Jonnecia Bradford 09/28/13 Topic: Injustice/Discrimination Time: 9:01 Country: United Kingdom Article: Concern over closure of ethnic minority accounts http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24285885
This week I came across an article in the business section of the BBC titled “Concern over closure of ethnic minority accounts.” This article discussed the recent closure of bank accounts to minority individuals. Some individuals had been banking with The British Bankers Association or TSB for ten years or more and had their accounts closed with little to no explanations. Banks fear that these individuals may have some tie to communities who are being targeted by criminals into laundering money for them. While this fear is very relevant and may be true, the article also stated that the only individuals who are having their accounts closed are those whose last name is not of a British dissent. In fact over one hundred and two individual called Money Bank after their accounts were closed. All of these individual did not have a British last name. One individual had money deposited into his account after receiving monetary gifts from his wedding. When he went to take the cash out a few days later, the ATM swallowed his card and he received a letter stating that his account was being closed.
I believe that this is an act of discrimination as well as injustice to minorities living in this country. There was never any explanations given to these individuals and it appears as though they are being targeted based simply on their ethnicity. I believe that these banks could have done a little more research into the situation before they simply closed these accounts. I also don’t believe that this would have happened to individuals who held status in the community or who were less vulnerable.
I believe that advocacy needs to occur on behalf of these individuals. This leads me to recall back to the article that was assigned last week for us to read. Advocating on behalf of these clients should be a priority for social workers in this community and I believe that when more advocacy takes place, the more social injustice we will hear about and thus more things can be done. Advocating is one of those things we would rather leave up to someone else, but if we honesty had to think about the consequences of doing this; we would realize that it would make our jobs much easier as field social workers.
When I read this article, I was shocked. I feel this is definitely discrimination because if all of the accounts that are being closed belongs to an ethnic minority group then what in the world does this say? I agree with you that Advocacy needs to be taken place for these groups. I don't think it is fair that they can just close these accounts with little to no explanation. And I am sure that not all of these people could be a suspect for laundering money so my question is I am wondering what happens then? I am wondering why some action hasn't taken place already since this is clearly a human rights issue. I feel as though since it is made clear that all people are "treated equal" at this bank, then all people should be checked because they could be wrong and who they think is laundering money may not be of minority but of British decent. I think this opens my eyes to the many ways that people are discriminated against all over the world and not just in our own back yard. Good job!
I am with Alison on this. I am just thinking of the panic that I feel when I momentarily misplace my debit card, but to go through the ATM and be told that my account was closed and have no idea why would probably send me into a full blown panic attack. These individuals who have been targeted for their ethnicity are not just the sum of their ethnicity, they are more than likely parents with children to care for or as the article states they are newlyweds like Sameer with bills to pay. What is more concerning is that even after he had attempted to explain why there had been a recent deposit into his account he was still denied access to his account and told it would be closing in 60 days! I cannot imagine what my response to this would be knowing that basically I was just losing all of my money with no reason as to why. I agree Jonnecia, advocacy for these populations has to occur or nothing will change. I can see why banks have to be aware of possibly money laundering situations because I am sure they have been burned many times for this exact reason but even if they find out it’s true the banking customers should still be made aware.
Jonnecia, I am going to play the devil's advocate in this argument. The British Banking Regulatory Commission stated in the article that accounts that are suspected of money laundering are to be closed/frozen and the individuals are not to be told why (this is to prevent them from running from justice if the investigation proves money laundering especially to terrorist organizations). Most of these individuals have names other than British ones because they are foreign nationals. In many cases, when money is transferred into a country from a foreign country routinely or out of country to another country routinely, that is a sign of money laundering for a corrupt group (drug syndicate, terrorist organization, mafia group, cartels of various kinds). What the media here in this article doesn't report is that all of these individuals are investigated for possible laundering. If they are found innocent, they all charges are dropped and their accounts are reinstated (in most cases). This is a protection measure for the financial institutions, the government, and the citizens of the country. It is not intended to be based on ethnicity; ethnic groups just happen to be the ones doing the suspicious behavior. It truly depends upon the management of the banks in question. If they are going about it using racial/ethnical profiling, than yes, it is discrimination; however, if they are looking at accounts that only have multiple transactions to and from other countries, and the fact that those accounts happen to be held by ethnic groups is irrelevant, is it still discrimination?
Jonnecia, I found this article interesting. I don't believe it gave a good explanation as to what happened to the money of those accounts closed. Was the money held by the banks? Was it released? I cannot imagine someone closing my account with no explanation, yet I know these things happen every day. I believe there should be transparency in these types of cases as it would either prove or disprove discrimination based on ethnicity or socioeconomic status as in case of the young man who got married and received money from his family. To think that businesses can impede on savings/banking like this is truly unjust. I believe that the Equality and Human Rights Commission should look into this as well. Great article.
I cannot imagine going to a bank and my account being closed with little to no explanation. I understand the laws of the banks to close if suspicious of money laundering but shouldn't some kind of investigation be done first before making a decision off a small speculation? You make a great point about how our jobs would be easier if we did focus on social justice. Many issues would be solved and many clients wouldn't have to be seen if this were true. I feel that many times minorities don't have an advocator for them, and if they are of a minority, they usually aren't heard. I wonder if someone of british decent of high power left the bank because of the discriminatory acts would be more effective, than the minorities themselves protesting it. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box.
This comment was to be in response of: Jonnecia Bradford 09/28/13 Topic: Injustice/Discrimination Time: 9:01 Country: United Kingdom Article: Concern over closure of ethnic minority accounts http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24285885
MaKayla Jessie September 29, 2013 Post Time: 6:34 pm Topic: Terrorism
According to the article “Al-Shabhab shifts focus from territory to terrorism” it main concern is the terrorist group and it most recent attack in Nairobi, Kenya at its Westgate Mall. The group has been known for years in its attempt to win over territory in Somalia. Until the attack in Kenya, no one seemed to care about this group other than those in Somalia. This group has been somewhat transformed and is now stronger in its attempt to carry out attacks. It has allied with the Al-Qaida terrorist group. The attack in Kenya was not the first attack from this group. There was also an attack three years ago in Uganda by suicide bombers at the World Cup Final. A terrorism analyst think that Al-Shabhab attack on Kenya was more desperate that anything and because Kenya along with other governments will go after this group, it may end the organization for good.
Although this group is still a concern, I am wondering why action isn’t taken place already? Al-Shabhab is considered a dangerous terrorist group currently and I believe the U.N. should take part in coming together to make this group nonexistent. According to the article, it is getting funded but after the attack it isn’t looking like it will be getting much funding since the attack caused so much bloodshed and fear. No matter if a country is affected by this attack or not, it is time to unite the countries together and shut this terrorist group down. I am very glad to know that this group has not become a threat to the U.S. but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.
From our assignment last week, one of our questions was concerning a man who had put a life like mask on to alter his profile on a plane making it a concern for a possible terrorist attack. In relation to this story, I feel like the world national airports security should be increased knowing that there is an active terrorist group out there. Just like the man with the mask on the plane, it is better to be safe than sorry. We should place more concern on how to make sure the attack in Kenya doesn’t happen again there on in any other country. If we know that these active terrorist groups are being funded, I believe it is a job for the U.N. to step in and take control for the safety of our world. My question for fellow classmates is what do you feel would be the first step the U.N. could take to shut down active terrorist groups?
I have studied up on this topic as well since I have the topic of crime. I looked into doing my blog this week about this very article. I thought it was interesting to learn that Al-Shabab was just a militia group that has since turned to a terror group. This group has claimed to join with Al-Qaeda to no longer be an insurgent group any longer. I know in your blog you talk about how the UN should step up to eliminate this group. This brings my thoughts back to when the US was on the hunt for Bin Laden. We didn’t want to take down the small “gophers” of Bin Laden, but instead we wanted to take him down. I think that the same is true for this situation. The UN cant look for the smaller group members, but will more than likely focus on getting rid of the leader of Al-Shabab.
Smokers Hazy on Use of Child Labor http://www.smh.com.au/national/smokers-hazy-on-use-of-child-labour-20130928-2ulat.html
Kayla Hood 09/29/13 Child Labor
Australia is finding themselves in a place somewhat like The United States has been for quite some time, maybe for as long as the pattern of globalization has taken flight. Although the country says that they are firmly against child labor and will not tolerate their growers from whom they purchase their tobacco to make use of child labor either the issue seems to still be climbing. Much like in America, Australia says they are against child labor however that doesn’t seem to be stopping major Australasian companies from importing from countries that have some of the highest child labor statistics in the globe, countries like the Philippines and India just to name a couple.
