SPLCenter.org: Policing the Undocumented

SPLCenter.org: Policing the Undocumented: "In recent months, a number of localities -- including Avon Park, Fla., and Hazleton, Pa. -- have proposed ordinances to regulate immigration by punishing those who aid and abet 'illegal aliens.' While this might sound like a reasonable idea -- who, after all, wants to support illegal behavior? -- the ordinances are deeply flawed, unconstitutional, and will lead to discrimination against all immigrants and many minorities. A 'model' ordinance has been making the rounds of various cities around the country. What it proposes to do is to punish people who hire, rent to, or sell to so-called 'illegal aliens.' But what the law does not do is tell local employers, landlords and businesspeople how to do that without running afoul of other laws -- like the Fair Housing Act and civil rights laws that prohibit racial and ethnic profiling. It does not tell a landlord how to identify an illegal alien; in many cases, it does not even tell a landlord who would qualify as an illegal alien."

Russia's Losing Economy

Ford Motor Company had a strike a few days ago in Vsevolozhsk, Russia, causing over a million dollar loss in production. The foreign car company had workers walk November 22 in St. Petersburg as well.

Since the walk off Toyota and Nissan are building near Vsevolzhsk. It has been called the Detroit of Russia, with an amazing turn around in car sales.

The upcoming strike supports the fact that this post-Soviet country has a tightened economy from a few years ago. These plants have made wages higher; they have gone from 15-20 percent increase and are demanding 40 percent now.

Around average pay is about 880 dollars, 21,500 rubles in Russia. People expect good pay for good work. Russia has had a recent population decrease and with limited workers and economic growth, it has killed available jobs.

Toyota’s move has offered jobs alongside Nissan for experienced workers. Since Ford’s need for money, other companies have jumped on the bandwagon for increases as well.

Vsevolozhsk is almost a slummy neighborhood with “concrete apartment blocks” and the unemployment line empty. Ford still states that their wages are among the highest and the average is around 530 dollars a month, 13,000 rubles in Russia.

The company feels they can help but the wages the workers want are too hard to achieve. Also the workers want shorter hours, overtime triple to that of base pay (which is twice now), and “formula indexing wages” for better standards of living. Only time will tell as millions are being negotiated.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/08/business/worldbusiness/08auto-web.html?ref=worldbusiness

Arrests Continue Amidst International Inaction

According to the Human Rights website, there were many more people that were killed in the violent crackdown than the Burmese government has admitted and the foreign media firstly predicated. Since the military crackdown had started, the military regime had hunted down any force that opposed there regime from protestors to monks. The report that is entitled “Crackdown: repression of the 2007 popular protest in Burma” is a 140 page report that interviews over 100 eye witnesses in Burma and Thailand. This report by many media critics has been cited as the most accurate account for what occurred in the events of August and September. According to the human rights report and in accordance to the 140 page report on the issues, it states that the security forces shit into the crowds using live ammunition and rubber bullets. After this the police continued by beating the demonstrators intensely, and then followed by detaining arresting the protestors.

In my opinion this demonstrates the cruelty and ill treatment that the Burmese protestors had received by their government. This peaceful form of protest which was undertaken by the Burmese people never should have been interrupted by the military regime. This instead has reinforced the notion for the outside world that the Burmese government is snatching power from the people by not allowing them to take part in a peaceful protest.


(posted for 12/7/2007)

