Heather Keith 9/2/13 Global Topic: HIV/AIDS Time of Post: 1:10 pm HIV Patients Told by Pentecostal Pastors to “Rely on God” By Alex Strangwayes-Booth BBC News In this news I located on BBC news, it is being told that some patients with HIV are being told by their spiritual leaders to stop taking their medication and to have faith that God will heal them from their illness. Medical staff practicing in the UK spoke to BBC news and described a fairly significant issue of patients, especially children and young adults, who are being pressured by their Pentecostal Pastors to “rely on God’s healing power” alone to cure their HIV. According to the news story, some parents are being pressured to stop administering their children’s medications and some have even done so, some HIV mothers have been breastfeeding their babies and have been coerced to stop their medications, and some young adults have decided to stop their medications on their own because of their faith. They are being told by their Pastors to drink blessed water, pray, and speak in tongues instead and that faith in God will heal them. The Pentecostal religion believes strongly in these curative practices and, according to 19 health professionals who work with the Children’s HIV Association who have heard of these cases being reported, put a great deal of pressure on their members who have HIV and their families to practice the “healing that comes from inside” rather than relying on medications. It is also noteworthy to mention that this article reports that most of these patients and family members who are being pressured are from small, migrant, minority groups whose culture holds a very authoritative view of their Pastors, somewhat like a father figure. One former Pentecostal Pastor converted to Baptist Minister who happens to be from the migrant culture as well said he has seen this taking place. According to this Minister, most Pastors use manipulative and coercive language to pressure their followers, but some have said outright to the HIV families that taking their medications is wrong. Like the article states, I believe that “faith is a vital part of support these patients and families receive for their condition” and “staying engaged is extremely important.” I also agree that connecting with these Pastors may be a cornerstone of searching for a solution to this problem. However, I do find this type of leadership an obvious abuse of power and trust. Given the characteristics of leaders like these, which can be described as authoritarian and even tyrannical in extreme cases, I am not surprised that, as Dr. Steve Welch, the chairman of the Children’s HIV Association shares, “it is difficult to engage church leaders who make faith healing an integral part of their worship.” Perhaps the best way to help these patients and their families is to provide not only education on HIV, its symptoms, its prognosis, and its treatment, but to also connect them with other avenues of spiritual support besides their Pentecostal Churches. Spiritual support groups for those who deal with HIV and spiritual counselors could be used to supplement the faith beliefs and experiences of these patients and their families.
Goodness!! I can't believe that this is actually happening. I don't believe that I can ever have so much faith in what one person is telling me that I would risk my life or child's life in such a manner. I do agree with the article when it states, "I think it's about engaging with the pastors and faith leaders who are giving this advice because that's how we will actually address the root of the problem." I too believe that these leaders are the root of this problem and even though they may be causing harm unintentionally...I believe it still needs to be addressed and stopped. There is so much research behind the importance of medication and while I do feel as though individuals can be healed by God. I also believe that you need to be hearing that from God and not just your pastoral leader.
Great article Heather. I have a background working with HIV patients. I've come across numerous ideologies similar to this one, in having the ability to "heal oneself" from HIV. I experienced this pentecostal phenomenon directly in my practice as a Disease Investigator with the CDC. This religion has taken advantage of these parishioners in numerous facets, from asking them to hide their sexuality and hide their infection, to using their food stamps to buy food for the parish. This article points out that by asking people to stop taking their medications only increases the infection and therefore the person gets sicker. Healing by "blessed water" and faith in God is only a part of the treatment that a patient needs to really heal. HIV, there is no cure, but with medication, proper nutrition, no drugs or alcohol, and yes, faith in God, one can delay illnesses related to HIV by increasing their Tcell count. It is appalling that clergy would abuse the power and trust of their church members to coerce such an atrocity.
Heather, I am very shocked by this article. I had no idea that this was even going on in England. Many times, when I hear of HIV/AIDS in another part of the world,I automatically think of Africa, never England. I agree that Faith is a huge part in the support of these patients. However, in my opinion, God gave us doctors who develop these medications. I feel as though the medication, itself, is healing from God and that they should use it. I do not agree with these pastors telling these patients to stop taking their medication. Yes, faith is important in a Christian's life but you can have faith that the medication, that God has provided us with, is going to work too. Great Job! I found this article very interesting.
Heather, this article really shows that the power these pastors are wielding is not being used responsibly. As the article states pastors are often seen as very important knowledgeable community leaders and in this case are abusing that status. I am outraged that anyone would recommend giving up life saving medication when doing so will only lead to a horrible outcome. I believe that everyone has a right to take or not take medicines but they should not be pressured to quit taking a drug that is keeping them healthy and well. Prayer should definitely be a part of the healing process along with medications. Great post and great article. I look forward to reading your blog next week as I had no idea this was even happening.
Jonnecia Bradford 9/2/13 Global Topic- Injustice/Discrimination Time- 5:09 p.m Sri Lanka heading in 'authoritarian direction', says UN human rights chief
Injustice in Sri Lanka…Where? Finding articles dealing with injustice and or discrimination was a lot harder than I thought. After running keywords through several search engines, I finally came across this article on the United Nation’s website speaking about the island of Sri Lanka. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, visited Sri Lanka and reported that she was very concerned about the rights of the individuals living in Sri Lanka. Ms. Pillay stated that several individuals on this island who wanted to speak with her were harassed by the military and high ranking officials, which also raised red flags for myself while reading this article. The audacity for the government to attempt to “hush” someone up at such a critical time prompts me to believe that this is something that occurs even without someone from the United Nations visiting. Ms. Pillay also noted that women who were head of the household were susceptible to harassment and sexual assault and that there have been several attacks on religious minorities. The most disheartening element about this situation is the fact that the government does nothing and provides little to no services for these victims. The island of Sri Lanka is off the coast of South Asia and recently declared victory in a civil war that had been ongoing for decades and it appears as though they have forgotten about the democracy in which they were fighting for. Unfortunately, I feel as though the injustice that these women and religious minorities are facing will only get much worse as there is no protection put in place for these groups of individuals. I also believe that this situation is of low concern when put up against other atrocities in our world and will not receive much help in dealing with this. I pray that Navi Pillay’s concerns do not go unheard and that this can be dealt with before it becomes an even bigger concern.
This week's blog is focused around an article that I found related to crime and violence in Bangui Africa. The Seleka rebels, who are a combination of five different northern rebel movements, have been causing chaos and terror in the capitol city of Bangui. These rebels have been looting from businesses and homes, and even taking the lives of those who stand in their way. Several farmers were killed when the Seleka rebels lost track of a group of bandits that they were chasing. It appears that the rebels did not know the farmers, and killed them out of anger due to losing the track of the other men. The rebels do not show any concern with regards to the age of the person that they have attacked. A young boy was shot and killed along with the group of hunters. The villagers outside the city of Bangui have taken measures into their own hands. The villagers have killed several rebels with spears to protect their own homes and families.
The Seleka rebels started their revolt in December when President Bozize did not follow through with a peace deal. The Seleka rebels are causing the country to collapse in on itself. The people of the country fled to the airport in hopes of getting away from the rebels. With the 4.5 million population of the capitol city hiding in fear, most all businesses are beginning to fail. The Central African Republic is asking that the United Nations assist them with regaining control of their country. The African Union is attempting to assist the area by sending 3,600 to the Central African Republic to assist with peace-keeping. France has troops in the Bangui city, and they are assisting with protecting the airport. France is asking the United Nations to assist with taking action to stabilize the capitol city and the villages around Bangui.
It is hard to fathom how some people can be so full of hate as to commit such gruesome and evil crimes. I find it somewhat ironic that the Seleka rebel groups have created this violent uprising in response to President Bozize breaking a 2007 peace agreement. Why would any group of people believe that reacting with violence would be a good way to show their disagreement and displeasure with not following though on a peace deal? It doesn't make sense to me. These groups seem to me to care nothing about peace or the well being of their own homeland, but rather anger, hate, and control. This is evident by the fact that they seem to be not only angry at the President, but at anyone who is in the wrong place at the wrong time as well as the fact that the country is collapsing. The Seleka rebels are true criminals.