This week’s article stated that Since the 1960s, there has been a 50 percent decline in tobacco growing in high-income countries, while low to middle-income countries, where child labor is common, have reported a 300 percent increase. Children are being taken out of school which takes away their opportunity for an education and forced to work in the tobacco fields for hours on end. The article did give us some hope when we read the piece regarding how in 2012 Australia’s leading brand name for the production of footballs pulled all of their subcontractors from India when they learned that children as young as they age of ten were being exploited in the trade. This happened in response to a media investigation by one of Australia’s leading media companies. (Read the article regarding this case here... http://www.smh.com.au/national/ball-backdown-as-sherrin-ends-child-labour-20120925-26jjh.html) We can read of similar story in our text Global Problems by Sernau; In Pakistan children often work ten hour days sewing together soccer balls for companies like Nike and Adidas, do these names sound familiar? The children make approximately sixty cents for the production of each item they make. Then the products are imported to the U.S and sold for 83 times the amount the children were paid (anywhere from 30-50 dollars). As hour text states, the balls will be labeled as made by hand, unfortunately it doesn’t mention whose hands.
Because of extreme poverty children find themselves more at risk to be put into bonded labor working extremely long hours for an adult but especially for a child and making next to nothing for their hard labor not that any amount could justify child labor. The reason the case of the football is a positive one is because it shows that there are ways to impact the continuing of child labor. When the major media company did an investigation the Australian companies pulled their subcontractors out of India. We all know the power of media and how it can impact our perspective and even what we know about. What if more media companies around the globe would put the spot light less frequently on the Kardashians and more frequently on major global issues. Maybe then we would see the beginning of change.
This was a really good article Kayla! The most shocking part for me was when it mentioned children becoming ill from nicotine poisoning or becoming addicted from just having to handle it. I'm glad the Sherrin pulled the ball contractor from it's company instead of utilizing the profits they were making. That does give me some hope in our society.
I believe that better advocating needs to take place on behalf of these child laborers. You would be surprised at how many people we interviewed who argued that Hershey didn't use child laborers. A lot of people are misinformed or just don't know about what's occurring in other countries and it leaves them (us) to continue to support their product and production. Shame!
We hear about child labor and think of children working long hours and completing hard work. What we do not think about is children being placed in situations to become addicted to nicotine or worse drugs. I am sure that if children are being placed in situations like this article describes then they are being placed in worse conditions that cause them to become addicted to drugs or alcohol. I think it is very sad that children’s childhood and education are being stripped from them so that they can be placed in a job that puts them in harms way. I agree with Jonnecia, more advocacy needs to take place to encourage leaders to take a stand for these children.
Alison Lee 9/29/13 Topic: Religion Time: 10:39pm Article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24294665
This article and video speaks volumes about the way people live there lives today. This man, lost his wife and three children in a house fire in a town in England. He is able to say in an interview that he believes it is God’s plan even though the event caused him to lose his entire immediate family.
Although many might blame God, or even just say it was an accident, he chooses a different outlook on this incident. I love how in the interview he says so many people get so wrapped up in things of this world and in the end we will die, all of us.
I believe this is important to incorporate with social work and how we interact with our clients. Taking a different prospective on things can very much help a client to react different to a situation.
When talking about advocating for our client, the idea that we are to try to work ourselves out of a job always comes to mind. If we are breaking down social injustices of this world, more people may be able to have this mindset of this man. That mindset of although it may not be the man’s plan, God’s plan is what is true.
I find comfort in this not only as a social worker but also as a Christian. Many things do not make sense in this world and I believe why faith in God is so important. It also gives me the strength to advocate and make changes for people, because not only do I believe all men are created equal as an American, but because of what The Word says about humans.
I found this article to be very inspirational. It does speak to the power of maintaining a positive outlook when things in life seem to make no sense. Even further than that, for me, it speaks to the power that God gives us to endure and overcome when these things happen. It points to the importance of finding ways to motivate clients when devastating situations occur using their own beliefs and values to create that positive outlook when we practice as social workers. I believe healing can come much easier and quicker if we find the ability to look at life and its circumstances through the lens this doctor was looking through. And even though they were murdered he seems to hold no contempt for the one responsible. I agree with him, too when he says that God was going to test him with this experience. God chooses to test us often using sorrows but he is able to turn them to joy. I myself was thinking this when attending the funeral last week of two friends who were murdered leaving their young children orphaned. As I was going through the line offering condolences to the families I noticed their was a strength in them I was surprised to see. There was grief, but no anger, just acceptance. Although I know things will get rough for them as it will for this doctor in the days to come, faith and a positive outlook will see them through. I think the key for us as social workers is to remember that everyone's experiences with these kind of circumstances are different and that many will probably not have this ability to cope in times of tragedy. If we can meet them where they are and encourage them to embrace what they trust and have faith in, then hopefully we will be able to help them find the positiv .
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/yonhap-news-agency/130929/over-12-pct-koreas-population-aged-65-or-older-report This article discusses the increasing aging population in South Korea, and how they are not prepared for this increase. Like most places around the world, South Korea has had an increase in population over the age of 65 in the past several years. This dramatic increase is causing stress on the economy in South Korea South Korea's population is currently 12 percent people age 65 and older. Citizens this age are estimated to make up 24.3 percent by 2030, 32.3 by 2040, and 37.4 by 2050. The South Korean government worries how they will support this growing population in the future. According to the report, an average of six working people in South Korea support each citizen over the age of 65. This number is expected to drop to only 2.6 in 2030, 1.7 in 2040, and 1.4 in 2050. In 2000 there were 9.9 working citizens for every senior citizen. The increase in the aging population, and the decrease in birth rates is causing South Korea to struggle in how to provide for their senior citizens. There are increase expenses on health and welfare for senior citizens, and this is causing a burden for South Korea; much like most of the world. Helping this population maintain a livelihood is causing stress for the younger, working population. Last year, medical treatments and visits made up one-third of the country's total medical spending. This is the last week of blog writing, but each of the five weeks have been similar in the fact that countries all over the world are experiencing issues due solely to the fact that the aging population is increasing. We have talked in class several times about resources for people in different countries; South Korea is with many other civilized countries when it comes to the fact that their resources do not meet their demand. Global economies are starting to see the affects of people living longer than ever before, and there is no end in sight. It is inevitable that changes have to occur across the world in order to support this population.
There have been numerous articles over the past weeks, discussing the issue of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. I find it disturbing to read about the continued attacks occurring in Syria and how the Syrian Government is doing little to improve the issue. After reading further into and about war in Sernau, chapter six, I learned about chemical weapons and how chemicals have a long history in warfare such as incendiaries in WWII, defoliants in Vietnam, and poison gas during WWI. I feel as though a the chemical weapons attack in Syria are going to lead to another world war as we already know about the debate it has brought between the different countries.
The article discusses how UN inspectors are currently investigating seven alleged chemical weapons attacks- three that occurred after August 21st (when the US military acted). The August 21st attack left hundreds dead in the Damascus suburbs. The UN investigated the attack and the evidence strongly showed the use of Sarin-filled rockets by the Syrian regime, however, the Syrian ambassador clams the attacks were conducted by rebel forces. The UN inspection team led by Ake Sellstrom began their investigation on September 25, 2013. The team is working towards developing a comprehensive report and hope to have the report finished by late October.
The US and Russia also asked the world’s chemical weapons watchdog (OPCW) to decide how to make sure chemical weapons material and equipment was eliminated by early 2014. The OPCW was directed to inspect any site which may be identified as being involved with the Syrian chemical weapons program.
I can only imagine the damage the chemicals are causing on the environment and the people within the Syrian communities. When inspectors conduct investigations they are required to wear gas masks and chemical proof body suits. Sernau discusses in chapter six, possible diseases and health concerns chemical and biological weapons can cause on the environment and people within the area in which the chemicals are being exposed.
Syria and Egypt: Genocidal Violence, Western Response
These two countries are both engaging in genocidal activities. In both cases, it is the government, or factions of the government, that are attacking the civilian populations. The genocidal tactics differ between the two. Egypt’s genocidal activities are centered on a theory of political ideology in which the new president (who took over by force in a democratic country) has military groups that dispatch rebellious groups and political dissidents. In Syria, the genocidal activities are due to civil war acts. The regime in power fights against rebellions and vice versa. The reason that Syria’s atrocities have become so important in the global media is that they have used chemical weapons many times now to attack and kill pockets of individuals. The attacks in Egypt have made very little journalistic mention because they are smaller scale, but more accurate, aimed at specific groups of individuals. Egypt is also seen as being an ally to western powers while Syria has always been somewhat troublesome.
