One World

I Moved to Another Blog

2011-04-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! I have a new blog now. Similar issues, better host. It is sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association and PBS's Great Decisions:

www.ethicsandeconomics.foreignpolicyblogs.com

I would love your support over there! I don't know if you can subscribe but bookmark me please :)

The Girl Effect

2011-03-07T17:40:00.000-08:00

“Invest in a girl, and she will do the rest, but to do that, she needs your help now.”

The Girl Effect is “a movement driven by girl champions around the globe.” With an impressive list of partnerships like The Nike Foundation, the NoVo Foundation, the United Nations Foundation and the Coalition for Adolescent Girls, this organization is effectively communicating the idea that if you lift a girl out of poverty, you lift the world out of poverty.

When a girl living in poverty turns 12, her life reaches a crossroads.

One path has her marrying – one in seven marry at the age of 14 in developing parts of the world – becoming pregnant by 15, possibly contracting HIV, and possibly forced to sell her body in order to survive.

The other path is much brighter – receive an education, stay healthy, marry when she chooses and raise a healthy family.

When a girl in the developing world goes to school for seven years of more, she, on average, marries four years later and has 2.2 fewer children. One quarter to one half of girls in developing countries have children before the age of 18: that's 14 million girls between the ages of 15 and 19. This is not to say that marriage or children are a negative impact on women, but that in those areas of the world, the maternal and infant mortality rates are much higher at such a young age.

An extra year of primary school boosts girls' wages by 10 to 20 percent. An extra year of secondary school raises that amount even higher, to 15-25%. And yet, 25% of girls in developing countries are not in school. (An interesting note is that early marriage and pregnancy are not a cause of dropping out of school, but rather a consequence.)

In sub-Saharan Africa only 17% of girls are enrolled in secondary school. Why such a gender gap? One reason may be that girls are needed for household labor, while the boys can be spared. Another possible reason is that there are fewer secondary schools available, causing the children to travel further distances. Many families do not want to risk sending their girls on such a journey. Education also costs money; many families would rather invest in the boys than girls. After all, girls will only marry and have babies, so why educate them?

In fact, the opposite of that is true. If a girl receives education, she has a ripple effect on the entire community. According to a Girls Count Report on Adolescent Girls (by the Population Council), formal schooling during a girl's adolescence has a correlation with “delayed sexual initiation, later marriage and childbearing, lower rates of HIV/AIDS and other reproductive morbidities, fewer hours of domestic and/or labor market work, and greater gender equality.” By staying in school, girls prepare themselves for future social and health benefits for themselves and their families. Once they are out of school and have families of their own, they

“...practice safer health and hygiene practices, more time and resources for children's health and education, more exposure to information that can be used to support children in various ways, better child nutrition, the use of contraceptives leading to smaller family size, improved household incomes through greater labor force participation and earnings, greater bargaining power within the household, and greater ability to act on preferences for investment in children.”

The story of Shumi is a powerful example of the Girl Effect. This nineteen-year-old Bangladeshi girl says that families in her village rarely let a girl out of the house, because “people will talk about it.” Shumi denounces the status quo by declaring that she will not marry until she is ready. She opened her own shop with $37. It is very successful, and Shumi now is the leader of a local girl's center. She says that she would tell the girls of the world that whatever she does, even if it's small, she will see a brighter future. She would tell large corporations and individual people that if they would help a girl like her, they would affect the entire world. She would tell them,

“One girl can start the girl effect...”

Juthikar, also Bangladeshi, was considered a burden. She would have been married off at an early age in order to be written off the family balance sheet, but instead, through the support of Brac (http://www.brac.net/), she purchased ducks, grows a vegetable garden, and tutors schoolboys. She makes $37 per month and is putting herself through school, along with her brothers. She supports her father and her mother.

Fifty million girls live in poverty throughout the world. Some of the world's worst social injustices are experienced by women alone. Maternal mortality, female genital mutilation/cutting, the worst forms of child labor, sexual violence, obstetric and traumatic fistula rates, low economic opportunity, and unaccompanied minors working as domestic workers. The incidence of human trafficking is also primarily girls.

TheGirlEffect.com is a website that brings together a large number of resources to promote gender equality in education, health, and overall existence. It and it's affiliates stress the importance and potential of girls all over the world. They only need to be given a chance.

To begin making a difference yourself, you can send a girl to school, give her a microloan, or help her with legal services. Go to www.globalgiving.org/girleffect. Or, if you are in the US, you can text GIRL to 50555 to donate $10. Go to mGive.org/T for full terms and help on texting your donation.

The Revolution starts with you. Visit http://www.girleffect.org/learn/the-revolution for more information on what you can do.

Resources:

http://www.coalitionforadolescentgirls.org/new_lessons

http://www.girlsdiscovered.org/sunitas_story/ [AN INTERACTIVE WEBSITE DETAILING THE LIFE OF A YOUNG GIRL THROUGH SCHOOL AND MARRIAGE]

http://www.brac.net/content/get-involved-volunteers-interns [VOLUNTEERS AND INTERNS NEEDED]

Poverty and Human Trafficking in South Asia

2011-02-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

(A post for a couple of different blogs; it builds on a previous blog)

Poverty and Human Trafficking

Southeast Asia is a hub for human trafficking. Too often, young girls are lured by traffickers through promises of well paying jobs in the cities. If you have read Half the Sky, by Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl Wudunn, you will already be aware of the horrors endured by women and girls caught in the web of modern day slavery, and if you don't know, read the book. It's easy to read but hard to handle.

The United Nations describes trafficking in persons as the “recruitment, transport, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion abduction, of fraud, for the purpose of exploitation”. It is modern day slavery.

I write for a woman that runs a non-profit in Northeastern India. The work I have done for her has changed me. It's overwhelming to realize that such brutality and twisted sexuality exists in the world. On the other hand, it is an impetus to keep working and making a difference in the world.

