Wednesday, January 13, 2010
For government class, we had to chose a certain resource that is being mismanaged somewhere around the world. It was our job to educate ourselves on that issue to the highest level possible, then try a make a difference using our democratic privileges. Our goal was to propose a solution to the problem that we studied, and then creatively find ways to implement it into modern day society. I chose to study human trafficking in Sudan and try to figure out possible solutions. I concluded that educating the public first was essential, and then once there was a substantial amount of people willing to take a stand with me, I could take it to the governmental level along with other organizations who believed that the violence in Sudan was unacceptable. The goal is to have the current administration follow through on the original plans that were stated and hopefully rescue girls, boys, women, and even men who are being trafficked today. We need to support Sudan in their efforts to become a more stable country.
Below I have posted the different efforts I have made to hopefully make a difference. I have included a summary of the issue, my letter to one of California's senators, an op-ed piece I wrote, and my PSA. If you would like to get involved or join movements for Sudan, check out these organizations online: The Enough Project, Invisible Children, and the Not For Sale Campaign.
Take a Stand for Human Trafficking in Sudan
Human trafficking is a global issue that is affecting many parts of the world. Today, there are over 27 million people enslaved for the purposes of forced labor or sexual slavery and over fifty percent of these people are children. Although most countries seem to have a handle on the matter, there are nine countries that have been dealing with trafficking to the extreme. Sudan, a country in Africa, is one general example of an area that has not been able to control crime due to violent and extremist rebel forces such as the Lord’s Rebellion Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony. Human trafficking in Sudan is causing surrounding countries that have advanced greatly from its previous state to back pedal into the world of trafficking again.
There have been many laws that have been put into place to stop human trafficking world wide, but none have been created specifically in or for Sudan. Ironically, this is the area where trafficking is most violent. After the civil war in Sudan ended and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed, it was expected that all civil unrest would stop and peace would finally be brought to Sudan. The CPA states that there would be an election for new government officials in 2010, however because of the rebel groups’ violent attacks against the people, many Sudanese people highly doubt that they will even have a chance to vote in the coming year. There is only one forceful group of people who are having any sort of success in putting a stop to both human trafficking and the LRA, and that is the Uganda’s Peoples Defense Force (UPDF). These groups of soldiers have already captured about sixty LRA members and have saved numerous victims. Due to the fact that the LRA is only being deconstructed and human trafficking victims are being rescued through military action, the United States should create a commission in partnership with the United Nations that will help create three plans of action specifically made for the country of Sudan. These three plans would each separately address ways to move forward in these three areas: social, economic, and military. This would give Sudan the opportunity to make great progress in the stopping of human trafficking while also reconstructing their crumbling culture and society. Ideally, these plans could mimic the Trafficking and Violence in Persons Act of 2000, which lays out clear guidelines on how to deal with traffickers such as “increasing prison terms for all slavery violations from 10 years to 20 years and adds life imprisonment where the violation involves the death, kidnapping, or sexual abuse of the victim” (New Legislation). The new law or act should be made specifically for Sudan so that there is no room for leaders to say that it is impossible to enforce or do. The new piece of legislation needs to be written and created on Sudan’s platform – taking into account the rare and fragile situation that the country is in. Hopefully, the elections will be able to take place and new officials could make change within the country while having their successful influence spill over into other countries. Sudan cannot do this alone. They need to attempt to rebuild their governmental system as well as their people’s pride and faith in the country from the ground up. The LRA needs to be taken out, because if they are still thriving, then the human trafficking business will thrive. There will never be peace for the people in Sudan if the government doesn’t take a stand against entire trafficking business as a whole.