These facts could be related to many of the topics that we have discussed in class. For example, while both Syria and Egypt are openly committing genocidal acts, Egypt is allied with western powers, which strengthens its presence in the world market and financial grid. If Egypt needed to seek assistance from the World Bank, enough other nations would stand behind them that even with atrocities being committed by the government, they could get aid. Syria is another story. Syria’s primary supporters are Russia and China, and those countries don’t ally themselves too closely, especially not since the end of the Cold War. Syria’s ability to attain financial (or other) assistance is limited.
It comes to the old saying, “it’s not what you do, it’s who you know.” By being allied with world superpowers, Egypt has allowed themselves to be overlooked when it comes to wrong-doings. On the other hand, Syria’s open use of chemical weapons and lack of political affiliations has left it a more apt target for other countries to single out for their actions.
Erica Stevens 10/1/13 Time: 6:30am Topic: Poverty Article: Living inside the house of Surrogates http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24275373
Mothers in India struggle to provide for their children and want them to be able to receive an education to better their future and not struggle. Dr Nayna Patel runs a business in which women become surrogates for other couples. Women choose to carry another couple’s child (ren) in exchange for money to send their own children to school, build a new house, etc. After they make the decision to become a surrogate they are then required to live at the dormitory with other surrogates. Part of this reason is because the women are required to not have sex while carrying the couple’s child. Women live away from their husband and their own children in order to make money to help their families. Once it is time to give birth, the surrogate mother may not even be able to see the baby that they carried. Vasanti was only able to catch a glimpse of the baby boy she carried for nine months before he was sent to his parents. In India the surrogate mothers have no rights to the baby’s. Their names are not even placed on the birth certificates. Vasanti describes the worries she has over the baby boy she carried and if the family will be happy about him. Edna describes carrying twins, and then carrying another little boy and the attachments she has with them and how she will never want her daughter to become a surrogate. The community feels that Dr. Nayna Patel is exploiting these women and many women have to move after their neighbors find out they were a surrogate. These families make a decision to better their family but is provided with limited options to do so. This decision provides their family with money but the mothers have to sacrifice a part of themselves. Are they being exploited? Is this a form of human trafficking? These mothers are making this decision but it appears they do not have a choice if they want to provide for their own children. Poverty has placed women in India in a position to be exploited.
Erica, I had no idea this was going on in India. I have been researching India for my group project and had not come across this as much of the articles surrounding women and children deal with gendercide. I was more shocked that Dr. Patel took the stance that society takes advantage of the poor all the time and seemed to justify her service by doing so. No, I do not feel this is right and I think it borders on human trafficking even though the women and their families seem to do this freely. I also wonder what happens if a woman decides she wants to keep the child she has carried? The article did not mention what would happen in this instance. I do feel they are being exploited because they are not allowed around their families during the time of their pregnancy. Great article and thanks for giving me a new area to research for my project!
Erica, This article makes a person wonder what would I do if I was in their situation. Do I think Dr. Patel is exploiting these women in dire circumstances, of course I do. It is disturbing how Dr. Patel justifies what she is doing in what appears to be pretty callus way. In the article these women worry about their children and want to ensure their safety but are not even afforded that curtesy. It would be a difficult position to be in as a parent. I do think that it is a form of human trafficking. These women are placed in dormitories 10 to a room and not allowed to see their own chilldren for 9 months. I understand that they agree to the terms and it is their choice to become surrogates, but Dr. Patel is making 20,000 per baby after she pays the surrogate 8,000. The article stated that there were 100 women at that facility alone. If it isn't human trafficking than it is most certainly exploitation.
I agree with Bridgette, I had no idea this was happening in India. I was shocked to read about the conditions in which the surrogates have to live. The article stated the women have to stay in a dorm like setting and share a room with at least ten other women. I was also shocked to read that some of the women are not even able to see the child after he/she is born. Even though these women are making the personal decision to carry these children to better their own families, I feel as though the conditions in which they face are wrong. I do not think it can be considered as human trafficking due to the women not being forced to have sex.
Erica, I found this article very interesting! I had no idea anything like this was going on, and it was very odd to learn about. I especially liked how they pointed out the possible psychological issues these women face after carrying other people's babies. Since India is generally a industrialized nation, I feel that Dr. Patel should be more intuitive to this. There is a rule implemented that women can only be surrogates three times. Although I don't agree with this situation at all, I do feel like if it is going to continue to happen, psychological help needs to be provided for these women.
I have heard about surrogates in the United States before and have always thought that it would be extremely difficult to carry another persons baby and then just give it up after nine long moths. I however had not heard of the type of surrogacy that takes place in India. I do think the Dr. Patel is being unfair to these women. She is paid over 20,000 dollars and pays the women only 8,000, when they are the ones that have basically rented out their bodies and abandoned their families. Although I do think this is very unfair, from what I have read I am not sure it is human trafficking. I do not think any of these women have been forced against their will to carry these babies, and they know how much money they will make going into the process. So I do not think force fraud or coercion are a part of this surrogacy house. I do agree with Morgan that these women do need some type of psychological help during this process. I feel that they will be more prone to postpartum depression after this experience.
Heather Keith 10/1/13 Global topic: HIV/AIDS Time of Post: 10:05 am Infectiousness and treatment as prevention: Economic austerity affects the way in which HIV-positive Londoners view ‘treatment as prevention’ Roger Pebody Published: 23 September 2013
In this article there is discussion about how the economic crisis in London is affecting healthcare as it pertains to the care given to those who are living with HIV. The talk centers on the worry that the preferred method of ‘treatment as prevention” is inadequate at its core and that individuals with perceived more importance will be given first priority in care anyway. The United Kingdom is a generally wealthy country in Europe but is experiencing some recession issues and has developed an austerity policy to combat those issues. According to the article, healthcare is an area where the policy is focusing a lot of attention on and provisional programs are expected to be cut. This is causing quite a bit of fear for those individuals struggling with HIV in the UK. A discussion took place with 45 men and women living in London who are HIV positive about how they feel about the government preferred” treatment as prevention” and how this austerity policy might affect it. There was an extensive amount of apprehension and fear both on the part of those who have HIV and the medical professionals. The medical professionals are concerned about being able to implement the treatment that the government expects them to and do so adequately. They are also worried that the priority of seeing improvement in the overall healthcare system will take precedence over individuals’ health care needs. The HIV positive population is having trouble trusting the government when they know budget cuts are coming to the programs that keep them healthy and enable them to have healthy sexual relationships with others. They cite concerns as being switching to cheaper drugs that might not work as well, being skeptical about the science in general where this treatment is concerned because it has been mixed with the “always use a condom” message, and the idea that a hierarchy of treatment will be developed where the government will decide who deserves treatment and who doesn’t. I have mixed feelings and thoughts about this article. While I think it’s important for everyone to have adequate healthcare, I sometimes wonder what the costs are for that in a country that has government controlled healthcare like the United Kingdom. Most of us hear that and think, “well it’s free” but what good is free if it doesn’t give you what you need when you need it or at best you are constantly worried about the quality of care you receive being adequate for your needs. These individuals with HIV have been getting a treatment that, according to medical professionals, is designed for them to be able to carry on normal sexual relationships without the use of condoms, but even though they “trust the science of treatment as prevention,” are advocating for regular condom use as well. I think that is sending a mixed message. And furthermore, I wouldn’t trust it either. If I was infected with HIV, I wouldn’t want to take any chances on spreading it to anyone and there is no way I would trust any treatment to say even though I was infected I wouldn’t spread it. We read about issues such as population control this week and since the worlds’ governments seemed to have a growing concern about overpopulation, I wonder sometimes if they intend t use their control over programs such as healthcare to enact practices that ultimately lend to population control. It’s just something I wonder about. Resources: http://www.aidsmap.com/Economic-austerity-affects-the-way-in-which-HIV-positive-Londoners-view-treatment-as-prevention/page/2764282/
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101072075: Article 1 about economy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOg9lxGtxiA about hardest hit area http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Diseases-are-here-to-stay-with-monsoons-extended-spell/articleshow/23274717.cms Article 2 about diseases http://rt.com/news/india-monsoon-hundreds-dead-101/ Article 3 about Google