Poverty is the primary factor in human trafficking. Most girls are not outright kidnapped, at least not in the sense that they are taken from their homes in the dead of night. They are often promised a modeling job or simply selling vegetables to provide for their families, then locked up in a brothel until they die of AIDS.

What if they had job opportunities in their home villages? With a bridge out of poverty, the path to slavery is blocked.

Married to a Vision: Hasina Kharbhih

“A successful entrepreneur is married to a vision and cannot rest until it has transformed all of society.” - Hasina Kharbhih

A young Indian woman who works Northern India, Hasina Kharbhih’s work involves issues like child trafficking, HIV/AIDS intervention, and sustainable livelihood. She first received recognition as a teenager when she was chosen as a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador for Positive Living. She was then selected as an Ashoka fellow because they want to help her in her efforts to spread the Meghalaya Model, an impressive and complete strategy to deal with child trafficking.

Her model is one of the most effective in all of Asia, and involves rescuing and restoring the lives of young girls caught in the web of human trafficking. She also rehabilitates them with job training and professional counseling.

Despite the world’s efforts to stop slavery in the late nineteenth century, it is today the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, with an estimated $32 billion in revenue yearly. In fact, there are more people enslaved today than in any other time of the world, according to Mary Burke, director of the Project to End Human Trafficking. They are trafficked to provide labor (domestic services, agricultural or sweatshop labor) or sexual services (street work, brothels, pornography, or massage parlors).

Throwing Back Starfish: Trina Talukdar

Are you familiar with the Hawaiian fable about the boy who, after a massive storm over the sea, threw starfish back into the ocean one by one? An older man ridiculed him for it, saying that no matter how many starfish he threw back, he couldn’t even make a dent in the amount washed up on the beach. He shrugged his shoulders and threw back another one. “It makes a difference to that one,” he replied.

Trina Talukdar is doing just that. She rescues girls from human trafficking and trains them in the career of their choice. Just recently she rehabilitated a seven-year-old girl. (I know, we don’t want to hear it, we don’t want to know, we don’t want to imagine the tortures this little girl faced. But if it was your hometown that lost girl after girl to slavery, wouldn’t you want more people to know and stop this insanely lucrative crime from happening?) The girls paint, sing, attend concerts, visit museums, and are becoming women who will change the world. Trina aptly calls them her Revolutionaries.

Trina Talukdar and a few of her Revolutionaries

This battle is against women, and will be won by women. Have you ever thought that you would have been active in the Underground Railroad, had you been alive then? If so, you have now been introduced to a new form of slavery, and have the opportunity to stop it. You can be one of this generation’s Abolitionists. I wholeheartedly believe it can be stopped.

Let the Revolution begin.

The True Tiger Mother

2011-02-05T19:07:00.001-08:00

It's 9:34 pm, and I am editing a transcript for Hasina Kharbhih, warrior extraordinaire in the battle against human trafficking. I should have edited it a month ago, but I volunteered for too many things and subsequently got stuck in the land of procrastination.

But, now I am editing, and the report is covering how the media in the northeast region can help or hinder the fight against trafficking. I came across this line:

"Poverty is forcing the mother to send the child; the elder sister of that child was already married and settled. She has got only one daughter, who is studying. Ok, we're not looking at what is forcing that mother to do. She is getting about 800 rupees per month ($17 USD). There's a middleman who approaches and says, OK... I can get you more money if you will send the child to outside the state. The child said no..."

The child said no, and a mother's union prevented her from being taken. Legal action was taken because of Mothers in the villages who have had enough of their children being stolen, lured, trapped, raped, drugged, beaten, and killed. I have two very young children, and words fail to describe the pain my heart would suffer if one were subjected to any one of those things. Many of the mothers in these vulnerable areas hear that their daughters have been offered jobs in the city, and simply never hear from them again. They have no resources to find them.

Hasina's NGO, Impulse Network NGO rescues, rehabilitates, and restores the girls to their families (when possible). Trina Talukdar's Kranti functions similarly, and trains the girls in a vocation of their choosing and aptly calls them her Revolutionaries. I am beyond honored to know these women, and contribute to returning these children to their mothers. It's time for the Revolution.

Do It Now

2011-01-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, we are given a vision.

In lingers in our hearts, it whispers in our thoughts, and it tugs at our consciences. It may a world changing idea, or a personal dream, like climbing Mount Everest or publishing a poem.

Whatever it is, don't ever brush it aside as being ridiculous, selfish, or unachievable.

Narrow down your vision. Find people that share the same interests, or who have already accomplished your dream, and mimic them (the sincerest form of flattery).

Then, act. Don't wait to have everything perfect, don't wait for approval or understanding from others. Just do it.

For example, when Paul and I dreamed of Lost World Imports, we only knew that we wanted to travel, wanted a fulfilling career, and wanted to help end poverty in third world countries. Literally, the first day we talked about it, we booked a ticket to India.

Because of that ticket - and the fact that it was non-refundable - we made contacts with people in Northern India. I joined a dozen fair trade and export groups on LinkedIn and sent email after email after email, because I knew we would need inventory quickly. I contacted a CBS reporter and an Atlanta Magazine columnist to show up at our gala, because I knew we would need media coverage to bring exposure to our brand. I signed up for a business mentor through my school, because if you don't know about something, learn from someone who does.

I am extremely passionate/obsessive about this venture. (I work until around 1 am, so, yes, obsessive.) I believe it will change the world. I have no fear of rejection because I know in my heart it will work.

Although this may not be as motivating to consider, it is just as important to know: you'll probably fail 50% of the time. That's just part of the process. You'll receive negative feedback, and sometimes your plans just won't work. That's where flexibility comes in. If the door closes, go in through the window! Or knock on the back door and see if somebody else answers. ;) I wrote a 5000 word report recently (for the woman I write for that combats human trafficking). She took about 1000 of the words and had to re-write the majority of the report herself because it wasn't exactly what she was looking for. I probably put in 40 hours writing that report, but instead of being crushed - like I would have been in the past - I have asked her to recommend some books I could read to help me become more knowledgeable in the area she needs. The hard part is continuing the momentum and not giving up.

