusses the child, Chan, who had to work in the garlic-factory with his sister and was kept in deplorable conditions until he finally escaped. These poor refugees could easily end up with a similar fate. Lets hope Unicef continues to keep a watchful eye over them.
Doucet, Lyse (2013, September 25). Destitution drives Syrian refugee children to work .. BBC News: Europe. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-24229079
Kristin, there is one question that keeps revolving in my mind: what about the adults? Are they working too or is this particularly targeting only the children? I understand that this article depicts primarily the children’s deplorable situation, which is particularly incredible considering that a fellow countryman is coordinating the labor on the Lebanese farms. I was just wondering that it is nowhere mentioned, because in such an article it would make sense to emphasize the logical connection that they really have no choice because the adults (if any with them) don’t earn enough and therefore the children have to support with their labor. Unfortunately, and this is a weak word to describe it, many other countries share the same fate, see for example Pakistan, Honduras, China, Thailand etc., (Sernau, p. 57), not to forget in our country or other industrialized ones, as we learned in class, just under cover or unnoticed. You mentioned Chan in the Not to Sale book, and from a different angle, I am reminded of the young boys and girls recruited and correspondingly abused by the LRA in Uganda. They too are drawn into a senseless war, subjected to abuse and labor in so many ways and robbed of their innocence and childhood as well (Batstone, p. 110). I agree that war has so many ramifications, in the country it takes place as well as those surrounding and those far away. Sernau (p. 159) talks about it how civil wars spill typically over and destabilize entire regions, and this is no different here. Lebanon itself was ravaged by a civil war and then the Cedar Revolution demanded Syrian troops’ withdrawal after 2005. Lebanon is operating now since March 2011 under a new government and is still immersed in the recovery/rebuilding process, particularly in their economic and academic area despite considerable UN and US aid. Although this is a miserable situation for the children, it is somewhat understandable in this regard that coping with and tending to the influx of refugees poses added difficulties and the focus is not, as so many times, on the really disadvantage. I believe, like many countries alike, Lebanon has taken much more on than they can handle, either based on a commitment with the UNHCR or on the fact that they are, as Syria obviously too, member of the UN and feel obligated yet without having the capacity. Another example is Australia, as mentioned in a recent blog, where incoming refugees now are being “deferred” for processing to New Guinea , which in itself is just another hassle, but obviously a welcome short-cuts to take some burden of. The Department of State’s website indicates that the Syrian/Lebanese border problems are yet not resolved and Syria had long influenced Lebanon’s “foreign policy and internal policies”, so I wonder, despite the government’s openness to the West, how much of this influence is still in place, keeping Lebanon’s eyes shut when it comes to the child labor dilemma and how advocacy attempts are being handled. However, the positive aspect is that the Unicef is involved, Lebanese charities are trying to alleviate the situation, and a program for informal education is at least put in place. I understand that all budgets are stretched, but hopefully some persistent organizations can push towards a change of spending priorities. Again, advocacy skills are dearly needed. This week’s reading about the UN’s worldwide smallpox vaccination initiative in 1977 (p. 276), and its involvement mentioned in this article caused in me a change of mind as to a possible dissolution, as discussed in class. Certainly there is an array of global problems that need to be addressed as a whole and monitored in individual countries, and certainly there is mismanagement of money and time, as in so many other organizations, but maybe as a motivator, organizer and implementer, the UN has still an effective place in the global community. Overall, the situation of refugees in general will only increase and hopefully the UN will continue to intervene with assistance and motivate others.
This was a touching article. I felt a lot of compassion for the upset mother as she tearfully discussed how she did not want her children to work, but if they do not work they may starve. I felt like I could relate to her because I would not know what I would do and like you I hope I never have to make that tough of a decision. You are right it is war that is really destroying the way of life that people live. It is the civil wars and regional conflicts that oppress people and keep developing countries from developing .We know from our advocacy project that it is extremely difficult to make large strives of successful change in the middle of civil war.
(This got left out) It is hard to make large changes, when people are trying so hard to get their most basic needs met. It is difficult to worry about women's rights, democracy and etc. when you are worried how you will feed yourself and your children.
This article is interesting because it follows up on my article for week three regarding, France just now seeking justice for the Rwanda’s genocide. Week’s three article suggested that France’s motivation for justice is to have better economic ties with Rwanda. This article is of special importance because, week three’s article stated that both of the country’s exports and imports and exports with each other depend on how well France proceeds with the prosecution of the genocide of Rwanda. Chapter seven referred to 1994, Rwanda as an ethnic cleansing and a regional conflict, 800,000 people dead is also referred to as genocide.
In April through July of 1994 in Rwanda, nearly 800,000 people were killed, mostly Tutsis. Unlike many other countries such as Canada, France repeatedly refused to extradite those who are suspected of being involved in the Rwandan genocide. Muhayimana and Musabyimana, the two men being extradited, are being accused of genocide in different areas. Muhayimana is accused of being a part of a massacre of ethnic Tutsis in a western town of Kibuye while Musabyimana is being accused of a massacre in the north-western Gisenyi province. Although the two men appeared in front of appeals courts in Dijon and Rouen and their extradition was ordered, this ruling was overruled by the Court of Cassation- France’s highest appeals court. French prosecutors stated that even though the two men could not be extradited on the majority of the crimes they are being held accountable for, they could be extradited for genocide and crimes against humanity. Based on court documents, the chief prosecutor in Paris considers that defendants extradited in Rwanda are now guaranteed a fair trial and are no longer at risk for the death penalty, as it was abolished in 2007. I agree with the statement of Philippe Meilhac, the two men’s lawyer, who said “I see no explanation other than politics to explain the prosecutor’s change in stance.” Philippe Meilhac also believes France wanted to please Rwanda as diplomatic relations improved between the two nations. Today, there are currently about twenty genocide-related cases pending in French courts. The current 20 cases pending in France for a genocide that happened 20 years ago appears to have taken a long time. Where was France when the genocide happened and where have they been. We have learned that each country needs each country to maintain their economy and will forgive countries and help countries to maintain their helpful relationship to ensure their relationship remain workable. The U.S. maintains a good relationship with certain countries by providing a better score on the human trafficking scale, ultimately knowing they are turning a blind eye to their ally. The U.S. does this to maintain good relationships to keep our export and import flowing. The question how many turn of a blind eye is okay to get the economy going. Despite Africa needing to make amends with France for turning a blind eye for twenty years to a genocide, should they forgive? I don’t know.
Topic: genocide Jalena Robertson Adams Site : http://news.yahoo.com/french-prosecutors-seek-extradition-rwanda-genocide-accused-194646112.html
Jalena - I found your article interesting and frustrating. Much like you, I wonder where France has been but then I think about how this happens all the time. On your blog last week, I commented on how there are Nazi war criminals who are still just now going on trial for their war crimes. They committed these crimes in the late 1930's and it is 2013 and they are just now being punished. Many of them are in their 90's and do not even stand a chance to serve much if any time for their offenses. It is a slow process and extremely frustrating. Many of these Nazi war criminals would not even be held accountable if not for the established watch groups who helped hunt them down and demanded justice. So, maybe Rawanda needs somebody advocating for them in a simiilar fashion. Watch group who hunt down these men and demand that they be prosecuted. It sounds like, from the article, they have found two who have asylum in France and France is slow-walking the process. This is another issue we have is that there is not a formalized law system from one country to another which makes things difficult and increases tensions between countries. Look at the US and Russia over Edward Snowden. It seems that these Rawandan war criminals will not be held accountable for their actions any time soon, much like the Nazi war criminals. When I read articles like this, I think about David Batstone's book Not For Sale when he discusses government corruption and how individuals are not prosecuted because the higher ups in the country have a stake in this type of bad behavior.
This article showed how some countries (Canada) want to get involved with giving people justice around the world and how others remain neutral until their hands are forced by (economic relations). It is sad to say that I am not surprised how long it takes for people to come to justice in areas of the world that hardly anyone knows about. This goes to show how France, being a country a part of the UN will not extradite these gentlemen on their charges; however, they can prosecute them for crimes committed against humanity. This is a prime example of the assignment that we did in class when some countries commit violations on human rights and get away with it and how other countries can prosecute for those same violations.
Your article was interesting and giving me couple of questions, when one country violates human rights by ethnic cleansing, who should involve in to bring justice? If other country take advantage of the situation and just pursue its benefit including economic and other, who can intervene and correct the situation? French looks that it did right but it was related to its benefit. I heard many countries experienced this kind of tragedy throughout the history but every time I heard the news, there looked no one really involved in the situation and helped out the victims. Many powerful countries include U.S quickly involve in international matter whenever it was connected with their own benefits, mostly economic, territorial, or geographical, but when it is not, it came out different story. It has been long time that U.N has not shown any substantial involvement by sending united military army or other kind of help. When I read the chapter about "war", I felt that what happened in this world relating war looked chaotic, and there looks no justice or regulations but only pursuing their own benefits and killing is justified everywhere. It reminded me of the value of the laws and having authorities who execute the laws according to the justice is a great blessing. Regarding with international matter, specially, those countries that do not have the laws to bring justice will be the one of the area that social workers can contribute by helping them to establish the laws to protect human rights.
Christian hotel owners in gay row selling up Topic: Discrimination Submitted by: Lisa Norton 09/27/13
When searching for an article I found one that I thought would be pretty cut and dry. However, as I read the article and thought about it from both view points, I found myself unable to decide. The BBC News reports on a couple in Marazion, England who are selling their Bed & Breakfast because they can no longer advertise with England’s main tourism body. This is all stems from a discrimination suit which was brought against the couple for not allowing a gay couple to rent a room for the night. Ordinarily I would have immediately empathized with the gay couple thinking about how humiliated and angry they must have felt. However the more I read the more I began to wonder if the owners of the Bed & Breakfast acted within their legal rights. As an owner of a private establishment, should you be able to decide who partakes in what you’re offering, in this case a private room for the night. And if your discrimination is not against the gay couple specifically but in two unmarried adults sharing a bed in general, should you as the owner be able to decide who is eligible to rent the room? This was not a government funded hotel, it was a private business. Clearly the government intervened as an advocate on behalf of the gay couple who was discriminated against but who will advocate for the owners? What about their rights? It should be said that the owners of the B&B were not forced out of business. They are choosing to simply close up shop due to their loss in advertisement opportunities with a travel company called Tour London. They have been operating for more than 20 years and they claim their discrimination is based solely on their religious beliefs. The London courts ruled that the couple had acted unlawfully in their discrimination of the gay couple but when trying to view both sides of the story I wondered if the owners were discriminated against because of their religious beliefs. Were their rights to live by those beliefs being violated? If they had advertised their Bed & Breakfast as a place for only Heterosexual/Married couples, would they be in trouble today? I know that there are businesses today that discriminate in various ways all the time. Whether it’s a country club that sets the initiation fees so high that only the elite can afford to participate or at the private schools where certain religions are given entrance preference over another belief in order to have a like-minded student body. As a social worker, I knew how I could advocate for the gay couple but I was stumped when thinking about how to advocate for the owners. You don’t always get to choose the clients you work with and it’s tough when you don’t share the same beliefs. A change in policy is needed either way. Perhaps there could be an amendment to the tourism register that would allow for categories of lodging like “family friendly”, “Christian atmosphere” or “alternative lifestyles welcome”. I would have started on a local level and tried to make a place for each point of view rather than force one over the other. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-24159559
Wow Lisa, I also must say that this article really has some serious, valid points in it. I can also say that I would probably be one who would lose my bed and breakfast before I start allowing the government to dictate who will or will not be able to stay in my dwelling whether they are homosexual or not. I think the whole thing of suing is over the top for me, but this is what our world has become. I have to say that one thing that the owner stated that stood out to me was that they do not condone pre-marital sex in their B&B. Which says to me they are asking probing questions to people that are inquiring about their property before they allow them to occupy it. So this is not just an issue of straight vs homosexuals, this is a principals issue where as the owners feel that their rights have been violated just as much as the homosexuals feel like theirs have been.
Lisa, this is an interesting article and you bring up good points. After I read the article, I found myself thinking of course the owners have the right to deny a room to the gay couple because it is their property. However, their view and practice is discriminatory in a legal, business sense. The hotel is simply a licensed entity that the government holds faith in to practice legal business. I also understand (being a Christian myself) the desire of the owners to want to promote business they may see fit that is moral and acceptable to their religion. However, there are several other examples of immoral behavior in the Bible. Who would want to provide proof they were married at a hotel to get a night's rest? Who would want to explain they could only afford one room while a couple sisters traveled together? Would the owners start turning down rooms to people in those categories who looked suspect? This situation is not about personal choice, but legal business practice that prevents discrimination and protects a person's privacy. Since it is a public business they cannot force their values on people. I think they need to remember what the Bible says about not judging people and letting governments do their necessary work. They could also consider the idea to hate the sin and not the sinner. By providing a room to a gay, fornicating, etc. couple, they might be able to witness to them for Christ and make a bigger impact as a Christian instead of turning them away.
Lisa this was a very interesting article to read. Although I do agree with you about the private owners religious beliefs, I have to wonder if an unmarried non-homosexual couple came in wanting a room for the night if they would allow it? Even though they say it is based solely on their religious beliefs, sometimes you have to think if it is. When reading this at first I thought how discriminated the homeosexual couple was. I think that if I was the owners I would stick to my beliefs and I would not want couples having pre-martial sex in my bed and breakfast as well. I think they were brave to stick to what they belief in and to advocate for themselves. It is hard to read that they are loosing their 20-year establishment especially because they are going by what the Bible tells them.
I also found this article to be very interesting. One one side you have the government attempting to regulate the practices and policies of a privately owned and operated business, on the other hand you have the business owners who do not want to be viewed as condoning sex outside of marriage. Of course in the middle you have the gay couple who were denied a room. At first the thought crossed my mind how did the business owners know that the couple was gay? Did they ask? Then I realized that they do not allow un-married couples to purchase single beds. I wonder would the situation be different if the gay couple were married? What if the gay couple were abstinent from sex altogether? Also, how would the situation unfold if there were two females who wanted to purchase a single room with a single bed who were only friends but willing to sleep in the same bed to save on costs? This article just goes to show how tricky issues can get related to gay rights/human rights. I think the complication lies in this bed and breakfast being the actual home of this couple and there lies there conviction.
Hong Kong implements official benchmark on poverty Published September 28, 2013AFP Topic: Poverty Brian Tucker
This article discusses the first benchmark that Hong Kong has attempted to measure poverty there. The article gave statistics that 1.31 million people are living in poverty within the city. The rate of poverty stricken people, from data in 2012, shows it to be at 19.6 percent. The article went on to state that the NGO Hong Kong Council of Social Services had reported, in 2012, that 1.16 million people lived in poverty and the rate was 17.1 percent. The wealth gap in Hong Kong is the widest gap in the world, which adds to the old saying of the rich keep richer and the poor keep getting poorer. The wealthier in Hong Kong live in better housing and more costly apartments. Whereas the poorer in the city are living in more cramped, cage like apartments, and subdivided flats. People with low incomes are forced to live in smaller subdivided units. The government wants to add more jobs and increase the minimum wage to help lower this rising issue. The government also noted that it cannot put an end to poverty in Hong Kong altogether, and does not want to list that as a goal. They are simply trying to find a way to alleviate the issues that those living in poverty face. The larger number of citizens living in poverty within the city is made up of the elderly and families with children.
It is baffling to me that Hong Kong has never officially looked at the poverty line before. There are pictures at the top of the article to show the differences in how people live. The article talked about how the wealthy are showcasing what they have; instead they could be part of the solution, by alleviating their carbon foot prints, and therefore helping their fellow citizens. Hong Kong government officials are unsure how to tackle such a problem. I found another article of great interest in the war on poverty, from Africa: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/opinion/africa-testing-ground-sirleaf-osotimehin/. The city could learn a lot from Africa and how they are battling the poverty issues in their country. The article reminded me of the ecological footprint exercise from our homework. Hong Kong could look at implementing solar and wind power to stop the drain on the economy. More energy efficient apartments and housing would be cheaper for the city, and having more jobs would ensure more are able to provide better for their families. It appeared to me, that Hong Kong, one of the largest of producers of goods to the US, has ignored those living in poverty, and only thinking of financial growth. The economic growth and social growth were not built together, and is painfully obvious to see from reading this article. This gap of the economic and social growth discussion from class discussion a few weeks ago as well.
Brian, That is a very interesting article. You would think that Hong Kong would already have a poverty level in place. I noticed the photo that you mentioned and did not see much of a difference between a street there and a street here. I wondered what the median income was for Hong Kong in comparrison to Kentucky's which is around $40K. I found it to be around $20K here: http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/population.pdf I was actually expecting it to be a littlle higher. As I read the article further, it stated that "More than 170,000 people in Hong Kong are living in cramped, cagelike, subdivided flats" which really paints a better picture than the photo did. I always associated Hong Kong as being one of the most clean cities in the world as seen in photos and reported by the media. I never thought of it as having a massive poor population with such a giant disparity in wealth. After reading the article, it seems that Honk Kong has been more concerned with keeping its streets clean instead of taking care of many of the people who walk down them. Honk Kong seems to care what the rest of the world thinks about them, so I hope articles like this encourage them to help these people in need.