The title of the article I chose this week is, “Desperate for good news from India? The monsoon has potential”. What? Yes, that was my first response and then I had to refresh my memory on what a monsoon actually is: in Southern and Southeastern Asia monsoons actually come in seasons; May to September the wind blows from the Southwest and brings lots and lots of rain and in October and April the wind comes from the Northwest and this is considered the dry season. This is what I thought a monsoon was, but I was looking for death tolls and devastation not that a monsoon could potentially be a good thing! As I read the article I soon understood why the monsoon was seen as having “potential” and that is because farmers plant their crops of sugar (sugar is large part of the economy) during the rainy season between June and September. According to the article last year’s monsoon season was considered to be a drought because rainfall was 25% less than average. While this article focused on the financial aspect of the monsoon season I found several others that were about how the flooding caused by the intense rainfall is creating breeding grounds for mosquito-borne diseases, viral illnesses, influenza and typhoid. Doctors are asking health services to provide more monies in order to provide adequate care to the vast number of patients in many major Indian cities. Still other articles state that tens of thousands are still missing and over a thousand have died during this monsoon season with the hardest hit being the state of Uttarakhand (I have attached a youtube link so you can see how quickly this flooding has affected this area). During my search I found another article that showed how globalization will help the people of India. To help find those who are still missing Google has launched its Person Finder to link families with their missing loved ones. Is that not a great example of globalization? Google being an internet based company formed in the United States is using its resources to help people thousands of miles away locate their missing family members! I’m glad I found an example of globalization that was a positive because so many times that is not the case. With that said I realize that globalization is a very good thing because it can link services and people to one another when they live continents away from one another. Google is offering a great service because it allows people to find missing family members. I wonder though if there will be any compensation sought once the service has begun (there was no mention of it in the article, but compensation is often a downside of globalization). India does seem to understand that they will have to help their citizens financially and they have set aside monies to go to the victims of the monsoon. With an economy that is already on the downturn I wonder if this disaster will set India back yet again. How will the poorest members of India’s society fair while the economy is struggling? Will they be forced to leave their homes to look for work elsewhere? Will leaving their homes lead to becoming enslaved; either by their own hand (becoming indentured to pay off a debt) or by someone else’s (trafficked to work in a factory or for sex)? With all of the uncertainties facing India’s citizens right now I can only pray that they find their family members, rebuild their homes and lives, and nothing evil befa
In the last couple of weeks I have been reading articles in regards to individuals seeking asylum in Australia. The newly elected Prime Minister Abbott has started a campaign “stop-the-boats” in an effort to cease immigrants from Afghanistan and Middle East from boarding boats in Indonesia and traveling to Christmas Island to seek asylum. Prime Minister Abbott states that hundreds of people have died trying to make that journey across the sea in boats that are not seaworthy. Mr. Abbott states in this article that Indonesia and Australia are working together to combat this issue. Indonesia is attempting to stop smugglers from leaving ports and/or alerting the Australian Navy so they can turn them around and back to Indonesia. The issue over asylum seekers in Australia was part of the political agenda that Abbott used to get elected. During the election he vowed to stop the boats from entering Australia and divert them back to Indonesia. Many immigrants in Australia do not meet the criteria to seek asylum, but are there as asylum seekers. Last week a vessel that was not seaworthy sank off the coast of Java. The boat was carrying an undetermined number of immigrants heading to Australia to seek asylum. At this point 31 bodies have been recovered. Mr. Abbott responds that this is the type of tragedy Indonesia and Australia are trying to prevent. Smugglers are placing these immigrants that are trying to find a better life in another country, promising to get them to Australia so they may seek asylum in danger. Many of the asylum seekers are women and children. At what point will the smugglers be held accountable and charged with a crime?
I find it repulsive that I find it so difficult to find articles on my global topic of gendercide. I've searched for articles on male gendercide and have found none. The articles I do find are repetative and speak mostly of India and China, so forgive me if my blogs seem redundant. I also find it difficult to find "credible" articles by "credible" news sources. It seems that this topic is not one that society seems to care much about. Most of the my sources have come from www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org. Reggie Littlejohn is a woman that truly makes things happen with the topic of gendercide. Just as in the reading last week on advocacy, she advocates on the micro, macro, mezzo levels, utilizing the instrumental, educational, and practical levels of advocacy. Advocacy, even when it goes "unheard", is still advocacy no matter the outcome. She is pushing for a voice for women, for baby girls, and that is admirable. She even speaks to the Pope. In the article this week, Littlejohn met with Pope Francis to discuss the One Child Policy of China. She briefed the Pope on how the government of China uses the funds they acquire from fining families who "have more than one child" to fund their "official government rape" of women by forcing them "down on tables" and killing their unborn female babies and many times the torture is so violent, the mothers die as well. The Chinese government brag about "four hundred million lives" they have prevented due to their policies. Littlejohn also addresses the fact that "western media" reports that “when the Chinese communist party tweaks the policy, makes a minor adjustment to it, for some reason that fact gets reported as 'China is abandoning the one-child policy,' which is not true.” The global affects of gendercide is astounding, creating issues of sex slavery, domestic violence, and outright murder.
I also added a video this week. It's called, It's a Girl. It is a short 3 minute video about an upcoming documentry about gendercide, the killing of baby girls. The video shows a mother, rather nonchalantly decribing how she strangled 8 baby girls and buried them in the backyard, simply because they were girls. Please watch the video. It is informative yet sad.
Rebecca Wright Final Blog: Crime http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24329536 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19328949
In a Venezuela prison, Sabaneta, prisoners were participating in a common weekend visitation time with family and friends when two rival gangs began to fight with each other. During this battle twenty-five people lost their lives, and the visitors were sent scurrying from the prison. Forty-three other prisoners were injured during this battle. Some of the victims in the fight were decapitated, and others were dismembered. When the dust settled in the prison, the guards moved all prisoners to another facility in order to sort through everything. In a search of the prison there were thousands of weapons and drugs found hidden within the prison. The guards of the prison found the following: • 22,767 rounds of ammunition • 105 firearms • 92 home-made stab weapons • 75 knives • 5 grenades • 2 mortars • Tear gas canisters • 12kg of drugs (26.4 pounds) • 135 mobile phones The guards within the prison found tunnels in which the prisoners were able to hide their drugs. These prisoners kept marijuana and cocaine within the tunnels of the prison. All of the weapons and drugs will be discarded of buy melting the weapons and disposing of the drugs. This prison in Venezuela is one of the deadliest prisons in the country. Unlike over-crowded prisons in the US, this prison had armed guards who were also prisoners. There are currently over 50,000 prisoners stationed in prisons that are only equipped to hold 14,000. The country is installing new security systems in some of their prisons to prevent this incident from reoccurring in the future. There are several differences between the prison system in the US and the prison system in Venezuela. Although overcrowding is an issue in prisons worldwide, this prison does not have the resources to ensure life saving measures is taken. The US federal prison systems can learn from this mistake by looking into this incident. Although the security systems in place in the US prevent a majority of the contraband from entering the prison there are still occurrences in which some things slip through. The US can use this situation to improve their policies and prevent this from occurring in their prisons.
Amanda Goodlett Human Trafficking http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24108665
This week I found an article about an investigation of labor trafficking in Eastern Europe. The workers are being brought from Latvia and Lithuania and are retained in overcrowded homes in Cambridgeshire. Near this area of Eastern Europe the land produces almost half of the countries fruit and vegetables, so the farmers are in need of help. The farmers are actually paying the workers fair wages, however the gangmasters that recruit the workers in are not. These gangmasters will do some of the same things that we read about in the book “Not For Sale.” They will first make the worker’s pay off their debt, and then if they ever pay their debt off they are charged an outrageous amount of money for rent and food.
The article mentioned a young 19 year old man that refused to pay a bribe, soon after his gangmaster threatened to kill his girlfriend. This reminded me of the family in the book “Not For Sale” that was forced to make the bricks and were told that if they were to leave their families would be killed. This seems to be a common trait of traffickers. In this particular story force, fraud and coercion have all taken place. Although the migrants have traveled legally they have been lied to and forced to work in harsh conditions with little pay. After their rent is paid the workers often have no other option that to borrow more money from their traffickers to live on, which only puts them in debt in farther.
This story like all the other labor trafficking stories I have read seems to be a never ending cycle. These migrants are set up from failure at the beginning and more than likely will always be in debt. Although the gangmaster interviewed in the article insists that he has never exploited any of the workers, I feel that the police have to investigate this further before more innocent people are trafficked.
Jonnecia Bradford
ReplyDelete09/28/13
Topic: Injustice/Discrimination
Time: 9:01
Country: United Kingdom
Article: Concern over closure of ethnic minority accounts
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24285885
This week I came across an article in the business section of the BBC titled “Concern over closure of ethnic minority accounts.” This article discussed the recent closure of bank accounts to minority individuals. Some individuals had been banking with The British Bankers Association or TSB for ten years or more and had their accounts closed with little to no explanations. Banks fear that these individuals may have some tie to communities who are being targeted by criminals into laundering money for them. While this fear is very relevant and may be true, the article also stated that the only individuals who are having their accounts closed are those whose last name is not of a British dissent. In fact over one hundred and two individual called Money Bank after their accounts were closed. All of these individual did not have a British last name. One individual had money deposited into his account after receiving monetary gifts from his wedding. When he went to take the cash out a few days later, the ATM swallowed his card and he received a letter stating that his account was being closed.