Someone else told me that my business strategy was too much work with not enough payout. Obviously I ignored him.

What do you dream of? Who can you contact that will help you achieve your dream? What can you do today that will make it impossible to turn back? What will be your non-refundable ticket?

Poverty and Human Trafficking

2011-01-21T16:40:00.001-08:00

Southeast Asia is a hub for human trafficking. So often, young girls are lured by traffickers through promises of well paying jobs in the cities. If you have read Half the Sky, by Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl Wudunn, you will already be aware of the horrors endured by women and girls caught in the web of modern day slavery, and if you don't know, read the book. It's easy to read but hard to handle.

What if they had other job opportunities? That's my motivation - to find artists (just for the sake of narrowing down our focus), employ them, and offer grants to other potential businessmen and women in their village.

With a bridge out of poverty, the path to slavery is blocked.

Short Little Post

2011-01-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

As most of you know through Facebook, Paul and I have started a fair trade fine arts company. Please visit our website at www.lostworldimports.com for more information! We are very excited about this. Our grand opening will be the first week of June, and we are traveling to India in late March to contract with some artists. Just thought I would share :)

Ashoka: Innovators for the Public

2011-01-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

This post originally appeared on The Socially Conscious Blog on January 14th, 2010 (by me). Please check out their website and read many other inspirational posts :) Thanks to Shawn Sieiro, a phenomenal editor!

In a world of capitalist businessmen and women whose main interest lies in their green bottom line, Ashoka goes against the grain by bringing the rare individual – whose purpose is to save the world – into the spotlight.

Ashoka describes itself as the “global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs.” It invests in people.

Wherever there is a need, in any part of the world, Ashoka strives to bring support and solutions. One primary way of doing that is by offering three-year fellowships to people who have worked to bring justice to their part of the world over the course of their entire adult life. Their fields of work are in civic engagement, economic development, environment, health, human rights, and education. Ashoka aims to approach social change in a comprehensive way for all their projects.

A Socially Conscious Strategy

Ashoka works on three levels – supporting the social entrepreneur, bringing communities of social entrepreneurs together, and building infrastructure and financial systems for the growth of the citizen sector.

By building such a progressive network, their impact can be much larger. Each entrepreneur has proven to have immense commitment and dedication to their work and by linking together the work of many entrepreneurs, Ashoka is able to identify cutting edge trends and implement them more broadly.

Ashoka’s approach is holistic, and in that regard, unique.

They recognize the relationship between the business sector and non-governmental organizations, and that without this relationship there can be no progress.

Check out this interesting video about how Ashoka leverages business partnerships, culture and technology to better the state of thousands of farmers in Africa:

One of Ashoka’s goals is to close the gap between the business and civil societywhile creating a synergy between both communities. They have developed programs like micro-financing and strategic partnerships to further their goals of aggregate change.

Early Stages of Development

Founded by Bill Drayton in 1980, Ashoka has led the way in the field of social entrepreneurship. Drayton has been involved in social change from a very young age. In high school, he created the Asia Society, a group that became the largest student organization, and also became a member of the NAACP. He believed that if people were concerned with social injustices in the West, they could only be more disturbed by the greater inequalities in the East.

Bill Drayton, Founder of Ashoka

Ashoka’s first fellow was elected in 1981 in India. India remains a strong area of focus and even harbored the inspiration for their name. Ashoka was a leader in third century BC who unified the entire subcontinent by renouncing violence and dedicating his life to social welfare and economic development.

The strong, broadly spreading oak tree symbolizes their philosophy and commitment to changing the world through expansive networks and a strong support system.

Married to a Vision: Hasina Kharbhih

“A successful entrepreneur is married to a vision and cannot rest until it has transformed all of society.” - Hasina Kharbhih

Hasina Kharbhih is one person chosen by Ashoka for a three-year fellowship. Her life exhibits those traits perfectly.

Hasina Kharbhih, Ashoka Fellow

A young Indian woman who works in Meghalaya in northern India, her work involves issues like child trafficking, HIV/AIDS intervention, and sustainable livelihood. She first received recognition as a teenager when she was chosen as a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador for Positive Living. Ashoka chose her because they want to help her in her efforts to spread theMeghalaya Model, an impressive and complete strategy to deal with child trafficking.

Her model is one of the most effective in all of Asia, and involves rescuing and restoring the lives of young girls caught in the web of human trafficking.

Many Ashoka Fellows go on to receive further recognition and awards:

● Kathryn Hall-Trujillo is the founder of the Birthing Project and was recently named one of the top 21 leaders of the 21st century by Women’s eNews. Her work emphasizes the life of the mother in countries like the U.S., Canada, Cuba, Ghana, Honduras and Malawi.

● Nnaemeka Ikegwuono was chosen as the 2010 Rolex Young Laureate for his work in improving the lives of farmers in Nigeria with his interactive rural radio service.

● In October of 2010, Alvaro Ugalde was a recipient of the prestigious Bravo Award for his work in water resource preservation in Costa Rica. He aided in establishing national parks in Costa Rica and is regarded as a top environmentalist.

Ashoka in the News

On November 12, 2010, Ashoka had the honor of attending the G20 Summit in South Korea. Ashoka’s Vice President Bill Carter joined President Barack Obama, Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to announce the winners of Ashoka’s Small and Medium Enterprise Contest.

William Foote’s Root Capital and Vineet Rai’s Aavishkaar were among the winners.

December 16, 2010 brought additional good news to Ashoka when Google announced it would donate $1 million to support their News and Knowledge Entrepreneur Program. This program operates at the “nexus of news knowledge, and social innovation”. They support entrepreneurs whose innovations promise to better inform, engage, and connect the world.

Bill Drayton will join 39 other visionaries whose goal is to transform the world through aSocial Entrepreneur Empowerment Series January 11th, 2011 through January 20th. Drayton will discuss how he came up with his concept and what you can do to change the world in your own way. It should be an exciting and inspirational tele-summit!