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/12/05/burma17481.htm

Visualizing globalization

http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=ddj9xzjd_330njqmxgdt

Penny Foolish - New York Times

Penny Foolish - New York Times: "THE migrant farm workers who harvest tomatoes in South Florida have one of the nation’s most backbreaking jobs. For 10 to 12 hours a day, they pick tomatoes by hand, earning a piece-rate of about 45 cents for every 32-pound bucket. During a typical day each migrant picks, carries and unloads two tons of tomatoes. For their efforts, this holiday season many of them are about to get a 40 percent pay cut. Florida’s tomato growers have long faced pressure to reduce operating costs; one way to do that is to keep migrant wages as low as possible. Although some of the pressure has come from increased competition with Mexican growers, most of it has been forcefully applied by the largest purchaser of Florida tomatoes: American fast food chains that want millions of pounds of cheap tomatoes as a garnish for their hamburgers, tacos and salads. In 2005, Florida tomato pickers gained their first significant pay raise since the late 1970s when Taco Bell ended a consumer boycott by agreeing to pay an extra penny per pound for its tomatoes, with the extra cent going directly to the farm workers. Last April, McDonald’s agreed to a similar arrangement, increasing the wages of its tomato pickers to about 77 cents per bucket. But Burger King, whose headquarters are in Florida, has adamantly refused t"

Ireland goes green with light bulb rules and car tax

In Ireland there is going to be a switch from traditional light bulbs to favor energy-efficient bulbs that produce less carbon-dioxide emissions. As well as putting a ban on the traditional light bulbs, cars will be penalized for high emissions. All this will go into effect in about a year. By not using old incandescent light bulbs the carbon-dioxide emissions could be cut by up to 700,000 tons. This is a huge Ireland is taking a leading role in banning traditional light bulbs as early as 2009. reduction of toxins. Ireland seems to be taking this ban seriously and is one of the first to set clear goals for the future. Instead of suggestions Ireland is taking steps to ensure that the ban is set in place, and placing rigid restrictions on cars. In recent years the economic boom in Ireland has caused increases energy consumption and emissions. It is the hope that the new restrictions will help out the economy and improve environmental records.
This new ban on light bulbs seems like a small move to improve emissions but the numbers prove different. If the emissions can be cut so drastically by the new guidelines then they should be implemented. If everyone is aware of the upcoming ban then it will probably work. By placing tax restrictions on vehicles more people will want to drive more environmentally friendly cars. It is important that places like London that have had a bad reputation in the past for pollution, to set clear goals and plans for the future to change. For London the plans are even bigger for the future and more extreme guidelines will be set to meet the goals for 2020.


Jennifer Collins
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL0660168620071207?sp=true

The Do Over Battle

British and Afghan forces surrounded a town on Friday in preparation for an airborne assault by U.S. troops in a town where 2,000 Taliban fighters are believed to be held up. Musa Qala was captured by the Taliban in February without a single shot fired and the radical movement fighting to expel foreign forces from Afghanistan and reimpose its harsh brand of Islamic rule has held the town ever since. The battle for Musa Qala is expected to be intense because of the value to both sides. For the Taliban, there’s a major symbolic value in being able to hold a town in a country allegedly under the control of more than 40,000 NATO troops and their Afghan allies. Musa Qala is a useful command center for an insurgent army making it important that NATO dislodge the Taliban. That, and the fact that it’s a do-over, correcting what many officials see as a mistake by the British forces that allowed the Taliban to take control of in the first place.

The problem for NATO is that Musa Qala may be a very visible Taliban position but it’s only one of hundreds by some estimates, today, there is a permanent Taliban presence in more than half Afghanistan, and NATO struggling to expand its troop strength from reluctant European nations, is not well placed to roll it back.

New Developments between Palestine and Israel since Peace Talk in Maryland

Almost two weeks have passed since the Mideast Peace Conference in Annapolis, Maryland, and there have already been some serious improvements in the relations between Palestine and Israel. About one week ago today, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas closed down 92 charities that had been taken over and run as "financial empires" by Hamas. Hamas claims that only Palestinian citizens will suffer because of how many people relied on those charities; the Palestinian government has already created 11 new charities to take the place of many of those 92 that were closed. Earlier that same day, Israel released 429 Palestinian prisoners, most of which were taken into custody from Abbas's Fatah movement (in combat with Hamas) a few years ago. The results of the Peace Conference have brought very mixed reactions from people around the world, especially in Israel and Palestine. The Conference held no final decisions on actions to be taken in the future except that a peace deal between Palestine and Israel will (hopefully) be made and agreed upon by the end of 2008. The actions taken by both governments in the last two weeks, however, provide at least some amount of assurance that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were serious in Annapolis when they came to their agreement. Let's hope this upcoming year brings real progress for both governments and their citizens.