MaKayla Jessie 9-2-2013 7:51 p.m. Topic: Terrorism India Nabs Top Terrorism Suspect
In regards to the story “India Nabs Top Terrorism Suspect”, the leader of the Indian Mujahideen group was captured after he was connected to a bombing that killed 17 people at a bakery in India. He was one of the top terrorists that were wanted in the county. The suspect was named Yasin Bhatkal. He, along with another suspect, was also arrested in connection to this group. Both India as well as the U.S. stated that this group was, in fact, a terrorist group. The newspaper in India, Time of India, said that the reason Yasin Bhatkal wasn’t captured sooner was because of his excellent communication methods chosen that kept him from being suspicious. During class, we watched a video stated that terrorism cannot be stopped by one state and that more international pressure groups are formed. Many terrorist groups are formed due to their rebellious attitudes against the government and with terrorism being linked to the political aspect of the dimensions of globalization, I feel as though terrorism is not going to end while there are still groups such as this who rebel against their government. Once the leader is captured, the risk of the Indian Mujahideen followers may still continue to follow in the footsteps of Yasin Bhatkal. The story also tells us that Bhatkal was captured in 2008 but made bail. So, with that being said, how can we lower the risk of this happening again? I feel as though more awareness of the terrorist groups out there would help. West Bengal police didn’t know of Bhatkal’s history in terroristic attacks. Not only should India be informed of these terroristic groups, but it should be a global awareness so that if threats were to be made on other countries, security may be more effective before the attack is made.
Although this article was smaller in nature you have supplemented this article with things that were said in class. I think that the topic terrorism might be hard along the long run, but you have done well in capturing what was previously discussed in class. I think that the topic of terrorism is in the back of everyone's mind quite frequently. The fact that Bhatkal was arrested before is disturbing. Global awareness of terrorist should be in the forefront of our nations minds. Just because terror isnt occurring in our country does not mean that it wont happen ever again.
Kasey Spicer September 2, 2013 Topic: Environment Title: Tomorrow’s cities: Just how smart is Songdo?
Tomorrow’s cities: Just how smart is Songdo? Written by Lucy Williamson on September 1, 2013 shows a great example of the Modernization Theory and how nations benefit from modern technology and ideas. The article describes how the city of Songdo in South Korea has been built from scratch with specialized knowledge in technology in attempts to help the environment. Williamson describes how the city is eco-friendly as there are charging stations for electric cars and water-recycling systems to preserve clean water in the community. Songdo also does not have waste in the streets or dumpsters; instead trash from individual’s homes is sucked directly from kitchens through an underground network of tunnels. The trash is then separated, deodorized and “treated to be kinder to the environment”. The city also has sensors which monitor issues such as temperature, energy use and traffic flow. The sensors are able to alert those within the community of the local bus routes (personalized to fit each individual). The sensors are also used for people to alert local authority of any issues within the city. Williamson talks about how rebuilding a city can face challenges and although Songdo has a great deal to offer, the population is currently less than half full. Songdo is newly rebuilt and therefore does not have a great deal of work for the people residing in the community. Songdo is next to South Korea’s main international airport and people are hoping the airport will bring traffic and exposure to the newly built city. In the article, Jonathan Thorpe, CIO for the American developer Gale International claims it could possibly take up to 50 years to fully develop the city in size. Fifty years seems to be an excessive amount of time to develop a city.
Kasey, The article you used was very interesting. They have made developments in Songdo that I have never heard of. You did a very good job of summarizing the article, but didn’t really tie it into what we covered in class. I feel that it is important in a global scale for all of humanity to move toward a more ecologically friendly stance, like the developers of Songdo. If we don’t, we will destroy the world. Our population is growing, we are using more resources, we are polluting the land, air, and water, and no one is overly concerned about what it will do to our future. Your article made me wonder how long it would take to develop other cities into ecologically sound places, how much it would cost to develop a city, how much would an inhabitant have to pay for services compared to a present day city, and how long would it take to rebuild our current cities with new technologies to make them more efficient?
Ashley Ware 9/03/13 12:33 Topic: Genocide "Darfur in 2013 Sounds Awfully Familiar" By: NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Darfur is a region in the western part of the country of Sudan in Africa. It is populated by mostly Muslim individuals. The Darfur region is agriculturally poor and populated by both nomadic groups and small farming communities.
In the early 2000's, the political powers of the Sudanese government started backing militia groups called the Janjaweed. The Janjaweed were allowed to enforce a military law in the Darfur region. They could pillage, rape, and kill as they saw fit among certain tribes and groups that the government saw as a threat. After several years of genocide, the worldwide media drew enough attention to the area and plight of its people to make the political powers uncomfortable. The killings slowed down and the situation seemed under control.
After the world forgot about what had happened in Darfur, they stopped watching. At the beginning of the year, the genocide started again. According to the article, almost 300,000 people crossed the border into neighboring Chad and refugee camps within the first five months of this year. An average of 100 people per day, 5,000 people per month are being killed. Most of those being killed are males from infants to the elderly.
The hostility and killings are focusing on two tribes or groups this time, the Beni Hussein and the Salamat. The Beni Hussein are a focal point of the government because the governmental powers are jealous of gold reserves that have been found on Beni Hussein lands. The Salamats are targets because the political powers don't trust them and want to take their land and give it to their supporters in the Miseriya tribe.
Kristof points out that he feels that it is partially the worldwide media's fault for what is happening in Darfur. When the genocide started, it got very little coverage. When it finally because newsworthy, the Sudanese political powers didn't like the attention and brought the Janjaweed to heel. When the world turned away from what had happened, they were allowed to resume their old habits and tactics. Even President Obama, who in the early 2000's was a senator that spoke out against the atrocities and how the White House did nothing, has remained silent about the new wave of violence in Darfur.
I feel that it is a tragedy taking place in Sudan. Government militias are raping and killing innocent people, even children. I don't see how anyone could take orders from a government to kill children. I personally feel that the United Nations should step in, destroy the regime in power, disband the Janjaweed, and provide support to the citizens of the Darfur region.
One could look at what is happening and think that it is only a bunch of farmers and nomads being hurt, and that it has no impact on a global scale. It impacts the global scale in different ways. In a humanitarian way, anyone that sees what is happening should be appalled by current events. In other ways, governments that may have similar feelings may look at what the Sudanese government has been doing and think that they could do the same to their own people with no repercussions just like in Sudan. This last is a bad scenario because it propagates genocide throughout the world.
This video made me cry from the first ten seconds in to the end. My heart hurts tremendously when I hear about how people have to live and the fact that they honestly don't know any different. There are so many world problems it almost seems impossible to solve. Although the UN could help, it makes me wonder how much can we do for other countries, with all their issues. These are times I find myself in prayer because the problem seems much too big for us humans to solve. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, especially at a time where most eyes are focused on Syria, and we forget that other countries deal with the same issues.
Ashley, I must say that I have also been crying since reading the article and watching this video. The video made me miss my babies in Honduras. It just goes to show that that are so many things going on in the world that are forgotten. If we haven't forgotten tragedies on our own ground why in the world should we forget something as horrible as this tragedy in Darfur. Just because this is in another country doesn't mean America can't help. What hurts my heart the most is that we know it's going on but since the media has considered it "old news" it goes unnoticed again. This isn't a brush off the old shoulder, we're talking about innocent people being killed because their government sees these people as a threat. I am appalled by this information but I am so glad that you have brought this to my attention. It makes me wanna go take a stand.
So I had to watch this video since everyone in class was talking about it. I also cried as soon as I laid eyes on the little boy that was almost dead from malnourishment. It is absolutely heart breaking but at the same time humbling to see those children living in such harsh conditions yet they wear the biggest smiles. We get caught up in our day to day lives and think that we know what poverty is when the people in the video are in absolute poverty. I think this is very serious issue that needs both UN involvement and prayer, because this is not an issue man can fix alone.