There are a number of exciting ways to get involved with Ashoka.

You can nominate a person who you believe has an incredible concept to better the world, or volunteer directly with an Ashoka Fellow. You can volunteer virtually or in the field. If you are the type of person who has been involved in leadership and civic activities your entire life, there may be a spot available for you as an Ashoka employee.

Social enterprise is a rapidly expanding field, and you will find that Ashoka is fast evolving into a major player.

Consider it Globalization 3.0, consider it socially conscious entrepreneurship.

But whatever you want to call it, one thing is for certain and that is everyone on the playing field is benefiting from the effort put in, not just the big businesses.

And that is what makes Ashoka real public innovators.

For a visual feel of what Ashoka is all about, check out this informative video on how people with system changing solutions are changing the world.

If you liked this post, please comment & share it with others.

Review of National Geographic's North Korea

2011-01-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

Three nights ago my husband and I watched a documentary on North Korea by National Geographic. It came out back in 2007 and a lot has happened in North Korea since then, but the core values of the nation are essentially the same. Then again, they're essentially the same as they were in the 1950s.

It began with a humanitarian mission to the "hermit country". A crew from National Geographic teamed up with a doctor who planned on performing one thousand operations on North Koreans with cataracts that cause blindness. The documentary team was undercover, obviously, and they were the only Americans in the nation.

I won't tell you too much about it, because it is worth watching yourself, but a few things blew me away. First, there are two MILLION soldiers guarding the border between North and South Korea. Two million! There are also over a million land mines and an electric fence.

Second, they had a famine during the 1990s that killed three million North Koreans. The children that grew up during that time are permanently stunted in growth.

Third, they worship Kim Jung-Il like he is the son of God. Literally, that's not an exaggeration.

Last, the prison camps are like something out of a Cold War science fiction movie. If you defect from North Korea and manage to slip past the soldiers, land mines, and electric fence, your entire family is placed in hard labor prison camps. Children, too, for the rest of their lives. One defector recounted a story of when he was a guard in one of those camps about a group of children who fought over a kernel or corn in cow dung. And it's not only the families of defectors that are placed in these camps, it is anyone who is remotely disloyal to Kim Jung-Il.

I am normally one who sees the possibility of a solution to anything. Not here. The children are taught from the day they are able to understand that America is the enemy. Old men promise to kill all the Americans to honor Kim Jung-Il. It's hard to imagine a nation that size and with so many people, so completely under the control of such an evil leader. Check it out. Tell me what you think.

Socially Responsible Business

2010-12-25T16:42:00.000-08:00

(Image from priseworks.com)

My last post covered the concept of fair trade and globalization. No one is thrilled at the idea of millions of workers being exploited for low wages and high profits. Combine that with a growing desire among consumers to have items that you don't have to feel guilty for purchasing and voila, enter the change-makers.

LifeStraw, an invention that filters cholera
and typhoid

There are two entities at play here: the social entrepreneur and the socially responsible business. The social entrepreneur sees a problem and builds a business to address the problem on a large scale. Rather than watching the news and feeling fear and trepidation at the massive problems our world faces, the social entrepreneur says, "let's fix it!" They use a business model to solve problems without the end goal of becoming a multi-million dollar industry, but to change the world one section at a time. To read an inspiring story about one woman who changed her world, read about Maria Teresa Leal here. Nick Moon and Martin Fisher believe that poor people don't need handouts, they need jobs. From clothing lines created by women living in barrios in order to create sustainable jobs to water pumps for irrigation in Africa, social entrepreneurs are changing the world significantly. Awesome.

The Socially Responsible Business incorporates the values of fair trade. They make sure all workers are fairly compensated and treated well, from the growers/ creators of the product to the factory employees to the sales team. American Apparel is a large corporation with equally large ethics. Smaller companies, like Ten Thousand Villages (who, I know, I've mentioned a lot lately), take this a few steps further and intentionally create a business model in order to build sustainable employment.

This is part of the coming wave. As an idealist, I firmly believe that the world can become a better place with hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit. Let's get going!

Fair Trade

2010-12-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

Globalization has had a profound effect on the world over the course of the past three decades. We are in a very interesting, exciting time. We are experiencing a technological revolution; it's far from over. Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina began saying in 2004 that we were "at the end of the beginning" of the information age and that the last 25 years were just "the warm up act". Technology isn't done with us yet. We are now living in the formative years of Globalization 3.0 (Friedman, It's a Flat World After All).

We have seen the ugly side of globalization, the economic kick-in-the-butt of out-sourcing and off-shoring. We have also seen foreign investors, at the advice of the World Bank, buy up businesses in Africa, strip their assets and abandon them. With the advent of social media and instant access to world events, we know that this system is failing. Exploiting the developing world is not a nice way to do business.

Ten Thousand Villages employs craftsmen is
isolated areas and provides a sustainable
livelihood.

Enter 3.0. The next wave will not be large corporations that are only concerned with the bottom line. It will be social entrepreneurs, intelligent business men and women who want to combine global enterprise with a genuine desire to change the world.

All that to say this: fair trade will be a big part of this movement. Fair trade has been around a while, but is now becoming more mainstream. Walmart now carries fair trade coffee, which in essence means, "we pay the laborers in the coffee fields a fair wage and do not exploit them. We create jobs and want to make the world a more fair, equal place for everyone." Other businesses employ people in isolated areas as craftsmen and sell the wares for a profit in the States, while giving the workers good pay so that they don't have to travel to the cities. Now wouldn't that be an exciting field to be a part of?

The information age makes us aware of what's happening and lays a responsibility on the consumer that has never been felt before. Look for Fair Trade labeling on your products. You will have a more unique product and know that you are helping to change the world.

My Blog is Now a Mess

2010-12-20T17:49:00.001-08:00

Aaargh, sorry readers, I am slightly technologically illiterate and have messed up my blog design. Things should be fixed by Wednesday.