Human Trafficking in Sudan Op-Ed
In honor of human trafficking awareness month, I thought that I would address some of the issues that are currently plaguing the globe. Worldwide, there are over 27 million humans enslaved for various forms of prostitution and forced labor. While many countries are able to get some sort of handle on this issue by complying with the Trafficking and Violence in Persons Act, there are 9 others who do not the level of development, resources, or structure to follow such guidelines. One of these 9 is Sudan, a country in eastern Africa. The degree of the poverty, violence, and civil unrest in Sudan is far too great to even think about putting a stop to human trafficking without help. To add on to the already corrupted government’s issues, there is a very large armed force called the Lord’s Rebellion Army, or LRA, which is practically running the human trafficking business in both Sudan and Uganda which is one of its neighboring countries. The LRA often ambushes villages killing the men, abducting the women and children, and taking any valuables, resources, or items that could be useful to them such as drugs, weapons, water, food, etc. Once they have taken what they need, they usually light the village on fire and leave. Families are separated, girls and women are bought and sold, and boys are brainwashed into hating and killing their own people. To date, the LRA has abducted over 20,000 people and have killed many more. Sudan’s elections are set to take place this year, but when the people are asked about their right to vote and how they will make their decisions, they give no answer other than, “it isn’t going to happen”. They believe that there will be a war far before they have the chance to vote for new government officials, let alone finally be separated from Sudan. Until there is governmental change and the LRA is stopped, human trafficking in Sudan will still be the largest crime next to weapons trafficking in the country. The supportive force of other developed countries and their citizens needs to be an extremely powerful one if change is going to be brought. People need to begin taking a stand for what they believe and start realizing that it is their duty and responsibility as a privileged human to help others that are in need of our assistance.
If anyone would like to take a stand and help the human trafficking Sudan movement, I encourage you to look into organizations such as the Not For Sale Campaign, the Enough Project, and Invisible Children. Sign up for their news letters and even become part of their weekly, monthly, biannual, and annual donations. You can also organize drives at your school, work, or church to gather any necessities to send to villages in countries in Africa. I urge you to understand the issue, make your voice heard, and take a stand for those who are unable to make a change for themselves. Your help will become part of a massive movement to bring peace to Sudan.
Letter to Senator
Dear Mrs. Barbara Boxer,
I am writing to you so that I may express my concerns about the very critical and pressing issue of human trafficking in Sudan. As you may know, the war in Darfur, a region in Sudan is becoming more violent and ruthless each day. What began as a fight for “equality” has turned into what the United States calls genocide. However there are other issues that go hand in hand with the war such as the abduction of Sudanese people by rebel groups for the purposes of forced labor and sexual slavery. Women, children, and even men are taken from their villages so that they can be bought and sold for drugs, money, or weapons. It does not matter what your ethnicity, religion, or beliefs are, no person should be put in the type of situation where their life is looked at as an economic commodity.
The majority of children in the United States are extremely privileged in the sense that they will probably never have to endure anything like the war in Darfur and all that goes with it. Still, it is inexcusable for the United States to just watch these people suffer through such cruel and unjust treatment. America is extremely progressive in the area of human rights, and we should be extending these ideals and morals to every end of the earth. In almost all cases, countries just need a starting point so they can begin to deal with the issue. A U.N. human rights advocate stated, “children in Sudan, especially in the Darfur region, continue to be abducted for use in battle, forced labor or sexual exploitation”. Because America is a prominent force and influential example to the world, I urge you to create a commission to specifically look into and research the human trafficking issue in Sudan as in depth as possible so that some sort of action plan can be created. This commission would work along side the U.N. and raise awareness on the issue of human rights within our borders as well as countries abroad through investigation, research, and public opinion.
In order for America to continue as one of the greatest human rights advocates in the world, there must be extreme effort put forth so that trafficking in Sudan can be stopped. I implore you once again to consider creating a commission and plan for Sudan so that in the future, the world can be come a virtually unified and victimless place.
Sincerely,
Jessica Brownlee
Below I have posted the different efforts I have made to hopefully make a difference. I have included a summary of the issue, my letter to one of California's senators, an op-ed piece I wrote, and my PSA. If you would like to get involved or join movements for Sudan, check out these organizations online: The Enough Project, Invisible Children, and the Not For Sale Campaign.
Take a Stand for Human Trafficking in Sudan
Human trafficking is a global issue that is affecting many parts of the world. Today, there are over 27 million people enslaved for the purposes of forced labor or sexual slavery and over fifty percent of these people are children. Although most countries seem to have a handle on the matter, there are nine countries that have been dealing with trafficking to the extreme. Sudan, a country in Africa, is one general example of an area that has not been able to control crime due to violent and extremist rebel forces such as the Lord’s Rebellion Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony. Human trafficking in Sudan is causing surrounding countries that have advanced greatly from its previous state to back pedal into the world of trafficking again.