Brian- I liked your synopsis of the article on Poverty in Hong Kong and I agree with you that it seems completely unlikely that a city such as this one which is so advanced in technology, science and manufacturing would have never considered marking a baseline for poverty and then tracking the economic growth of its citizens. It made me think that if no one bothered to measure the number of people living in poverty then you wouldn’t have to do anything to address the issue. Right? Unfortunately, as with most problems, you can’t leave them unattended and hope that they just go away. They get bigger and harder to deal with as time goes on. I also thought about the amount of sickness that must be transmitted from person to person living in these kinds of cramped, sub-standard living spaces. I watched a program several years ago that displayed some of the “apartments” that people were living in and they were nothing more than a common living area and a sleeping compartment. This is better than living on the streets I suppose but the exposure to sickness and other communicable diseases would be constant. Poverty is one of those issues that can be linked to every topic we have covered in class. Violence, war, human trafficking, education, employment etc. they are all interconnected in one way or another to living in poverty or trying to escape it. I liked your take on reducing the carbon footprint of some of the wealthier citizens in order to benefit the rest. Until I traced my carbon footprint online I had no idea what this really meant. Good article!
Africa: Promoting Healthy Ageing in the African Region By Yaya Bajo
The author expressed a number of questions that are warranted due to the increasing number of elderly population in Africa. Are governments equipped and what actions are being taken by countries for an aging population? As studies show that many countries are having their life expectancy increase due to better mortality rates and healthcare advances. As these elderly people age they are now at risk of dying from chronic diseases, disabilities, and premature death. Most health systems throughout Africa do not make adequate provisions for their elder population. Especially in the Sub-Saharan Region of Africa where the life expectancy rate is quite lower than other regions, elderly people are still surviving and need systems in place to care for them.
Poverty and malnutrition contribute significantly to disease and illnesses among this region’s elderly people. Elderly Africans miss out on nutrition, exercise, and many recreational benefits that increase the quality of life for these individuals. Tying this article into all of my previous blogs and class material; we can see that life expectancy has affected all areas of the world. We know due to urbanized development, technology, improved healthcare, and governments creating policies to care for their growing elderly population has increased life expectancy globally. These countries tend to be in the North. When looking at countries in the South, we still see mortality rates getting better but nothing as in comparison to their northern counterparts. As women continue to make up 54% of the elderly African population we can see their needs not being met. Young women in Africa are oppressed and trying to care for their families. As these women get older the pressure is still prevalent and we see it passing on from generation to generation.
Moving forward as productive social workers we have to not only address women needs globally, we have to address poverty, healthcare, victimization, HIV/AIDS, and elders. We have to be able to go look at what is going on in other countries as well as our own. If we are able, we have to start advocating for victims at home and aboard. We can no longer say that we are not affected by what is going on in other countries. We have been educated to know that we are all interconnected on world problems through globalization.
I chose an article from Africa too, primarily because I need to learn as much as possible for our group project! It is interesting to see that their mortality rates are going up, yet their care is not. Here we have what is bound to be a population boom of elderly, especially by 2025, and they have not yet prepared for how they will handle it. It is already almost 2014, so I cannot imagine what will happen in the next ten years. As you noted, they are already falling through the so called "cracks" when it comes to care. It is sad to think of all of the things they are missing out on, simply because they are elderly and there are no long term health initiatives to help care for them. Next, when I read the part about women, I grew angry. They are elderly, yet they are women so they aren't entitled to receive proper care? They are simply being persecuted for being women, and being disabled, and for being elders. That is crazy to me!! I think it is great that you touched on how we need to combat this globally. It really is a culmination of all the parts that you listed. We cannot help an older African women receive care, and then send her to live in a place that is stricken with poverty. We must tackle all of these issues together to effectively battle the problem. I am glad that we are being educated on advocacy and how we help bring awareness to issues such as this. Afterall, they are elderly, but they are still human beings and deserved to be treated as such.
http://www.voanews.com/content/african-leaders-call-for-coordinated-fight-against-terrorism-on-continent/1758154.html African Leaders Call for Coordinated Fight Against Terrorism on Continent This article, linking to a previously submitted one, relates how the spread of regionally increasing terrorist attacks of al-Qaeda affiliates in West African countries caused world leaders at the UN to call for a coordinated response. While Obama already indicated cooperation with African leaders, Nigeria’s President, whose country is presently experiencing similar fights, is more interested in a global collaboration as terrorism anywhere has ramifications everywhere. Mali’s recently successful presidential elections give hopes to restore democracy and combat terrorist activities that have been affecting the country’s stability for long. A Human Rights Watch observer though indicates the tough fight ahead, as many areas in the Sahel region still lack democratic governance and are used as hideouts by drug traffickers and terrorists to operate in transnational organized crime and spread regional instability. UN General Secretary Ban’s comment in this context is particularly sobering, pointing out the increasing appeal of radicalism and violent ideology on the region's youth. Africa analyst Mosley confirms as well that militant groups with local agendas are attracted to these ideologies and methods. In light of the current dynamics, Kenya is welcoming international intelligence sharing to tackle this global problem. This week’s reading included among others positive and negative aspects of technology. On the one side it can cause isolation, as engagement in social relationships relies less on proximity but rather on virtual connections in internet cafes or international chat rooms, but on the other side, it can also reduce isolation in remote areas (here West Africa in terms of global interconnectedness), provide useful global contacts (as to combating terrorism in a unified response) and forge new relationships (such as Obama’s collaboration) (Sernau, p. 296). As law enforcement agencies are already coordinating police efforts across international boundaries (p. 142) in an effort to operate globally for mutual benefit, Kenya’s logical request to share intelligence fits right in. However, as already evidenced, different procedures and political agendas could undermine efficient and successful collaboration. I believe a unified effort of global leaders to equip the affected African countries with effective technology devices (and adequate training) for the combat of global terrorism would gain much traction, provided a consensus about the funding can be reached. Considering that many African countries are still suffering from yearlong engagement in either proxy wars as a legacy of the cold war (Sernau, p. 158) or independence struggles from their previous colonial powers, it would behoove the international community to consider seriously this effort, especially those members who had some form of ties with them (see again cold war & colonialism). This would be the right thing to do. Sernau identifies the war arena as technology’s primary application in the information age (p. 296), and given the trajectory of African countries’ history, any available funds were probably concentrated primarily on the acquisition of weapons instead of technology promoting global interconnectedness, i. e. for the purpose of combating terrorism (such as sophisticated communication and surveillance devices). Therefore I assume that those African countries have not been on the side of beneficiaries (or to a very small extent) of what Sernau calls “the digital divide” (p. 297.) In light that less than ¼ of the world’s military spending could meet “the UN estimate for international development.. and poverty elimination” , it would be only logical that if global leaders would keep this in mind and take initiatives in regard to the present issue, much of the funding for combating terrorism would then probably be unnecessary (p. 171).
I found an interesting article for this week’s blog about child labor. The article discusses how progress in reducing the child labor in the international arena is increasing. The article states that 78 million children are no longer employed in the workforce because of enforcement of anti -child labor practices. The International Labour Organization believes that 168 million children are still employed internationally though. In spite of this dramatic decline, the ILO states they think the goal for 2016 will not be met to eliminate the most severe occurrence of child labor. The ILO happily report progress is moving them into the correct direction, but the improvement is very slow. They state that enforcing anti- child labor is like working within a web, all levels need to react to the pull to complete the mission. This report states that the declines are caused by government policies, increases in education, and social protection. They continue reporting the breakdown of current child labor: 11 % laborers, 5 % hazardous labor. This 16 % covers the percentage of children employed in labor practices that are illegal. I thought this article was positively related to our readings in several different aspects. It covers the political side of advocacy. The world is seeing improvements from political action and enforcement. Also, the world is seeing the advantage of education to improve human capital and advocacy on the educational level. It is also connected to the Millennium Development Goals by the goals to achieve education and reduce child mortality. This article emphasized the need to enforce illegal labor, especially child labor that is very hazardous. This works to reduce child mortality (along with better health and medical practices for the children.) Many children in child labor are never treated for medical reasons, such as accounted in Not for Sale, but they are also vulnerable due to their poverty. Sernau covers how social class actually may arrange this devastating occurrence of child labor. There is also a reference to Ezell’s discussion to roll with the punches during advocacy. The representative explained that there is still much more work to do to end child labor, especially the most dangerous types and progress is slow, but it continues to happen. Although they think the 2016 goal may not be met, it is still apparent improvements are happening to end this type of labor. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/09/child-labor-on-decline-but-will-not-met-2016-goal.html
Yolonda Armstead 09/27/2013 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alon-tal/overpopulation-is-still-t_b_3990646.html This article addresses the issues of overpopulation remaining the leading bases of hunger, desertification, species depletion and a range of social maladies across the planet. There has been a debate between technological optimists and Malthusian realists, as to whether or not overpopulation is the reason for the reason for hunger, depletion of species, social maladies etc. the article addressed the need that criteria and characterize consequences must be set in order for those statements to be validated, then used the example of China as a fore instance. The article stated that China has history of famines which occurred precisely because carrying capacities were consistently outstripped by a growing population even though China has a one-child policy. The country is still overpopulated. It is still a nation of two billion. The report states that China today needs to bolster local food supply by attaining lands overseas. The article also states that global trends will lead to doubling of the world’s urban areas by 2050, which would mean the depletion of farm land. The article further states that overpopulation is not just about food shortages and human suffering. The collapse in global biodiversity is also linked to overpopulation. The good news is that public policy matters and can reduce overpopulation. Many countries, from Bangladesh and Iran to Singapore and Thailand adopted policies that incentify small families, make birth control available, provide better social security and most of all -- empower women In my opinion the next to last paragraph in this article is the most valid point that needed to be made. Then when we incorporate the material that is in our book which states that the world’s population is continuing to grow, but the pace at which it is growing is slowing; and also that the number of children that are being born to a woman in her lifetime is falling, this helps lessen some of the chaotic reading that is published when searching for information on overpopulation I must say in summary, some of the articles that I have read since I have been tasked with blogging on overpopulation have given me the scary visualization of humans procreating like jack rabbits, and within a few years we are going to overpopulate the earth, starve, and die, unless everyone takes a vow now to never give birth again.
Yolanda, I agree with you, after reading this article, you think, wow, we should never procreate again. However, when reading this and thinking of how growth of a population is continuing to rise, and there are only so much space in the world, where will people go? where is the food source going to come from? what resources are going to be available, if any? I really had to think about the carbon footprint exercise from class, how many worlds does it take for one person? Now think of all the people in the world and we are not only overpopulating, but overusing all the resources in the world too. It is a scary thought. We are basically killing ourselves everyday. We over consume in some areas of the world, other areas are lucky to get a drop to what some of us have. The only good news is that overpopulation seems to be slacking off somewhat. The question still remains though, what is going to be there for the next generation? The answer needs to have started over two thousand years ago, so that we take care of the one earth, and each of us do our part.
I thought your article was very interesting. Honestly, this is a topic I have never really thought much about. After reading your article and completing the ecological footprint assignment for class it really makes you think though. My ecological footprint stated that I would need 7.11 earths to sustain life. That is crazy! Your article discussed how overpopulation is causing food shortages. Just think, if it really took 7.11 earths to sustain my lifestyle, what would the food shortages be like then? It really is scary to think about. Just like you stated in your blog, it almost makes you want to say that women shouldn’t have children anymore. That is not how I feel, but you know that thought has to at least cross through your mind in reading an article like this. As the population continues to grow where is everybody going to go? Where will the food come from? How will they get resources? Those are all legitimate questions that people have to think about. I really enjoyed reading your blog and this article. It really made me think and analyze my own consumption of energy and resources in the world.
According to the article “S. Korea’s National Debt Growing Sharply since 1997 Crisis: Data” from globalpost.com, tells of how sharply South Korea’s debt is growing. It compares the debt from in 1997 whenever the Asian financial crisis hit. The debt is expected to hit 512.2 trillion won next year, up from this year’s 480.3 trillion won, equivalent to 478.4 billion United States dollars. The article says that the debt rose during the Asian financial crisis and during the credit card debacle and has never quite recovered from all the financial crises. A few weeks ago, I blogged about the South Korean credit card situation. Many South Koreans are living well beyond their means and as a result the government has had to bail them out and erase around fifty percent of their debt. If they keep erasing people’s debt, then they will have no way to get their debt down. While the debt is growing, the economy is slowing. Also, South Korea’s debt to GDP ratio is growing as well. In 1997 the debt to GDP ratio was 11.9 and next year it will be 36.5 percent. Experts are thinking that these figures will cause a per capita debt of 10 million won equivalent to around 9300 dollars in the United States. It seems as though everyone is reaching their debt limits, even the United States has almost hit their debt ceiling, due around October 18. Since the credit card situation is what partly got South Korea into this situation, I don’t think that erasing their debt is the answer. Many people don’t learn from their mistakes, and if they erase the debt then people will think that they have that much more to spend. I think that South Korea is in a predicament and will need to handle these next few years very carefully to minimize their debt and to not make the situation any worse.
In search for an article on crime this week I found one about a 30 year old man who was jailed for sharing child abuse videos online. The title alone caught my eye. There was a search warrant conducted on Lee West, of Perth Scotland, and among the items recovered was his laptop. On his laptop police found 437 moving and still images of child sex abuse. The article stated that there were video clips with a total running time of over 11 hours, and that the video showed girls from ages 4-17. The depute said that the computer showed that West had deliberately made 21 videos of child sex abuse available for sharing on the internet with other pedophiles. West was jailed for 15 months and was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years. The sheriff also ordered that he be placed on supervision in the community for 12 months following his release from prison.
Reading this article just made me sick. All I could think about were the parents of those children. How did they feel when they found out that their child was being exploited on the internet like that? It makes we wonder why in the world someone would ever want to do that. I mean how do they get satisfaction from that? I just cannot wrap my mind around that concept. My heart breaks for the children, it is not their fault, they did not ask for any of that. Doing these blogs have helped me open my eyes to see that things like this really do happen, and that they happen all around the world. When I can read a real true life story and put a name to the story it seems to make it so much more real. I am sure crime such as the one discussed in this article happen all the time, it is just something I had never really thought about. It is almost like the Not for Sale book we read in class. This could be happening in your own back yard, and no one even be aware of it. I am sure this man’s neighbors had no idea what he was doing, and that he had all those pictures and videos stored on his computer. It does however; make me thankful that there are still effective law enforcement officers. They were able to discover the truth about the crime and then punish West. I am not sure if I agree with the punishment or not, but I guess that’s why I am a social worker and not in law enforcement :)
Wow... I cannot believe that this guy only got 15 months jail time, 10 years on the sex offenders list, and 12 months community service upon release. I would like to know how many children were on the computer, because this punishment does not fit the crime in my opinion. I thought it was interesting that at the end of the article, the defense attorney stated that the defendant did not actively try to distribute the files but that he understands how websites like the one he used make files available to others. Does that not qualify as distribution?
I agree with you that the law enforcement officers were effective in this case and in many others I'm sure. However, I feel like the justice systems fail us so often. This guy is basically getting a slap on the wrist. That reminds me of the penalties for human trafficking that we have talked about in class. Often times in human trafficking cases, prosecutors try to get the defendants convicted on other charges because they have harsher penalties than human trafficking charges. That seems crazy to me as well. To think of how heinous and horrific human trafficking is, but other offenses have worse punishments.
From Titerriell: Sara Gilpins blog: Article title: Lee West Jailed for sharing child abuse videos online.
Sara, I agree with you. This article makes me sick as well. My heart goes out to the parents of the children also. Unfortunately, I here of this type of crime a lot. If it is not this type of crime, it is in the form of some type of abuse. The abuse may be physical, sexual or neglect. It does make me wonder, how could anyone do such a thing to another person especially a child? Have you ever thought about how the demoralization of children especially females is connected to Human Trafficking? How all this abuse leads to Human Trafficking? If you think about it, it all starts from somewhere.
WHAT!!!!!!!!! ugh!!! so strange and sick! I have no idea how people are able to participate in activities like this let alone come up with the idea and time to do it! The sex offender registry is not enough!! This man should be banned from a computer and other people the rest of his life! I know that as social workers we should be able to see how the client is feeling, but if I had to counsel this person I would be so conflicted! It makes me wonder how he came in contact with these videos or if he filmed them and staged situations and then made them public. Either way I can not believe that the abuse of children will turn someone on and be worth going to jail for.
I hate hearing about stories like these! His punishment is so inadequate for the crimes he committed, but then again I have never heard of a rape/abuse case that really recieved the proper punishment. We read about a lot of these with the sex traffickers and how many of them were let go with basically a slap on the wrist. One positive thing I can draw from this is that he will have a hard time getting a job and living a normal life after his sentence is over because of the publicity his story has gained. Something that particularly shocked me was the last paragraph in the article where it said Lee did not deliberately share the files, but now understands how certain websites work and can share the files basicallly without your knowledge. Anyone else want to call bull on this? I think it was a last desperate attempt to try and regain some kind of positive image in the community. Thank you for sharing this article, this is something that as social workers we will have to deal with some time in our careers, unfortunately :(
Well first of all I cant believe he only got 15 months in jail, and then 12 months of supervision afterwards! What about after the supervision is over?. And being put on the sex offenders list for 10 years, I thought once someone was put on there they were listed for the rest of their life, or maybe that is just in America?. This article is a very good one, and it shows just how much you have to watch people are your own children, I cant believe someone would want to record themselves doing this to children, and it really disturbs me why anyone would do this to a 4 year old child. Furthermore, its just plain disgusting that this person or anyone else would want to post it where someone else could watch the torture. All in all I think you picked a very informational and eye opener article. Thanks for sharing!.
From Titerriell: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/indias-sex-selective-abortion
Article title: India’s sex-selective abortions begun by Western population control planners: congressional hearing
Titerriell Macklin
September 29, 2013 10:15 a.m.
Gendercide:
This article by Kirsten Anderson with Ben Johnson contributing to this report, talks about how there is a growing imbalance in India cause by sex selective –abortions. The article says that the root of this sex-selective abortion lies in the American population.