World Peace?

2010-12-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

War as we know it has never made sense to me. Please don’t misunderstand; I greatly admire the men and women in the military. I had a dozen friends join the military after 9/11 with the motivation of defending and avenging the Americans that died that day. They want to serve and protect. They choose to be in the line of fire and have good reason to do so.

Image originally from
http://www.pchrgaza.org/images.html

I have a problem with civilian deaths. Women and children routinely flee mortar bombs in the Gaza Strip, Iraqi families lose loved ones who play no part in the war on terror, and in the more distant past, thousands of Japanese- half the populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - lost, quite literally, everything to two nuclear bombings. And now, with the war on terror, the line between good guys and bad guys is so thin and transparent. Is that man behind the rubble of a house wrapped in explosives? Or is he simply anxious because he’s walking past a caravan of soldiers? Who is the enemy? Since the beginning of the Second Gulf War there have been over 10,000 civilian deaths. There have been a little less than 5,000 military casualties. Most people’s response to this is that civilian deaths are simply a part of war. It’s the price you have to pay. It’s just what happens.

Our government knows the price of war. No one wants civilian deaths. This is why we impose sanctions and do everything in our power to prevent war in the first place. And, of course, it’s not just the United States that perpetrates war. How do you stop the genocides in Sudan and the mass rapes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo? Some, like the U.S., aim to promote democracy, get rid of human rights violations and bring freedom to the people. Some critics accuse the U.S. of having a messiah complex, but doing something is better than doing nothing. I don’t think anyone would disagree, however, that things have not worked out in Iraq the way the U.S. wanted it to.

That’s because you can't physically fight an idea, philosophy, religion, or deeply rooted cultural beliefs.

There has to be a different way of doing this. Not just in Iraq, but anywhere. We have imposed sanctions on North Korea and Iran. Still, they threaten. Still, they actively pursue war. It’s like they want us to attack them so they can retaliate. And when I say “they”, I mean Mhamoud Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong-Il personally, not the people.

Richard Holbrooke

I don’t know the answer. I do know that diplomat Richard Holbrooke, who past away this past week, brokered a peace deal to end the war in Bosnia in the late 1990s. He most recently served under President Obama in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His last words: “You’ve got to stop this war in Afghanistan.”

Let’s start with that.

For more information on the attacks in Gaza, visit this video published by Human Rights Watch:

http://www.hrw.org/en/video/2009/03/25/rain-fire-white-phosphorus-gaza

For information on rockets launched from Gaza, see this:

http://www.hrw.org/en/video/2009/08/04/rockets-gaza

World Peace for Christmas

2010-12-13T06:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, maybe not world peace, but at least a gift to promote peace and goodwill toward men! As I scour the shops and warehouses for unique Christmas gifts for my kids, family and friends, I have an underlying sense of guilt and waste. Of course it isn't wrong to give and receive gifts at Christmastime, but I know I personally don't need anything new. I could probably do with less, actually. (Except for those really cute rain boots, ahem...) There are a number of places to shop, virtually and physically, that "give back" as you buy.

Ten Thousand Villages in Atlanta, GA, is a huge fair trade marketplace for handmade crafts and unique gifts from all over the world. You won't walk away with a McGift here! The name was inspired by a quote by Mahatma Ghandi when he said, "India is not to be found in its few cities but in the 700,000 villages. We have hardly ever paused to inquire if these folks get sufficient to eat and clothe themselves with." The Fair Trade Online Store has similar gifts.

Somaly Mam with survivors
of child trafficking

The Somaly Mam Foundation is an organization founded by a survivor of child trafficking, Somaly Mam. She has devoted her life to restoring girls caught in the web of trafficking and bringing an end to this modern day slavery. Read through the website. You will be astounded at the things taking place today. Shop at her Survivor Empowerment Store for gifts created by other survivors, beautiful items like scarves and jewelry.

The International Rescue Committee sells gifts of a different type. You can purchase mosquito nets, cholera treatment, or carpentry kits for families in need in developing and underdeveloped countries. MercyCorps offers gift options like this as well.

These are just some of my favorites.

Happy shopping!

Ashoka: Innovators for the Public

2010-12-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

I have recently been introduced to a non-profit organization called Ashoka. They are an amazing group that sponsors social entrepreneurs; a title for, to put it in simple terms, people who are changing the world a little bit at a time. I'm not sure where I first heard about them, but over the past few months their name has been reaching my ears.

Ashoka awards fellowships to people that have been impacting their world during the course of the entire life. One of those people is Hasina Kharbhih. "A successful entrepreneur is married to a vision and cannot rest until it has transformed all of society," says Hasina. She works in Northern India on issues like child trafficking, HIV/AIDS intervention, and sustainable livelihood. She first received recognition as a teenager when she was chosen as a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador for Positive Living. Ashoka chose her because they want to help her in her efforts to spread the Meghalaya Model, an amazing holistic strategy to deal with child trafficking.

Ashoka aims to approach social change in a holistic way for all their projects. They involve the government, non-profits, businesses, and citizens. This is an organization that is really getting things done. For more information, take a look at www.ashoka.org.

Some Thoughts on Human Rights

2010-11-23T06:56:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since my last post. I admit that I've been very overwhelmed by the amount of human rights violations the world over, many of which are condoned, or at least looked over, by entire governments. Then I write a paper or a blog, only to have it shelved, forgotten, or collecting page views in cyberspace. I'm a writer, yes, but I'm also goal oriented, and my writing needs to serve a purpose. As a major in international relations, I've read papers that say that our field should be one of theory, not practice. Or at least that a desire for action leads to a tainting of the academic field because it lends a biased perspective. Which is why, despite a gaggle of theorists, our world is one of inequality in economics, human rights, civil liberties, and every other aspect you can think of. It's as easy to feel satisfied in writing as it is to tithe in church; I'm paying my dues, I'm fulfilling my purpose. But will it make a difference, or just fill up the coffers? When will it feel like I've done enough? Probably when there is no longer a "great cry throughout the land".

