Trafficking

            I watched a video called Modern Slaver, Human Trafficking (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZTN0TbsRYA ). The video was a collection of facts about trafficking and different people speaking about modern day slavery. There are more slaves today then in any other time in history. Each year over 2.2 million children are sold into the sex trade, in addition 1 million new victims are abducted in to human trafficking half of that being children as well. Julia Ormond states that human trafficking is the fastest growing crime on the planet.  It has been discovered that in the previous year the sex slave industry has profited $32 billion dollars all that combined is more then Starbucks, Google, and Nike.

            What is really sickening is that all 50 states have been reported human trafficking. In Uganda, Africa children from the ages of 5 to 12 are abducted and forced to be child soldiers and committee horrible crimes, only because they have been brain washed. Justin Dillion describes what makes slavery modern is aids it gives a time line to how long they can use someone, then when there done they can easily find someone else.  Ormond also says that the world needs to recognize that slavery still exists, and that it never really went away in the first place.

            A student involvement club at FGCU that kind of deals with my global challenge is She’s The Frist*{FGUC}

(https://sites.google.com/site/shesthefirstfgcu/). The organization provides community, leadership opportunities, with a sense of global citizenship. It is trying to make a big impact for underprivileged girls, to encourage them to be the first ones in their families to graduate. Another site that is beneficial to my global issue of human trafficking Somaly Mam Foundation (http://www.somaly.org/slavery). The site raises awareness about Modern Day slavery, donations can be made on the website. When I have been watching the local news lately I have seen the issue of human trafficking appear in the Fort Myers area. One thing that I could do is educating people on the issue of human trafficking and that it is modern day slavery. I could also educate people that is not just a global issue, that is occurring right in our own city. 

"Personhood" Bill

         The article, Virginia’s “Personhood” Bill is the Latest Front in the Culture War by Athena Jones (http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/19/politics/virginia-personhood-bill/index.html?hpt=us_c2), she discuses a bill that would give rights to unborn babies. Robert Marshall, a Republican in the Virginia State House, proposed the new “personhood” bill.  The bill would give unborn children rights at all stages of development the same rights as other people such as you and me.  The bill also states that the life of each human will begin at conception.

            Virginia is not the only state to consider options like this other states have begun to deal with this issue.  The House of Delegates has passed this issue, but the Senate has yet to pass it. The governor said that if the bill gets to his desk he will review it, but has not committed to signing it yet.

            Marshall says that this bill will not criminalize abortion, but others believe it is a step getting closer to making it illegal. He also says that he is not challenging the Supreme Courts decision that a woman has a right to an abortion, but it will be restricting it.  Others believe that the decision should still be left to the women and her doctor.

            In my opinion this bill is a really big issue in one hand it will protect the rights of unborn children, in the other it will eventually lead to the sacrifice of a women’s choice to choose. I think that the “personhood” bill is a good idea. I believe that people take life so lightly now we almost take it for gradient. I think that abortion should be left as a last resort option after adoption and other considerations. I can also see the other side of this bill as a woman if this bill passed I would be giving up part of my freedom. I would no longer have an option, I would have to do what the law told me, and so I can see why this bill is getting so much controversy.

            I think that the strengths of this article are that it shows a little bit of both sides of the article. It has pro-life supporters saying their piece and it also has pro-choice supporters stating their opinions that it is a women’s right to choose.  This article also predicts what will this bill will eventually lead to in the future, which is outlawing abortion.  In order to agree or disagree with this issue I would have to do more research in to the topic.

           

Palm Oil

         The Tamtamneh group is from Lunsar, Sierra Leone in western Africa. The main imports of the town include rice, palm oil, and kernels. Kai has taken advantage of these imports and along with the help of a few other women has become entrepreneur.  Kai sells palm oil and makes African soap out of the palm oil. With Kai’s share of the loan she plans to but five gallons of palm oil, which she will use to produce her soap and sell the left over oil.

            Kai needs this loan to help support her family of four children that are now attending primary and secondary school.  Kai needs this loan, she has taken the initiative and responsibility of becoming a businesswomen to help improve her family’s well being. Support Kai and her group because they have chosen to make a difference in their lives they have taken the first step, so now it is our turn to help them. Please visit http://www.kiva.org/lend to find other groups and read their stories on why they need your help. 

Tamtamneh group link! http://www.kiva.org/lend/390153#aboutTheCountry Donate money now!

Wonder Bread

I am American born and raised.

All is true for the generations that have come before,

As far back as I can remember.  

I have been in the house that my grandmothers, grandmother grew up in.

I have walked the lands that have been in my family for decades.

But who am I really,

And where do I come from?

I am the product of many European nations,

Cultivated over centuries.

A dash of French,

A smidgen of English,

And a heap of Scottish,

All blended together to create me,

Brown hair, brown eyes, and beige skin.

Gives new meaning to the term wonder bread. 

Gypsy Wasteland

         In the article Kosovo Gypsies Living in ‘Toxic’ Camps by Thomas Morton the author describes the injustices done to the large Roma (gypsy) population that resides in Kosovo. The country was at war between the Serbians in the north and the Albanian majority in the south, leaving the Roma and other small groups stuck in the middle. To deal with the growing population of gypsy refuges the UN (United Nations) created camps. These camps were anything but a refugee though. The site was built on a toxic wasteland that was lower then the surrounding lands, causing the camp to flood when it rained. The only food the camps were given was flour and beans, they also were not provided with any water. That is not even the worst of it, it was found that the children in the camp had the highest lead poisoning levels every recorded in medical literature. The UN that placed these people here have not showed much concern or reacted to the constant protest.

         After reading this article I am appalled that the UN is actually letting people live in these conditions. Not only were these people forced out of their homes, their loved ones killed, their country at war, but also they must live in such horrible conditions. The UN looked down on these people because they were gypsies, but they are people just like anyone else. Also to think that had no water to cook with or clean with is just plain sad. The worst part of this whole thing is that they are allowing children to grow up in this camp while they are being poisoned by lead. I thought the UN was put in place to help keep peace in the world, but after reading this article it seems like they don’t really care.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/12/world/europe/vice-guide-to-balkans/index.html?iref=allsearch