"Abbas cracks down on Hamas charities; Israel frees 429 Palestinian prisoners"
The Associated Press
2 December 2007
International Herald Tribune
Ramallah, West Bank
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/03/africa/ME-GEN-Israel-Palestinians.php?page=1

Post 15

Saudi rape lawyer hearing delayed

The girl who was ganged raped was put under fire for bringing the media into things, which added to her sentence. Her laywer, Abdul Rahman al-Lahem, has now been targeted as well.
The Saudi lawyer who represented a gang rape victim had his disciplinary hearing for "insulting the Supreme Judicial Council and disobeying the rules and regulations" of the judiciary postponed to an unspecified date, according to The Associated Press.
There have been calls for his beheading. But he keeps saying he's done nothing wrong.
"I believe in the system and the law, and I believe I didn't do anything wrong," Abdul Rahman al-Lahem told CNN in a telephone interview from Riyadh on Tuesday.
In challenging his possible suspension and disbarment, the 36-year-old attorney said he has received threats on his life from the religious right. But the foreign minister's call for a review of the case -- joined by "many voices" of al-Lahem's generation, as he put it -- have been encouraging, he added.
"Young people in all fields are asking for reform, in the judicial system, media and elsewhere," he said. "I belong to a new generation of lawyers who know the law and know how to challenge judges about the law."
He said his opponents' influence is on the wane. "They believe that any criticism of the judiciary system is a direct criticism of the Islamic Sharia law, and they consider that any criticism is a criticism of religion itself," he said.
I'm just glad it seems that they are making some effort to change things and defend the victimized girl. It's insane to me how much punishment she's receiving over all of this.

(For yesterday's event)

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/12/05/saudi.lawyer/index.html

Burma lying- source

http://libproxy.uncg.edu:2086/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?risb=21_T2674548318&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T2674548321&cisb=22_T2674548320&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=10939&docNo=10

Burma is lying about democracy protest death toll, says rights group

The Burmese junta, according to the US-based campaign group Human Rights Watch, are lying about the death count accumulated over the course of their government crackdown that has been going on since August. This report contains interviews with 100 witnesses who were present for these fatal incidents. One witness said the bullets came "like rain." Another person said that when the tear gas and guns were fired so many people went down. There are accounts of innocent civilians being shot, run over by trucks, and tortured and beaten. The report states that due to the incredible count of unarmed demonstrators who were killed the junta is reluctant to disclose the true death toll. On top of the milieu of actual death counts we still need to account for the number of people who were captured and detained. Nobody know where they are or what has happened to them. According to the Human Rights watch it is time for the UN to act on this and take care of the Burmese junta and this reign of tyranny.

I certainly believe that the junta is lying about the actual death count accumulated under their control. Just from what we read in the paper and hear on the news everyone knows what they are doing over there and know the situation is very bad. They have reason to be scared. They murdered unarmed civilians and who knows what has happened to the numbers of people captured. However, I'm not sure what I think of the witness accounts as truly reliable evidence. By this I don't mean that anybody is lying... and some accounts are very accurate. They saw people die right next to them. I'm more referring to the statements that the bullets were "like rain" and "so many people went down with their shots..." the broader generalizations. I mean, rain has a lot of different consistencies. It can be drizzling, pouring, sprinkling, who knows. Actually that one is kind of a joke. The statement that so many people fell is suspicious if you are looking at this objectively. The junta did fire heavily onto the civilians. There is no doubt about that. I guess if I got shot at I would fall, too, because I was afraid of getting hit. Falling in a shower of bullets does not denote death. But this is all really irrelevant. The junta are probably lying about their numbers. They have every reason to. I suppose what I'm going for in explaining this irrelevant idea is that it is a plausible argument. Even so, the number left bleeding to death after the crowd dissipated would surely prove numbers. We don't need to know there was heavy gun fire to know there was death. That is obvious. Thus, while it is a good description of the events it is not sufficient, to me, to prove how many died. Whatever. So I rant. This is my last post.