I believe that this is an act of discrimination as well as injustice to minorities living in this country. There was never any explanations given to these individuals and it appears as though they are being targeted based simply on their ethnicity. I believe that these banks could have done a little more research into the situation before they simply closed these accounts. I also don’t believe that this would have happened to individuals who held status in the community or who were less vulnerable.
I believe that advocacy needs to occur on behalf of these individuals. This leads me to recall back to the article that was assigned last week for us to read. Advocating on behalf of these clients should be a priority for social workers in this community and I believe that when more advocacy takes place, the more social injustice we will hear about and thus more things can be done. Advocating is one of those things we would rather leave up to someone else, but if we honesty had to think about the consequences of doing this; we would realize that it would make our jobs much easier as field social workers.
When I read this article, I was shocked. I feel this is definitely discrimination because if all of the accounts that are being closed belongs to an ethnic minority group then what in the world does this say? I agree with you that Advocacy needs to be taken place for these groups. I don't think it is fair that they can just close these accounts with little to no explanation. And I am sure that not all of these people could be a suspect for laundering money so my question is I am wondering what happens then? I am wondering why some action hasn't taken place already since this is clearly a human rights issue. I feel as though since it is made clear that all people are "treated equal" at this bank, then all people should be checked because they could be wrong and who they think is laundering money may not be of minority but of British decent. I think this opens my eyes to the many ways that people are discriminated against all over the world and not just in our own back yard. Good job!
DeleteI am with Alison on this. I am just thinking of the panic that I feel when I momentarily misplace my debit card, but to go through the ATM and be told that my account was closed and have no idea why would probably send me into a full blown panic attack. These individuals who have been targeted for their ethnicity are not just the sum of their ethnicity, they are more than likely parents with children to care for or as the article states they are newlyweds like Sameer with bills to pay. What is more concerning is that even after he had attempted to explain why there had been a recent deposit into his account he was still denied access to his account and told it would be closing in 60 days! I cannot imagine what my response to this would be knowing that basically I was just losing all of my money with no reason as to why. I agree Jonnecia, advocacy for these populations has to occur or nothing will change. I can see why banks have to be aware of possibly money laundering situations because I am sure they have been burned many times for this exact reason but even if they find out it’s true the banking customers should still be made aware.
DeleteJonnecia,
DeleteI am going to play the devil's advocate in this argument. The British Banking Regulatory Commission stated in the article that accounts that are suspected of money laundering are to be closed/frozen and the individuals are not to be told why (this is to prevent them from running from justice if the investigation proves money laundering especially to terrorist organizations). Most of these individuals have names other than British ones because they are foreign nationals. In many cases, when money is transferred into a country from a foreign country routinely or out of country to another country routinely, that is a sign of money laundering for a corrupt group (drug syndicate, terrorist organization, mafia group, cartels of various kinds). What the media here in this article doesn't report is that all of these individuals are investigated for possible laundering. If they are found innocent, they all charges are dropped and their accounts are reinstated (in most cases). This is a protection measure for the financial institutions, the government, and the citizens of the country. It is not intended to be based on ethnicity; ethnic groups just happen to be the ones doing the suspicious behavior. It truly depends upon the management of the banks in question. If they are going about it using racial/ethnical profiling, than yes, it is discrimination; however, if they are looking at accounts that only have multiple transactions to and from other countries, and the fact that those accounts happen to be held by ethnic groups is irrelevant, is it still discrimination?
Jonnecia, I found this article interesting. I don't believe it gave a good explanation as to what happened to the money of those accounts closed. Was the money held by the banks? Was it released? I cannot imagine someone closing my account with no explanation, yet I know these things happen every day. I believe there should be transparency in these types of cases as it would either prove or disprove discrimination based on ethnicity or socioeconomic status as in case of the young man who got married and received money from his family. To think that businesses can impede on savings/banking like this is truly unjust. I believe that the Equality and Human Rights Commission should look into this as well. Great article.
DeleteI cannot imagine going to a bank and my account being closed with little to no explanation. I understand the laws of the banks to close if suspicious of money laundering but shouldn't some kind of investigation be done first before making a decision off a small speculation? You make a great point about how our jobs would be easier if we did focus on social justice. Many issues would be solved and many clients wouldn't have to be seen if this were true. I feel that many times minorities don't have an advocator for them, and if they are of a minority, they usually aren't heard. I wonder if someone of british decent of high power left the bank because of the discriminatory acts would be more effective, than the minorities themselves protesting it. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box.
ReplyDeleteThis comment was to be in response of:
DeleteJonnecia Bradford
09/28/13
Topic: Injustice/Discrimination
Time: 9:01
Country: United Kingdom
Article: Concern over closure of ethnic minority accounts
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24285885
MaKayla Jessie
ReplyDeleteSeptember 29, 2013
Post Time: 6:34 pm
Topic: Terrorism
According to the article “Al-Shabhab shifts focus from territory to terrorism” it main concern is the terrorist group and it most recent attack in Nairobi, Kenya at its Westgate Mall. The group has been known for years in its attempt to win over territory in Somalia. Until the attack in Kenya, no one seemed to care about this group other than those in Somalia. This group has been somewhat transformed and is now stronger in its attempt to carry out attacks. It has allied with the Al-Qaida terrorist group. The attack in Kenya was not the first attack from this group. There was also an attack three years ago in Uganda by suicide bombers at the World Cup Final. A terrorism analyst think that Al-Shabhab attack on Kenya was more desperate that anything and because Kenya along with other governments will go after this group, it may end the organization for good.
Although this group is still a concern, I am wondering why action isn’t taken place already? Al-Shabhab is considered a dangerous terrorist group currently and I believe the U.N. should take part in coming together to make this group nonexistent. According to the article, it is getting funded but after the attack it isn’t looking like it will be getting much funding since the attack caused so much bloodshed and fear. No matter if a country is affected by this attack or not, it is time to unite the countries together and shut this terrorist group down. I am very glad to know that this group has not become a threat to the U.S. but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.
From our assignment last week, one of our questions was concerning a man who had put a life like mask on to alter his profile on a plane making it a concern for a possible terrorist attack. In relation to this story, I feel like the world national airports security should be increased knowing that there is an active terrorist group out there. Just like the man with the mask on the plane, it is better to be safe than sorry. We should place more concern on how to make sure the attack in Kenya doesn’t happen again there on in any other country. If we know that these active terrorist groups are being funded, I believe it is a job for the U.N. to step in and take control for the safety of our world. My question for fellow classmates is what do you feel would be the first step the U.N. could take to shut down active terrorist groups?
http://www.npr.org/2013/09/28/227040199/al-shabab-shifts-from-territorial-to-terrorists
I have studied up on this topic as well since I have the topic of crime. I looked into doing my blog this week about this very article. I thought it was interesting to learn that Al-Shabab was just a militia group that has since turned to a terror group. This group has claimed to join with Al-Qaeda to no longer be an insurgent group any longer. I know in your blog you talk about how the UN should step up to eliminate this group. This brings my thoughts back to when the US was on the hunt for Bin Laden. We didn’t want to take down the small “gophers” of Bin Laden, but instead we wanted to take him down. I think that the same is true for this situation. The UN cant look for the smaller group members, but will more than likely focus on getting rid of the leader of Al-Shabab.
DeleteSmokers Hazy on Use of Child Labor
ReplyDeletehttp://www.smh.com.au/national/smokers-hazy-on-use-of-child-labour-20130928-2ulat.html
Kayla Hood
09/29/13
Child Labor
Australia is finding themselves in a place somewhat like The United States has been for quite some time, maybe for as long as the pattern of globalization has taken flight. Although the country says that they are firmly against child labor and will not tolerate their growers from whom they purchase their tobacco to make use of child labor either the issue seems to still be climbing. Much like in America, Australia says they are against child labor however that doesn’t seem to be stopping major Australasian companies from importing from countries that have some of the highest child labor statistics in the globe, countries like the Philippines and India just to name a couple.