Congressman Chris Smith states that “sex selection abortion is violent, nefarious and deliberate policy imposed on the world by the pro-abortion population control movement- It’s not an accident” “Sex selection abortion is cruel and discriminatory. It is violence against women”.
I had to put the direct quote because I could have not said it better. I also agree when he states, “lawmakers in India, the United States and worldwide must defend women from this vicious assault”. Something has to be done about this cruelty. It saddens my heart every time I read an article in regards to Gendercide.
The Indian culture has favored sons for centuries. The reason why is the dowry that is to be paid for their daughters to marry. In 1970 the U.S. population council introduced pre-natal sex identification to them and supposedly suggested that they abort the girls. India took them up on this by far. Learning this news the U.S. should step in and stop the war on girls in India.
From Titerriell cont.: According to this article, most of the money for population control programs worldwide men was in control of. There was no consideration in regards to how this would affect women. What a shame on those men. Women are very much so needed. Women are not just needed for reproductive purposes.
In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia Western donors were the cause for sterilization. If one did not agree, health care and education were refused. In 1975 India Gandhi made it a state of emergency to have people sterilized. The police and army were used to do so. This move increased the support of foreign donors. It is frustrating to see these people play GOD. Who are these people? Where do they come from? Again, I say that the U.S. should do something to help fix this crisis.
This is what I have been waiting for in all of the articles that I have read in regards to Gendercide. I love how this one points out that sex-selective abortion causes the ratio of girls to boys to drop. This leads to trafficking in persons, bride selling and prostitution. I knew it. I am finally glad that I found an article to bring it to light. I knew that Gendercide had to be the cause of another social problem. Another interesting fact that I found in this article is that according to the 2011 census, India had 37 million more males than females. How is that for a ratio? This is the biggest factor in the nations rising crime rate. This is especially true when it comes to violence and or sex crimes against women. If one wants to stop violent crimes against women, then stop Gendercide.
Boy I love this article. There is also a comment made in regards to protecting girls in the womb. I like the point made when it was stated nations receiving financial aid have to report on human trafficking, this should be done for the steps taken to protect girls in the womb. I could not agree more. Every child should be welcomed regardless of their sex. Legislators need to do something about this global concern.
“According to one UN estimate, there are up to 200 million women missing in the world today due to Gendercide, sex selection abortion, abandonment or deadly neglect of baby girls because they are female.
Reading this article reminds me of two class assignments one was Human Trafficking and Global Slave Trade and Question number 3 from our online assignment five. Assignment question was why the U.S. being one of the most industrialized nations would have the highest crime rate. This article answers the online assignment question and Human Trafficking. Human Trafficking is a world problem. So is Gendercide. Human trafficking is a form of slavery and so is Gendercide. Hundreds of adults and children are brought over to the U.S. form India for trafficking purposes. This is sad to me. There is not getting out of this. If you try then harm can be brought about to you and your family. Reading this article helped shed light that Gendercide leads to human trafficking, bride selling and prostitution.
Studying Gendercide has made me grow tremendously. I am glad that I have the opportunity to learn in the manner that I am. It is sad to see how human trafficking correlates to Gendercide. To devalue a human being, there is no right. I am not going to say that human trafficking is worse than slavery. To me both of them are horrible. One is not worse than the other. They are both distasteful. I have a greater appreciation for Indian women and young girls. I know their walk, their struggles.
Faith schools used as 'battle ground for larger fight'
In England, faith-based schools have long been popular among the population. Statistics show that among state-funded schools, one in three are faith schools and that 99% of those faith schools are Christian. More than ever, many are finding themselves no longer in support of faith-based schools because they believe that the schools (especially those that are state-funded) have become a stage to debate over the role of religion among other issues. Many also believe that the schools are not representative of the population in diversity and that the schools do not provide equal opportunity to children in the lower socioeconomic classes. The schools however, claim that they are representative of the population in diversity, but admit that poorer families are disadvantaged. Suggestions to reassess how to better represent low-income families have been made.
Right Reverend John Pritchard who is the Bishop of Oxford wrote a report titled 'More than an Educated Guess' and argues that the schools should no longer be used as a battleground for other issues and that everyone should simply focus on the success of these schools. Others claim that the report is typically "superficial" and that the facts are often twisted in a favorable manner.
This article did not remind me of anything that we have read or talked about in class right away. In fact, compared to the things we have discussed, this seems like a really superficial issue. It does not exactly compare to the tragedy and horror of human trafficking or poverty. However, after some thought, it did make me think about our discussion the first day of class about how everything is connected. And here, we can see that socioeconomic status is connected to the amount of educational opportunity individuals have. In this instance, those from lower-income families, likely do not have the opportunity to attend faith schools, even though they are still state-funded.
Further, it reminded me of the education article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This article shows that England could be abusing section 2 of Article 26 which states that education should "promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups...". It is clearly stated in the article that many believe the schools do not base their admittance upon racial standards and that the schools are not representative of the diverse population.
From Titerriell for Lisa's: Lisa, since I have been reading articles on Gendercide in India, I can understand why a woman had to be raped to the point of death before the city toughened up on the perpetrators of vicious sex crimes. Just like your article states, patriarchy is a huge problem in India. What I found sad to hear was the fact that India is the world's rape capital! Wow! Every time I read something about this country, they raise my eyebrows! Did you ever think about the root of the problems in India? Where did it all start?
Qatar will be the home of the 2022 World Cup and progress is already being made on an infrastructure to house the international event. The World Cup will bring money into the area for a while in regards to travelers for the event and the building of the infrastructure has already supplied jobs to many individuals from Nepal. 340,679 Nepalis are in Qatar. 276 Nepalis died in Qatar this year and 20% of those deaths have been died on work sites such as the World Cup infrastructure. This year, 151 Nepalis died, 10% on work sites. Most of the deaths took place during the summertime, a prime time for work on buildings, many from heart attacks, heart failure, or workplace accidents. Human rights committees suspect that these deaths were caused by labor abuses of the migrants. Qatar states that all migrants are treated with respect. I felt split on the issues in this article. On one hand, Nepalis deaths could have been due to natural causes. On the other hand, how is it that so many people died on the work sites and they just happened to be migrants. The media can play a huge role in this issue. How will we ever really know how many people have truly died on these work sites and the numbers did not get fully released. If a rich country is attempting to have a huge building built during the summer, and they hire mostly cheap, migrant laborers, there is bound to be issues arise. The migrants will work for any wage, they are most likely not getting paid full price so they are already getting used. Would Qatar really look into protecting these workers who are used and not seen as equal anyway? In class we discussed human trafficking and even though this is about labor and not trafficking, an individual is still getting used and not seen as equal. It is so aggravating to see the perpetrators of human trafficking and labor cases act as ministers, holy men, rich political leaders, put together fathers and then treat other people like they are nothing!! How degrading is it to see an official speaking to the media in all white, clean dress in the air conditioning, when dirty, poor migrant workers are dying due to the rich man's lack of safety concerns. At least the officials went on camera to talk about this issue but it frustrates me that they got away with down playing the situation. The statistics are present and the human rights committee will find poof and hopefully take down the individuals who are making labor and working for a pay check so horrible on these migrant workers. I made deep connections to this article about how the United States treats its migrant workers, especially the Hispanic population.
This article inspired me to say the least. On the campus of Edinburgh University in Scotland an event is to be held on October 19th. The guest speaker will be a young lady from Pakistan named Malala Yousafzai. Malala is 16 years old and is a survivor of a gunshot wound to the head. Malala is a young woman who holds some strong beliefs in relation to human rights. She was bold enough to speak out and advocate for education and women’s rights in Pakistan. Malala’s choice to speak out angered the Taliban as she gained increasing media attention in her country. It was October of last year when she was being transported home from school when a gunman boarded the school bus and shot her in the head. Many people are afraid to speak out for what they believe in because they are afraid that they will ruffle some feathers or make others angry. We can all learn a lesson from Malala. She was not afraid to speak out in October last year and she is not afraid to speak out now even after she was shot in the head. What a strong young lady she is and an example to human rights advocate’s everywhere. This article can be directly tied into our world problems and advocacy class because of several conversations that we have had in class. These conversations have focused on the question, “can one person really make a difference?” Malala Yousafzai is a powerful example of just how much of a difference one person can make. Although we cannot stop every instance of human rights violation we can bring attention to and educate others on the severity of this problem. We can advocate for change on a global scale just as Malala is. All she did was speak openly that she stands for human rights for woman and education. How many opportunities do we have each day to say that we stand for the same things? As social workers we have been educated through this class on the human rights violations and devastating conditions or problems around the world. Now we have an obligation to take this knowledge and educate others and use our voices just as Malala did. Sometimes I think that we overcomplicate advocacy on a global perspective. We may not have a speaking commitment at the Edinburgh University but we can bring attention to these issues right here in our communities in Kentucky. As previously stated I am so inspired by Malala and my hope for myself and my classmates is that we can inspire one another and those around us today so that change may result.
Whoa, you are right, you cannot knock Malala Yousafzai down! At only 16 years of age, she not only survived an assassination attempt but she is still standing strong and speaking out. Like many social workers we all have our areas of passion and what we really love to advocate for. Malala discovered already her passion for women’s rights in Pakistan. At only 16 years of age she has accomplished more than what many could say they have accomplished in a lifetime. I know we read lots of inspiring stories and learn lots about advocating, and empowerment, but honestly if any of us got shot in the head what would we really do? Would you stay hidden, or find more ways to be heard like Malala. In the reading of “Clinical Social Workers: Advocates for Social Justice”- it stated that the part of social work practice where the social worker takes action in a systematic and purposeful way to defend, represent, or otherwise advance the cause of one or more clients at the individual, group, organizational or community level, in order to promote social justice. So many times I think to my self that I couldn’t possibly make a difference. I read so many articles and material like that and it’s empowering, but I still have that doubt from time to time. Being a social worker is more than just caring for people, its taking action when no one else will, and finding ways to defend the rights of the people. Malala is taking a bold stand now globally for the human rights for women her country, she risk and is still risking her life. This article empowers me to want to do the same but truthfully, would you or be willing to do the same?
I think the story is very inspiring to everyone, but especially women in her culture that are still treated very differently than women in America. I understand that women in our country face many unfair disadvantages and circumstances, but many countries around the world are truly male dominant societies. I believe like you, one person can make a difference and she seems to be doing that with her story, opinions and speaking engagements on human rights. She had the desire to be educated equally and freely and has brought to light the unfair and unequal mentality that exists in many parts of the world. I applaud her efforts and hope she can create a difference in her country as well as many other countries that do not allow women to voice their opinions or become empowered through education or work. Even in our own country, it is critical for women to understand their own potential and find inspiration in other women such as Malala. I also think it is up to us to inspire others, as well as maintaining our own inspiration, when human rights issues are presented or threatened, so we may help advance the efforts of the Declaration of Human Rights which began in 1948. It still amazes me everday the extent of human rights around the world that are being violated or ignored. I guess this frustration and emotion is what many use in their own fight for justice. Good article and an inspiring woman.
September 29, 2013 Shawn Lanham Civil Wars The final blog for this course takes me back to the first civil war/conflict I reported on regarding Syria. There have been numerous updates and storylines since the initial blog was posted just a few weeks ago. This story goes deeper into the consequences of the Syrian civil war and discusses the events surrounding a bombing at a school near Aleppo. The pictures accompanying the article show the devastation innocent children are subjected too, their fears and resilience. The article highlights a news team that followed British doctors into the war zone to document the overwhelmed treatment and medical facilities in Syria. It would not be long until the patients began to arrive with horrific injuries. The first victims showed signs of extreme burns and “napalm-like” injuries. According to the article and the film crew, clothing was burned off, bodies were charred and hair and skin seemed to be melted. Dozens more would soon arrive and it was apparent the injuries were not bullet wounds or shrapnel that is often part of war zones, but was obviously attributed to chemical burns. This attack happened shortly after the chemical attacks that killed thousands in Damascus. Most of the victims arriving were teenagers from a local school that had been in class when eyewitnesses reported a jet dropped the bomb on the school. Families of the victims arrived shortly thereafter to find their children and determine the extent of their injuries. Approximately 30 children arrived that day seeking treatment, with a prognosis that would indicate a 50% loss of life due to their burn severity. Patients were also rushed across the border to Turkey were many were lost en route. The doctors and workers described the scene as “something that will stay with them awhile” and “hard when the patients are dying before your eyes”. Although over 100 countries have banned these weapons, they are still used today. It seems that surviving these types of burns may be worse than succumbing to life. Most of the children that survived the blast are in constant pain and are still questioning the reason for the attack on their school. As one 13 year old stated, “Why bomb us while we are at school? Why?” The story concludes with a statement that is often made when it comes to civil wars and conflicts, “the suffering continues.” Throughout our course, we have had many discussions on problems experienced around the world. There are so many connections to these problems once you start to dissect each one. This story details loss of life, war, poverty, politics, refugees, lack of resources, family divides, fear etc. in one instance during a single day of conflict in Syria. Through our readings, we learn of these incidents and their interconnectedness, but when you see photos and storylines, they somehow become more real. Many things regarding war are hard to comprehend and understand, especially when children and innocent civilians are part of the equation. The online assignment last week had a question regarding what drove wars and asked if alternatives could be found. My response has not been swayed since answering this question and has remained quite pessimistic when discussing the consequences and repercussions of civil war and the prevention alternatives.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201309300600.html September 30th 2013 I chose this week’s article because I thought it offered encouragement about education in Africa. There are a lot of negative news pieces that relate to education around the world. It is hard to find articles that actually show people who are implementing for change. Normally, when browsing the news sites, I see a lot of articles that WANT change, but none where people are actually fighting for it, and trying to bring that change about. For this reason, I found it wonderful that this community came together to try to advocate for better education. They wanted to raise more awareness about the lack of tools that they need to give the children in their village a proper education. It is empowering to see parents, educators, and community members united and petitioning to their education minister. As it is stated in the article, those in power were voted in; the citizens gave them their jobs. The least they could do would be to listen to the people’s voices and concerns. In relation to one of our readings, I feel that this type of advocacy falls into a few different categories. It could be considered “community advocacy” because of the need to educate. It could also be “class advocacy” because the community is fighting for a change for their students. Finally, it could also cover “systems advocacy” because they want to change policies and the infrastructure as to how their schools are ran. Next, some of the issues they were marching for are better textbooks, libraries, and adequate bathrooms. It is unfathomable to me that I would have to send my child to a school where they may not even be able to use the restroom. Some believe that these children are just lucky to be getting any kind of education based on the issues that plague their country. At the same time, I do not feel that this should be used as an excuse. They should be afforded the right to a good education based on their rights as human beings. Equal Education, who has paired up with parents and other members of the community, has been petitioning for higher standards in their schools as well. They started research in 2008 and began their campaign in 2011. This past April, as a result of their persistence, they were able to get a primary school in Eastern Cape remodeled. Before, they had filthy, old toilets that both staff and students shared. Now, they have ten new toilets. They also received textbooks. I do not imagine that this could have happened without their campaigns that drew attention to the dire situations that were plaguing them. This article relates to a variety of issues that we have discussed in class. First, school aged children should have the right to a valuable education. They should be able to do so in good conditions. Children cannot focus and learn when they are hungry, sleepy, and learning in poor environments. Specifically, this relates to a few articles in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 1 states, “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. If this is to be held true, then African children should be afforded the same educational opportunities that American children receive. Article 21 states that “everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country”. This is worth noting because education is a public service. Article 26 could not be clearer in stating “everyone has the right to education…” It is supposed to be free, not without value. Just because their education is free, does not mean it should not be of good quality. I also feel that those who have banned together to be heard are using their right under Article 20, which allows them to peacefully assemble and protest.
Then, education was and continues to be an area of improvement under The Millennium Development Goals. By 2015, they want all children everywhere to complete primary schooling. Children in Africa are showing exposure to education, but are not receiving the best education. That is why it is so important that the townspeople have banned together for social justice. They want to implement better practices which in turn, could help The Millennium Goals be more successful. Finally, in relation to our text, social class plays a detrimental part in the quality of one’s education. It is no secret that those of a lower class do not receive as high of an education as those in more privileged classes. This can be tied back into fairness as well. This is a worldwide problem, especially in Africa. It is simply not fair that these little children are expected to attend schools held in huts without restrooms. It is great to see that others agree and are trying to change this. Sernau, S. (2012). Global problems. (3 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. United Nations, (2011). United nations millennium development goals. Retrieved from website: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ United Nations. (1948). The universal declaration of human rights. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
According to the UN report, HIV infections and Aids-related deaths have decreased. Death rates in 2005 fell from 2.3 million during its peak to last year 1.6 million. The number of new HIV infections fell by a third since 2001 to 2.3 million. In 2001 there were more than a half a million new infections among children. By 2012 the figure halved to just over a quarter of a million. Why has there been such a fall in the infection rates especially among children? Authors put the fall in deaths and the infection rates to the better access to antiretroviral drugs that help suppress the virus. People with HIV that go without treatment can develop Aids resulting in a deadly infection. According to reports in 2012 almost 10m people in low and middle-income countries such as South Africa, Uganda and India, were accessing antiretroviral therapy. By 2015 the UNAIDS stated that the world is “closing in” on its Millennium Development Goals to stop and reverse the Aids epidemic by the year 2015. But they stated that there was no need to stop at their target of 15m people by 2015 having HIV treatment and can go far beyond. Even the World Heath Organization has decided to revise their guidelines and making it even more eligible for treatment. Although the report did find out that there has been slow progress in providing services to people who are at most risk of the infection of HIV. They also stated the need to focus and deal with the sexual violence against the women and girls as well. But overall Bev Collins, the Health Policy Advisor at Doctors without Boards stated that there has been huge leaps forward in making sure that millions of people, even in the developing world, is getting access to affordable HIV treatment. But there is not time for complacency and need to keep on taking strides forward to improve access to better treatment strategies. In our reading (Clinical Social Workers: Advocates for Social Justice) it discussed that social workers advocate for fair and equitable access to pubic services and benefits, as well as for equal treatment and protection under the law and challenge injustices, especially injustices that affect the vulnerable and those disadvantaged. This article is a reminder that we do need to remember that we do not only need to advocate locally, but that we can make an impact, nationally and globally as well. Just like many of the stories in our “Not for Sale” book many individuals such as Annie Dieselberg, or even the author David Batstone who took drastic measures to make difference in many different parts of the world, starting with just their voice. Take Nadia’s story where a local bakery storeowner took notice and got her the help she needed to set her feet back on the ground. It really does only take one person and one voice to make a difference, or to stir up a movement. So I agree with the article in that there is not time to be complacent, but to keep moving full speed ahead to helping individuals globally that are affected with HIV/AIDS.