There have been many laws that have been put into place to stop human trafficking world wide, but none have been created specifically in or for Sudan. Ironically, this is the area where trafficking is most violent. After the civil war in Sudan ended and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed, it was expected that all civil unrest would stop and peace would finally be brought to Sudan. The CPA states that there would be an election for new government officials in 2010, however because of the rebel groups’ violent attacks against the people, many Sudanese people highly doubt that they will even have a chance to vote in the coming year. There is only one forceful group of people who are having any sort of success in putting a stop to both human trafficking and the LRA, and that is the Uganda’s Peoples Defense Force (UPDF). These groups of soldiers have already captured about sixty LRA members and have saved numerous victims. Due to the fact that the LRA is only being deconstructed and human trafficking victims are being rescued through military action, the United States should create a commission in partnership with the United Nations that will help create three plans of action specifically made for the country of Sudan. These three plans would each separately address ways to move forward in these three areas: social, economic, and military. This would give Sudan the opportunity to make great progress in the stopping of human trafficking while also reconstructing their crumbling culture and society. Ideally, these plans could mimic the Trafficking and Violence in Persons Act of 2000, which lays out clear guidelines on how to deal with traffickers such as “increasing prison terms for all slavery violations from 10 years to 20 years and adds life imprisonment where the violation involves the death, kidnapping, or sexual abuse of the victim” (New Legislation). The new law or act should be made specifically for Sudan so that there is no room for leaders to say that it is impossible to enforce or do. The new piece of legislation needs to be written and created on Sudan’s platform – taking into account the rare and fragile situation that the country is in. Hopefully, the elections will be able to take place and new officials could make change within the country while having their successful influence spill over into other countries. Sudan cannot do this alone. They need to attempt to rebuild their governmental system as well as their people’s pride and faith in the country from the ground up. The LRA needs to be taken out, because if they are still thriving, then the human trafficking business will thrive. There will never be peace for the people in Sudan if the government doesn’t take a stand against entire trafficking business as a whole.
Human Trafficking in Sudan Op-Ed
In honor of human trafficking awareness month, I thought that I would address some of the issues that are currently plaguing the globe. Worldwide, there are over 27 million humans enslaved for various forms of prostitution and forced labor. While many countries are able to get some sort of handle on this issue by complying with the Trafficking and Violence in Persons Act, there are 9 others who do not the level of development, resources, or structure to follow such guidelines. One of these 9 is Sudan, a country in eastern Africa. The degree of the poverty, violence, and civil unrest in Sudan is far too great to even think about putting a stop to human trafficking without help. To add on to the already corrupted government’s issues, there is a very large armed force called the Lord’s Rebellion Army, or LRA, which is practically running the human trafficking business in both Sudan and Uganda which is one of its neighboring countries. The LRA often ambushes villages killing the men, abducting the women and children, and taking any valuables, resources, or items that could be useful to them such as drugs, weapons, water, food, etc. Once they have taken what they need, they usually light the village on fire and leave. Families are separated, girls and women are bought and sold, and boys are brainwashed into hating and killing their own people. To date, the LRA has abducted over 20,000 people and have killed many more. Sudan’s elections are set to take place this year, but when the people are asked about their right to vote and how they will make their decisions, they give no answer other than, “it isn’t going to happen”. They believe that there will be a war far before they have the chance to vote for new government officials, let alone finally be separated from Sudan. Until there is governmental change and the LRA is stopped, human trafficking in Sudan will still be the largest crime next to weapons trafficking in the country. The supportive force of other developed countries and their citizens needs to be an extremely powerful one if change is going to be brought. People need to begin taking a stand for what they believe and start realizing that it is their duty and responsibility as a privileged human to help others that are in need of our assistance.
If anyone would like to take a stand and help the human trafficking Sudan movement, I encourage you to look into organizations such as the Not For Sale Campaign, the Enough Project, and Invisible Children. Sign up for their news letters and even become part of their weekly, monthly, biannual, and annual donations. You can also organize drives at your school, work, or church to gather any necessities to send to villages in countries in Africa. I urge you to understand the issue, make your voice heard, and take a stand for those who are unable to make a change for themselves. Your help will become part of a massive movement to bring peace to Sudan.
Letter to Senator
Dear Mrs. Barbara Boxer,
I am writing to you so that I may express my concerns about the very critical and pressing issue of human trafficking in Sudan. As you may know, the war in Darfur, a region in Sudan is becoming more violent and ruthless each day. What began as a fight for “equality” has turned into what the United States calls genocide. However there are other issues that go hand in hand with the war such as the abduction of Sudanese people by rebel groups for the purposes of forced labor and sexual slavery. Women, children, and even men are taken from their villages so that they can be bought and sold for drugs, money, or weapons. It does not matter what your ethnicity, religion, or beliefs are, no person should be put in the type of situation where their life is looked at as an economic commodity.