Over the next month I will be researching human rights violations in the Gaza Strip. I am meeting with a number of expatriates and Americans who have traveled there and assisted in humanitarian work. One person in particular has traveled there recently in an attempt to deliver medical supplies. I wish with all my hear that I could go with him next time, so if someone feels like granting me a research fund feel free! Look for the posting in mid-January. Thank you all for reading :)

Connecting Violence with the Illegal Mineral Trade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

2010-10-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

Is violence in Eastern Congo, particularly gender-based violence, directly linked to the illegal trade of minerals? According to in-depth research conducted by the UN and others, in a word, yes. But how? And what can be done about it?

In a past blog, I wrote about the horrible mass rapes that occurred in Eastern Congo. I know, it's not a pleasant topic, and not one most people want to keep close tabs on. It's uncomfortable to read, painful to think about, and disturbing to even begin to try to empathize with. It has been in the news so much lately, however, that pressure is finally coming down on the Congolese government to stop this type of crime.

Eastern Congo is rich in minerals like cassiterite (tin ore), diamonds, gold and coltan, which is used in things from laptop computers to cell phones. The majority of these mines are controlled by rebel groups, foreign and national. To simplify this complicated situation, the rebels and militias are on a mission to control and conquer the villages that exist around the mines so that they have complete control over the minerals themselves. They use rape as a way to subjugate the people. Most families outcast the women once they have been raped and see them as unclean. Many women are unable to have children after the brutal attacks.

Before 1996, much of the DR Congo's resources were in the hands of civilians for trade. In order to fund their war effort, former president Mobutu militarized the mines and other industries, and ever since then more and more have fallen into the hands of rebel militias and the national military. According to a report released by the UN, “Civilians who attempted to resist the theft of their natural resources, or who did not collaborate with those in power, were subjected to attacks. Entire villages were displaced to make way for mineral or timber exploitation and armed groups engaged in massacres, sexual violence and cruel and inhuman treatment in the process. They also attacked and burned villages in order to seize coltan that had been mined artisanally by the residents.” This is apparently what happened in the Northern Kivu province a couple of months ago.

Actress Ashley Judd has taken trips to the Congo and raised awareness about the rape of women and the connection to the illegal mineral trade. She and others have said that we as consumers should stop buying the electronics that use coltan and make our point known to the industries that rely on them. The same UN report mentioned previously agrees with this:

“The illicit exploitation of natural resources in the DRC and the accompanying serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law could not have taken place on such a large scale had there not been customers willing to trade in these resources. Indeed, there was never any shortage of foreign buyers willing to handle these goods, despite the existence of reports denouncing the serious violations of international law committed by their trading and financial partners. Buyers included not only traders in the DRC and neighboring countries but also private companies registered in other countries, including multinationals.”

But to say that all that needs to be done is avoid purchasing products with these materials is short-sighted. To make the change final the government has to step up to the plate. Many militias and foreign armies in neighboring countries get their primary income from the resources in the Congo. In 2008 the government lost $450 million to foreign army and militia groups illegally trading resources. In 2009, experts working on the human rights violations from the UN sent 14 letters to the Congolese government with urgent appeals and letters of allegations. The Congolese government is hostile towards human rights workers and their message, labeling them “humanitarian terrorists”. Some of the groups they have labeled include Human Rights Watch, the International Federation of Human Rights League, and Global Witness. Multiple journalists and human rights defenders have been murdered in the nation because of their reports of human rights violations, including Bruno Koko Chirambiza, journalist at Radio Star on August 23^rd, 2009, Didace Namujimbo (murdered on 21 November 2008) and Serge Maheshe (murdered on 13 June 2007) . There is little cooperation between the government and any human rights work being done, and there will be no progress until the government makes changes. And in order to make changes, they must have money, money they could be getting from regulating the mineral trade.

In 2001, Joseph Kabila became president of the DRC. His father had been president before him by overthrowing former president Mutombo with the aid of Rwanda and other foreign armies. When Joseph Kabila became president, he called for peace between the countries. This is when the UN peacekeepers arrived. By 2003 all foreign forces had been pulled out of the DRC except for those from Rwanda. While the Second Congo War officially ended in 2003, there are still hostilities. It is a war that has had 5.4 million fatalities, more than any other since World War II. It does not all revolve around the illegal mineral trade, but huge changes could begin to be made if the Congolese government began there.

Most information in this blog is pulled from two UN reports. The first is titled “TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY-BUILDING : Second joint report of seven United Nations experts on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ”. It can be found at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AfricaRegion/Pages/RDCProjetMapping.aspx. The second is titled “Violence linked to natural resource exploitation ” and can be found on the same site under note 5.

A Conversation with Susan Johnson, Executive Director of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation

2010-10-04T10:21:00.001-07:00

This past Friday, October 1^st, I had the privilege of speaking with Susan Johnson, Executive Director of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation based out of Atlanta, GA. The foundation is a major relief effort set up by NBA All-Star Dikembe Mutombo of the Houston Rockets. Mutombo is a Democratic Republic of Congo native and has been recognized as the “Most Caring Athlete” by USA Today. He founded his organization in 1997, and the foundation's list of accomplishments is vast.

The most significant accomplishment to date is their remarkable Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center, which opened it's doors on December 4^th, 2007. Friday morning, Mutombo attended a symposium in the Congo celebrating the opening of a Radiology and Imaging Center, a huge step forward in the way patients will be treated. It is the first of its kind in the Congo and only the fifth in Africa. Many patients come to the hospital with acute strokes, but the hospital was, up until Friday, unable to treat them.

Dikembe Mutombo and his wife
Rose holding the thriving triplets

The hospital, located in the capital city of Kinshasa, has 170 beds, and generally admits between 100-150 people a day. It employs over 400 people. One employee is the father of triplets who were brought to the hospital on the brink of death. Before the existence of the Mutombo hospital, most Congolese felt that if you went to the hospital there would be little chance of coming out alive.