I remember seeing similar circumstances regarding this country in the news a few years ago. I can hardly imagine that this suffering is still going on. I realize that the media considers this "old news", but I do not understand why that has stopped people from doing something about it. I realize that the majority of people have busy lives and are consumed by their own families but I do not understand how as human beings this does not have more of an effect on everyone else. It makes me wonder how many times in our own busy lives, sometimes unintentionally, we overlook or choose to ignore a situation in which we could help someone else. I agree Amanda this is not something that can be fixed by man alone, but it is something that humans need to recognize and do what they can, even if it is just prayer, to make a difference.
Jason Underhill 9/3/2013 12:29pm Topic: Human Rights Violation in Syria: The World's Lack of Concern
During the address to the United Nations Security Council Dr. Phillip Spoerri stated that there was a shortage of good news about the conditions on the ground. This has gone on way too long; the daily killing of innocent life and the disregard for humanitarian rights seem to be the norm these days in Syria. How long will the world sit back and let a regime kill and massacre its own people? Our president stated this week on television, "Moreover, the Chairman has indicated to me that our capacity to execute this mission is not time-sensitive; it will be effective tomorrow, or next week, or one month from now. And I’m prepared to give that order." The massive killing of innocent life is not time sensitive as he put it. When did life become, "not time sensitive?"
Human life is no longer considered sacred, but something that is collateral. Life appears to be someone's collateral for their agenda to be carried out. What is the United State's agenda for going into Syria? Is there something bigger than human rights violation going on; political muscle flexing for the world? I don’t, but it didn't take near this long to put Qaddafi out of business. Within months it seemed like it was over, but he had a very large amount of oil and wealth we needed control of.
Spoerri spoke of women being raped, families forced out of their homes, innocent life targeted, and now chemical weapons. Humanitarian aid is being blocked by the Syrian government and opposition groups as well. Spoerri said that as far as policy goes, they are making progress. I heard the Arab news stations say that Syria, North Korea, and Iran continue to violate International law because they can. Nobody is willing to do anything accept be talking heads on the nightly news. The red line our president placed in the sand was crossed awhile back, but it was not until the world began to call him a sissy did he do anything. Policy is only as good as the sanctions for violating it. History is being written for future Presidents and legislators to look back on and make critical decisions. Do we really want them looking at this to make a judgment? This story relates to what we are learning in class by showing how the actions of people in one country effect the entire world. When Syria commits these types of crimes it puts a financial burden on the neighboring countries in terms of refugees, defense, and monitoring influx of foreign fighters on their borders. The whole world is affected in the way these situations are handled in the future. This is similar to case law deciding future court cases. The contrast is that judges look back on previous cases to decide on current cases. The transcripts are being written for future incidents. When we act, how we act, and what price we are willing to pay for humanitarian relief. The strings are being tugged on, and those strings are attached to those civilians who are caught in the crossfire of future civil wars.
While searching for an article to blog about this week I was shocked to learn that Taiwan has been hit by numerous natural disasters since March of 2013. Earthquakes, flooding, and typhoons have continued to hit this area almost monthly since spring. The most recent of those disasters was a typhoon that hit in July. This made me curious as to what a typhoon actually is - so naturally I began researching about typhoons. I was surprised to learn that a typhoon is the very same weather phenomenon as cyclones and hurricanes! Who knew? The differences between the three are where they occur. Typhoons happen in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, hurricanes take place in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific Oceans, and cyclones happen in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. Taiwan has been an epicenter of natural disasters for months now with Typhoon Soulik being the most recent to claim lives, destroy property, and relocate hundreds of thousands of residents. Two people in Taiwan lost their lives and at least 100 were reported to be injured. This particular typhoon did more than relocate people; power was out to twice as many homes as were evacuated and commerce suffered throughout the country. What causes a typhoon to occur? Ideally, a typhoon is a storm that happens under perfect conditions. A perfect combination of wind, moisture, warm tropical oceans, and any preexisting weather disturbance will create a typhoon. In trying to imagine what a typhoon must be like the only context I have is witnessing a powerful wind/thunderstorm last fall and imagining that storm being thousands of times worse. I could not find any specific information as to what Typhoon Soulik had cost Taiwan financially. But, I can imagine that many jobs were put on hold during this time and the country will still be recovering from this natural disaster as well as all of the others it has experienced since March. Restoring power, clean up, and preparations for returning families will be the greatest costs. The government must also be prepared to offer aid to prevent any epidemics that may happen once families return. Reading this article and doing the research to find it has really helped me to understand that the world is bigger than my small piece of it. I understand that bad things happen everywhere but like most people I often focus on what is happening around me. Taiwan is thousands of miles from Kentucky so until now it has not been on my radar. I have a great admiration for the people who live there because they have been endured months of natural disasters and continue to rebuild. That determination gives me hope that no matter what nature throws at people they will persevere. Below are the links that I used for my blog:
Your blog and articles made me think back to when Kentucky had that "HUGE" ice storm and shut most of the state down for about a month. We were declared in an emergency state of natural disaster I believe as well. Our emergencies almost seem minor compared to what other countries go through with natural disasters. I'm in no way saying we don't get hard sometimes with Hurricanes and Tornados, but our country has the capacity to recover from incidents as these much faster. Thank you for sharing about this country, I'm now interested in looking into how to bring relief to these countries.
When searching at http://www.bbc.co.uk/ I found an article that very much intrigued me since I just recently finished my field placement in a hospital. The article entitled "Jehovah's Witness 'could receive blood' During Surgery" (link below) caught my eye. As I read this article I was very surprised that anyone would decline the cautionary services of any procedure in the medical field. Since the actual patient is said to be incompetent to making this decision, the mother says she will not allow it. I cannot imagine as a surgeon, having to decide whether or not to operate on someone that would not allow you to use all the necessary precautions to keep a patient alive.
The issue was taken to court, in which the court allowed the surgeon to have it on hand and to only use it in the need to save the patients life. Although this is what I would think seems right, I do wonder how much it violates the right to have one's own religious beliefs. My feelings are because another person was to be involved, the surgeon must be able to follow his own beliefs in the procedure as well. I'm interested in hearing what you all think, and if you believe what was decided in court was the right decision.
I really enjoyed reading this article; I find religious beliefs (especially those different than my own) to be interesting. I always find it hard to believe that a religion such as Jehovah’s Witness would rather their child or self die than to allow blood from another human to enter their body. I agree with you in saying this would be a difficult decision for a surgeon to make due to going against a patient’s personal beliefs. I am curious to know how the patient’s mother felt after the doctor completed to procedure against her wishes/beliefs.
I feel like the necessity to preserve life is suitable for this decision because the patient was unable to consent to his own treatment. However, if the patient were able to make a statement regarding his or her own healthcare then I would not see where a judge should be allowed to over ride it in any case accept when a minor is being subjected to a parent's religious beliefs to the detriment of their health. I believe that a judge should step in on those conditions as well.
Amanda Goodlett 9-3-13 @3:36pm Topic: Human Trafficking
Last year during undergrad I took a human trafficking course. So as I was looking up articles on recent human trafficking stories I was not exactly shocked to read about all the women being forced to sell their bodies on the streets in Europe, or about the young children whose parents sold them to spend the rest of their lives in the cocoa fields of Africa. Although I was horrified and sickened while reading these stories the stunned factor was just not there. However when I stumbled upon an article titled Uganda: Who is Snatching Babies From Mothers in Hospitals? I was shocked to say the least. This was a type of trafficking I had not been introduced to. The article I mentioned above described several cases where mothers would give birth to healthy baby boys only for the doctor to bring a lifeless female stillborn, or a mother would give birth to twins and then when she awakes from her caesarean operation and the doctor hands over only one child. These stories shocked me because just like these mothers I would also think I could trust my doctors and nurses, after all a hospital is supposed to be a safe place to give birth to your child. In other types of human trafficking people are manipulated and coerced into trafficking these women are under anesthetic, completely unconscious and then when they awake they are told their baby has died or their baby boy is switched with female child. Even if they ask for a DNA test this does not help bring the child back into the arms of his mother because by the time the results come back their child is miles away. As I read this article I could not help but relate it back to the conversation that was brought up in class. The want and need to have a child of the “superior” sex causes major problems with human trafficking. Male babies are actually being stolen from their mothers and either being sold to other families who are unable to have children, or sold to families that have been unable to have a male child. Then if you are a female baby born in Uganda you are at risk of becoming a victim of human trafficking. The cycle is vicious, and the people we would trust most such as the doctors, nurses and police officials play a crucial role in the trafficking process.