The majority of children in the United States are extremely privileged in the sense that they will probably never have to endure anything like the war in Darfur and all that goes with it. Still, it is inexcusable for the United States to just watch these people suffer through such cruel and unjust treatment. America is extremely progressive in the area of human rights, and we should be extending these ideals and morals to every end of the earth. In almost all cases, countries just need a starting point so they can begin to deal with the issue. A U.N. human rights advocate stated, “children in Sudan, especially in the Darfur region, continue to be abducted for use in battle, forced labor or sexual exploitation”. Because America is a prominent force and influential example to the world, I urge you to create a commission to specifically look into and research the human trafficking issue in Sudan as in depth as possible so that some sort of action plan can be created. This commission would work along side the U.N. and raise awareness on the issue of human rights within our borders as well as countries abroad through investigation, research, and public opinion.
In order for America to continue as one of the greatest human rights advocates in the world, there must be extreme effort put forth so that trafficking in Sudan can be stopped. I implore you once again to consider creating a commission and plan for Sudan so that in the future, the world can be come a virtually unified and victimless place.
Sincerely,
Jessica Brownlee
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Adventures
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Jeremy White sees himself lounging on a beach in Hawaii, and for a guy who’s life has been one big adventure, it’s not surprising. After 33 years of life, he’s traveled the world, played as a drummer in multiple bands, and has even owned his own business. From the day he was born until he was an official adult he lived in Sacramento, California. In high school, he developed an interest in music, which soon evolved into one of his largest passions. Music gave him a chance to travel the world and see new places with different bands. Once these doors began to open, he realized that Sacramento was the type of place that people can grow out of. Although his passion for music was strong, it gave him the opportunity to explore new interests, such as travel.
One of the bands had signed a record deal with Interscope records and was going on tour in Japan. Jeremy wasn’t a fan of their music, but how many people get to tour another country as a drummer in a band? His curiosity and thirst for new experiences overpowered his life in Sacramento, and he decided to go for it. Touring Japan for a year and being completely surrounded by music taught him two very important things. One being that he loved to travel and two, the life of a musician wasn’t for him. As passionate as he was about music, he couldn’t continue living the life of a traveling drummer. Although he quit the music business, he still wanted to see the world, so he traveled all over the globe to places like Italy, France, Spain, Costa Rica, and Mexico, and then returned home to begin his new adventure.
In Jeremy’s many travels, he learned a few extremely important lessons about the world, people, and human nature. Life is all about the different experiences and opportunities you can take advantage of. Don’t look back on your decisions as bad because you made them with the knowledge that you had at the time. Jeremy White explored all the possibilities, got out of his comfort zone, and took chances. His adventure is far from over.
One of the bands had signed a record deal with Interscope records and was going on tour in Japan. Jeremy wasn’t a fan of their music, but how many people get to tour another country as a drummer in a band? His curiosity and thirst for new experiences overpowered his life in Sacramento, and he decided to go for it. Touring Japan for a year and being completely surrounded by music taught him two very important things. One being that he loved to travel and two, the life of a musician wasn’t for him. As passionate as he was about music, he couldn’t continue living the life of a traveling drummer. Although he quit the music business, he still wanted to see the world, so he traveled all over the globe to places like Italy, France, Spain, Costa Rica, and Mexico, and then returned home to begin his new adventure.
In Jeremy’s many travels, he learned a few extremely important lessons about the world, people, and human nature. Life is all about the different experiences and opportunities you can take advantage of. Don’t look back on your decisions as bad because you made them with the knowledge that you had at the time. Jeremy White explored all the possibilities, got out of his comfort zone, and took chances. His adventure is far from over.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Barder and the Magic Turban
Barder was always a weak dog, and now since he was pushing 12 years, he was barely able to walk. His owner, Max was now 8 years old and always wanted to play with Barder. One day, Max took him on a long walk around the neighborhood. As they were walking down by the junkyard, something caught Max’s eye. It was a bright orange turban lying over an old tire. Barder laid down as his owner went to go grab it. As Max put the turban on, he began to float high up in the air. Barder watched and tried to bark at Max, but he couldn’t. Max slowly unraveled the turban as he was flying throw the air and came back down to the ground. He walked over to Barder and put his arms around him, while rewrapping the turban. They flew over the whole town. It was the best day of Barder’s life. He was able to fly anywhere without any limits. He had had these limits all his life and now he didn’t. By the time they landed Barder couldn’t breath. Max started to talk to him and tell him how it was the turban was the coolest thing he had ever found, but Barder was already dead. Max gave Barder a huge hug, put the turban back on, and flew to the pet store to buy a new puppy.