Read fine print when it comes to insurance

In Australia, travelers insurance is being examined. A new report states that only one in three Australian’s buy travel insurance when traveling out of country. Those amongst the least covered are those between the ages of 18 and 24. The director of Travel Insurance warns travelers purchasing insurance to read with caution the fine print. Often the fine print states that the insurance does not cover acts of terror or war. One statement from an insurance company was “basically no one is willing to insure war”. Policies are often not available for countries experiencing continuing terror acts and other countries that Australia advises against traveling to. These countries include Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Iraq, Somalia and Sudan. If an act of terrorism does occur you are not covered medically by the policy but they will do whatever they can to get you out of the situation. One example of an unexpected attack was two British newlyweds who were honeymooning in Maldives were injured in a bombing and were not covered by medical because the incident was an act of terror. The Maldives government stepped in and sent them home on a plane as soon as possible to be treated for severe burns. So the moral of the lesson is to look at your policy closely and weigh your options with the country you are traveling to and how safe you will be within your stay.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/read-the-fine-print/2007/12/06/1196812897410.html

Schoolgirls Not Going to School Due to Violence

The governments is West Africa are in need to adopt national policie concerning violence against schoolgirls to improve the girl's education. These schoolgirls encounter rape by teachers, verbal abuse by male students, and they are forced into early marriage. An international advocacy and campaign coordinator for ActionAid International, Victorine Djitrinou, believes that the question about violence should be solved. West Africa has the worse educational gender disparities in the world compared to other countries. There are more than eight million girls out of primary school. ActionAid has been stating for years that the violence in the school contributes as a huge problem to their education. Yet, at a conference most countries said that they do not have laws to fight violence against girls, and laws that are in place are rarely applied. There are not many people in Africa who are concerned about this issue.

I think that this is really sad! Reading this really made me mad, and I strongly believe that the government should take some type of action. The schoolgirls deserve to be in school just as much as the schoolboys. It's a shame that the girls in West Africa are being controlled to that extent. If this issue was brought to the attention of the right people globally, then I believe that justice will be served!

United States shipping unused biomass to Britain

http://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/nrgs2007/20070131.html
The Prenergy Power Limited Company in Great Britain is building a 350 megawatt energy facility in South Wales. The company which basically is a power plant for renewables will be called the Port Talbot Renewable Energy Plant will operate on a 24hour a day 7 day a week schedule. Upon its completion the plant will generate enough power to service about half the homes in Wales. The power plant alone will contribute about 70% to the Welsh government's energy target, which all will originate from a renewable source of energy. When generated by the plant the new electricity will travel via underground cables to local holding facilities. The renewable source of energy the power plant is relying on to make electricity is being shipped from America. The biomass source is from wood chips that America is exporting to Great Britain directly to the Port Talbot Energy facility. One ask why is America shipping out valuable biomass to another country. The answer is that enough facilities do not exist here in America for us to begin processing biomass into energy. There obviously is a problem that exist here. I believe that we should follow the lead of the Europeans, and begin building more facilities. The problem always leads back to the mighty dollar because these plants are extremely expensive to build, however the environmental payoff will be felt for generations to come.

Health Care Reform and Quality Assurance in Costa Rica

Over the past years, Costa Rica has been undergoing an organizational change that is crucial for health care delivery. Under the health sector reform program, the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (CCSS) has become responsible for both preventive and curative health services in the country. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is strengthening its role as the institution responsible for establishing standards and monitoring their application in health care delivery. A new integrated model for health services complements this shift in responsibilities, based on the principles of decentralization of health care delivery and a larger involvement by the community and health service providers in decision-making processes. The main goals of this reform plan include better access, quality, and delivery of health care services based on the needs of the target population. Costa Rica has taken the search for improvement of quality health care seriously, and has initiated several activities in that area. The Quality Assurance Project, together with the Latin American/Caribbean Health and Nutrition Sustainability Contract (LAC HNS), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided technical assistance to introduce continuous quality improvement methodology in seven hospitals and clinics in the South Central Health Region. This intervention was expected to result in concrete improvements for specific problems in each of these health facilities, and to serve as a model to be duplicated in health facilities elsewhere in the country.