This week’s article stated that Since the 1960s, there has been a 50 percent decline in tobacco growing in high-income countries, while low to middle-income countries, where child labor is common, have reported a 300 percent increase. Children are being taken out of school which takes away their opportunity for an education and forced to work in the tobacco fields for hours on end. The article did give us some hope when we read the piece regarding how in 2012 Australia’s leading brand name for the production of footballs pulled all of their subcontractors from India when they learned that children as young as they age of ten were being exploited in the trade. This happened in response to a media investigation by one of Australia’s leading media companies. (Read the article regarding this case here... http://www.smh.com.au/national/ball-backdown-as-sherrin-ends-child-labour-20120925-26jjh.html) We can read of similar story in our text Global Problems by Sernau; In Pakistan children often work ten hour days sewing together soccer balls for companies like Nike and Adidas, do these names sound familiar? The children make approximately sixty cents for the production of each item they make. Then the products are imported to the U.S and sold for 83 times the amount the children were paid (anywhere from 30-50 dollars). As hour text states, the balls will be labeled as made by hand, unfortunately it doesn’t mention whose hands.
Because of extreme poverty children find themselves more at risk to be put into bonded labor working extremely long hours for an adult but especially for a child and making next to nothing for their hard labor not that any amount could justify child labor. The reason the case of the football is a positive one is because it shows that there are ways to impact the continuing of child labor. When the major media company did an investigation the Australian companies pulled their subcontractors out of India. We all know the power of media and how it can impact our perspective and even what we know about. What if more media companies around the globe would put the spot light less frequently on the Kardashians and more frequently on major global issues. Maybe then we would see the beginning of change.
6:55 p.m.
DeleteThis was a really good article Kayla! The most shocking part for me was when it mentioned children becoming ill from nicotine poisoning or becoming addicted from just having to handle it. I'm glad the Sherrin pulled the ball contractor from it's company instead of utilizing the profits they were making. That does give me some hope in our society.
DeleteI believe that better advocating needs to take place on behalf of these child laborers. You would be surprised at how many people we interviewed who argued that Hershey didn't use child laborers. A lot of people are misinformed or just don't know about what's occurring in other countries and it leaves them (us) to continue to support their product and production. Shame!
We hear about child labor and think of children working long hours and completing hard work. What we do not think about is children being placed in situations to become addicted to nicotine or worse drugs. I am sure that if children are being placed in situations like this article describes then they are being placed in worse conditions that cause them to become addicted to drugs or alcohol. I think it is very sad that children’s childhood and education are being stripped from them so that they can be placed in a job that puts them in harms way. I agree with Jonnecia, more advocacy needs to take place to encourage leaders to take a stand for these children.
DeleteAlison Lee
ReplyDelete9/29/13
Topic: Religion
Time: 10:39pm
Article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24294665
This article and video speaks volumes about the way people live there lives today. This man, lost his wife and three children in a house fire in a town in England. He is able to say in an interview that he believes it is God’s plan even though the event caused him to lose his entire immediate family.
Although many might blame God, or even just say it was an accident, he chooses a different outlook on this incident. I love how in the interview he says so many people get so wrapped up in things of this world and in the end we will die, all of us.
I believe this is important to incorporate with social work and how we interact with our clients. Taking a different prospective on things can very much help a client to react different to a situation.
When talking about advocating for our client, the idea that we are to try to work ourselves out of a job always comes to mind. If we are breaking down social injustices of this world, more people may be able to have this mindset of this man. That mindset of although it may not be the man’s plan, God’s plan is what is true.
I find comfort in this not only as a social worker but also as a Christian. Many things do not make sense in this world and I believe why faith in God is so important. It also gives me the strength to advocate and make changes for people, because not only do I believe all men are created equal as an American, but because of what The Word says about humans.
I found this article to be very inspirational. It does speak to the power of maintaining a positive outlook when things in life seem to make no sense. Even further than that, for me, it speaks to the power that God gives us to endure and overcome when these things happen. It points to the importance of finding ways to motivate clients when devastating situations occur using their own beliefs and values to create that positive outlook when we practice as social workers. I believe healing can come much easier and quicker if we find the ability to look at life and its circumstances through the lens this doctor was looking through. And even though they were murdered he seems to hold no contempt for the one responsible. I agree with him, too when he says that God was going to test him with this experience. God chooses to test us often using sorrows but he is able to turn them to joy. I myself was thinking this when attending the funeral last week of two friends who were murdered leaving their young children orphaned. As I was going through the line offering condolences to the families I noticed their was a strength in them I was surprised to see. There was grief, but no anger, just acceptance. Although I know things will get rough for them as it will for this doctor in the days to come, faith and a positive outlook will see them through. I think the key for us as social workers is to remember that everyone's experiences with these kind of circumstances are different and that many will probably not have this ability to cope in times of tragedy. If we can meet them where they are and encourage them to embrace what they trust and have faith in, then hopefully we will be able to help them find the positiv .
DeleteMorgan Williams
ReplyDelete9/30/13 @ 6:08
Aging Population
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/yonhap-news-agency/130929/over-12-pct-koreas-population-aged-65-or-older-report
This article discusses the increasing aging population in South Korea, and how they are not prepared for this increase. Like most places around the world, South Korea has had an increase in population over the age of 65 in the past several years. This dramatic increase is causing stress on the economy in South Korea South Korea's population is currently 12 percent people age 65 and older. Citizens this age are estimated to make up 24.3 percent by 2030, 32.3 by 2040, and 37.4 by 2050. The South Korean government worries how they will support this growing population in the future. According to the report, an average of six working people in South Korea support each citizen over the age of 65. This number is expected to drop to only 2.6 in 2030, 1.7 in 2040, and 1.4 in 2050. In 2000 there were 9.9 working citizens for every senior citizen. The increase in the aging population, and the decrease in birth rates is causing South Korea to struggle in how to provide for their senior citizens. There are increase expenses on health and welfare for senior citizens, and this is causing a burden for South Korea; much like most of the world. Helping this population maintain a livelihood is causing stress for the younger, working population. Last year, medical treatments and visits made up one-third of the country's total medical spending. This is the last week of blog writing, but each of the five weeks have been similar in the fact that countries all over the world are experiencing issues due solely to the fact that the aging population is increasing. We have talked in class several times about resources for people in different countries; South Korea is with many other civilized countries when it comes to the fact that their resources do not meet their demand. Global economies are starting to see the affects of people living longer than ever before, and there is no end in sight. It is inevitable that changes have to occur across the world in order to support this population.
Name: Kasey Spicer
ReplyDeleteTopic: Environment
Title: UN probes new alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria
Date Published: September 27, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24301618
There have been numerous articles over the past weeks, discussing the issue of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. I find it disturbing to read about the continued attacks occurring in Syria and how the Syrian Government is doing little to improve the issue. After reading further into and about war in Sernau, chapter six, I learned about chemical weapons and how chemicals have a long history in warfare such as incendiaries in WWII, defoliants in Vietnam, and poison gas during WWI. I feel as though a the chemical weapons attack in Syria are going to lead to another world war as we already know about the debate it has brought between the different countries.
The article discusses how UN inspectors are currently investigating seven alleged chemical weapons attacks- three that occurred after August 21st (when the US military acted). The August 21st attack left hundreds dead in the Damascus suburbs. The UN investigated the attack and the evidence strongly showed the use of Sarin-filled rockets by the Syrian regime, however, the Syrian ambassador clams the attacks were conducted by rebel forces. The UN inspection team led by Ake Sellstrom began their investigation on September 25, 2013. The team is working towards developing a comprehensive report and hope to have the report finished by late October.
The US and Russia also asked the world’s chemical weapons watchdog (OPCW) to decide how to make sure chemical weapons material and equipment was eliminated by early 2014. The OPCW was directed to inspect any site which may be identified as being involved with the Syrian chemical weapons program.
I can only imagine the damage the chemicals are causing on the environment and the people within the Syrian communities. When inspectors conduct investigations they are required to wear gas masks and chemical proof body suits. Sernau discusses in chapter six, possible diseases and health concerns chemical and biological weapons can cause on the environment and people within the area in which the chemicals are being exposed.
Ashley Ware
ReplyDeleteTime 12:17 AM Tuesday October 1
Topic Genocide
Syria and Egypt: Genocidal Violence, Western Response
These two countries are both engaging in genocidal activities. In both cases, it is the government, or factions of the government, that are attacking the civilian populations. The genocidal tactics differ between the two. Egypt’s genocidal activities are centered on a theory of political ideology in which the new president (who took over by force in a democratic country) has military groups that dispatch rebellious groups and political dissidents. In Syria, the genocidal activities are due to civil war acts. The regime in power fights against rebellions and vice versa. The reason that Syria’s atrocities have become so important in the global media is that they have used chemical weapons many times now to attack and kill pockets of individuals. The attacks in Egypt have made very little journalistic mention because they are smaller scale, but more accurate, aimed at specific groups of individuals. Egypt is also seen as being an ally to western powers while Syria has always been somewhat troublesome.