Junghyun Lee Oct 1, 2013 Topic; Debt I read an article saying that one of the Big three firms that examines countries’ repaying debts ability warned that U.S’s score will be lowered because U.S congress failed to raise the upper limit set on the amount of money that a government may borrow in a timely manner. This happened after U.S government was shut down partially. According to this article, U.S missed a deadline to raise upper limit set for the borrowing money in 2011 and this caused U.S to lose its triple-A rating. This affects international investors to reconsider their investment in U.S. This article wrote that the shutdown will gradually destroy the trust in U.S ability to raise the debt ceiling in timely manner that turn away the risk of default on U.S. sovereign debt obligations. After U.S lost its AAA credit rating in 2011, China that held most of US assets, to avoid the risk of U.S debts, China has moved the yuan more changeable on international markets. This means that US lost the most reliable buyer of US debt from the markets. U.S debt issue has been an on-going crisis over the period of time. It has been expected that the U.S deficit (the amount of money that spent is more than money received) will grow fast in the future because of the growth of aging population and its health cost. This will affect taxes and spending seriously but the government will not have enough choices to meet these financial needs except more borrowing money from foreign countries, mostly from China. Throughout the history, U.S has managed debt issue quite well. At the end of World War II, the federal debt went beyond 100 percent of the GDP but the debt rate gradually went down during the cold war and it finally came to be about a third of GDP by the end of the Nixon administration. The large amount of government debt was reduced until the Clinton administration, in the middle of 1990s. But today, economic growth is slow and only Social Security, Medicare, and national security budget look the biggest sources to reduce the budget. If U.S decide not to involve in international fair to cut the budget, investment from foreign countries and international leadership might be given to other nation, China. This article reminded me of the stories of the countries in ‘Global Problems’ that renovated and revolutionized their industries successfully and became powerful nations, such as Japan, China, and India. Japan was revolutionized from isolation to industrial by opening its trade market to Western in the1850s. China has been going through a couple of commercial revolutions including being inspired by Mao. India has been racing to catch up. I believe that U.S can find ways to overcome debts problem through revolutionizing their industry, welfare system and other areas that cause to be indebted. Social workers are the one of the professionals who can research this area.
Kasey Gray Week 6 Blog 10-1-2013 This week I chose to do my blog about global warming and the effects it has on our environment. According to the article “in the last century the air and water has warmed, snow and ice has melted and the seas have risen”. This is a scary statement to begin with, this is just over centuries, what is going to happen in our future, our children and grandchildren future?. The article also gives information about how much change our world has had in the past century, the article suggest that “many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to Millennia”. Which means these results were not predicted to happen, or at least not this soon!. Another part of the article states “That each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850”. I would have to assume that this should be a good wake up call to every person living on this Earth, because global warming has been predicted to happen, but never this soon and not this fast, but in centuries to come. Not only should this be a wake up call for all people it should be for scientist as well, because they know what is happening and could spread awareness of the situation. For the social worker in me, I believe in advocating for what is needed and what is right! Therefore scientist would know what the first priority would be to slow things down if possible by humans; this may just be an environmental issue that only Mother Nature can handle. I also chose this article because it goes along with one of our readings for class this week, While reading about global warming this week the book suggest “The planet is now suffering from consumption in its new twenty-first century meaning; withered, gasping, and in places, dying under the demand for energy and products”. This statement is more than likely the truth, and the article says similar things as well. The article suggest five things to take away from reading which are focused on what is happening such as, looking at how much the sea level has risen, what the world will do without polar bears, and what “very likely” means in today’s weather forecast. The book offers a similar list, but this is what can be done to help the likelihood of global warming, such “The need to place greater reliance on efficient mass transit, most notably trains, and emphasizing energy efficient homes, exploring alternative energy sources, and using the reverse trend toward disposable mass consumption. This article and our readings from the text this week really makes your think about what will happen in the future, what will happen to the country and states that are in it. The person reporting this article was Thomas Stocker, from Switzerland's University of Bern, but really this speaks for the whole world, because this is not just happening where he is, it is happening everywhere.
Here is my link: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130927-ipcc-report-released-climate-change-global-warming-intergovernmental-panel-on-climate-change/
While reading your article it was not to not feel fear on some level. What is most scary is that it is hard to deny that on some level global warming is happening. The article mentions that the last three decades have been successfully warmer than any other three decades since 1850. I myself have been able to notice the effects. The last couple of years I have found myself longing for my children to experience the huge snows that I used to play in when I was a child. I have also noticed that for most of the winter I can survive in a thin jacket and a long sleeve shirt because the winters are so mild. It's scary to think what might happen in the next thirty years if they continue at this rate.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24289569 Theresa May, Home Secretary for the UK, has supported the governments tactics of using vans to advertise “Go Home of Face Arrest”. She stated that this was a pilot program that would be re-evaluated to see the effectiveness. Mrs. May added that the public is grateful just to see that the government is doing something about illegal immigration. There are conflicting views between Mrs. May and Boris Johnson, Mayor of London. Mayor Boris suggested an amnesty because the influx of immigrants can strengthen the economy and enhance the tax benefits the government would receive from those laborers. On the other hand, Mrs. May believes that it would give the wrong impression to the people, especially certain ethnic minority groups, that those individuals who are in the country illegally is wrong. Mrs. May feels that having an amnesty would only lead people to think that illegal immigration is acceptable as opposed to curbing the problem. This article pig-tailed off of another article that I reported on 3 weeks ago about another city in the UK using a slogan in a government agency to encourage immigrants/migrants to return to their homeland or face sanctions. Ironically, in the first article, the use of these slogans were to encourage those who were in the country illegally to return back to their home country with dignity, whereas this article implies a stiff consequence for not returning to one’s home country. This appears to be a huge problem especially in the UK and it seems that many have an opinion. For example, in another article published by Huffington Post in the UK, http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/09/22/lord-tebbit-immigration-_n_3972572.html , discussed certain ethnic groups as “not being the problem” but the problem is the illegal immigrants from “third world countries” because the welfare system in the UK is more appealing than that in those “third world countries”. I was appalled that a political official would use derogatory language such as “third world”. In all honesty, I may not have thought it insensitive prior to this class when one of the first tenets discussed was that we don’t refer to those developing countries as being third world. Another important point that Mrs. May mentioned was that initiating a policy is not enough, but to make sure that policy is doing what it was intended to do and then adjust if it not. Advocacy is the change in a policy or process and we have to look at the world as a whole, the global perspective. We can see and feel the effects that one social problem has on another. In Sernau, chapter 10 discusses population and health and talks about the effects that population has on the environment and its resources. We see this even played out in the popular Disney Movie, Lion King. When the ecosystem changes and depletes, then wildlife migrates to where food and water are, and so continues the cycle. It has been my experience that many important lessons can be gleamed from Walt Disney, that maybe what the world needs now is for the G4 Summit to convene to watch a few of these movies together and get some other ideas.
While looking for an article discussing a food/water issue this week I came across an article discussing Ethiopia’s plans to build a dam in the Nile River. The article states that if the Ethiopians build this dam, that the Nile would not exist, and without the Nile, Egypt will not exist. The article also states that the Egyptians are fighting the dam project not only because the Nile is a huge source of freshwater for the country, but also because Egypt was allocated three-fourths of the Nile waters in an agreement with Ethiopia in 1959. They argue that by building the dam they would be breaking the agreement made with Egypt over 50 years ago. It’s also important to point out that currently 98% of Egypt’s fresh water comes from outside of the country’s borders. It is crucial for Egypt to work together with their neighboring countries so that they do not lose their access to fresh water.
Ethiopia is arguing that the dam project will not affect Egypt’s water supply but will instead address the inequality of the water sharing agreement. The dam project has also established a sense of patriotism into the citizens on Ethiopia. Several officials in Ethiopia have agreed to give up a months’ worth of pay to help fund the dam. Ethiopia also argues that storing the water in their much cooler climate will help to preserve the water that would otherwise be loss to evaporation in Egypt’s heat.
This article reminded me of reading chapter one of Sernau concerning class. Chapter one discusses the modernization theory. This theory is based on the belief that poor countries will always be poor until they change their ways and become more modern. This can be through modern technology, modern ideas, or modern institutions. Ethiopia is currently attempting to adapt to more modern technologies by building their dam. By building the dam they are hoping to gain an advantage and to change the fate of their country as it currently stands.
Wow, this is a very heart warming story for many reasons. The fact that officials in Ethiopia feels so strongly about the water supply situation that they would give up their pay really shows just how much the people in that country value patriotism and loyalty to the needs of their country. How many times have our congressman, or leaders said "Hey, we don't have enough in our budget just cut our paychecks." As I do not have the facts on this I am thinking never. Greed is such a heartbreaking thing in todays society and after reading the article I fully believe that this country is not wanting to dam up the river for greed. Another reason this story is so touching is the fact that Egypt almost fully depends on other countries for their water supply. This is something that I can not imagine. Living in the mountains even if we ran out of bottled, processed, or filtered water we would have easy access to clean drinking water by just traveling a short distance to a spring in getting as much as we needed, just another thing that we as Americans take for granted. I also agree with your comparison to the modernization theory because that is in my opinion as well exactly what Ethiopia is trying to do. They are trying to become a modernized country and what better way to begin that process by starting with a basic necessity; water.
Fens migrant workers 'exploited', BBC finds Debra Smith 10/1/13 During my last and final blog I wanted to find a good article that really encompasses all of the aspects of human trafficking. This article begins with a description of the harsh conditions the men who have been forced, and/or coerced to work on farms far away from home. According to the article a four month long investigation found evidence that the men working on these farms are in the country legally but the people who are getting the men to work on the farm are doing it without a license. These people are going to poor rural countries and coercing men to leave their countries to move to other countries where they are promised jobs. Upon arriving at the farm the men are fined fines and made to work to pay off their debts. The men/women that coerce the workers then threaten them, their families, and their girlfriends. This connects to what we talked about in class about the ways men, women, and children are trafficked across borders. The men on these farms are fined for not showing up for work, they are charged rent, and for food. After all of these cuts to their paychecks the men earn less than 1 pound a week. One worker showed BBC a pay slip of 84.87 and it stated that was for one hour, but the worker claimed that it was for 3 days meaning he would have only earned 2.30 an hour. This is a ridiculously low amount and in my opinion there should be stricter laws concerning the minimum wage in these countries and a better way to observe confirm that workers are getting paid the right amount. According to the article about one third of the 20,000 people are migrant workers in Wisbech, in Cambridgeshire. That is approximately 6,600 people. With this many people working on farms having to hand pick leek, or other farm crops I would think that there would be sometime of regulations from the government. Although one of the gang master states that he doesn’t use violence, who knows if he is telling the truth. This is one of the worse parts in my opinion, thinking about these people living in dire circumstances, beating beaten on a daily basis and still having to get up in the morning and go to work or get fined their entire paycheck. One thing is for certain and that is we need more advocates standing up for the people who have survived, are surviving, and are vulnerable to being trafficked. It should be common sense that you cannot force someone to work for little to no pay but since it obviously is not we as social workers should advocate for harsher punishment to show the people that are doing it and thinking about doing it that it is WRONG! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24108665
Sarah Yates 10-1-13 7:36 pm Mass Starvation feared in Syria: "We have no food" http://news.msn.com/world/mass-starvation-feared-in-syria-we-have-no-food
I believe I have done another blog about Syria before, but instead of this one being about their chemical weapons issue this one shows a different side to the madness: Starvation. Over four million Syrians are starving with over half of those affected being children. So far six people have, one of which was an 18 month girl have died from starvation. With the world focused on Syria's chemical weapon issue, no wonder people are starving. Due to the country's current conflict zones, there are major food shortages as well as price inflation on what food is available. With not being able to work or in most cases, work places being destroyed-- how could anyone be expected to afford to feed their families in this time of need. One woman talks of how she has had no food or milk for weeks, but her family has managed to survive of a liquid she makes by boiling lentils. She said there has been no baby formula or bread for over a year! Her baby daughter spends most of the day sleeping and has lost a significant amount of weight. A lot of families are relying on this same diet of lentils, onions and dried figs. Most people are trapped inside their homes for fear of being killed by rebels. The livestock these families depended on have died from crossfire or starvation as well, and no one is able to plant a garden for fear of being killed. There are several world food organizations that are helping to feed people in Syria, but with the constant battle with the rebels and the mass amount of people starving, it's as though no amount will be able to fix this problem
While reflecting on this article, my heart breaks for the families who are unable to feed their children. To not be able to provide for your family and to watch them starve has to be the worst feeling. Home is supposed to be a safe place, and a place where you can go and be at peace, but for the people of Syria their home is like a prison. This makes me even more thankful that I was born in the United States and that I have been given the privileges I have received. This reminds me of the story in our book where the family worked in the brick kiln in exchange for a loan that would substantially help their family out. Any wrong move and they were physically beaten and abused. They would go days without food, and their new "home" was nothing but a prison in which they could not escape. The slave owner acted similar to the rebels in Syria, controlling all of their actions and made sure that they worked as hard as they could, no matter the cost. Right now, everyone is complaining about our government "shutting down" while people overseas are trapped in their homes with NO food. Makes me really think about how small our problems are and how thankful I am to have these small problems; thank goodness I don't have to sit and watch my daughter starve to death!
According to a 2012 Gallup poll 77% of those living in the U.S.A. identify as Christians. How many of the 77% are hypocrites or false Christians?
According to a May 22, 2014 Gallup poll only 46% of those living in the U.S.A. oppose killing unborn babies by abortion.
Obviously a large percentage of those who identify as Christian see nothing wrong with murdering unborn babies, would they be hypocrites or false Christians?
According to a Gallup poll July, 2013 54 % of those living in the U.S.A. support same sex marriage.
If 77% say are Christians and 54% of the population say they support gay marriage, then there is lot of support among those who claim to be believers in Christ for gay marriage. Are they hypocrites or false Christians?
Do the Scriptures support homosexual marriage and killing unborn babies?
1 John 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.(NKJV)
If killing unborn innocent babies is not murder, then what would it be?
Revelation 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."(NKJV)
The sexually immoral and murderers will have their part in the lake of fire.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?....nor homosexuals, nor sodomites.....11 And such were some of you . But you were washed, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.(NKJV)
When it comes to participating or approving of abortion and same sex marriage, it should be past tense if you are claiming to be a Christian. The apostle Paul said SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU not ARE SOME OF YOU.
If you claim to be a Christian and approve of sinful practices or live a sinful lifestyle, then you are either a hypocrite or a false Christian.
ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE?
Mark 16:16 He who has believed, and has been immersed, will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.(T.B.V.O.T.N.T) by Chester Estes
Galatians 3:17-27....26 Since you are sons of God through that belief, by Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been immersed into Christ , have put on Christ.(T.B.V.O.T.N.T) by Chester Estes
If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead. If you claim Jesus as Lord and Savior. If you have been baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins, then you are a Christian.
The question remains how many of the 77% who claim to be Christians are hypocrites or false Christians?
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Destitution drives Syrian refugee children to work
ReplyDeleteThis week I found an article that discusses some of the most impressionable refugee problems from Syria. The article entitled, “Destitution drives Syrian refugee children to work”, describes dire conditions where children have to work just so the refugees can survive. The children have to go out very early in the morning, in many cases before 6 AM and work in the fields harvesting crops. This keeps them out of school for a period of time and causes them to be exhausted. The article describes that some families have children as young as three and four years old working in some fashion to help support the family. Since the refugees have left Syria and infiltrated other countries, jobs have become scarce and refugees are doing whatever they can to make ends meet. Unfortunately, the children are the ones suffering. Unicef is attempting to intervene to ensure that children are not being exploited or harmed in any way and they are educating the parents on how this work may be harming their children and their future. The reality is, most of these parents do not want their children to work, they are just left with no other choices or options.
Reading this article reminded me of the readings no war in the textbook and how drastically war can change an environment. This article is a perfect example of how a war, specifically a civil war, can change not only the country the war is occurring in but also the countries that the refugees are fleeing to. While a civil war is described as being insulated within the country it is occurring, clearly the consequences of such conflict have far reaching consequences and also affect surrounding countries that have to cope with the influx of people competing for housing, jobs, and sustenance. I also think about those poor children and how difficult it must be to lose one’s childhood and not get to experience school and play time. As a U.S. citizen with children I can not fathom raising children in such an environment. I pray that in my lifetime I never have to make the choice about whether my child can continue to be a child or must grow up and start working at a very young age. It makes me think about the child labor discussed in David Batstone’s Not For Sale book when he discusses the child, Chan, who had to work in the garlic-factory with his sister and was kept in deplorable conditions until he finally escaped. These poor refugees could easily end up with a similar fate. Lets hope Unicef continues to keep a watchful eye over them.