Mariam Ahmad

African School Succeeds Against the Odds

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hJO4Zouuup37SUWRJ5FLW0OYCQuAD8TCMNC80

Since this is our last blog I decided to find an article that ends on a high note and that was a little hard to find. I found one article that was mostly positive, but as always there were some sad facts. There is a small Chiseka school on the outskirts of Malawi, Africa that is “overhauling” their education. They are doing this so that they can reach the UN’s goal of having every child enrolled in primary school by 2015. Chiseka is doing the better than the other districts when it comes to education. The article stated that “last year all 40 students in the eighth grade passed their exams and 30 did well enough to qualify for secondary school.” This is very good considering that in this country less than 30% of students finish primary school. Only one in two children does not finish primary school, and many do not go to school at all. I like that in the article it stated that their “aim is not to produce doctors or engineers.” Their focus is on teaching them to read, to be able to do enough math to get and perform a basic job, and also to write a check and balance a checkbook. Other factor that Chiseka is doing so well in teaching their children is that they make sure the teachers are qualified. However this also has a down fall, because there is a shortage of qualified teachers, the classroom size is very large. Teacher-student ratios are sometimes one to 200. The teachers are very motivated and resourceful, said Polina Mkhunga, who is the government's education advisor.
I know that it is going to be very difficult to meet the UN’s goal to have every child enrolled in primary school by 2015, but at least there are countries who are really putting forth the effort. I definitely believe that everyone should have the right to an education. I also believe that children should be enrolled in school. In order for them to get better jobs when they are adults they must have at least a basic education.

Girlfriend burned after abortion refusal

In China, a man was sentenced to death for setting his girlfriend on fire. She had severe burns that covered more than 30 percent of her body. The reason for the burning was because the girlfriend was 6 months pregnant with a girl. The man found out it was a girl and wanted his girlfriend to have an abortion. He pressured her and pressured until he snapped. She refused to give the baby up. The man took things in to his on hands and set his girlfriend on fire. Neighbors heard her screaming and ran over to help her. The neighbors put the fire out and took her to a local hospital. Sadly the baby was killed in the burning. The man was arrested on March 22 at a night club and now he is being sentenced to death. However, before he sentenced is followed through he must pay $95,000 US to his girlfriend for damages.

The main reason this happened was due to China’s one child per family law and it is more beneficial for families to have a boy rather than a girl. This is why there is such a high male to female ratio. I think it is good that the girlfriend refused to have an abortion. Families need to start keeping their child if it is a girl or their will be no partners for the men. Another thing could be that China changes their one child per family but that would just result in an increase in population. China needs to figure out something and quick. I know they have a law right now that states abortions are illegal, but they are not implemented. No punishment is followed through for violators. If action was taken then I think that would decrease the number of abortions.

http://www.lifenews.com/int551.html

President leaves behind a people left paralysed by their poverty

www.news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article3231229

The road out of Zimababwe is a desilate road. It is full of broken traffic lights and lampposts and rubbbish. This road leads to poor townships . This was once a thriving country and now it's poverty srtikened.Power cuts here are as prevelent as as rain showers. this town is very unstable. The people are wanting a strong leader to step in and make things right the way it used to be.Their is little optimism though. The people are used to not having electricity but the water situation is bad the water is unclean and not fit for drinking and you have to walk a long way to get it. Not everyone is suffering their are some rich but they don't seem to want to help then poor.