These facts could be related to many of the topics that we have discussed in class. For example, while both Syria and Egypt are openly committing genocidal acts, Egypt is allied with western powers, which strengthens its presence in the world market and financial grid. If Egypt needed to seek assistance from the World Bank, enough other nations would stand behind them that even with atrocities being committed by the government, they could get aid. Syria is another story. Syria’s primary supporters are Russia and China, and those countries don’t ally themselves too closely, especially not since the end of the Cold War. Syria’s ability to attain financial (or other) assistance is limited.
It comes to the old saying, “it’s not what you do, it’s who you know.” By being allied with world superpowers, Egypt has allowed themselves to be overlooked when it comes to wrong-doings. On the other hand, Syria’s open use of chemical weapons and lack of political affiliations has left it a more apt target for other countries to single out for their actions.
http://www.opendemocracy.net/martin-shaw/syria-and-egypt-genocidal-violence-western-response
Erica Stevens
ReplyDelete10/1/13
Time: 6:30am
Topic: Poverty
Article: Living inside the house of Surrogates
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24275373
Mothers in India struggle to provide for their children and want them to be able to receive an education to better their future and not struggle. Dr Nayna Patel runs a business in which women become surrogates for other couples. Women choose to carry another couple’s child (ren) in exchange for money to send their own children to school, build a new house, etc. After they make the decision to become a surrogate they are then required to live at the dormitory with other surrogates. Part of this reason is because the women are required to not have sex while carrying the couple’s child. Women live away from their husband and their own children in order to make money to help their families. Once it is time to give birth, the surrogate mother may not even be able to see the baby that they carried. Vasanti was only able to catch a glimpse of the baby boy she carried for nine months before he was sent to his parents. In India the surrogate mothers have no rights to the baby’s. Their names are not even placed on the birth certificates. Vasanti describes the worries she has over the baby boy she carried and if the family will be happy about him. Edna describes carrying twins, and then carrying another little boy and the attachments she has with them and how she will never want her daughter to become a surrogate. The community feels that Dr. Nayna Patel is exploiting these women and many women have to move after their neighbors find out they were a surrogate. These families make a decision to better their family but is provided with limited options to do so. This decision provides their family with money but the mothers have to sacrifice a part of themselves. Are they being exploited? Is this a form of human trafficking? These mothers are making this decision but it appears they do not have a choice if they want to provide for their own children. Poverty has placed women in India in a position to be exploited.
Erica, I had no idea this was going on in India. I have been researching India for my group project and had not come across this as much of the articles surrounding women and children deal with gendercide. I was more shocked that Dr. Patel took the stance that society takes advantage of the poor all the time and seemed to justify her service by doing so. No, I do not feel this is right and I think it borders on human trafficking even though the women and their families seem to do this freely. I also wonder what happens if a woman decides she wants to keep the child she has carried? The article did not mention what would happen in this instance. I do feel they are being exploited because they are not allowed around their families during the time of their pregnancy. Great article and thanks for giving me a new area to research for my project!
DeleteErica,
DeleteThis article makes a person wonder what would I do if I was in their situation. Do I think Dr. Patel is exploiting these women in dire circumstances, of course I do. It is disturbing how Dr. Patel justifies what she is doing in what appears to be pretty callus way. In the article these women worry about their children and want to ensure their safety but are not even afforded that curtesy. It would be a difficult position to be in as a parent. I do think that it is a form of human trafficking. These women are placed in dormitories 10 to a room and not allowed to see their own chilldren for 9 months. I understand that they agree to the terms and it is their choice to become surrogates, but Dr. Patel is making 20,000 per baby after she pays the surrogate 8,000. The article stated that there were 100 women at that facility alone. If it isn't human trafficking than it is most certainly exploitation.
I agree with Bridgette, I had no idea this was happening in India. I was shocked to read about the conditions in which the surrogates have to live. The article stated the women have to stay in a dorm like setting and share a room with at least ten other women. I was also shocked to read that some of the women are not even able to see the child after he/she is born. Even though these women are making the personal decision to carry these children to better their own families, I feel as though the conditions in which they face are wrong. I do not think it can be considered as human trafficking due to the women not being forced to have sex.
DeleteErica, I found this article very interesting! I had no idea anything like this was going on, and it was very odd to learn about. I especially liked how they pointed out the possible psychological issues these women face after carrying other people's babies. Since India is generally a industrialized nation, I feel that Dr. Patel should be more intuitive to this. There is a rule implemented that women can only be surrogates three times. Although I don't agree with this situation at all, I do feel like if it is going to continue to happen, psychological help needs to be provided for these women.
DeleteI have heard about surrogates in the United States before and have always thought that it would be extremely difficult to carry another persons baby and then just give it up after nine long moths. I however had not heard of the type of surrogacy that takes place in India. I do think the Dr. Patel is being unfair to these women. She is paid over 20,000 dollars and pays the women only 8,000, when they are the ones that have basically rented out their bodies and abandoned their families. Although I do think this is very unfair, from what I have read I am not sure it is human trafficking. I do not think any of these women have been forced against their will to carry these babies, and they know how much money they will make going into the process. So I do not think force fraud or coercion are a part of this surrogacy house. I do agree with Morgan that these women do need some type of psychological help during this process. I feel that they will be more prone to postpartum depression after this experience.
DeleteHeather Keith
ReplyDelete10/1/13
Global topic: HIV/AIDS
Time of Post: 10:05 am
Infectiousness and treatment as prevention:
Economic austerity affects the way in which HIV-positive Londoners view ‘treatment as prevention’
Roger Pebody
Published: 23 September 2013
In this article there is discussion about how the economic crisis in London is affecting healthcare as it pertains to the care given to those who are living with HIV. The talk centers on the worry that the preferred method of ‘treatment as prevention” is inadequate at its core and that individuals with perceived more importance will be given first priority in care anyway.
The United Kingdom is a generally wealthy country in Europe but is experiencing some recession issues and has developed an austerity policy to combat those issues. According to the article, healthcare is an area where the policy is focusing a lot of attention on and provisional programs are expected to be cut. This is causing quite a bit of fear for those individuals struggling with HIV in the UK.
A discussion took place with 45 men and women living in London who are HIV positive about how they feel about the government preferred” treatment as prevention” and how this austerity policy might affect it. There was an extensive amount of apprehension and fear both on the part of those who have HIV and the medical professionals. The medical professionals are concerned about being able to implement the treatment that the government expects them to and do so adequately. They are also worried that the priority of seeing improvement in the overall healthcare system will take precedence over individuals’ health care needs. The HIV positive population is having trouble trusting the government when they know budget cuts are coming to the programs that keep them healthy and enable them to have healthy sexual relationships with others. They cite concerns as being switching to cheaper drugs that might not work as well, being skeptical about the science in general where this treatment is concerned because it has been mixed with the “always use a condom” message, and the idea that a hierarchy of treatment will be developed where the government will decide who deserves treatment and who doesn’t.
I have mixed feelings and thoughts about this article. While I think it’s important for everyone to have adequate healthcare, I sometimes wonder what the costs are for that in a country that has government controlled healthcare like the United Kingdom. Most of us hear that and think, “well it’s free” but what good is free if it doesn’t give you what you need when you need it or at best you are constantly worried about the quality of care you receive being adequate for your needs. These individuals with HIV have been getting a treatment that, according to medical professionals, is designed for them to be able to carry on normal sexual relationships without the use of condoms, but even though they “trust the science of treatment as prevention,” are advocating for regular condom use as well. I think that is sending a mixed message. And furthermore, I wouldn’t trust it either. If I was infected with HIV, I wouldn’t want to take any chances on spreading it to anyone and there is no way I would trust any treatment to say even though I was infected I wouldn’t spread it. We read about issues such as population control this week and since the worlds’ governments seemed to have a growing concern about overpopulation, I wonder sometimes if they intend t use their control over programs such as healthcare to enact practices that ultimately lend to population control. It’s just something I wonder about.
Resources:
http://www.aidsmap.com/Economic-austerity-affects-the-way-in-which-HIV-positive-Londoners-view-treatment-as-prevention/page/2764282/
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101072075: Article 1 about economy
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOg9lxGtxiA about hardest hit area
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Diseases-are-here-to-stay-with-monsoons-extended-spell/articleshow/23274717.cms Article 2 about diseases
http://rt.com/news/india-monsoon-hundreds-dead-101/ Article 3 about Google
The title of the article I chose this week is, “Desperate for good news from India? The monsoon has potential”. What? Yes, that was my first response and then I had to refresh my memory on what a monsoon actually is: in Southern and Southeastern Asia monsoons actually come in seasons; May to September the wind blows from the Southwest and brings lots and lots of rain and in October and April the wind comes from the Northwest and this is considered the dry season. This is what I thought a monsoon was, but I was looking for death tolls and devastation not that a monsoon could potentially be a good thing! As I read the article I soon understood why the monsoon was seen as having “potential” and that is because farmers plant their crops of sugar (sugar is large part of the economy) during the rainy season between June and September. According to the article last year’s monsoon season was considered to be a drought because rainfall was 25% less than average.