Doucet, Lyse (2013, September 25). Destitution drives Syrian refugee children to work
.. BBC News: Europe. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-24229079
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DeleteKristin, there is one question that keeps revolving in my mind: what about the adults? Are they working too or is this particularly targeting only the children? I understand that this article depicts primarily the children’s deplorable situation, which is particularly incredible considering that a fellow countryman is coordinating the labor on the Lebanese farms. I was just wondering that it is nowhere mentioned, because in such an article it would make sense to emphasize the logical connection that they really have no choice because the adults (if any with them) don’t earn enough and therefore the children have to support with their labor. Unfortunately, and this is a weak word to describe it, many other countries share the same fate, see for example Pakistan, Honduras, China, Thailand etc., (Sernau, p. 57), not to forget in our country or other industrialized ones, as we learned in class, just under cover or unnoticed. You mentioned Chan in the Not to Sale book, and from a different angle, I am reminded of the young boys and girls recruited and correspondingly abused by the LRA in Uganda. They too are drawn into a senseless war, subjected to abuse and labor in so many ways and robbed of their innocence and childhood as well (Batstone, p. 110).
DeleteI agree that war has so many ramifications, in the country it takes place as well as those surrounding and those far away. Sernau (p. 159) talks about it how civil wars spill typically over and destabilize entire regions, and this is no different here. Lebanon itself was ravaged by a civil war and then the Cedar Revolution demanded Syrian troops’ withdrawal after 2005. Lebanon is operating now since March 2011 under a new government and is still immersed in the recovery/rebuilding process, particularly in their economic and academic area despite considerable UN and US aid. Although this is a miserable situation for the children, it is somewhat understandable in this regard that coping with and tending to the influx of refugees poses added difficulties and the focus is not, as so many times, on the really disadvantage. I believe, like many countries alike, Lebanon has taken much more on than they can handle, either based on a commitment with the UNHCR or on the fact that they are, as Syria obviously too, member of the UN and feel obligated yet without having the capacity. Another example is Australia, as mentioned in a recent blog, where incoming refugees now are being “deferred” for processing to New Guinea , which in itself is just another hassle, but obviously a welcome short-cuts to take some burden of.
The Department of State’s website indicates that the Syrian/Lebanese border problems are yet not resolved and Syria had long influenced Lebanon’s “foreign policy and internal policies”, so I wonder, despite the government’s openness to the West, how much of this influence is still in place, keeping Lebanon’s eyes shut when it comes to the child labor dilemma and how advocacy attempts are being handled. However, the positive aspect is that the Unicef is involved, Lebanese charities are trying to alleviate the situation, and a program for informal education is at least put in place. I understand that all budgets are stretched, but hopefully some persistent organizations can push towards a change of spending priorities. Again, advocacy skills are dearly needed.
This week’s reading about the UN’s worldwide smallpox vaccination initiative in 1977 (p. 276), and its involvement mentioned in this article caused in me a change of mind as to a possible dissolution, as discussed in class. Certainly there is an array of global problems that need to be addressed as a whole and monitored in individual countries, and certainly there is mismanagement of money and time, as in so many other organizations, but maybe as a motivator, organizer and implementer, the UN has still an effective place in the global community. Overall, the situation of refugees in general will only increase and hopefully the UN will continue to intervene with assistance and motivate others.
This was a touching article. I felt a lot of compassion for the upset mother as she tearfully discussed how she did not want her children to work, but if they do not work they may starve. I felt like I could relate to her because I would not know what I would do and like you I hope I never have to make that tough of a decision. You are right it is war that is really destroying the way of life that people live. It is the civil wars and regional conflicts that oppress people and keep developing countries from developing .We know from our advocacy project that it is extremely difficult to make large strives of successful change in the middle of civil war.
ReplyDelete(This got left out)
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to make large changes, when people are trying so hard to get their most basic needs met. It is difficult to worry about women's rights, democracy and etc. when you are worried how you will feed yourself and your children.
This article is interesting because it follows up on my article for week three regarding, France just now seeking justice for the Rwanda’s genocide. Week’s three article suggested that France’s motivation for justice is to have better economic ties with Rwanda. This article is of special importance because, week three’s article stated that both of the country’s exports and imports and exports with each other depend on how well France proceeds with the prosecution of the genocide of Rwanda. Chapter seven referred to 1994, Rwanda as an ethnic cleansing and a regional conflict, 800,000 people dead is also referred to as genocide.
ReplyDeleteIn April through July of 1994 in Rwanda, nearly 800,000 people were killed, mostly Tutsis. Unlike many other countries such as Canada, France repeatedly refused to extradite those who are suspected of being involved in the Rwandan genocide. Muhayimana and Musabyimana, the two men being extradited, are being accused of genocide in different areas. Muhayimana is accused of being a part of a massacre of ethnic Tutsis in a western town of Kibuye while Musabyimana is being accused of a massacre in the north-western Gisenyi province. Although the two men appeared in front of appeals courts in Dijon and Rouen and their extradition was ordered, this ruling was overruled by the Court of Cassation- France’s highest appeals court. French prosecutors stated that even though the two men could not be extradited on the majority of the crimes they are being held accountable for, they could be extradited for genocide and crimes against humanity. Based on court documents, the chief prosecutor in Paris considers that defendants extradited in Rwanda are now guaranteed a fair trial and are no longer at risk for the death penalty, as it was abolished in 2007. I agree with the statement of Philippe Meilhac, the two men’s lawyer, who said “I see no explanation other than politics to explain the prosecutor’s change in stance.” Philippe Meilhac also believes France wanted to please Rwanda as diplomatic relations improved between the two nations. Today, there are currently about twenty genocide-related cases pending in French courts.
The current 20 cases pending in France for a genocide that happened 20 years ago appears to have taken a long time. Where was France when the genocide happened and where have they been. We have learned that each country needs each country to maintain their economy and will forgive countries and help countries to maintain their helpful relationship to ensure their relationship remain workable. The U.S. maintains a good relationship with certain countries by providing a better score on the human trafficking scale, ultimately knowing they are turning a blind eye to their ally. The U.S. does this to maintain good relationships to keep our export and import flowing. The question how many turn of a blind eye is okay to get the economy going. Despite Africa needing to make amends with France for turning a blind eye for twenty years to a genocide, should they forgive? I don’t know.
Topic: genocide
Jalena Robertson Adams
Site : http://news.yahoo.com/french-prosecutors-seek-extradition-rwanda-genocide-accused-194646112.html
Jalena - I found your article interesting and frustrating. Much like you, I wonder where France has been but then I think about how this happens all the time. On your blog last week, I commented on how there are Nazi war criminals who are still just now going on trial for their war crimes. They committed these crimes in the late 1930's and it is 2013 and they are just now being punished. Many of them are in their 90's and do not even stand a chance to serve much if any time for their offenses. It is a slow process and extremely frustrating. Many of these Nazi war criminals would not even be held accountable if not for the established watch groups who helped hunt them down and demanded justice. So, maybe Rawanda needs somebody advocating for them in a simiilar fashion. Watch group who hunt down these men and demand that they be prosecuted. It sounds like, from the article, they have found two who have asylum in France and France is slow-walking the process. This is another issue we have is that there is not a formalized law system from one country to another which makes things difficult and increases tensions between countries. Look at the US and Russia over Edward Snowden. It seems that these Rawandan war criminals will not be held accountable for their actions any time soon, much like the Nazi war criminals. When I read articles like this, I think about David Batstone's book Not For Sale when he discusses government corruption and how individuals are not prosecuted because the higher ups in the country have a stake in this type of bad behavior.
DeleteThis article showed how some countries (Canada) want to get involved with giving people justice around the world and how others remain neutral until their hands are forced by (economic relations). It is sad to say that I am not surprised how long it takes for people to come to justice in areas of the world that hardly anyone knows about. This goes to show how France, being a country a part of the UN will not extradite these gentlemen on their charges; however, they can prosecute them for crimes committed against humanity. This is a prime example of the assignment that we did in class when some countries commit violations on human rights and get away with it and how other countries can prosecute for those same violations.
DeleteYour article was interesting and giving me couple of questions, when one country violates human rights by ethnic cleansing, who should involve in to bring justice? If other country take advantage of the situation and just pursue its benefit including economic and other, who can intervene and correct the situation? French looks that it did right but it was related to its benefit. I heard many countries experienced this kind of tragedy throughout the history but every time I heard the news, there looked no one really involved in the situation and helped out the victims. Many powerful countries include U.S quickly involve in international matter whenever it was connected with their own benefits, mostly economic, territorial, or geographical, but when it is not, it came out different story. It has been long time that U.N has not shown any substantial involvement by sending united military army or other kind of help. When I read the chapter about "war", I felt that what happened in this world relating war looked chaotic, and there looks no justice or regulations but only pursuing their own benefits and killing is justified everywhere. It reminded me of the value of the laws and having authorities who execute the laws according to the justice is a great blessing. Regarding with international matter, specially, those countries that do not have the laws to bring justice will be the one of the area that social workers can contribute by helping them to establish the laws to protect human rights.
DeleteChristian hotel owners in gay row selling up
ReplyDeleteTopic: Discrimination
Submitted by: Lisa Norton
09/27/13
When searching for an article I found one that I thought would be pretty cut and dry. However, as I read the article and thought about it from both view points, I found myself unable to decide. The BBC News reports on a couple in Marazion, England who are selling their Bed & Breakfast because they can no longer advertise with England’s main tourism body. This is all stems from a discrimination suit which was brought against the couple for not allowing a gay couple to rent a room for the night. Ordinarily I would have immediately empathized with the gay couple thinking about how humiliated and angry they must have felt. However the more I read the more I began to wonder if the owners of the Bed & Breakfast acted within their legal rights. As an owner of a private establishment, should you be able to decide who partakes in what you’re offering, in this case a private room for the night. And if your discrimination is not against the gay couple specifically but in two unmarried adults sharing a bed in general, should you as the owner be able to decide who is eligible to rent the room? This was not a government funded hotel, it was a private business. Clearly the government intervened as an advocate on behalf of the gay couple who was discriminated against but who will advocate for the owners? What about their rights?
It should be said that the owners of the B&B were not forced out of business. They are choosing to simply close up shop due to their loss in advertisement opportunities with a travel company called Tour London. They have been operating for more than 20 years and they claim their discrimination is based solely on their religious beliefs. The London courts ruled that the couple had acted unlawfully in their discrimination of the gay couple but when trying to view both sides of the story I wondered if the owners were discriminated against because of their religious beliefs. Were their rights to live by those beliefs being violated? If they had advertised their Bed & Breakfast as a place for only Heterosexual/Married couples, would they be in trouble today? I know that there are businesses today that discriminate in various ways all the time. Whether it’s a country club that sets the initiation fees so high that only the elite can afford to participate or at the private schools where certain religions are given entrance preference over another belief in order to have a like-minded student body. As a social worker, I knew how I could advocate for the gay couple but I was stumped when thinking about how to advocate for the owners. You don’t always get to choose the clients you work with and it’s tough when you don’t share the same beliefs. A change in policy is needed either way. Perhaps there could be an amendment to the tourism register that would allow for categories of lodging like “family friendly”, “Christian atmosphere” or “alternative lifestyles welcome”. I would have started on a local level and tried to make a place for each point of view rather than force one over the other.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-24159559
Wow Lisa, I also must say that this article really has some serious, valid points in it. I can also say that I would probably be one who would lose my bed and breakfast before I start allowing the government to dictate who will or will not be able to stay in my dwelling whether they are homosexual or not. I think the whole thing of suing is over the top for me, but this is what our world has become. I have to say that one thing that the owner stated that stood out to me was that they do not condone pre-marital sex in their B&B. Which says to me they are asking probing questions to people that are inquiring about their property before they allow them to occupy it. So this is not just an issue of straight vs homosexuals, this is a principals issue where as the owners feel that their rights have been violated just as much as the homosexuals feel like theirs have been.
DeleteLisa, this is an interesting article and you bring up good points. After I read the article, I found myself thinking of course the owners have the right to deny a room to the gay couple because it is their property. However, their view and practice is discriminatory in a legal, business sense. The hotel is simply a licensed entity that the government holds faith in to practice legal business. I also understand (being a Christian myself) the desire of the owners to want to promote business they may see fit that is moral and acceptable to their religion. However, there are several other examples of immoral behavior in the Bible. Who would want to provide proof they were married at a hotel to get a night's rest? Who would want to explain they could only afford one room while a couple sisters traveled together? Would the owners start turning down rooms to people in those categories who looked suspect? This situation is not about personal choice, but legal business practice that prevents discrimination and protects a person's privacy. Since it is a public business they cannot force their values on people. I think they need to remember what the Bible says about not judging people and letting governments do their necessary work. They could also consider the idea to hate the sin and not the sinner. By providing a room to a gay, fornicating, etc. couple, they might be able to witness to them for Christ and make a bigger impact as a Christian instead of turning them away.
DeleteLisa this was a very interesting article to read. Although I do agree with you about the private owners religious beliefs, I have to wonder if an unmarried non-homosexual couple came in wanting a room for the night if they would allow it? Even though they say it is based solely on their religious beliefs, sometimes you have to think if it is. When reading this at first I thought how discriminated the homeosexual couple was. I think that if I was the owners I would stick to my beliefs and I would not want couples having pre-martial sex in my bed and breakfast as well. I think they were brave to stick to what they belief in and to advocate for themselves. It is hard to read that they are loosing their 20-year establishment especially because they are going by what the Bible tells them.
DeleteI also found this article to be very interesting. One one side you have the government attempting to regulate the practices and policies of a privately owned and operated business, on the other hand you have the business owners who do not want to be viewed as condoning sex outside of marriage. Of course in the middle you have the gay couple who were denied a room. At first the thought crossed my mind how did the business owners know that the couple was gay? Did they ask? Then I realized that they do not allow un-married couples to purchase single beds. I wonder would the situation be different if the gay couple were married? What if the gay couple were abstinent from sex altogether? Also, how would the situation unfold if there were two females who wanted to purchase a single room with a single bed who were only friends but willing to sleep in the same bed to save on costs? This article just goes to show how tricky issues can get related to gay rights/human rights. I think the complication lies in this bed and breakfast being the actual home of this couple and there lies there conviction.
DeleteHong Kong implements official benchmark on poverty Published September 28, 2013AFP
ReplyDeleteTopic: Poverty
Brian Tucker
This article discusses the first benchmark that Hong Kong has attempted to measure poverty there. The article gave statistics that 1.31 million people are living in poverty within the city. The rate of poverty stricken people, from data in 2012, shows it to be at 19.6 percent. The article went on to state that the NGO Hong Kong Council of Social Services had reported, in 2012, that 1.16 million people lived in poverty and the rate was 17.1 percent. The wealth gap in Hong Kong is the widest gap in the world, which adds to the old saying of the rich keep richer and the poor keep getting poorer. The wealthier in Hong Kong live in better housing and more costly apartments. Whereas the poorer in the city are living in more cramped, cage like apartments, and subdivided flats. People with low incomes are forced to live in smaller subdivided units. The government wants to add more jobs and increase the minimum wage to help lower this rising issue. The government also noted that it cannot put an end to poverty in Hong Kong altogether, and does not want to list that as a goal. They are simply trying to find a way to alleviate the issues that those living in poverty face. The larger number of citizens living in poverty within the city is made up of the elderly and families with children.
It is baffling to me that Hong Kong has never officially looked at the poverty line before. There are pictures at the top of the article to show the differences in how people live. The article talked about how the wealthy are showcasing what they have; instead they could be part of the solution, by alleviating their carbon foot prints, and therefore helping their fellow citizens. Hong Kong government officials are unsure how to tackle such a problem. I found another article of great interest in the war on poverty, from Africa: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/opinion/africa-testing-ground-sirleaf-osotimehin/. The city could learn a lot from Africa and how they are battling the poverty issues in their country. The article reminded me of the ecological footprint exercise from our homework. Hong Kong could look at implementing solar and wind power to stop the drain on the economy. More energy efficient apartments and housing would be cheaper for the city, and having more jobs would ensure more are able to provide better for their families. It appeared to me, that Hong Kong, one of the largest of producers of goods to the US, has ignored those living in poverty, and only thinking of financial growth. The economic growth and social growth were not built together, and is painfully obvious to see from reading this article. This gap of the economic and social growth discussion from class discussion a few weeks ago as well.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/09/28/hong-kong-implements-official-benchmark-on-poverty/
Brian,
DeleteThat is a very interesting article. You would think that Hong Kong would already have a poverty level in place. I noticed the photo that you mentioned and did not see much of a difference between a street there and a street here. I wondered what the median income was for Hong Kong in comparrison to Kentucky's which is around $40K. I found it to be around $20K here: http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/population.pdf
I was actually expecting it to be a littlle higher. As I read the article further, it stated that "More than 170,000 people in Hong Kong are living in cramped, cagelike, subdivided flats" which really paints a better picture than the photo did. I always associated Hong Kong as being one of the most clean cities in the world as seen in photos and reported by the media. I never thought of it as having a massive poor population with such a giant disparity in wealth. After reading the article, it seems that Honk Kong has been more concerned with keeping its streets clean instead of taking care of many of the people who walk down them. Honk Kong seems to care what the rest of the world thinks about them, so I hope articles like this encourage them to help these people in need.