Photography Credit: Jon Van Holleben
Government in Uganda
The government in Uganda as of today is highly unstable and corrupt, and in my opinion, there isn't any sign of drastic change in the near future. The riots that broke out on September 10, 2009, led by the supporters of one of the traditional kings, lasted two days, and only brought more injuries and death to an already suffering country. The government has been fighting the extremely rebellious Lord's Army Rebellion (LRA) for over two decades, and they aren't showing much sign of slowing down. Rioting has been a strong form of expression for the LRA for years and because their country is in such poor shape, it's easier to get away with such actions. Uganda is a country that has been struck with extreme violence and poverty which is probably only going to get worse in the years leading up to the 2011 elections. Uganda's President made a statement saying that their mercy for rioters has run out, but that doesn't mean that there won't be more riots. With the current state that Uganda is in-filled with economic hardships, poverty, corruption, and violence- effort is required of the people, government, and the LRA if Uganda wants to turn their country around.
Photography Credit: Time Magazine
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
I Love You, New York
With her lesson plan book in hand, Marie O'Hara walked through the turnstyles to take the 6:00 am train into New York City to make it to New York University in time for the first class she was teaching at 7:30. It was her first class of the new school year. Neither teaching nor art were passions of hers anymore. It was lost. Lost with something else that was extrememly important to her. She used to be an amazing photographer when she was younger. Back when she had started teaching at the University. Back before she had two children in college and one in grad school. Back before her husband died in the World Trade Center attacks. Now she was a mediocre artist. Her photographs, paintings, drawings and sculptures all had no meaning. She was living a plain life, everything in black and white, which is exactly what her art was doing. Nothing in her life was for herself or for fun. It was always for someone else.
By the time she got to campus, it was 6:45 am, and New York's streets were beginning to fill with life. The CEO getting out of his limo complete with his $4,000 suit, specially fitted Italian leather shoes, and bluetooth glued to his ear. He walked straight past the homeless man complete with his free jacket taken out of a dumpster, shoes that were 3 sizes to big, with one broken bluetooth in each ear in an effort to block out some of the streets' noise. The yellow taxi cabs eagerly waiting on the side of 6th Avenue for anyone who needs a lift for $.40 a mile. Newspaper stands opening up and brewing coffee for a New Yorker who needs their daily dose of caffine. These were the things that Marie used to love photographing with all her heart. She remember the day that everything changed for her.
On September 11, 2001, Marie had been teaching at NYU for 3 years. It was a day like any other. She woke her 2 daughters and one son - all teenagers, and brewed coffee for her husband, Bill while getting together all of her papers. She put her kids on the bus and she and her husband walked to the station to make the 7:30 train. It was like any other day. He went to the Center and she went to the University. Tonight was going to be different. Tonight was special. They had reservations at Chanterelle because tonight was going to be the night her photography exhibit opened. It had taken her 5 years to perfect everything. She had finally compiled the perfect group of photographs, found the perfect studio, and she was going to share it all with her husband and children. She didn't know much about how this whole exhibition thing was supposed to run, but she knew she wanted it to be perfect. Marie cancelled class that day so she could go straight to the exhibit. She walked to the building, stood outside the glass doors, and looked up. There it was. I Love You, New York by Marie O'Hara. It was what she had been waiting for her whole life. Out of every photograph she had taken, every exhibit she'd had, this was her masterpiece. She unlocked the doors and walked across the dark hardwood floors. She laid her bag down on the ground, grabbed the old style radio, and sat in the middle of the floor. She turned on the radio, waiting to hear the jazz music she listened to every day at this time. Marie didn't hear jazz music when she turned on the radio. She heard voices. Frantic, loud, scared voices. "At approximately 8:46 am, a hijacked airplane crashed into the North Trade Center Tower". Bill worked in the North Tower.
Photography Credit: Bill Sullivan
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