Yvonne Walters 9/3/2013 @ 4:24pm Global Topic: Gendercide Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC2CocBxcRc
Gendercide: The worldwide elimination of females young and old due to selective abortion, infantcide, gross neglect, and lack of access to food and shelter (Gendercide Awareness Project: A Lost Girl, 2013)
I came across this video on youtube. Yes, youtube. I chose to post this video to set the basis for what Gendercide is and what this could mean for our world. The Gendercide Awareness Project: A Lost Girl, reports that in WWI 20 million people were killed, AIDS has taken 25 million people, WWII has killed 70 million people, and worldwide Gendercide has killed approximately 117 million FEMALES! The number of girls killed equals the population of Mexico, the entire country. The UN reports that China has 66 million lost girls, 10% of their female population. Chinese has adopted a one child policy so baby girls are aborted, murdered, and/or abandoned. India reports 43 million lost girls, 7% of their female population. An Indian proverb: "Raising a girl is like watering your neighbors garden". She leaves her family when she marries and then cares for her husbands parents and not her own. These statistics are staggering. Girls are unwanted due to Social, Economic, Individual, and Political reasons. Dowries play a huge role in the murder of these girls. A dowry can equal up to two years in income for a family. And if a dowry is not sufficient, the female could be murdered. Global consequences of gendercide include 1 in 5 young men will be brideless. By 2020, China and India will "each" have 30 million more men than women. These mean are called "Bare Branches" which could lead to criminal behaviors to include sex trafficking, child brides, and maternal death rates (children giving birth to children). There are several organizations that are eager to respond and educate about this horrific subject: NGO's response: www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org; www.gendercide.com; and www.allgirlsallowed.org. Individual responses with numerous books written by Adam Jones, Gita Ararumudan, and Shuzhuo Li. Education is key to eradicate such an event as gendercide. The United Nations reports that 117 million, let me say it like this too, 117,000,000 women are missing. The Bootie Campaign is a campaign that gives a "visual" to this staggering number of missing infants, girls, and women. Handmade booties to represent the laughter of each girl lost, stolen, murdered, abandoned, and silenced. gendap.org
http://dawn.com/news/1029664/chinas-unfeasible-plan-for-aging-population This article was a very interesting point of view from a grandchild of a Chinese woman. She talked about how her grandmother had died several years prior to this, and was considered to die lucky because she had three generations living with her. This apparently used to be very common in China, but now is not due to industrialization and population movement. The article states that there are over 185 million people in China who are over the age of 60. That is a staggering number. China has a traditional system of old-age care, however in a recent study by Peking University, only 38% of those 185 million people live with one of their family members. This has become such a pressing issue that last month China released a law that stated that children had to visit their elderly parents often, and provide emotional support. The fast pace life that these children are living as they try and be successful, makes this time with their elderly parents a hassle, and some people argue that this is not a matter that the government needs to get involved in, but rather is a moral issue. This issue among the aging in China is only going to get worse, as the 185 million citizens over the age of 60 will reach a staggering 478 million people by 2053. This jump in population is being caused by a combination of the family planning policy which was introduced in 1979, and also by a 32 year life expectancy increase over the past five decades. These 478 million people will have less children to care for them, as the family planning policy bears its fruits. If China does not come up with a solution to the current problems, in the coming decades, millions of elderly in China will face issues of poverty and social and emotional needs.
After reading the article I on the one hand want to applaud China for taking a combative stand against the ever forgotten population. I personally get along better with the elderly than I do with the people my own age half of the time! It may be crazy to say, but I feel like they saw a problem and they made a change in an attempt to remedy the issue. I feel like we have to at least give them credit for that. On the other hand, how effective will it really be? People are less likely to want to do something they are being forced to do it anyway, you simply cant "make" someone care. However I think it is a good attempt to at least make people aware that this is an issue. I did a research paper on the aging population in assisted living homes and the research indicated that the greatest hurdle for these individuals is not just medical needs its emotional as your article also pointed out. I would be interested to see how China will attempt to monitor that law and see what fruit it bears.
Erica Stevens 9/3/13 9:15pm Global Topic- Poverty One of the articles I found regarding poverty was in regards to India. This article was titled India upper house passes cheap food plan. This article described a Food Security Bill that was passed by both the lower and upper house parliament. This bill would allow the government to provide 11 lbs of grain to around 800 million people each month. This would encompass approximately 2/3 of India’s population. India is one of the countries with the fastest growing populations and they have a higher number of malnourished children than any other country in the world. This food security bill will cost the India government around 19.7 billion dollars a year. This bill is still awaiting parliamentary approval in order to become a law. Many individuals are fighting this bill because they feel that it is “impractical and unaffordable”. India’s population is outgrowing the food supply and therefore more families are going to drop below the poverty line. Thomas Malthus was also concerned about the population growth, arguing that the food supply has a linear growth rate and can steadily increase but population has an exponential growth rate and can double every few years. India is suggested to be the country with the highest population in 2050 and is thought to increase its population by 600 million people. My concern would be that even with this food security bill India is going to continue to struggle with feeding the members of its growing society. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23940298 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23767569
Child Labor Kayla Hood September 1, 2013 7:04 p.m.
Petition on Child Labor with One Million Signatures Submitted to Parliament
When I was a child I didn’t always want to go to school. Sometimes I would try to see how I could I tell my mom I was sick and it not be a lie. At the end of the day I didn’t hate school though, most of the time I enjoyed it and looking back on my childhood years in school are a fond memory.
For millions of children in India they do not know what it is to try and get out of school. They have been forced to work extended hours and miss out on an opportunity for an education. The article that I chose discusses how currently in India they are submitting a bill to the Indian Parliament with over a million signatures on it that supports putting a stop to child labor.
This bill is being pushed by various teachers’ organizations and by children rights organizations. This quote taken directly from the article says, “"In extreme cases, children are currently bought and sold into modern slavery, forced to work for hours on end as sex workers, bonded laborers, or domestic servants. India's children deserve more. Before Parliament adjourns, we call for action on this important legislation." The bill would focus primarily around three main goals. One, it would make employing a child under the age of 14 a crime. Two, it would create harsher consequences for doing such. And three it would create more monitoring techniques to ensure that employers are following this law. I personally think that the third premise of the bill is the most significant. It is great to create the law and provide consequences but if there is not one really paying attention to it then, what has it accomplished? These children are working 18 hours a day, seven days a week in many cases. Even full time employees get at least two days off a week. I personally cannot imagine all that they are going through and feel a little ashamed at how good I have it and for not being a part of the solution up to this point. However, becoming aware if the first step in making change. I would encourage you to click on the option in the article where is says you can view the bill. There is also a short video that you can watch.
Kayla this article shows just how important it is that countries have laws against such crimes. I do wish the article had gone into more detail as to what the newer penalties would be if it were to pass; and also what the current child labor penalties are. One thing I found interesting in the article that you did not mention was the fact that they recognize that India's future will be affected by the generation they are currently raising in child labor. These children will someday be adults running India, and that can be very scary. Countries need to realize that their future is in their children, and it is their responsibility to lay out a promising future for these children.
ReplyDeleteHeather Keith
9/2/13
Global Topic: HIV/AIDS
Time of Post: 1:10 pm
HIV Patients Told by Pentecostal Pastors to “Rely on God”
By Alex Strangwayes-Booth BBC News
In this news I located on BBC news, it is being told that some patients with HIV are being told by their spiritual leaders to stop taking their medication and to have faith that God will heal them from their illness. Medical staff practicing in the UK spoke to BBC news and described a fairly significant issue of patients, especially children and young adults, who are being pressured by their Pentecostal Pastors to “rely on God’s healing power” alone to cure their HIV. According to the news story, some parents are being pressured to stop administering their children’s medications and some have even done so, some HIV mothers have been breastfeeding their babies and have been coerced to stop their medications, and some young adults have decided to stop their medications on their own because of their faith. They are being told by their Pastors to drink blessed water, pray, and speak in tongues instead and that faith in God will heal them. The Pentecostal religion believes strongly in these curative practices and, according to 19 health professionals who work with the Children’s HIV Association who have heard of these cases being reported, put a great deal of pressure on their members who have HIV and their families to practice the “healing that comes from inside” rather than relying on medications.