The parents of the triplets believed this, and abandoned the newborns. They were treated and restored to 100% health, but the parents were still nowhere to be found. Employees of the hospital were able to track them down and tell them the amazing news that their children were healthy and would survive and thrive, but the father was still distressed. He had no job and no way to pay for the care they received. On the spot, Dikembe Mutombo offered him a job as a janitor at the hospital, complete with medical benefits that would cover the babies' treatment. The parents were so grateful, they named the triplets Biamba, Dikembe, and Mutombo.

A young boy that was
burned badly, but
was healed at the hospital

The hospital particularly excels in the areas of maternity, orthopedics and pediatrics. They are in a pre-planning stage to build a Center of Excellence on Women's and Children's Health. Saving women and children is a high priority, says Johnson. Last year alone they were able to vaccinate 500 infants and toddlers and provide them with mosquito nets to help prevent malaria. The mosquito nets alone are not enough, she explains. They are in dire need of a vaccine for malaria, a disease that was once eradicated but is now the top health concern in the nation. There is hope for a vaccine by 2015, with trials as early as 2012, according to Joe Cohen, a GlaxoSmithKline researcher.¹

Needed interventions for mental health and gender-based violence are under discussion. The hospital will soon be able to perform fistula repair surgery, funded by a recent donation by the UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. Dr. Leon Mubikayi is an OB/GYN recently brought on to the hospital who specializes in this type of surgery. There will be a group of doctors traveling from Atlanta to begin work in this area.

Discussing this type of surgery with Johnson led to the topic of the mass rapes in Eastern Congo, an area that is almost a three hour flight away from the hospital. Despite a commonly held belief that the Congo is the worst place in the world for a woman to live, Johnson feels that is an accurate portrayal for Eastern Congo, but not necessarily the rest. An entire book by Laura Shannon entitled “A Thousand Sisters: My Journey into the Worst Place on Earth to be a Woman” is devoted to that subject.

Eastern Congo is rich in natural resources, and as such is a magnet for greed, corruption, and violence. A UN report released this week confirms the link between the violence, particularly gender-based violence, and conflict minerals. The report is well timed. I have read a number of comments on news sites that argue vehemently that there is no connection the two. I mentioned this to Johnson. Her response was succinct: what else could it be? When the majority of the violence occurs along the trade route used to export illegal minerals, what else could the reason for the violence be? In fact, with a little bit of research it becomes very clear how the two are connected and why, but I will discuss that in my next post.

A village that received solar lights and shoes.
The village renamed itself Mutombo Village

Johnson accompanied a group of high school students in 2008 to the Congo with the mission of bringing solar powered lights to the City of Hope, a place of refuge for IDPs (internally displaced peoples). The lights were battery powered, and it was clear that the Congolese would have difficulty operating the batteries, having never been exposed to them before. The group of 6-8 students, Susan Johnson, and Mr. Mutombo spent the entire night in a cramped hotel room, eating pizza and assembling 2500 lights. The next day, they drove to the village and presented the lights. Their cars got stuck in a quicksand type of terrain, stranding the group in the village until night. Johnson says you have never experienced something so dark as the dark of the Congo. Because of their delay, they were able to witness the lights turn on for the very first, along with the reaction of the village. Upon seeing the lights, Johnson felt that “now we understand the darkness”. The group also distributed shoes from a company called Shoes from the Soul, a Florida charity organization.

The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation is one of a number of humanitarian relief efforts working in the Congo. Sometimes, when there does not seem to be a solution to the conflict in a region, the best a person or organization can do is heal its' victims. The hospital is a true light of hope in a country where darkness dwells and hope can be hard to find.

Female patients and staff

1 http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100929/Malaria-vaccine-close-to-reality.aspx

The Congo and Voices of Refugees

2010-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a quick update on some ongoing research concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well an upcoming feature called Voices of Refugees. This coming Monday I will post a fascinating interview featuring the Executive Director of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, Susan Johnson. We will explore the issues the Congo is facing, such as the extreme violence against women and current health issues, along with what the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation is doing to alleviate some of the suffering.

Recently, I have had the privilege of meeting a number of female refugees from the Congo. I have quickly realized that they are in no state to make any type of comments on their experience in their beautiful, yet tragic, home country. One social worker close to the ladies informed me that they have just recently arrived, and are just now at the point where they have stopped simply sitting on the floor and staring at the wall. They have lived a life of terror. It will take much more than a sympathetic ear to begin to heal their wounds. The children adjust quicker than the adults, but the struggles they face upon entering a Western school and lifestyle is overwhelming. It is humbling to witness their quiet strength. I look forward to getting to know these families more and witnessing their metamorphosis as they heal and grow in Peace.

An Update on the Situation in the Congo

2010-09-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire, is worse than previously suspected, although it is hard to fathom anything much worse. The numbers of women systematically gang-raped has increased from an estimate of around 240 to now closer to 500, all during the same two week time period of July 30^th through somewhere around August 14^th. The growing number represents small villages in the North and South Kivu provinces that were attacked during the same period of time.

Numerous complaints have been made in online forums concerning the idea that the world does not care what happens in the Congo because there is nothing to gain materially from them. This assumption is wrong. In terms of natural resources, out of all the African countries, the Congo has the most to offer. Interestingly, many of the villages targeted were along the route that is used to traffic illegally extracted minerals. Margot Wallstrom, a UN special envoy on sexual violence in armed conflict, cited horrific accounts from women attacked around Kibua, a village in North Kivu. She reported that “militiamen shoved their hands inside women’s sexual organs to look for hidden gold and that the village was surrounded so that no one could run away.”[1]

Much has been done in the Congo and other African nations to bring the illegal trade of so-called blood diamonds, also called conflict diamonds (diamond that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments[2]) under control and stop the violence, but not enough[3].