Asking For Help

According to an article in the New York Times, Mamoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, plans to ask foreign doners to provide $5.8 billion in aid through 2010. This is nearly twice the current foreign aid level. Abbas says he needs help with a huge deficit resulting from years of strife. He is also promising to curb spending and stimulate economic growth. His government is giving its development plan for 2008 through 2010 to officials from donor countries today.
Seventy percent of the aid will be set aside for continuing operating expenses. This includes $120 million each month for wages for public employees. Thirty percent of the aid will be used for development projects.
The government hopes to gradually decrease its deficit, become less dependent on aid, and stimulate its economy, including private investment. However the considerable donor fatigue must be taken into account.
Since the mid 1990s foreign donors have sent million and billions of dollars into palestinian territories to support peace efforts. Unfortunately gains have largly been wiped out due to Israeli-Palestinian fighting. Critics also say large amounts of money went to corrupt officials.
Above all else, I hope a lasting peace agreement is finally reached in the Arab-Isreali conflict. I hope the Isreali government recognizes the Palestinian's right of return and the violence comes to an end.
source:http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/world/middleeast/06palestinians.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Burma lies about death toll

After the peaceful protest made by the monks in September, it was thought that perhaps that there would be a peaceful outcome, since it is very dishonorable to kill or harm a monk. However, as they marched peacefully in defiance to the military regime currently controlling Burma (now Myanmar), police shot into the crowds. Burma had originally reported that only 15 were killed. An American human rights group, Human rights watch, has been observing the situation carefully and it continues to find that Burma tends to exaggerate on the low end in regards to people being arrested, imprisoned and even killed. In all actuality, at least 20 were killed in the protest, if not more. Burma says that it has released most of the prisoners from that protest, and only approximately 80 remains. Families attest otherwise, far more than 80 families disagree with officials. At least 596 monks were imprisoned in the September protest, and 2,927 families in all. Burma officials report that this is an exaggeration.
Whether or not it is dishonorable to harm a monk, it seems that the military regime could care less. They obviously have alternative motives that have nothing to do with religion or faith, and especially not democracy or equity. The Human rights watch group has committed to continue to watch the situation and report back their findings. It seems that they continuously come out on top in accusing Burma of it's iniquities against its people. I think it's interesting that we are in Iraq to protect people under oppression, yet not so quick to wage war with the military regime in Burma. I'm not sure if that is our place, but the article talked about the people of Burma, and how they had ideas about democracy, and they wanted to share it with someone who could enact it. It also said that the Burmese people were extremely proud of their country, and it's been a difficult plight to observe and even participate in the current situation. It seems that this country may not improve until some action is taken by an outside source.
http://voanews.com/english/2007-12-07-voa19.cfm

The Final Frontier for Solar Energy

The article was about solar energy. Solar energy is one of the most abundant resource of energy. Scientists are assessing the possibility of embarking on a space engineering project that would eclipse the effort to construct the International Space Station. Researchers from Europe, Japan and the US are considering the viability of building giant solar panels in a low earth orbit that would supply cheap, inexhaustible energy to industry and homes. Leopold Summerer of the European Space Agency believes the generation of solar power from space may be only 20 years away. Robert Lainway from EADS Astrium states that "It's a matter of developing the technology to make the solar panels cheaper, to send them into the sky and have the energy conversion to microwaves or optical lasers which then beam the energy down to Earth. He also says that the cost of the undertaking will mean it will have to be another international effort along the lines of the Space Station. Lt Col Damphousse, says that "It opens up all the other things that we are trying to do in space; our exploration strategy, our planetary defence, commercialism in space, space tourism.