Brian- I liked your synopsis of the article on Poverty in Hong Kong and I agree with you that it seems completely unlikely that a city such as this one which is so advanced in technology, science and manufacturing would have never considered marking a baseline for poverty and then tracking the economic growth of its citizens. It made me think that if no one bothered to measure the number of people living in poverty then you wouldn’t have to do anything to address the issue. Right? Unfortunately, as with most problems, you can’t leave them unattended and hope that they just go away. They get bigger and harder to deal with as time goes on. I also thought about the amount of sickness that must be transmitted from person to person living in these kinds of cramped, sub-standard living spaces. I watched a program several years ago that displayed some of the “apartments” that people were living in and they were nothing more than a common living area and a sleeping compartment. This is better than living on the streets I suppose but the exposure to sickness and other communicable diseases would be constant. Poverty is one of those issues that can be linked to every topic we have covered in class. Violence, war, human trafficking, education, employment etc. they are all interconnected in one way or another to living in poverty or trying to escape it. I liked your take on reducing the carbon footprint of some of the wealthier citizens in order to benefit the rest. Until I traced my carbon footprint online I had no idea what this really meant. Good article!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehttp://allafrica.com/stories/201309100876.html
ReplyDeleteAfrica: Promoting Healthy Ageing in the African Region
By Yaya Bajo
The author expressed a number of questions that are warranted due to the increasing number of elderly population in Africa. Are governments equipped and what actions are being taken by countries for an aging population? As studies show that many countries are having their life expectancy increase due to better mortality rates and healthcare advances. As these elderly people age they are now at risk of dying from chronic diseases, disabilities, and premature death. Most health systems throughout Africa do not make adequate provisions for their elder population. Especially in the Sub-Saharan Region of Africa where the life expectancy rate is quite lower than other regions, elderly people are still surviving and need systems in place to care for them.
Poverty and malnutrition contribute significantly to disease and illnesses among this region’s elderly people. Elderly Africans miss out on nutrition, exercise, and many recreational benefits that increase the quality of life for these individuals. Tying this article into all of my previous blogs and class material; we can see that life expectancy has affected all areas of the world. We know due to urbanized development, technology, improved healthcare, and governments creating policies to care for their growing elderly population has increased life expectancy globally. These countries tend to be in the North. When looking at countries in the South, we still see mortality rates getting better but nothing as in comparison to their northern counterparts. As women continue to make up 54% of the elderly African population we can see their needs not being met. Young women in Africa are oppressed and trying to care for their families. As these women get older the pressure is still prevalent and we see it passing on from generation to generation.
Moving forward as productive social workers we have to not only address women needs globally, we have to address poverty, healthcare, victimization, HIV/AIDS, and elders. We have to be able to go look at what is going on in other countries as well as our own. If we are able, we have to start advocating for victims at home and aboard. We can no longer say that we are not affected by what is going on in other countries. We have been educated to know that we are all interconnected on world problems through globalization.
I chose an article from Africa too, primarily because I need to learn as much as possible for our group project! It is interesting to see that their mortality rates are going up, yet their care is not. Here we have what is bound to be a population boom of elderly, especially by 2025, and they have not yet prepared for how they will handle it. It is already almost 2014, so I cannot imagine what will happen in the next ten years. As you noted, they are already falling through the so called "cracks" when it comes to care. It is sad to think of all of the things they are missing out on, simply because they are elderly and there are no long term health initiatives to help care for them. Next, when I read the part about women, I grew angry. They are elderly, yet they are women so they aren't entitled to receive proper care? They are simply being persecuted for being women, and being disabled, and for being elders. That is crazy to me!! I think it is great that you touched on how we need to combat this globally. It really is a culmination of all the parts that you listed. We cannot help an older African women receive care, and then send her to live in a place that is stricken with poverty. We must tackle all of these issues together to effectively battle the problem. I am glad that we are being educated on advocacy and how we help bring awareness to issues such as this. Afterall, they are elderly, but they are still human beings and deserved to be treated as such.
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ReplyDeletehttp://www.voanews.com/content/african-leaders-call-for-coordinated-fight-against-terrorism-on-continent/1758154.html
ReplyDeleteAfrican Leaders Call for Coordinated Fight Against Terrorism on Continent
This article, linking to a previously submitted one, relates how the spread of regionally increasing terrorist attacks of al-Qaeda affiliates in West African countries caused world leaders at the UN to call for a coordinated response. While Obama already indicated cooperation with African leaders, Nigeria’s President, whose country is presently experiencing similar fights, is more interested in a global collaboration as terrorism anywhere has ramifications everywhere. Mali’s recently successful presidential elections give hopes to restore democracy and combat terrorist activities that have been affecting the country’s stability for long. A Human Rights Watch observer though indicates the tough fight ahead, as many areas in the Sahel region still lack democratic governance and are used as hideouts by drug traffickers and terrorists to operate in transnational organized crime and spread regional instability. UN General Secretary Ban’s comment in this context is particularly sobering, pointing out the increasing appeal of radicalism and violent ideology on the region's youth. Africa analyst Mosley confirms as well that militant groups with local agendas are attracted to these ideologies and methods. In light of the current dynamics, Kenya is welcoming international intelligence sharing to tackle this global problem.
This week’s reading included among others positive and negative aspects of technology. On the one side it can cause isolation, as engagement in social relationships relies less on proximity but rather on virtual connections in internet cafes or international chat rooms, but on the other side, it can also reduce isolation in remote areas (here West Africa in terms of global interconnectedness), provide useful global contacts (as to combating terrorism in a unified response) and forge new relationships (such as Obama’s collaboration) (Sernau, p. 296). As law enforcement agencies are already coordinating police efforts across international boundaries (p. 142) in an effort to operate globally for mutual benefit, Kenya’s logical request to share intelligence fits right in. However, as already evidenced, different procedures and political agendas could undermine efficient and successful collaboration. I believe a unified effort of global leaders to equip the affected African countries with effective technology devices (and adequate training) for the combat of global terrorism would gain much traction, provided a consensus about the funding can be reached. Considering that many African countries are still suffering from yearlong engagement in either proxy wars as a legacy of the cold war (Sernau, p. 158) or independence struggles from their previous colonial powers, it would behoove the international community to consider seriously this effort, especially those members who had some form of ties with them (see again cold war & colonialism). This would be the right thing to do. Sernau identifies the war arena as technology’s primary application in the information age (p. 296), and given the trajectory of African countries’ history, any available funds were probably concentrated primarily on the acquisition of weapons instead of technology promoting global interconnectedness, i. e. for the purpose of combating terrorism (such as sophisticated communication and surveillance devices). Therefore I assume that those African countries have not been on the side of beneficiaries (or to a very small extent) of what Sernau calls “the digital divide” (p. 297.) In light that less than ¼ of the world’s military spending could meet “the UN estimate for international development.. and poverty elimination” , it would be only logical that if global leaders would keep this in mind and take initiatives in regard to the present issue, much of the funding for combating terrorism would then probably be unnecessary (p. 171).
I found an interesting article for this week’s blog about child labor. The article discusses how progress in reducing the child labor in the international arena is increasing. The article states that 78 million children are no longer employed in the workforce because of enforcement of anti -child labor practices. The International Labour Organization believes that 168 million children are still employed internationally though. In spite of this dramatic decline, the ILO states they think the goal for 2016 will not be met to eliminate the most severe occurrence of child labor. The ILO happily report progress is moving them into the correct direction, but the improvement is very slow. They state that enforcing anti- child labor is like working within a web, all levels need to react to the pull to complete the mission. This report states that the declines are caused by government policies, increases in education, and social protection. They continue reporting the breakdown of current child labor: 11 % laborers, 5 % hazardous labor. This 16 % covers the percentage of children employed in labor practices that are illegal.
ReplyDeleteI thought this article was positively related to our readings in several different aspects. It covers the political side of advocacy. The world is seeing improvements from political action and enforcement. Also, the world is seeing the advantage of education to improve human capital and advocacy on the educational level. It is also connected to the Millennium Development Goals by the goals to achieve education and reduce child mortality. This article emphasized the need to enforce illegal labor, especially child labor that is very hazardous. This works to reduce child mortality (along with better health and medical practices for the children.) Many children in child labor are never treated for medical reasons, such as accounted in Not for Sale, but they are also vulnerable due to their poverty. Sernau covers how social class actually may arrange this devastating occurrence of child labor. There is also a reference to Ezell’s discussion to roll with the punches during advocacy. The representative explained that there is still much more work to do to end child labor, especially the most dangerous types and progress is slow, but it continues to happen. Although they think the 2016 goal may not be met, it is still apparent improvements are happening to end this type of labor.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/09/child-labor-on-decline-but-will-not-met-2016-goal.html
Yolonda Armstead
ReplyDelete09/27/2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alon-tal/overpopulation-is-still-t_b_3990646.html
This article addresses the issues of overpopulation remaining the leading bases of hunger, desertification, species depletion and a range of social maladies across the planet. There has been a debate between technological optimists and Malthusian realists, as to whether or not overpopulation is the reason for the reason for hunger, depletion of species, social maladies etc. the article addressed the need that criteria and characterize consequences must be set in order for those statements to be validated, then used the example of China as a fore instance. The article stated that China has history of famines which occurred precisely because carrying capacities were consistently outstripped by a growing population even though China has a one-child policy. The country is still overpopulated. It is still a nation of two billion. The report states that China today needs to bolster local food supply by attaining lands overseas.
The article also states that global trends will lead to doubling of the world’s urban areas by 2050, which would mean the depletion of farm land.
The article further states that overpopulation is not just about food shortages and human suffering. The collapse in global biodiversity is also linked to overpopulation.
The good news is that public policy matters and can reduce overpopulation. Many countries, from Bangladesh and Iran to Singapore and Thailand adopted policies that incentify small families, make birth control available, provide better social security and most of all -- empower women
In my opinion the next to last paragraph in this article is the most valid point that needed to be made. Then when we incorporate the material that is in our book which states that the world’s population is continuing to grow, but the pace at which it is growing is slowing; and also that the number of children that are being born to a woman in her lifetime is falling, this helps lessen some of the chaotic reading that is published when searching for information on overpopulation
I must say in summary, some of the articles that I have read since I have been tasked with blogging on overpopulation have given me the scary visualization of humans procreating like jack rabbits, and within a few years we are going to overpopulate the earth, starve, and die, unless everyone takes a vow now to never give birth again.
Yolanda, I agree with you, after reading this article, you think, wow, we should never procreate again. However, when reading this and thinking of how growth of a population is continuing to rise, and there are only so much space in the world, where will people go? where is the food source going to come from? what resources are going to be available, if any? I really had to think about the carbon footprint exercise from class, how many worlds does it take for one person? Now think of all the people in the world and we are not only overpopulating, but overusing all the resources in the world too. It is a scary thought. We are basically killing ourselves everyday. We over consume in some areas of the world, other areas are lucky to get a drop to what some of us have. The only good news is that overpopulation seems to be slacking off somewhat. The question still remains though, what is going to be there for the next generation? The answer needs to have started over two thousand years ago, so that we take care of the one earth, and each of us do our part.
DeleteI thought your article was very interesting. Honestly, this is a topic I have never really thought much about. After reading your article and completing the ecological footprint assignment for class it really makes you think though. My ecological footprint stated that I would need 7.11 earths to sustain life. That is crazy! Your article discussed how overpopulation is causing food shortages. Just think, if it really took 7.11 earths to sustain my lifestyle, what would the food shortages be like then? It really is scary to think about. Just like you stated in your blog, it almost makes you want to say that women shouldn’t have children anymore. That is not how I feel, but you know that thought has to at least cross through your mind in reading an article like this. As the population continues to grow where is everybody going to go? Where will the food come from? How will they get resources? Those are all legitimate questions that people have to think about. I really enjoyed reading your blog and this article. It really made me think and analyze my own consumption of energy and resources in the world.
DeleteRachel Moran
ReplyDeleteTopic: Debt
According to the article “S. Korea’s National Debt Growing Sharply since 1997 Crisis: Data” from globalpost.com, tells of how sharply South Korea’s debt is growing. It compares the debt from in 1997 whenever the Asian financial crisis hit. The debt is expected to hit 512.2 trillion won next year, up from this year’s 480.3 trillion won, equivalent to 478.4 billion United States dollars. The article says that the debt rose during the Asian financial crisis and during the credit card debacle and has never quite recovered from all the financial crises. A few weeks ago, I blogged about the South Korean credit card situation. Many South Koreans are living well beyond their means and as a result the government has had to bail them out and erase around fifty percent of their debt. If they keep erasing people’s debt, then they will have no way to get their debt down. While the debt is growing, the economy is slowing. Also, South Korea’s debt to GDP ratio is growing as well. In 1997 the debt to GDP ratio was 11.9 and next year it will be 36.5 percent. Experts are thinking that these figures will cause a per capita debt of 10 million won equivalent to around 9300 dollars in the United States. It seems as though everyone is reaching their debt limits, even the United States has almost hit their debt ceiling, due around October 18. Since the credit card situation is what partly got South Korea into this situation, I don’t think that erasing their debt is the answer. Many people don’t learn from their mistakes, and if they erase the debt then people will think that they have that much more to spend. I think that South Korea is in a predicament and will need to handle these next few years very carefully to minimize their debt and to not make the situation any worse.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/yonhap-news-agency/130926/s-koreas-national-debt-growing-sharply-1997-crisis-data
Sara Gilpin
ReplyDeleteOnline Child Abuse Videos in Scotland
Article Date: September 30, 2013
In search for an article on crime this week I found one about a 30 year old man who was jailed for sharing child abuse videos online. The title alone caught my eye. There was a search warrant conducted on Lee West, of Perth Scotland, and among the items recovered was his laptop. On his laptop police found 437 moving and still images of child sex abuse. The article stated that there were video clips with a total running time of over 11 hours, and that the video showed girls from ages 4-17. The depute said that the computer showed that West had deliberately made 21 videos of child sex abuse available for sharing on the internet with other pedophiles. West was jailed for 15 months and was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years. The sheriff also ordered that he be placed on supervision in the community for 12 months following his release from prison.
Reading this article just made me sick. All I could think about were the parents of those children. How did they feel when they found out that their child was being exploited on the internet like that? It makes we wonder why in the world someone would ever want to do that. I mean how do they get satisfaction from that? I just cannot wrap my mind around that concept. My heart breaks for the children, it is not their fault, they did not ask for any of that. Doing these blogs have helped me open my eyes to see that things like this really do happen, and that they happen all around the world. When I can read a real true life story and put a name to the story it seems to make it so much more real. I am sure crime such as the one discussed in this article happen all the time, it is just something I had never really thought about. It is almost like the Not for Sale book we read in class. This could be happening in your own back yard, and no one even be aware of it. I am sure this man’s neighbors had no idea what he was doing, and that he had all those pictures and videos stored on his computer. It does however; make me thankful that there are still effective law enforcement officers. They were able to discover the truth about the crime and then punish West. I am not sure if I agree with the punishment or not, but I guess that’s why I am a social worker and not in law enforcement :)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-24331706
Wow... I cannot believe that this guy only got 15 months jail time, 10 years on the sex offenders list, and 12 months community service upon release. I would like to know how many children were on the computer, because this punishment does not fit the crime in my opinion. I thought it was interesting that at the end of the article, the defense attorney stated that the defendant did not actively try to distribute the files but that he understands how websites like the one he used make files available to others. Does that not qualify as distribution?
DeleteI agree with you that the law enforcement officers were effective in this case and in many others I'm sure. However, I feel like the justice systems fail us so often. This guy is basically getting a slap on the wrist. That reminds me of the penalties for human trafficking that we have talked about in class. Often times in human trafficking cases, prosecutors try to get the defendants convicted on other charges because they have harsher penalties than human trafficking charges. That seems crazy to me as well. To think of how heinous and horrific human trafficking is, but other offenses have worse punishments.
From Titerriell: Sara Gilpins blog: Article title: Lee West Jailed for sharing child abuse videos online.
DeleteSara, I agree with you. This article makes me sick as well. My heart goes out to the parents of the children also. Unfortunately, I here of this type of crime a lot. If it is not this type of crime, it is in the form of some type of abuse. The abuse may be physical, sexual or neglect. It does make me wonder, how could anyone do such a thing to another person especially a child? Have you ever thought about how the demoralization of children especially females is connected to Human Trafficking? How all this abuse leads to Human Trafficking? If you think about it, it all starts from somewhere.
WHAT!!!!!!!!! ugh!!! so strange and sick! I have no idea how people are able to participate in activities like this let alone come up with the idea and time to do it! The sex offender registry is not enough!! This man should be banned from a computer and other people the rest of his life! I know that as social workers we should be able to see how the client is feeling, but if I had to counsel this person I would be so conflicted! It makes me wonder how he came in contact with these videos or if he filmed them and staged situations and then made them public. Either way I can not believe that the abuse of children will turn someone on and be worth going to jail for.
DeleteI hate hearing about stories like these! His punishment is so inadequate for the crimes he committed, but then again I have never heard of a rape/abuse case that really recieved the proper punishment. We read about a lot of these with the sex traffickers and how many of them were let go with basically a slap on the wrist. One positive thing I can draw from this is that he will have a hard time getting a job and living a normal life after his sentence is over because of the publicity his story has gained. Something that particularly shocked me was the last paragraph in the article where it said Lee did not deliberately share the files, but now understands how certain websites work and can share the files basicallly without your knowledge. Anyone else want to call bull on this? I think it was a last desperate attempt to try and regain some kind of positive image in the community. Thank you for sharing this article, this is something that as social workers we will have to deal with some time in our careers, unfortunately :(
DeleteWell first of all I cant believe he only got 15 months in jail, and then 12 months of supervision afterwards! What about after the supervision is over?. And being put on the sex offenders list for 10 years, I thought once someone was put on there they were listed for the rest of their life, or maybe that is just in America?. This article is a very good one, and it shows just how much you have to watch people are your own children, I cant believe someone would want to record themselves doing this to children, and it really disturbs me why anyone would do this to a 4 year old child. Furthermore, its just plain disgusting that this person or anyone else would want to post it where someone else could watch the torture. All in all I think you picked a very informational and eye opener article. Thanks for sharing!.