All crime has its motivation. The issue of illegal trade serves to understand the motivation behind these heinous acts a little bit more, at least, more so than rape and torture for the sake of rape and torture. There must have been a unifying goal to get so many different militia groups working as one, over such a broad sweep of land, and such a short period of time. Four years ago I worked in a refugee camp in Europe. I recall meeting a group of young girls with beautiful eyes and energetic spirits. When I asked them where they were from, they replied in unison and with great pride, “The Congo!” They were there alone, having escaped to Angola on the back of a pick-up truck with a group of orphans. The war in the Congo has been going on since it first became independent, over forty years ago now. My hope is that as time goes on, the motivation will become known, and a solution found.

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/world/africa/08nations.html?_r=3&ref=world

[2] UN definition of conflict diamonds

[3] http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/congo.htm

Nearly 200 Women Gang-Raped Near UN Congo Base

2010-09-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

Nearly 200 Women Gang-Raped Near UN Congo BaseAugust 24, 2010 Crystal Huskey

On July 30, 2010, a series of breathtakingly atrocious crimes were committed against 200 women and four baby boys, ages one month, 6 months, one year and 18 month. Rwandan and Congelese rebels raped, pillaged, and plundered their way through a number of villages only a few miles away from a U.N. peacekeeping base. Now, more than three weeks later, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo has no statement to issue about the events.

The rebels blockaded the roads, keeping the victims in and the peacekeepers out. On top of that, there were only 25 peacekeepers stationed there. They were no match against the 200 to 400 rebels occupying the towns.

Many of the rebels were from the FDLR, the group that committed the mass genocide in 1994 in Rwanda. They fled to the Congo, and have been terrorizing the population there ever since. According to the survivors, they were accompanied by the Mai-Mai rebels. Mai-Mai is a term referring to basically any militia based group active in the Second Congo War (1998-2003) and its aftermath. Most were formed to resist the invasion of Rwandan forces and their affiliated Congolese rebel groups.

Last year, 8,300 rapes were reported in Eastern Congo, and many more cases are believed to be unreported. Using rape as a weapon has become shockingly commonplace in Africa. According to the International Rescue Committee, one of the primary aid organizations for survivors of rape in the Congo, “rape is used as a weapon of war in Congo. Armed groups rape to terrorize and control women and communities and to humiliate families. It’s calculated and it’s brutal. The International Rescue Committee is focusing on emergency care, counseling, prevention, advocacy and other support for survivors.”

A 2007 report in the New York Times describes the scene in Congo well by interviewing a gynecologist in a Congo hospital. "We don't know why these rapes are happening, but one thing is clear," says Dr Mukwege who works in south Kivu province, the epicenter of Congo's rape epidemic. "They are doing this to destroy women." According to John Holmes, the United Nations Undersecretary of Humanitarian Affairs, the sexual violence in Congo is the worst in the world. That seems to be an understatement. The escalation of rape in the Congo took off in the 1990s, a direct correlation to the waves of Hutu militiamen who escaped into the Congo forest after the genocide in Rwanda.

The problem is much bigger than the resources devoted to it and is escalating every day. The following aid groups are doing work in the region to support the victims of rape.

International Rescue Committee – www.theirc.org

Eastern Congo Initiative – www.easterncongo.org

Sakineh Ashtiani

2010-09-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Although Sakineh Ashtiani's case is being widely reported this week, I wanted to analyze the situation myself, even if for no other reason than to understand it more personally.

From the news reports, her story is summed up in a few facts:
Sakineh was sentenced to death for the crime of adultery and murder. The files containing the evidence on her husband's murder are missing. She was originally accused of an "illicit relationship" with two men (which occurred after her husband's death) and sentenced to 99 lashes. It wasn't until one of the men previously mentioned was linked to her husband's murder that she was accused of adultery while married and involvement in the murder. Her two children successfully voiced her story to the world and are lobbying to have her released, or at least not stoned.

None of the details of the murder case are available. She confessed under extreme duress and torture. It is not the crimes themselves (or lack thereof) that are at the center of the controversy, but the method of execution. According to www.apostatesofislam.com:

"In stoning to death, the victims's hands are tied behind their backs and their bodies are put in a cloth sack. Then, this human "package" is buried in a hole, with only the victims heads showing above the ground. If its a woman, she is buried upto her shoulders. This is to give her an seemingly equal (but nonetheless impossible) chance to escape recognizing her lesser physical strength. After the hapless individual has been secured in the hole, people start chanting "Allah hu Akbar" (meaning, God is great), and throw palm sized stones at the head of the victim from a certain distance (a circle is drawn). The stones are thrown until the person dies or until he/she escapes out of the hole and crosses the circle. Escaping is impossible, given that the individual's hands are tied behind their backs and they are buried in a hole upto their necks or shoulders (in the case of males and females respectively). Naturally, the procedure is extremely barbaric and bloody."

The events that have taken place this week have particularly astounded me. The Times of London published a picture of what was presumably Ashtiani without the traditional head dress. The Iranian regime declared that it was indecent for her to expose herself in that way, and subjected her to another 99 lashes. The Times claimed that they received the picture from her former lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaei, who in turn claimed to have received it from Ashtiani's son. There are many questions unanswered here, but I'm sure there is a lot going on behind the scenes that the public does not know about. Mostafaei was reunited with his family in Norway this past Thursday, after being separated from them since fleeing the country. They were previously held as political prisoners in order to place pressure on Mostafaei (www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/iran-must-end-harassment-stoning-case-lawyer-2010-07-28).

Many countries and groups have loudly declared their opposition to what is happening to Sakineh, including France, Brazil, and the Vatican. It is not simply a cry against one woman’s inhumane treatment, involving torture, threats, and ultimately a slow and painful death, but the lack of basic human rights being given to prisoners, whether political or criminal. Hopefully this can become a rallying point that will change the ways of the Iranian government and the future of its citizens.

For more information and ways to help Sakineh, visit www.freesakineh.org or http://www.facebook.com/savesakineh

For Amnesty International’s view on stoning in Iran, visit http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/campaigning-end-stoning-iran-20080115