It is also noteworthy to mention that this article reports that most of these patients and family members who are being pressured are from small, migrant, minority groups whose culture holds a very authoritative view of their Pastors, somewhat like a father figure. One former Pentecostal Pastor converted to Baptist Minister who happens to be from the migrant culture as well said he has seen this taking place. According to this Minister, most Pastors use manipulative and coercive language to pressure their followers, but some have said outright to the HIV families that taking their medications is wrong.
Like the article states, I believe that “faith is a vital part of support these patients and families receive for their condition” and “staying engaged is extremely important.” I also agree that connecting with these Pastors may be a cornerstone of searching for a solution to this problem. However, I do find this type of leadership an obvious abuse of power and trust. Given the characteristics of leaders like these, which can be described as authoritarian and even tyrannical in extreme cases, I am not surprised that, as Dr. Steve Welch, the chairman of the Children’s HIV Association shares, “it is difficult to engage church leaders who make faith healing an integral part of their worship.” Perhaps the best way to help these patients and their families is to provide not only education on HIV, its symptoms, its prognosis, and its treatment, but to also connect them with other avenues of spiritual support besides their Pentecostal Churches. Spiritual support groups for those who deal with HIV and spiritual counselors could be used to supplement the faith beliefs and experiences of these patients and their families.
Resources
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23729684
Goodness!! I can't believe that this is actually happening. I don't believe that I can ever have so much faith in what one person is telling me that I would risk my life or child's life in such a manner. I do agree with the article when it states, "I think it's about engaging with the pastors and faith leaders who are giving this advice because that's how we will actually address the root of the problem." I too believe that these leaders are the root of this problem and even though they may be causing harm unintentionally...I believe it still needs to be addressed and stopped. There is so much research behind the importance of medication and while I do feel as though individuals can be healed by God. I also believe that you need to be hearing that from God and not just your pastoral leader.
DeleteGreat article Heather. I have a background working with HIV patients. I've come across numerous ideologies similar to this one, in having the ability to "heal oneself" from HIV. I experienced this pentecostal phenomenon directly in my practice as a Disease Investigator with the CDC. This religion has taken advantage of these parishioners in numerous facets, from asking them to hide their sexuality and hide their infection, to using their food stamps to buy food for the parish. This article points out that by asking people to stop taking their medications only increases the infection and therefore the person gets sicker. Healing by "blessed water" and faith in God is only a part of the treatment that a patient needs to really heal. HIV, there is no cure, but with medication, proper nutrition, no drugs or alcohol, and yes, faith in God, one can delay illnesses related to HIV by increasing their Tcell count. It is appalling that clergy would abuse the power and trust of their church members to coerce such an atrocity.
DeleteHeather, I am very shocked by this article. I had no idea that this was even going on in England. Many times, when I hear of HIV/AIDS in another part of the world,I automatically think of Africa, never England. I agree that Faith is a huge part in the support of these patients. However, in my opinion, God gave us doctors who develop these medications. I feel as though the medication, itself, is healing from God and that they should use it. I do not agree with these pastors telling these patients to stop taking their medication. Yes, faith is important in a Christian's life but you can have faith that the medication, that God has provided us with, is going to work too. Great Job! I found this article very interesting.
DeleteHeather, this article really shows that the power these pastors are wielding is not being used responsibly. As the article states pastors are often seen as very important knowledgeable community leaders and in this case are abusing that status. I am outraged that anyone would recommend giving up life saving medication when doing so will only lead to a horrible outcome. I believe that everyone has a right to take or not take medicines but they should not be pressured to quit taking a drug that is keeping them healthy and well. Prayer should definitely be a part of the healing process along with medications. Great post and great article. I look forward to reading your blog next week as I had no idea this was even happening.
DeleteJonnecia Bradford
ReplyDelete9/2/13
Global Topic- Injustice/Discrimination
Time- 5:09 p.m
Sri Lanka heading in 'authoritarian direction', says UN human rights chief
Injustice in Sri Lanka…Where?
Finding articles dealing with injustice and or discrimination was a lot harder than I thought. After running keywords through several search engines, I finally came across this article on the United Nation’s website speaking about the island of Sri Lanka.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, visited Sri Lanka and reported that she was very concerned about the rights of the individuals living in Sri Lanka. Ms. Pillay stated that several individuals on this island who wanted to speak with her were harassed by the military and high ranking officials, which also raised red flags for myself while reading this article. The audacity for the government to attempt to “hush” someone up at such a critical time prompts me to believe that this is something that occurs even without someone from the United Nations visiting. Ms. Pillay also noted that women who were head of the household were susceptible to harassment and sexual assault and that there have been several attacks on religious minorities. The most disheartening element about this situation is the fact that the government does nothing and provides little to no services for these victims.
The island of Sri Lanka is off the coast of South Asia and recently declared victory in a civil war that had been ongoing for decades and it appears as though they have forgotten about the democracy in which they were fighting for. Unfortunately, I feel as though the injustice that these women and religious minorities are facing will only get much worse as there is no protection put in place for these groups of individuals. I also believe that this situation is of low concern when put up against other atrocities in our world and will not receive much help in dealing with this. I pray that Navi Pillay’s concerns do not go unheard and that this can be dealt with before it becomes an even bigger concern.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=45743&Cr=Sri+Lanka&Cr1=#.UiTdZjZOOSo
Rebecca Wright
ReplyDelete09-02-2013
Global Topic- Crime
http://news.msn.com/world/former-rebels-wreak-terror-in-central-african-republic
This week's blog is focused around an article that I found related to crime and violence in Bangui Africa. The Seleka rebels, who are a combination of five different northern rebel movements, have been causing chaos and terror in the capitol city of Bangui. These rebels have been looting from businesses and homes, and even taking the lives of those who stand in their way. Several farmers were killed when the Seleka rebels lost track of a group of bandits that they were chasing. It appears that the rebels did not know the farmers, and killed them out of anger due to losing the track of the other men. The rebels do not show any concern with regards to the age of the person that they have attacked. A young boy was shot and killed along with the group of hunters. The villagers outside the city of Bangui have taken measures into their own hands. The villagers have killed several rebels with spears to protect their own homes and families.
The Seleka rebels started their revolt in December when President Bozize did not follow through with a peace deal. The Seleka rebels are causing the country to collapse in on itself. The people of the country fled to the airport in hopes of getting away from the rebels. With the 4.5 million population of the capitol city hiding in fear, most all businesses are beginning to fail. The Central African Republic is asking that the United Nations assist them with regaining control of their country. The African Union is attempting to assist the area by sending 3,600 to the Central African Republic to assist with peace-keeping. France has troops in the Bangui city, and they are assisting with protecting the airport. France is asking the United Nations to assist with taking action to stabilize the capitol city and the villages around Bangui.
It is hard to fathom how some people can be so full of hate as to commit such gruesome and evil crimes. I find it somewhat ironic that the Seleka rebel groups have created this violent uprising in response to President Bozize breaking a 2007 peace agreement. Why would any group of people believe that reacting with violence would be a good way to show their disagreement and displeasure with not following though on a peace deal? It doesn't make sense to me. These groups seem to me to care nothing about peace or the well being of their own homeland, but rather anger, hate, and control. This is evident by the fact that they seem to be not only angry at the President, but at anyone who is in the wrong place at the wrong time as well as the fact that the country is collapsing. The Seleka rebels are true criminals.
DeleteMaKayla Jessie
ReplyDelete9-2-2013
7:51 p.m.