DeleteFrom Titerriell:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lifesitenews.com/news/indias-sex-selective-abortion
Article title: India’s sex-selective abortions begun by Western population control planners: congressional hearing
Titerriell Macklin
September 29, 2013 10:15 a.m.
Gendercide:
This article by Kirsten Anderson with Ben Johnson contributing to this report, talks about how there is a growing imbalance in India cause by sex selective –abortions. The article says that the root of this sex-selective abortion lies in the American population.
Congressman Chris Smith states that “sex selection abortion is violent, nefarious and deliberate policy imposed on the world by the pro-abortion population control movement- It’s not an accident” “Sex selection abortion is cruel and discriminatory. It is violence against women”.
I had to put the direct quote because I could have not said it better. I also agree when he states, “lawmakers in India, the United States and worldwide must defend women from this vicious assault”. Something has to be done about this cruelty. It saddens my heart every time I read an article in regards to Gendercide.
The Indian culture has favored sons for centuries. The reason why is the dowry that is to be paid for their daughters to marry. In 1970 the U.S. population council introduced pre-natal sex identification to them and supposedly suggested that they abort the girls. India took them up on this by far. Learning this news the U.S. should step in and stop the war on girls in India.
From Titerriell cont.:
ReplyDeleteAccording to this article, most of the money for population control programs worldwide men was in control of. There was no consideration in regards to how this would affect women. What a shame on those men. Women are very much so needed. Women are not just needed for reproductive purposes.
In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia Western donors were the cause for sterilization. If one did not agree, health care and education were refused. In 1975 India Gandhi made it a state of emergency to have people sterilized. The police and army were used to do so. This move increased the support of foreign donors. It is frustrating to see these people play GOD. Who are these people? Where do they come from? Again, I say that the U.S. should do something to help fix this crisis.
This is what I have been waiting for in all of the articles that I have read in regards to Gendercide. I love how this one points out that sex-selective abortion causes the ratio of girls to boys to drop. This leads to trafficking in persons, bride selling and prostitution. I knew it. I am finally glad that I found an article to bring it to light. I knew that Gendercide had to be the cause of another social problem. Another interesting fact that I found in this article is that according to the 2011 census, India had 37 million more males than females. How is that for a ratio? This is the biggest factor in the nations rising crime rate. This is especially true when it comes to violence and or sex crimes against women. If one wants to stop violent crimes against women, then stop Gendercide.
Boy I love this article. There is also a comment made in regards to protecting girls in the womb. I like the point made when it was stated nations receiving financial aid have to report on human trafficking, this should be done for the steps taken to protect girls in the womb. I could not agree more. Every child should be welcomed regardless of their sex. Legislators need to do something about this global concern.
“According to one UN estimate, there are up to 200 million women missing in the world today due to Gendercide, sex selection abortion, abandonment or deadly neglect of baby girls because they are female.
Reading this article reminds me of two class assignments one was Human Trafficking and Global Slave Trade and Question number 3 from our online assignment five. Assignment question was why the U.S. being one of the most industrialized nations would have the highest crime rate. This article answers the online assignment question and Human Trafficking. Human Trafficking is a world problem. So is Gendercide. Human trafficking is a form of slavery and so is Gendercide. Hundreds of adults and children are brought over to the U.S. form India for trafficking purposes. This is sad to me. There is not getting out of this. If you try then harm can be brought about to you and your family. Reading this article helped shed light that Gendercide leads to human trafficking, bride selling and prostitution.
Studying Gendercide has made me grow tremendously. I am glad that I have the opportunity to learn in the manner that I am. It is sad to see how human trafficking correlates to Gendercide. To devalue a human being, there is no right. I am not going to say that human trafficking is worse than slavery. To me both of them are horrible. One is not worse than the other. They are both distasteful. I have a greater appreciation for Indian women and young girls. I know their walk, their struggles.
Topic: Religion
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24331729
Faith schools used as 'battle ground for larger fight'
In England, faith-based schools have long been popular among the population. Statistics show that among state-funded schools, one in three are faith schools and that 99% of those faith schools are Christian. More than ever, many are finding themselves no longer in support of faith-based schools because they believe that the schools (especially those that are state-funded) have become a stage to debate over the role of religion among other issues. Many also believe that the schools are not representative of the population in diversity and that the schools do not provide equal opportunity to children in the lower socioeconomic classes. The schools however, claim that they are representative of the population in diversity, but admit that poorer families are disadvantaged. Suggestions to reassess how to better represent low-income families have been made.
Right Reverend John Pritchard who is the Bishop of Oxford wrote a report titled 'More than an Educated Guess' and argues that the schools should no longer be used as a battleground for other issues and that everyone should simply focus on the success of these schools. Others claim that the report is typically "superficial" and that the facts are often twisted in a favorable manner.
This article did not remind me of anything that we have read or talked about in class right away. In fact, compared to the things we have discussed, this seems like a really superficial issue. It does not exactly compare to the tragedy and horror of human trafficking or poverty. However, after some thought, it did make me think about our discussion the first day of class about how everything is connected. And here, we can see that socioeconomic status is connected to the amount of educational opportunity individuals have. In this instance, those from lower-income families, likely do not have the opportunity to attend faith schools, even though they are still state-funded.
Further, it reminded me of the education article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This article shows that England could be abusing section 2 of Article 26 which states that education should "promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups...". It is clearly stated in the article that many believe the schools do not base their admittance upon racial standards and that the schools are not representative of the diverse population.
From Titerriell for Lisa's:
ReplyDeleteLisa, since I have been reading articles on Gendercide in India, I can understand why a woman had to be raped to the point of death before the city toughened up on the perpetrators of vicious sex crimes. Just like your article states, patriarchy is a huge problem in India. What I found sad to hear was the fact that India is the world's rape capital! Wow! Every time I read something about this country, they raise my eyebrows! Did you ever think about the root of the problems in India? Where did it all start?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/30/us-qatar-labor-rights-idUSBRE98T13Z20130930
ReplyDeleteQatar will be the home of the 2022 World Cup and progress is already being made on an infrastructure to house the international event. The World Cup will bring money into the area for a while in regards to travelers for the event and the building of the infrastructure has already supplied jobs to many individuals from Nepal. 340,679 Nepalis are in Qatar. 276 Nepalis died in Qatar this year and 20% of those deaths have been died on work sites such as the World Cup infrastructure. This year, 151 Nepalis died, 10% on work sites. Most of the deaths took place during the summertime, a prime time for work on buildings, many from heart attacks, heart failure, or workplace accidents. Human rights committees suspect that these deaths were caused by labor abuses of the migrants. Qatar states that all migrants are treated with respect. I felt split on the issues in this article. On one hand, Nepalis deaths could have been due to natural causes. On the other hand, how is it that so many people died on the work sites and they just happened to be migrants. The media can play a huge role in this issue. How will we ever really know how many people have truly died on these work sites and the numbers did not get fully released. If a rich country is attempting to have a huge building built during the summer, and they hire mostly cheap, migrant laborers, there is bound to be issues arise. The migrants will work for any wage, they are most likely not getting paid full price so they are already getting used. Would Qatar really look into protecting these workers who are used and not seen as equal anyway? In class we discussed human trafficking and even though this is about labor and not trafficking, an individual is still getting used and not seen as equal. It is so aggravating to see the perpetrators of human trafficking and labor cases act as ministers, holy men, rich political leaders, put together fathers and then treat other people like they are nothing!! How degrading is it to see an official speaking to the media in all white, clean dress in the air conditioning, when dirty, poor migrant workers are dying due to the rich man's lack of safety concerns. At least the officials went on camera to talk about this issue but it frustrates me that they got away with down playing the situation. The statistics are present and the human rights committee will find poof and hopefully take down the individuals who are making labor and working for a pay check so horrible on these migrant workers. I made deep connections to this article about how the United States treats its migrant workers, especially the Hispanic population.
Melissa McIntosh- Human Rights BLOG
ReplyDelete10-1-13
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-24341059
This article inspired me to say the least. On the campus of Edinburgh University in Scotland an event is to be held on October 19th. The guest speaker will be a young lady from Pakistan named Malala Yousafzai. Malala is 16 years old and is a survivor of a gunshot wound to the head. Malala is a young woman who holds some strong beliefs in relation to human rights. She was bold enough to speak out and advocate for education and women’s rights in Pakistan. Malala’s choice to speak out angered the Taliban as she gained increasing media attention in her country. It was October of last year when she was being transported home from school when a gunman boarded the school bus and shot her in the head.
Many people are afraid to speak out for what they believe in because they are afraid that they will ruffle some feathers or make others angry. We can all learn a lesson from Malala. She was not afraid to speak out in October last year and she is not afraid to speak out now even after she was shot in the head. What a strong young lady she is and an example to human rights advocate’s everywhere.
This article can be directly tied into our world problems and advocacy class because of several conversations that we have had in class. These conversations have focused on the question, “can one person really make a difference?” Malala Yousafzai is a powerful example of just how much of a difference one person can make. Although we cannot stop every instance of human rights violation we can bring attention to and educate others on the severity of this problem. We can advocate for change on a global scale just as Malala is. All she did was speak openly that she stands for human rights for woman and education. How many opportunities do we have each day to say that we stand for the same things? As social workers we have been educated through this class on the human rights violations and devastating conditions or problems around the world. Now we have an obligation to take this knowledge and educate others and use our voices just as Malala did. Sometimes I think that we overcomplicate advocacy on a global perspective. We may not have a speaking commitment at the Edinburgh University but we can bring attention to these issues right here in our communities in Kentucky. As previously stated I am so inspired by Malala and my hope for myself and my classmates is that we can inspire one another and those around us today so that change may result.
Leslie Carver
Delete10/1/13 6:15pm
Whoa, you are right, you cannot knock Malala Yousafzai down! At only 16 years of age, she not only survived an assassination attempt but she is still standing strong and speaking out. Like many social workers we all have our areas of passion and what we really love to advocate for. Malala discovered already her passion for women’s rights in Pakistan.
At only 16 years of age she has accomplished more than what many could say they have accomplished in a lifetime. I know we read lots of inspiring stories and learn lots about advocating, and empowerment, but honestly if any of us got shot in the head what would we really do? Would you stay hidden, or find more ways to be heard like Malala.
In the reading of “Clinical Social Workers: Advocates for Social Justice”- it stated that the part of social work practice where the social worker takes action in a systematic and purposeful way to defend, represent, or otherwise advance the cause of one or more clients at the individual, group, organizational or community level, in order to promote social justice. So many times I think to my self that I couldn’t possibly make a difference. I read so many articles and material like that and it’s empowering, but I still have that doubt from time to time. Being a social worker is more than just caring for people, its taking action when no one else will, and finding ways to defend the rights of the people. Malala is taking a bold stand now globally for the human rights for women her country, she risk and is still risking her life. This article empowers me to want to do the same but truthfully, would you or be willing to do the same?
I think the story is very inspiring to everyone, but especially women in her culture that are still treated very differently than women in America. I understand that women in our country face many unfair disadvantages and circumstances, but many countries around the world are truly male dominant societies. I believe like you, one person can make a difference and she seems to be doing that with her story, opinions and speaking engagements on human rights. She had the desire to be educated equally and freely and has brought to light the unfair and unequal mentality that exists in many parts of the world. I applaud her efforts and hope she can create a difference in her country as well as many other countries that do not allow women to voice their opinions or become empowered through education or work. Even in our own country, it is critical for women to understand their own potential and find inspiration in other women such as Malala.
DeleteI also think it is up to us to inspire others, as well as maintaining our own inspiration, when human rights issues are presented or threatened, so we may help advance the efforts of the Declaration of Human Rights which began in 1948. It still amazes me everday the extent of human rights around the world that are being violated or ignored. I guess this frustration and emotion is what many use in their own fight for justice. Good article and an inspiring woman.
September 29, 2013
ReplyDeleteShawn Lanham
Civil Wars
The final blog for this course takes me back to the first civil war/conflict I reported on regarding Syria. There have been numerous updates and storylines since the initial blog was posted just a few weeks ago. This story goes deeper into the consequences of the Syrian civil war and discusses the events surrounding a bombing at a school near Aleppo. The pictures accompanying the article show the devastation innocent children are subjected too, their fears and resilience.
The article highlights a news team that followed British doctors into the war zone to document the overwhelmed treatment and medical facilities in Syria. It would not be long until the patients began to arrive with horrific injuries. The first victims showed signs of extreme burns and “napalm-like” injuries. According to the article and the film crew, clothing was burned off, bodies were charred and hair and skin seemed to be melted. Dozens more would soon arrive and it was apparent the injuries were not bullet wounds or shrapnel that is often part of war zones, but was obviously attributed to chemical burns. This attack happened shortly after the chemical attacks that killed thousands in Damascus.
Most of the victims arriving were teenagers from a local school that had been in class when eyewitnesses reported a jet dropped the bomb on the school. Families of the victims arrived shortly thereafter to find their children and determine the extent of their injuries. Approximately 30 children arrived that day seeking treatment, with a prognosis that would indicate a 50% loss of life due to their burn severity. Patients were also rushed across the border to Turkey were many were lost en route.
The doctors and workers described the scene as “something that will stay with them awhile” and “hard when the patients are dying before your eyes”. Although over 100 countries have banned these weapons, they are still used today. It seems that surviving these types of burns may be worse than succumbing to life. Most of the children that survived the blast are in constant pain and are still questioning the reason for the attack on their school. As one 13 year old stated, “Why bomb us while we are at school? Why?”
The story concludes with a statement that is often made when it comes to civil wars and conflicts, “the suffering continues.” Throughout our course, we have had many discussions on problems experienced around the world. There are so many connections to these problems once you start to dissect each one. This story details loss of life, war, poverty, politics, refugees, lack of resources, family divides, fear etc. in one instance during a single day of conflict in Syria. Through our readings, we learn of these incidents and their interconnectedness, but when you see photos and storylines, they somehow become more real.
Many things regarding war are hard to comprehend and understand, especially when children and innocent civilians are part of the equation. The online assignment last week had a question regarding what drove wars and asked if alternatives could be found. My response has not been swayed since answering this question and has remained quite pessimistic when discussing the consequences and repercussions of civil war and the prevention alternatives.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-24288698
http://allafrica.com/stories/201309300600.html
ReplyDeleteSeptember 30th 2013
I chose this week’s article because I thought it offered encouragement about education in Africa. There are a lot of negative news pieces that relate to education around the world. It is hard to find articles that actually show people who are implementing for change. Normally, when browsing the news sites, I see a lot of articles that WANT change, but none where people are actually fighting for it, and trying to bring that change about.
For this reason, I found it wonderful that this community came together to try to advocate for better education. They wanted to raise more awareness about the lack of tools that they need to give the children in their village a proper education. It is empowering to see parents, educators, and community members united and petitioning to their education minister. As it is stated in the article, those in power were voted in; the citizens gave them their jobs. The least they could do would be to listen to the people’s voices and concerns. In relation to one of our readings, I feel that this type of advocacy falls into a few different categories. It could be considered “community advocacy” because of the need to educate. It could also be “class advocacy” because the community is fighting for a change for their students. Finally, it could also cover “systems advocacy” because they want to change policies and the infrastructure as to how their schools are ran.
Next, some of the issues they were marching for are better textbooks, libraries, and adequate bathrooms. It is unfathomable to me that I would have to send my child to a school where they may not even be able to use the restroom. Some believe that these children are just lucky to be getting any kind of education based on the issues that plague their country. At the same time, I do not feel that this should be used as an excuse. They should be afforded the right to a good education based on their rights as human beings.
Equal Education, who has paired up with parents and other members of the community, has been petitioning for higher standards in their schools as well. They started research in 2008 and began their campaign in 2011. This past April, as a result of their persistence, they were able to get a primary school in Eastern Cape remodeled. Before, they had filthy, old toilets that both staff and students shared. Now, they have ten new toilets. They also received textbooks. I do not imagine that this could have happened without their campaigns that drew attention to the dire situations that were plaguing them.
This article relates to a variety of issues that we have discussed in class. First, school aged children should have the right to a valuable education. They should be able to do so in good conditions. Children cannot focus and learn when they are hungry, sleepy, and learning in poor environments. Specifically, this relates to a few articles in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 1 states, “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. If this is to be held true, then African children should be afforded the same educational opportunities that American children receive. Article 21 states that “everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country”. This is worth noting because education is a public service. Article 26 could not be clearer in stating “everyone has the right to education…” It is supposed to be free, not without value. Just because their education is free, does not mean it should not be of good quality. I also feel that those who have banned together to be heard are using their right under Article 20, which allows them to peacefully assemble and protest.
Then, education was and continues to be an area of improvement under The Millennium Development Goals. By 2015, they want all children everywhere to complete primary schooling. Children in Africa are showing exposure to education, but are not receiving the best education. That is why it is so important that the townspeople have banned together for social justice. They want to implement better practices which in turn, could help The Millennium Goals be more successful.
ReplyDeleteFinally, in relation to our text, social class plays a detrimental part in the quality of one’s education. It is no secret that those of a lower class do not receive as high of an education as those in more privileged classes. This can be tied back into fairness as well. This is a worldwide problem, especially in Africa. It is simply not fair that these little children are expected to attend schools held in huts without restrooms. It is great to see that others agree and are trying to change this.
Sernau, S. (2012). Global problems. (3 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
United Nations, (2011). United nations millennium development goals. Retrieved from website: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
United Nations. (1948). The universal declaration of human rights. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
Leslie Carver
ReplyDelete10/1/13 5:45pm
Improvements Around the World…
According to the UN report, HIV infections and Aids-related deaths have decreased. Death rates in 2005 fell from 2.3 million during its peak to last year 1.6 million. The number of new HIV infections fell by a third since 2001 to 2.3 million. In 2001 there were more than a half a million new infections among children. By 2012 the figure halved to just over a quarter of a million.