While this article focused on the financial aspect of the monsoon season I found several others that were about how the flooding caused by the intense rainfall is creating breeding grounds for mosquito-borne diseases, viral illnesses, influenza and typhoid. Doctors are asking health services to provide more monies in order to provide adequate care to the vast number of patients in many major Indian cities. Still other articles state that tens of thousands are still missing and over a thousand have died during this monsoon season with the hardest hit being the state of Uttarakhand (I have attached a youtube link so you can see how quickly this flooding has affected this area).
During my search I found another article that showed how globalization will help the people of India. To help find those who are still missing Google has launched its Person Finder to link families with their missing loved ones. Is that not a great example of globalization? Google being an internet based company formed in the United States is using its resources to help people thousands of miles away locate their missing family members! I’m glad I found an example of globalization that was a positive because so many times that is not the case.
With that said I realize that globalization is a very good thing because it can link services and people to one another when they live continents away from one another. Google is offering a great service because it allows people to find missing family members. I wonder though if there will be any compensation sought once the service has begun (there was no mention of it in the article, but compensation is often a downside of globalization). India does seem to understand that they will have to help their citizens financially and they have set aside monies to go to the victims of the monsoon. With an economy that is already on the downturn I wonder if this disaster will set India back yet again. How will the poorest members of India’s society fair while the economy is struggling? Will they be forced to leave their homes to look for work elsewhere? Will leaving their homes lead to becoming enslaved; either by their own hand (becoming indentured to pay off a debt) or by someone else’s (trafficked to work in a factory or for sex)? With all of the uncertainties facing India’s citizens right now I can only pray that they find their family members, rebuild their homes and lives, and nothing evil befa
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24304276
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24327112
In the last couple of weeks I have been reading articles in regards to individuals seeking asylum in Australia. The newly elected Prime Minister Abbott has started a campaign “stop-the-boats” in an effort to cease immigrants from Afghanistan and Middle East from boarding boats in Indonesia and traveling to Christmas Island to seek asylum. Prime Minister Abbott states that hundreds of people have died trying to make that journey across the sea in boats that are not seaworthy. Mr. Abbott states in this article that Indonesia and Australia are working together to combat this issue. Indonesia is attempting to stop smugglers from leaving ports and/or alerting the Australian Navy so they can turn them around and back to Indonesia. The issue over asylum seekers in Australia was part of the political agenda that Abbott used to get elected. During the election he vowed to stop the boats from entering Australia and divert them back to Indonesia. Many immigrants in Australia do not meet the criteria to seek asylum, but are there as asylum seekers. Last week a vessel that was not seaworthy sank off the coast of Java. The boat was carrying an undetermined number of immigrants heading to Australia to seek asylum. At this point 31 bodies have been recovered. Mr. Abbott responds that this is the type of tragedy Indonesia and Australia are trying to prevent. Smugglers are placing these immigrants that are trying to find a better life in another country, promising to get them to Australia so they may seek asylum in danger. Many of the asylum seekers are women and children. At what point will the smugglers be held accountable and charged with a crime?
Yvonne Walters
ReplyDeleteTopic: Gendercide
10/01/13 @ 5:11pm
Article: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/one-child-policy-still-a-massive-threat-to-women-expert-warns/
Video: http://www.itsagirlmovie.com/
I find it repulsive that I find it so difficult to find articles on my global topic of gendercide. I've searched for articles on male gendercide and have found none. The articles I do find are repetative and speak mostly of India and China, so forgive me if my blogs seem redundant. I also find it difficult to find "credible" articles by "credible" news sources. It seems that this topic is not one that society seems to care much about. Most of the my sources have come from www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org. Reggie Littlejohn is a woman that truly makes things happen with the topic of gendercide. Just as in the reading last week on advocacy, she advocates on the micro, macro, mezzo levels, utilizing the instrumental, educational, and practical levels of advocacy. Advocacy, even when it goes "unheard", is still advocacy no matter the outcome. She is pushing for a voice for women, for baby girls, and that is admirable. She even speaks to the Pope. In the article this week, Littlejohn met with Pope Francis to discuss the One Child Policy of China. She briefed the Pope on how the government of China uses the funds they acquire from fining families who "have more than one child" to fund their "official government rape" of women by forcing them "down on tables" and killing their unborn female babies and many times the torture is so violent, the mothers die as well. The Chinese government brag about "four hundred million lives" they have prevented due to their policies. Littlejohn also addresses the fact that "western media" reports that “when the Chinese communist party tweaks the policy, makes a minor adjustment to it, for some reason that fact gets reported as 'China is abandoning the one-child policy,' which is not true.” The global affects of gendercide is astounding, creating issues of sex slavery, domestic violence, and outright murder.
I also added a video this week. It's called, It's a Girl. It is a short 3 minute video about an upcoming documentry about gendercide, the killing of baby girls. The video shows a mother, rather nonchalantly decribing how she strangled 8 baby girls and buried them in the backyard, simply because they were girls. Please watch the video. It is informative yet sad.
Rebecca Wright
ReplyDeleteFinal Blog: Crime
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24329536
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19328949
In a Venezuela prison, Sabaneta, prisoners were participating in a common weekend visitation time with family and friends when two rival gangs began to fight with each other. During this battle twenty-five people lost their lives, and the visitors were sent scurrying from the prison. Forty-three other prisoners were injured during this battle. Some of the victims in the fight were decapitated, and others were dismembered. When the dust settled in the prison, the guards moved all prisoners to another facility in order to sort through everything. In a search of the prison there were thousands of weapons and drugs found hidden within the prison. The guards of the prison found the following:
• 22,767 rounds of ammunition
• 105 firearms
• 92 home-made stab weapons
• 75 knives
• 5 grenades
• 2 mortars
• Tear gas canisters
• 12kg of drugs (26.4 pounds)
• 135 mobile phones
The guards within the prison found tunnels in which the prisoners were able to hide their drugs. These prisoners kept marijuana and cocaine within the tunnels of the prison. All of the weapons and drugs will be discarded of buy melting the weapons and disposing of the drugs. This prison in Venezuela is one of the deadliest prisons in the country. Unlike over-crowded prisons in the US, this prison had armed guards who were also prisoners. There are currently over 50,000 prisoners stationed in prisons that are only equipped to hold 14,000. The country is installing new security systems in some of their prisons to prevent this incident from reoccurring in the future.
There are several differences between the prison system in the US and the prison system in Venezuela. Although overcrowding is an issue in prisons worldwide, this prison does not have the resources to ensure life saving measures is taken. The US federal prison systems can learn from this mistake by looking into this incident. Although the security systems in place in the US prevent a majority of the contraband from entering the prison there are still occurrences in which some things slip through. The US can use this situation to improve their policies and prevent this from occurring in their prisons.
Amanda Goodlett
ReplyDeleteHuman Trafficking
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24108665
This week I found an article about an investigation of labor trafficking in Eastern Europe. The workers are being brought from Latvia and Lithuania and are retained in overcrowded homes in Cambridgeshire. Near this area of Eastern Europe the land produces almost half of the countries fruit and vegetables, so the farmers are in need of help. The farmers are actually paying the workers fair wages, however the gangmasters that recruit the workers in are not. These gangmasters will do some of the same things that we read about in the book “Not For Sale.” They will first make the worker’s pay off their debt, and then if they ever pay their debt off they are charged an outrageous amount of money for rent and food.
The article mentioned a young 19 year old man that refused to pay a bribe, soon after his gangmaster threatened to kill his girlfriend. This reminded me of the family in the book “Not For Sale” that was forced to make the bricks and were told that if they were to leave their families would be killed. This seems to be a common trait of traffickers. In this particular story force, fraud and coercion have all taken place. Although the migrants have traveled legally they have been lied to and forced to work in harsh conditions with little pay. After their rent is paid the workers often have no other option that to borrow more money from their traffickers to live on, which only puts them in debt in farther.
This story like all the other labor trafficking stories I have read seems to be a never ending cycle. These migrants are set up from failure at the beginning and more than likely will always be in debt. Although the gangmaster interviewed in the article insists that he has never exploited any of the workers, I feel that the police have to investigate this further before more innocent people are trafficked.