Topic: Terrorism
India Nabs Top Terrorism Suspect
In regards to the story “India Nabs Top Terrorism Suspect”, the leader of the Indian Mujahideen group was captured after he was connected to a bombing that killed 17 people at a bakery in India. He was one of the top terrorists that were wanted in the county. The suspect was named Yasin Bhatkal. He, along with another suspect, was also arrested in connection to this group. Both India as well as the U.S. stated that this group was, in fact, a terrorist group. The newspaper in India, Time of India, said that the reason Yasin Bhatkal wasn’t captured sooner was because of his excellent communication methods chosen that kept him from being suspicious.
During class, we watched a video stated that terrorism cannot be stopped by one state and that more international pressure groups are formed. Many terrorist groups are formed due to their rebellious attitudes against the government and with terrorism being linked to the political aspect of the dimensions of globalization, I feel as though terrorism is not going to end while there are still groups such as this who rebel against their government. Once the leader is captured, the risk of the Indian Mujahideen followers may still continue to follow in the footsteps of Yasin Bhatkal. The story also tells us that Bhatkal was captured in 2008 but made bail. So, with that being said, how can we lower the risk of this happening again? I feel as though more awareness of the terrorist groups out there would help. West Bengal police didn’t know of Bhatkal’s history in terroristic attacks. Not only should India be informed of these terroristic groups, but it should be a global awareness so that if threats were to be made on other countries, security may be more effective before the attack is made.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/08/29/216814770/india-nabs-top-terrorism-suspect\
Although this article was smaller in nature you have supplemented this article with things that were said in class. I think that the topic terrorism might be hard along the long run, but you have done well in capturing what was previously discussed in class. I think that the topic of terrorism is in the back of everyone's mind quite frequently. The fact that Bhatkal was arrested before is disturbing. Global awareness of terrorist should be in the forefront of our nations minds. Just because terror isnt occurring in our country does not mean that it wont happen ever again.
DeleteKasey Spicer
ReplyDeleteSeptember 2, 2013
Topic: Environment
Title: Tomorrow’s cities: Just how smart is Songdo?
Tomorrow’s cities: Just how smart is Songdo? Written by Lucy Williamson on September 1, 2013 shows a great example of the Modernization Theory and how nations benefit from modern technology and ideas. The article describes how the city of Songdo in South Korea has been built from scratch with specialized knowledge in technology in attempts to help the environment. Williamson describes how the city is eco-friendly as there are charging stations for electric cars and water-recycling systems to preserve clean water in the community. Songdo also does not have waste in the streets or dumpsters; instead trash from individual’s homes is sucked directly from kitchens through an underground network of tunnels. The trash is then separated, deodorized and “treated to be kinder to the environment”. The city also has sensors which monitor issues such as temperature, energy use and traffic flow. The sensors are able to alert those within the community of the local bus routes (personalized to fit each individual). The sensors are also used for people to alert local authority of any issues within the city.
Williamson talks about how rebuilding a city can face challenges and although Songdo has a great deal to offer, the population is currently less than half full. Songdo is newly rebuilt and therefore does not have a great deal of work for the people residing in the community. Songdo is next to South Korea’s main international airport and people are hoping the airport will bring traffic and exposure to the newly built city. In the article, Jonathan Thorpe, CIO for the American developer Gale International claims it could possibly take up to 50 years to fully develop the city in size. Fifty years seems to be an excessive amount of time to develop a city.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23757738
Kasey,
DeleteThe article you used was very interesting. They have made developments in Songdo that I have never heard of. You did a very good job of summarizing the article, but didn’t really tie it into what we covered in class. I feel that it is important in a global scale for all of humanity to move toward a more ecologically friendly stance, like the developers of Songdo. If we don’t, we will destroy the world. Our population is growing, we are using more resources, we are polluting the land, air, and water, and no one is overly concerned about what it will do to our future. Your article made me wonder how long it would take to develop other cities into ecologically sound places, how much it would cost to develop a city, how much would an inhabitant have to pay for services compared to a present day city, and how long would it take to rebuild our current cities with new technologies to make them more efficient?
Ashley Ware
ReplyDelete9/03/13
12:33
Topic: Genocide
"Darfur in 2013 Sounds Awfully Familiar"
By: NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Darfur is a region in the western part of the country of Sudan in Africa. It is populated by mostly Muslim individuals. The Darfur region is agriculturally poor and populated by both nomadic groups and small farming communities.
In the early 2000's, the political powers of the Sudanese government started backing militia groups called the Janjaweed. The Janjaweed were allowed to enforce a military law in the Darfur region. They could pillage, rape, and kill as they saw fit among certain tribes and groups that the government saw as a threat. After several years of genocide, the worldwide media drew enough attention to the area and plight of its people to make the political powers uncomfortable. The killings slowed down and the situation seemed under control.
After the world forgot about what had happened in Darfur, they stopped watching. At the beginning of the year, the genocide started again. According to the article, almost 300,000 people crossed the border into neighboring Chad and refugee camps within the first five months of this year. An average of 100 people per day, 5,000 people per month are being killed. Most of those being killed are males from infants to the elderly.
The hostility and killings are focusing on two tribes or groups this time, the Beni Hussein and the Salamat. The Beni Hussein are a focal point of the government because the governmental powers are jealous of gold reserves that have been found on Beni Hussein lands. The Salamats are targets because the political powers don't trust them and want to take their land and give it to their supporters in the Miseriya tribe.
Kristof points out that he feels that it is partially the worldwide media's fault for what is happening in Darfur. When the genocide started, it got very little coverage. When it finally because newsworthy, the Sudanese political powers didn't like the attention and brought the Janjaweed to heel. When the world turned away from what had happened, they were allowed to resume their old habits and tactics. Even President Obama, who in the early 2000's was a senator that spoke out against the atrocities and how the White House did nothing, has remained silent about the new wave of violence in Darfur.
I feel that it is a tragedy taking place in Sudan. Government militias are raping and killing innocent people, even children. I don't see how anyone could take orders from a government to kill children. I personally feel that the United Nations should step in, destroy the regime in power, disband the Janjaweed, and provide support to the citizens of the Darfur region.
One could look at what is happening and think that it is only a bunch of farmers and nomads being hurt, and that it has no impact on a global scale. It impacts the global scale in different ways. In a humanitarian way, anyone that sees what is happening should be appalled by current events. In other ways, governments that may have similar feelings may look at what the Sudanese government has been doing and think that they could do the same to their own people with no repercussions just like in Sudan. This last is a bad scenario because it propagates genocide throughout the world.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/opinion/sunday/darfur-in-2013-sounds-awfully-familiar.html?_r=1&
This video made me cry from the first ten seconds in to the end. My heart hurts tremendously when I hear about how people have to live and the fact that they honestly don't know any different. There are so many world problems it almost seems impossible to solve. Although the UN could help, it makes me wonder how much can we do for other countries, with all their issues. These are times I find myself in prayer because the problem seems much too big for us humans to solve. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, especially at a time where most eyes are focused on Syria, and we forget that other countries deal with the same issues.
DeleteAshley, I must say that I have also been crying since reading the article and watching this video. The video made me miss my babies in Honduras. It just goes to show that that are so many things going on in the world that are forgotten. If we haven't forgotten tragedies on our own ground why in the world should we forget something as horrible as this tragedy in Darfur. Just because this is in another country doesn't mean America can't help. What hurts my heart the most is that we know it's going on but since the media has considered it "old news" it goes unnoticed again. This isn't a brush off the old shoulder, we're talking about innocent people being killed because their government sees these people as a threat. I am appalled by this information but I am so glad that you have brought this to my attention. It makes me wanna go take a stand.
DeleteSo I had to watch this video since everyone in class was talking about it. I also cried as soon as I laid eyes on the little boy that was almost dead from malnourishment. It is absolutely heart breaking but at the same time humbling to see those children living in such harsh conditions yet they wear the biggest smiles. We get caught up in our day to day lives and think that we know what poverty is when the people in the video are in absolute poverty. I think this is very serious issue that needs both UN involvement and prayer, because this is not an issue man can fix alone.