Why has there been such a fall in the infection rates especially among children? Authors put the fall in deaths and the infection rates to the better access to antiretroviral drugs that help suppress the virus. People with HIV that go without treatment can develop Aids resulting in a deadly infection. According to reports in 2012 almost 10m people in low and middle-income countries such as South Africa, Uganda and India, were accessing antiretroviral therapy.
By 2015 the UNAIDS stated that the world is “closing in” on its Millennium Development Goals to stop and reverse the Aids epidemic by the year 2015. But they stated that there was no need to stop at their target of 15m people by 2015 having HIV treatment and can go far beyond. Even the World Heath Organization has decided to revise their guidelines and making it even more eligible for treatment.
Although the report did find out that there has been slow progress in providing services to people who are at most risk of the infection of HIV. They also stated the need to focus and deal with the sexual violence against the women and girls as well.
But overall Bev Collins, the Health Policy Advisor at Doctors without Boards stated that there has been huge leaps forward in making sure that millions of people, even in the developing world, is getting access to affordable HIV treatment. But there is not time for complacency and need to keep on taking strides forward to improve access to better treatment strategies.
In our reading (Clinical Social Workers: Advocates for Social Justice) it discussed that social workers advocate for fair and equitable access to pubic services and benefits, as well as for equal treatment and protection under the law and challenge injustices, especially injustices that affect the vulnerable and those disadvantaged. This article is a reminder that we do need to remember that we do not only need to advocate locally, but that we can make an impact, nationally and globally as well. Just like many of the stories in our “Not for Sale” book many individuals such as Annie Dieselberg, or even the author David Batstone who took drastic measures to make difference in many different parts of the world, starting with just their voice. Take Nadia’s story where a local bakery storeowner took notice and got her the help she needed to set her feet back on the ground. It really does only take one person and one voice to make a difference, or to stir up a movement. So I agree with the article in that there is not time to be complacent, but to keep moving full speed ahead to helping individuals globally that are affected with HIV/AIDS.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24208972
Junghyun Lee Oct 1, 2013
ReplyDeleteTopic; Debt
I read an article saying that one of the Big three firms that examines countries’ repaying debts ability warned that U.S’s score will be lowered because U.S congress failed to raise the upper limit set on the amount of money that a government may borrow in a timely manner. This happened after U.S government was shut down partially. According to this article, U.S missed a deadline to raise upper limit set for the borrowing money in 2011 and this caused U.S to lose its triple-A rating. This affects international investors to reconsider their investment in U.S. This article wrote that the shutdown will gradually destroy the trust in U.S ability to raise the debt ceiling in timely manner that turn away the risk of default on U.S. sovereign debt obligations. After U.S lost its AAA credit rating in 2011, China that held most of US assets, to avoid the risk of U.S debts, China has moved the yuan more changeable on international markets. This means that US lost the most reliable buyer of US debt from the markets. U.S debt issue has been an on-going crisis over the period of time. It has been expected that the U.S deficit (the amount of money that spent is more than money received) will grow fast in the future because of the growth of aging population and its health cost. This will affect taxes and spending seriously but the government will not have enough choices to meet these financial needs except more borrowing money from foreign countries, mostly from China. Throughout the history, U.S has managed debt issue quite well. At the end of World War II, the federal debt went beyond 100 percent of the GDP but the debt rate gradually went down during the cold war and it finally came to be about a third of GDP by the end of the Nixon administration. The large amount of government debt was reduced until the Clinton administration, in the middle of 1990s. But today, economic growth is slow and only Social Security, Medicare, and national security budget look the biggest sources to reduce the budget. If U.S decide not to involve in international fair to cut the budget, investment from foreign countries and international leadership might be given to other nation, China. This article reminded me of the stories of the countries in ‘Global Problems’ that renovated and revolutionized their industries successfully and became powerful nations, such as Japan, China, and India. Japan was revolutionized from isolation to industrial by opening its trade market to Western in the1850s. China has been going through a couple of commercial revolutions including being inspired by Mao. India has been racing to catch up. I believe that U.S can find ways to overcome debts problem through revolutionizing their industry, welfare system and other areas that cause to be indebted. Social workers are the one of the professionals who can research this area.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/04/us/politics/debt-deal-fails-to-allay-fears-on-us-global-power.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/fitch-warns-us-on-debt-rating/article14629652/
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/oct/01/us-shutdown-markets-global-economy
Kasey Gray
ReplyDeleteWeek 6 Blog
10-1-2013
This week I chose to do my blog about global warming and the effects it has on our environment. According to the article “in the last century the air and water has warmed, snow and ice has melted and the seas have risen”. This is a scary statement to begin with, this is just over centuries, what is going to happen in our future, our children and grandchildren future?. The article also gives information about how much change our world has had in the past century, the article suggest that “many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to Millennia”. Which means these results were not predicted to happen, or at least not this soon!.
Another part of the article states “That each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850”. I would have to assume that this should be a good wake up call to every person living on this Earth, because global warming has been predicted to happen, but never this soon and not this fast, but in centuries to come. Not only should this be a wake up call for all people it should be for scientist as well, because they know what is happening and could spread awareness of the situation. For the social worker in me, I believe in advocating for what is needed and what is right! Therefore scientist would know what the first priority would be to slow things down if possible by humans; this may just be an environmental issue that only Mother Nature can handle.
I also chose this article because it goes along with one of our readings for class this week, While reading about global warming this week the book suggest “The planet is now suffering from consumption in its new twenty-first century meaning; withered, gasping, and in places, dying under the demand for energy and products”. This statement is more than likely the truth, and the article says similar things as well. The article suggest five things to take away from reading which are focused on what is happening such as, looking at how much the sea level has risen, what the world will do without polar bears, and what “very likely” means in today’s weather forecast. The book offers a similar list, but this is what can be done to help the likelihood of global warming, such “The need to place greater reliance on efficient mass transit, most notably trains, and emphasizing energy efficient homes, exploring alternative energy sources, and using the reverse trend toward disposable mass consumption. This article and our readings from the text this week really makes your think about what will happen in the future, what will happen to the country and states that are in it. The person reporting this article was Thomas Stocker, from Switzerland's University of Bern, but really this speaks for the whole world, because this is not just happening where he is, it is happening everywhere.
Here is my link:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130927-ipcc-report-released-climate-change-global-warming-intergovernmental-panel-on-climate-change/
While reading your article it was not to not feel fear on some level. What is most scary is that it is hard to deny that on some level global warming is happening. The article mentions that the last three decades have been successfully warmer than any other three decades since 1850. I myself have been able to notice the effects. The last couple of years I have found myself longing for my children to experience the huge snows that I used to play in when I was a child. I have also noticed that for most of the winter I can survive in a thin jacket and a long sleeve shirt because the winters are so mild. It's scary to think what might happen in the next thirty years if they continue at this rate.
Deletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24289569
ReplyDeleteTheresa May, Home Secretary for the UK, has supported the governments tactics of using vans to advertise “Go Home of Face Arrest”. She stated that this was a pilot program that would be re-evaluated to see the effectiveness. Mrs. May added that the public is grateful just to see that the government is doing something about illegal immigration. There are conflicting views between Mrs. May and Boris Johnson, Mayor of London. Mayor Boris suggested an amnesty because the influx of immigrants can strengthen the economy and enhance the tax benefits the government would receive from those laborers. On the other hand, Mrs. May believes that it would give the wrong impression to the people, especially certain ethnic minority groups, that those individuals who are in the country illegally is wrong. Mrs. May feels that having an amnesty would only lead people to think that illegal immigration is acceptable as opposed to curbing the problem. This article pig-tailed off of another article that I reported on 3 weeks ago about another city in the UK using a slogan in a government agency to encourage immigrants/migrants to return to their homeland or face sanctions. Ironically, in the first article, the use of these slogans were to encourage those who were in the country illegally to return back to their home country with dignity, whereas this article implies a stiff consequence for not returning to one’s home country. This appears to be a huge problem especially in the UK and it seems that many have an opinion. For example, in another article published by Huffington Post in the UK, http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/09/22/lord-tebbit-immigration-_n_3972572.html , discussed certain ethnic groups as “not being the problem” but the problem is the illegal immigrants from “third world countries” because the welfare system in the UK is more appealing than that in those “third world countries”. I was appalled that a political official would use derogatory language such as “third world”. In all honesty, I may not have thought it insensitive prior to this class when one of the first tenets discussed was that we don’t refer to those developing countries as being third world. Another important point that Mrs. May mentioned was that initiating a policy is not enough, but to make sure that policy is doing what it was intended to do and then adjust if it not. Advocacy is the change in a policy or process and we have to look at the world as a whole, the global perspective. We can see and feel the effects that one social problem has on another. In Sernau, chapter 10 discusses population and health and talks about the effects that population has on the environment and its resources. We see this even played out in the popular Disney Movie, Lion King. When the ecosystem changes and depletes, then wildlife migrates to where food and water are, and so continues the cycle. It has been my experience that many important lessons can be gleamed from Walt Disney, that maybe what the world needs now is for the G4 Summit to convene to watch a few of these movies together and get some other ideas.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/09/130927-grand-ethiopian-renaissance-dam-egypt-water-wars/.
ReplyDeleteWhile looking for an article discussing a food/water issue this week I came across an article discussing Ethiopia’s plans to build a dam in the Nile River. The article states that if the Ethiopians build this dam, that the Nile would not exist, and without the Nile, Egypt will not exist. The article also states that the Egyptians are fighting the dam project not only because the Nile is a huge source of freshwater for the country, but also because Egypt was allocated three-fourths of the Nile waters in an agreement with Ethiopia in 1959. They argue that by building the dam they would be breaking the agreement made with Egypt over 50 years ago. It’s also important to point out that currently 98% of Egypt’s fresh water comes from outside of the country’s borders. It is crucial for Egypt to work together with their neighboring countries so that they do not lose their access to fresh water.
Ethiopia is arguing that the dam project will not affect Egypt’s water supply but will instead address the inequality of the water sharing agreement. The dam project has also established a sense of patriotism into the citizens on Ethiopia. Several officials in Ethiopia have agreed to give up a months’ worth of pay to help fund the dam. Ethiopia also argues that storing the water in their much cooler climate will help to preserve the water that would otherwise be loss to evaporation in Egypt’s heat.
This article reminded me of reading chapter one of Sernau concerning class. Chapter one discusses the modernization theory. This theory is based on the belief that poor countries will always be poor until they change their ways and become more modern. This can be through modern technology, modern ideas, or modern institutions. Ethiopia is currently attempting to adapt to more modern technologies by building their dam. By building the dam they are hoping to gain an advantage and to change the fate of their country as it currently stands.
Wow, this is a very heart warming story for many reasons. The fact that officials in Ethiopia feels so strongly about the water supply situation that they would give up their pay really shows just how much the people in that country value patriotism and loyalty to the needs of their country. How many times have our congressman, or leaders said "Hey, we don't have enough in our budget just cut our paychecks." As I do not have the facts on this I am thinking never. Greed is such a heartbreaking thing in todays society and after reading the article I fully believe that this country is not wanting to dam up the river for greed. Another reason this story is so touching is the fact that Egypt almost fully depends on other countries for their water supply. This is something that I can not imagine. Living in the mountains even if we ran out of bottled, processed, or filtered water we would have easy access to clean drinking water by just traveling a short distance to a spring in getting as much as we needed, just another thing that we as Americans take for granted. I also agree with your comparison to the modernization theory because that is in my opinion as well exactly what Ethiopia is trying to do. They are trying to become a modernized country and what better way to begin that process by starting with a basic necessity; water.
DeleteFens migrant workers 'exploited', BBC finds
ReplyDeleteDebra Smith
10/1/13
During my last and final blog I wanted to find a good article that really encompasses all of the aspects of human trafficking. This article begins with a description of the harsh conditions the men who have been forced, and/or coerced to work on farms far away from home. According to the article a four month long investigation found evidence that the men working on these farms are in the country legally but the people who are getting the men to work on the farm are doing it without a license. These people are going to poor rural countries and coercing men to leave their countries to move to other countries where they are promised jobs. Upon arriving at the farm the men are fined fines and made to work to pay off their debts. The men/women that coerce the workers then threaten them, their families, and their girlfriends. This connects to what we talked about in class about the ways men, women, and children are trafficked across borders. The men on these farms are fined for not showing up for work, they are charged rent, and for food. After all of these cuts to their paychecks the men earn less than 1 pound a week. One worker showed BBC a pay slip of 84.87 and it stated that was for one hour, but the worker claimed that it was for 3 days meaning he would have only earned 2.30 an hour. This is a ridiculously low amount and in my opinion there should be stricter laws concerning the minimum wage in these countries and a better way to observe confirm that workers are getting paid the right amount. According to the article about one third of the 20,000 people are migrant workers in Wisbech, in Cambridgeshire. That is approximately 6,600 people. With this many people working on farms having to hand pick leek, or other farm crops I would think that there would be sometime of regulations from the government. Although one of the gang master states that he doesn’t use violence, who knows if he is telling the truth. This is one of the worse parts in my opinion, thinking about these people living in dire circumstances, beating beaten on a daily basis and still having to get up in the morning and go to work or get fined their entire paycheck. One thing is for certain and that is we need more advocates standing up for the people who have survived, are surviving, and are vulnerable to being trafficked. It should be common sense that you cannot force someone to work for little to no pay but since it obviously is not we as social workers should advocate for harsher punishment to show the people that are doing it and thinking about doing it that it is WRONG!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24108665
Sarah Yates
ReplyDelete10-1-13 7:36 pm
Mass Starvation feared in Syria: "We have no food"
http://news.msn.com/world/mass-starvation-feared-in-syria-we-have-no-food
I believe I have done another blog about Syria before, but instead of this one being about their chemical weapons issue this one shows a different side to the madness: Starvation. Over four million Syrians are starving with over half of those affected being children. So far six people have, one of which was an 18 month girl have died from starvation. With the world focused on Syria's chemical weapon issue, no wonder people are starving. Due to the country's current conflict zones, there are major food shortages as well as price inflation on what food is available. With not being able to work or in most cases, work places being destroyed-- how could anyone be expected to afford to feed their families in this time of need. One woman talks of how she has had no food or milk for weeks, but her family has managed to survive of a liquid she makes by boiling lentils. She said there has been no baby formula or bread for over a year! Her baby daughter spends most of the day sleeping and has lost a significant amount of weight. A lot of families are relying on this same diet of lentils, onions and dried figs. Most people are trapped inside their homes for fear of being killed by rebels. The livestock these families depended on have died from crossfire or starvation as well, and no one is able to plant a garden for fear of being killed. There are several world food organizations that are helping to feed people in Syria, but with the constant battle with the rebels and the mass amount of people starving, it's as though no amount will be able to fix this problem
While reflecting on this article, my heart breaks for the families who are unable to feed their children. To not be able to provide for your family and to watch them starve has to be the worst feeling. Home is supposed to be a safe place, and a place where you can go and be at peace, but for the people of Syria their home is like a prison. This makes me even more thankful that I was born in the United States and that I have been given the privileges I have received. This reminds me of the story in our book where the family worked in the brick kiln in exchange for a loan that would substantially help their family out. Any wrong move and they were physically beaten and abused. They would go days without food, and their new "home" was nothing but a prison in which they could not escape. The slave owner acted similar to the rebels in Syria, controlling all of their actions and made sure that they worked as hard as they could, no matter the cost. Right now, everyone is complaining about our government "shutting down" while people overseas are trapped in their homes with NO food. Makes me really think about how small our problems are and how thankful I am to have these small problems; thank goodness I don't have to sit and watch my daughter starve to death!
HYPOCRITES OR FALSE CHRISTIANS? BY STEVE FINNELL
ReplyDeleteAccording to a 2012 Gallup poll 77% of those living in the U.S.A. identify as Christians. How many of the 77% are hypocrites or false Christians?
According to a May 22, 2014 Gallup poll only 46% of those living in the U.S.A. oppose killing unborn babies by abortion.
Obviously a large percentage of those who identify as Christian see nothing wrong with murdering unborn babies, would they be hypocrites or false Christians?
According to a Gallup poll July, 2013 54 % of those living in the U.S.A. support same sex marriage.
If 77% say are Christians and 54% of the population say they support gay marriage, then there is lot of support among those who claim to be believers in Christ for gay marriage. Are they hypocrites or false Christians?
Do the Scriptures support homosexual marriage and killing unborn babies?
1 John 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.(NKJV)
If killing unborn innocent babies is not murder, then what would it be?
Revelation 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."(NKJV)
The sexually immoral and murderers will have their part in the lake of fire.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?....nor homosexuals, nor sodomites.....11 And such were some of you . But you were washed, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.(NKJV)
When it comes to participating or approving of abortion and same sex marriage, it should be past tense if you are claiming to be a Christian. The apostle Paul said SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU not ARE SOME OF YOU.
If you claim to be a Christian and approve of sinful practices or live a sinful lifestyle, then you are either a hypocrite or a false Christian.
ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE?
Mark 16:16 He who has believed, and has been immersed, will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.(T.B.V.O.T.N.T) by Chester Estes
Galatians 3:17-27....26 Since you are sons of God through that belief, by Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been immersed into Christ , have put on Christ.(T.B.V.O.T.N.T) by Chester Estes
If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead. If you claim Jesus as Lord and Savior. If you have been baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins, then you are a Christian.
The question remains how many of the 77% who claim to be Christians are hypocrites or false Christians?
YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY BLOG. http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com
Posted by Steve Finnell at 1:21 PM No comments:
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