DeleteI remember seeing similar circumstances regarding this country in the news a few years ago. I can hardly imagine that this suffering is still going on. I realize that the media considers this "old news", but I do not understand why that has stopped people from doing something about it. I realize that the majority of people have busy lives and are consumed by their own families but I do not understand how as human beings this does not have more of an effect on everyone else. It makes me wonder how many times in our own busy lives, sometimes unintentionally, we overlook or choose to ignore a situation in which we could help someone else. I agree Amanda this is not something that can be fixed by man alone, but it is something that humans need to recognize and do what they can, even if it is just prayer, to make a difference.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJason Underhill
ReplyDelete9/3/2013
12:29pm
Topic: Human Rights Violation in Syria: The World's Lack of Concern
During the address to the United Nations Security Council Dr. Phillip Spoerri stated that there was a shortage of good news about the conditions on the ground. This has gone on way too long; the daily killing of innocent life and the disregard for humanitarian rights seem to be the norm these days in Syria. How long will the world sit back and let a regime kill and massacre its own people? Our president stated this week on television, "Moreover, the Chairman has indicated to me that our capacity to execute this mission is not time-sensitive; it will be effective tomorrow, or next week, or one month from now. And I’m prepared to give that order." The massive killing of innocent life is not time sensitive as he put it. When did life become, "not time sensitive?"
Human life is no longer considered sacred, but something that is collateral. Life appears to be someone's collateral for their agenda to be carried out. What is the United State's agenda for going into Syria? Is there something bigger than human rights violation going on; political muscle flexing for the world? I don’t, but it didn't take near this long to put Qaddafi out of business. Within months it seemed like it was over, but he had a very large amount of oil and wealth we needed control of.
Spoerri spoke of women being raped, families forced out of their homes, innocent life targeted, and now chemical weapons. Humanitarian aid is being blocked by the Syrian government and opposition groups as well. Spoerri said that as far as policy goes, they are making progress. I heard the Arab news stations say that Syria, North Korea, and Iran continue to violate International law because they can. Nobody is willing to do anything accept be talking heads on the nightly news. The red line our president placed in the sand was crossed awhile back, but it was not until the world began to call him a sissy did he do anything. Policy is only as good as the sanctions for violating it. History is being written for future Presidents and legislators to look back on and make critical decisions. Do we really want them looking at this to make a judgment?
This story relates to what we are learning in class by showing how the actions of people in one country effect the entire world. When Syria commits these types of crimes it puts a financial burden on the neighboring countries in terms of refugees, defense, and monitoring influx of foreign fighters on their borders. The whole world is affected in the way these situations are handled in the future. This is similar to case law deciding future court cases. The contrast is that judges look back on previous cases to decide on current cases. The transcripts are being written for future incidents. When we act, how we act, and what price we are willing to pay for humanitarian relief. The strings are being tugged on, and those strings are attached to those civilians who are caught in the crossfire of future civil wars.
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/statement/2013/08-19-civilans-un-security-council.htm#.UiP1FRKeWps.blogger
September 3, 2013
ReplyDeleteWhile searching for an article to blog about this week I was shocked to learn that Taiwan has been hit by numerous natural disasters since March of 2013. Earthquakes, flooding, and typhoons have continued to hit this area almost monthly since spring. The most recent of those disasters was a typhoon that hit in July. This made me curious as to what a typhoon actually is - so naturally I began researching about typhoons. I was surprised to learn that a typhoon is the very same weather phenomenon as cyclones and hurricanes! Who knew? The differences between the three are where they occur. Typhoons happen in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, hurricanes take place in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific Oceans, and cyclones happen in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. Taiwan has been an epicenter of natural disasters for months now with Typhoon Soulik being the most recent to claim lives, destroy property, and relocate hundreds of thousands of residents. Two people in Taiwan lost their lives and at least 100 were reported to be injured. This particular typhoon did more than relocate people; power was out to twice as many homes as were evacuated and commerce suffered throughout the country.
What causes a typhoon to occur? Ideally, a typhoon is a storm that happens under perfect conditions. A perfect combination of wind, moisture, warm tropical oceans, and any preexisting weather disturbance will create a typhoon. In trying to imagine what a typhoon must be like the only context I have is witnessing a powerful wind/thunderstorm last fall and imagining that storm being thousands of times worse.
I could not find any specific information as to what Typhoon Soulik had cost Taiwan financially. But, I can imagine that many jobs were put on hold during this time and the country will still be recovering from this natural disaster as well as all of the others it has experienced since March. Restoring power, clean up, and preparations for returning families will be the greatest costs. The government must also be prepared to offer aid to prevent any epidemics that may happen once families return.
Reading this article and doing the research to find it has really helped me to understand that the world is bigger than my small piece of it. I understand that bad things happen everywhere but like most people I often focus on what is happening around me. Taiwan is thousands of miles from Kentucky so until now it has not been on my radar. I have a great admiration for the people who live there because they have been endured months of natural disasters and continue to rebuild. That determination gives me hope that no matter what nature throws at people they will persevere. Below are the links that I used for my blog:
http://www.disaster-report.com/2013/07/typhoon-soulik-kills-5-in-china-taiwan.html
http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/typhoon-soulik-impact-east-asia-20130709
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/cyclone.html
Your blog and articles made me think back to when Kentucky had that "HUGE" ice storm and shut most of the state down for about a month. We were declared in an emergency state of natural disaster I believe as well. Our emergencies almost seem minor compared to what other countries go through with natural disasters. I'm in no way saying we don't get hard sometimes with Hurricanes and Tornados, but our country has the capacity to recover from incidents as these much faster. Thank you for sharing about this country, I'm now interested in looking into how to bring relief to these countries.
DeleteAlison Lee
ReplyDelete9.3.13 @ 2:22pm
Topic: Religion
When searching at http://www.bbc.co.uk/ I found an article that very much intrigued me since I just recently finished my field placement in a hospital. The article entitled "Jehovah's Witness 'could receive blood' During Surgery" (link below) caught my eye. As I read this article I was very surprised that anyone would decline the cautionary services of any procedure in the medical field. Since the actual patient is said to be incompetent to making this decision, the mother says she will not allow it. I cannot imagine as a surgeon, having to decide whether or not to operate on someone that would not allow you to use all the necessary precautions to keep a patient alive.
The issue was taken to court, in which the court allowed the surgeon to have it on hand and to only use it in the need to save the patients life. Although this is what I would think seems right, I do wonder how much it violates the right to have one's own religious beliefs. My feelings are because another person was to be involved, the surgeon must be able to follow his own beliefs in the procedure as well. I'm interested in hearing what you all think, and if you believe what was decided in court was the right decision.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-23843077
I really enjoyed reading this article; I find religious beliefs (especially those different than my own) to be interesting. I always find it hard to believe that a religion such as Jehovah’s Witness would rather their child or self die than to allow blood from another human to enter their body. I agree with you in saying this would be a difficult decision for a surgeon to make due to going against a patient’s personal beliefs. I am curious to know how the patient’s mother felt after the doctor completed to procedure against her wishes/beliefs.
DeleteI feel like the necessity to preserve life is suitable for this decision because the patient was unable to consent to his own treatment. However, if the patient were able to make a statement regarding his or her own healthcare then I would not see where a judge should be allowed to over ride it in any case accept when a minor is being subjected to a parent's religious beliefs to the detriment of their health. I believe that a judge should step in on those conditions as well.
DeleteAmanda Goodlett
ReplyDelete9-3-13 @3:36pm
Topic: Human Trafficking
Last year during undergrad I took a human trafficking course. So as I was looking up articles on recent human trafficking stories I was not exactly shocked to read about all the women being forced to sell their bodies on the streets in Europe, or about the young children whose parents sold them to spend the rest of their lives in the cocoa fields of Africa. Although I was horrified and sickened while reading these stories the stunned factor was just not there. However when I stumbled upon an article titled Uganda: Who is Snatching Babies From Mothers in Hospitals? I was shocked to say the least. This was a type of trafficking I had not been introduced to.
The article I mentioned above described several cases where mothers would give birth to healthy baby boys only for the doctor to bring a lifeless female stillborn, or a mother would give birth to twins and then when she awakes from her caesarean operation and the doctor hands over only one child. These stories shocked me because just like these mothers I would also think I could trust my doctors and nurses, after all a hospital is supposed to be a safe place to give birth to your child. In other types of human trafficking people are manipulated and coerced into trafficking these women are under anesthetic, completely unconscious and then when they awake they are told their baby has died or their baby boy is switched with female child. Even if they ask for a DNA test this does not help bring the child back into the arms of his mother because by the time the results come back their child is miles away.
As I read this article I could not help but relate it back to the conversation that was brought up in class. The want and need to have a child of the “superior” sex causes major problems with human trafficking. Male babies are actually being stolen from their mothers and either being sold to other families who are unable to have children, or sold to families that have been unable to have a male child. Then if you are a female baby born in Uganda you are at risk of becoming a victim of human trafficking. The cycle is vicious, and the people we would trust most such as the doctors, nurses and police officials play a crucial role in the trafficking process.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201308300181.html?viewall=1
Yvonne Walters
ReplyDelete9/3/2013 @ 4:24pm
Global Topic: Gendercide
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC2CocBxcRc
Gendercide: The worldwide elimination of females young and old due to selective abortion, infantcide, gross neglect, and lack of access to food and shelter (Gendercide Awareness Project: A Lost Girl, 2013)
I came across this video on youtube. Yes, youtube. I chose to post this video to set the basis for what Gendercide is and what this could mean for our world. The Gendercide Awareness Project: A Lost Girl, reports that in WWI 20 million people were killed, AIDS has taken 25 million people, WWII has killed 70 million people, and worldwide Gendercide has killed approximately 117 million FEMALES! The number of girls killed equals the population of Mexico, the entire country. The UN reports that China has 66 million lost girls, 10% of their female population. Chinese has adopted a one child policy so baby girls are aborted, murdered, and/or abandoned. India reports 43 million lost girls, 7% of their female population. An Indian proverb: "Raising a girl is like watering your neighbors garden". She leaves her family when she marries and then cares for her husbands parents and not her own. These statistics are staggering. Girls are unwanted due to Social, Economic, Individual, and Political reasons. Dowries play a huge role in the murder of these girls. A dowry can equal up to two years in income for a family. And if a dowry is not sufficient, the female could be murdered. Global consequences of gendercide include 1 in 5 young men will be brideless. By 2020, China and India will "each" have 30 million more men than women. These mean are called "Bare Branches" which could lead to criminal behaviors to include sex trafficking, child brides, and maternal death rates (children giving birth to children). There are several organizations that are eager to respond and educate about this horrific subject: NGO's response: www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org; www.gendercide.com; and www.allgirlsallowed.org. Individual responses with numerous books written by Adam Jones, Gita Ararumudan, and Shuzhuo Li. Education is key to eradicate such an event as gendercide. The United Nations reports that 117 million, let me say it like this too, 117,000,000 women are missing. The Bootie Campaign is a campaign that gives a "visual" to this staggering number of missing infants, girls, and women. Handmade booties to represent the laughter of each girl lost, stolen, murdered, abandoned, and silenced. gendap.org
Morgan Williams
ReplyDelete9/03/13
5:40
Topic: Aging
http://dawn.com/news/1029664/chinas-unfeasible-plan-for-aging-population
This article was a very interesting point of view from a grandchild of a Chinese woman. She talked about how her grandmother had died several years prior to this, and was considered to die lucky because she had three generations living with her. This apparently used to be very common in China, but now is not due to industrialization and population movement. The article states that there are over 185 million people in China who are over the age of 60. That is a staggering number. China has a traditional system of old-age care, however in a recent study by Peking University, only 38% of those 185 million people live with one of their family members. This has become such a pressing issue that last month China released a law that stated that children had to visit their elderly parents often, and provide emotional support. The fast pace life that these children are living as they try and be successful, makes this time with their elderly parents a hassle, and some people argue that this is not a matter that the government needs to get involved in, but rather is a moral issue.
This issue among the aging in China is only going to get worse, as the 185 million citizens over the age of 60 will reach a staggering 478 million people by 2053. This jump in population is being caused by a combination of the family planning policy which was introduced in 1979, and also by a 32 year life expectancy increase over the past five decades. These 478 million people will have less children to care for them, as the family planning policy bears its fruits. If China does not come up with a solution to the current problems, in the coming decades, millions of elderly in China will face issues of poverty and social and emotional needs.
After reading the article I on the one hand want to applaud China for taking a combative stand against the ever forgotten population. I personally get along better with the elderly than I do with the people my own age half of the time! It may be crazy to say, but I feel like they saw a problem and they made a change in an attempt to remedy the issue. I feel like we have to at least give them credit for that. On the other hand, how effective will it really be? People are less likely to want to do something they are being forced to do it anyway, you simply cant "make" someone care. However I think it is a good attempt to at least make people aware that this is an issue. I did a research paper on the aging population in assisted living homes and the research indicated that the greatest hurdle for these individuals is not just medical needs its emotional as your article also pointed out. I would be interested to see how China will attempt to monitor that law and see what fruit it bears.
DeleteErica Stevens
ReplyDelete9/3/13 9:15pm
Global Topic- Poverty
One of the articles I found regarding poverty was in regards to India. This article was titled India upper house passes cheap food plan. This article described a Food Security Bill that was passed by both the lower and upper house parliament. This bill would allow the government to provide 11 lbs of grain to around 800 million people each month. This would encompass approximately 2/3 of India’s population. India is one of the countries with the fastest growing populations and they have a higher number of malnourished children than any other country in the world. This food security bill will cost the India government around 19.7 billion dollars a year. This bill is still awaiting parliamentary approval in order to become a law. Many individuals are fighting this bill because they feel that it is “impractical and unaffordable”. India’s population is outgrowing the food supply and therefore more families are going to drop below the poverty line. Thomas Malthus was also concerned about the population growth, arguing that the food supply has a linear growth rate and can steadily increase but population has an exponential growth rate and can double every few years. India is suggested to be the country with the highest population in 2050 and is thought to increase its population by 600 million people. My concern would be that even with this food security bill India is going to continue to struggle with feeding the members of its growing society.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23940298
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23767569
Child Labor
ReplyDeleteKayla Hood
September 1, 2013
7:04 p.m.
Petition on Child Labor with One Million Signatures Submitted to Parliament
When I was a child I didn’t always want to go to school. Sometimes I would try to see how I could I tell my mom I was sick and it not be a lie. At the end of the day I didn’t hate school though, most of the time I enjoyed it and looking back on my childhood years in school are a fond memory.
For millions of children in India they do not know what it is to try and get out of school. They have been forced to work extended hours and miss out on an opportunity for an education. The article that I chose discusses how currently in India they are submitting a bill to the Indian Parliament with over a million signatures on it that supports putting a stop to child labor.
This bill is being pushed by various teachers’ organizations and by children rights organizations. This quote taken directly from the article says, “"In extreme cases, children are currently bought and sold into modern slavery, forced to work for hours on end as sex workers, bonded laborers, or domestic servants. India's children deserve more. Before Parliament adjourns, we call for action on this important legislation."
The bill would focus primarily around three main goals. One, it would make employing a child under the age of 14 a crime. Two, it would create harsher consequences for doing such. And three it would create more monitoring techniques to ensure that employers are following this law. I personally think that the third premise of the bill is the most significant. It is great to create the law and provide consequences but if there is not one really paying attention to it then, what has it accomplished?
These children are working 18 hours a day, seven days a week in many cases. Even full time employees get at least two days off a week. I personally cannot imagine all that they are going through and feel a little ashamed at how good I have it and for not being a part of the solution up to this point. However, becoming aware if the first step in making change. I would encourage you to click on the option in the article where is says you can view the bill. There is also a short video that you can watch.
http://www.indiawest.com/news/13223-petition-on-child-labor-with-one-million-signatures-submitted-to-parliament.html
Kayla this article shows just how important it is that countries have laws against such crimes. I do wish the article had gone into more detail as to what the newer penalties would be if it were to pass; and also what the current child labor penalties are. One thing I found interesting in the article that you did not mention was the fact that they recognize that India's future will be affected by the generation they are currently raising in child labor. These children will someday be adults running India, and that can be very scary. Countries need to realize that their future is in their children, and it is their responsibility to lay out a promising future for these children.
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