This article was very informative and interesting. It talked about solar energy. It gave examples on how solar energy has advantages to the earth. It also gives hope on knowing that one day there would be a solution to the worlds problem.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/7131617.stm

Suicide bomber kills 16 in Iraq

In Baghdad, Iraq, a female suicide bomber that was wearing a vest with explosives killed at least sixteen people. At least another 31 were wounded. The suicide bomber detonated in the city of Muqdadiya. The general of the local police identified this woman as a local named Suhaila Ali. She was a former member of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party.
The blast took place outside of a building that was the host to many meetings for local members of the awakening council. The members of the awakening council are currently aligning themselves with U.S. and Iraqi troops against al Qaeda. More than half of the people that were killed by the suicide bomber were members of this awakening council.
Muqdadiya is a city that is located about 60 miles north of Baghdad. The attack came the day after the top commander for America’s military reported that the violence had gone down significantly across the entire country of Iraq. The violence has gone down 60 percent in the past six months.
It is very rare to read in the news about a female suicide bomber. I have always been under the impression that they have all been males. I have always wanted to know what makes a person want to be a suicide bomber. What did they do to have to take that position to go into an area and blow up others as well as themselves just to kill or severely hurt others? I may never have my questions answered.
It has been a joy to share my findings every week on this blog. I hope everyone has a great holiday!


http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/12/07/iraq.main/index.html

U.S. college drop-out rate sparks concern

Getting students in college has always been America's education leaders top priority. But now a few experts are wondering why because many students never even finish college to get their degree. Just 54 percent of students entering four-year colleges in 1997 had a degree six years later — and even fewer Hispanics and blacks did, according to some of the latest government figures. After borrowing for school but failing to graduate, many of those students may be worse off than if they had never attended college at all. Former Princeton President William Bowen has been studying who graduates and who doesnt and why they dont graduate. “The United States has always said it believes in opportunity and social mobility and fairness,” Bowen said. “If you find that the odds of getting through are very different for different groups of people, that’s something you ought to be concerned about.” It’s known that elite schools have generally higher graduation rates than non-elite schools. But what’s less clear is why the graduation rates at seemingly similar colleges vary so much. For instance, the main campuses of Penn State and the University of Minnesota have comparable price tags, student SAT scores, and percentage of students from poor backgrounds. Yet Penn State graduates more than 80 percent of its students, and Minnesota barely half. Racial gaps are a concern. Experts say 57 percent of white students finish their degree, compared with 44 percent of Hispanics and 39 percent of blacks. Sarah Turner, a University of Virginia education economist, has assembled data showing graduation rates have stagnated over recent decades even as enrollment has climbed. Explanations range from rising college costs to insufficient academic support to students simply not realizing how valuable a college degree is. But which factors matter most, and how they overlap, is not well understood, largely because the topic is hard to measure. Tracking enrollment numbers is relatively easy, but tracking what happens to individual students over six years is much harder. Bowen, however, specializes in studies that look at large numbers of individual students over time. His previous work tapped into a huge data set of student records from a group of about 20 highly selective colleges. Those schools have atypically high graduation rates, but Bowen says his new work will be based on data from a more representative group of less selective schools.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10053859/

Mediators Prepare Kosovo Report

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSL0691829920071206
By: Matt Robinson

After four months of talks, U.N. mediators will be taking their report on Kosovo to the Security Council, in an effort to resolve the tension between the seceding province and Serbia. Kosovo's ethnic Albanians say they will formally declare independence shortly after December 10th if their needs are not met by the United Nations. In an effort to maintain some semblance of peace in the Balkans, the United States and almost all 27 members of the European Union are support a break between the Serbia and Kosovo. However, one world power that is not an ally to Kosovo's fight for independence is Russia. Although the UN will review the report, and more than likely support the secession, Russia is almost certain to demand more talks between the two governments. Serbia is equally reluctant to give recognition to its "breakaway province," since it considers the land to be the nation's "religious heartland." Serbia has promised to place various economic sanctions on Kosovo, and break diplomatic ties with any state that supports or recognizes Kosovo's independence. NATO also plans to send 1,600 additional combat troops from Italy and Britain as a precautionary measure to unrest in the region.

This is another slippery topic similar to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in the Gaza strip. How does one resolve a conflict in which both parties are unwilling to compromise in their wants? Also, what happens when one ethnic group breaks away with the U.N.'s backing? Will such events set off a chain reaction in such an unstable region? I do not know the answer to these questions, however, they did come to my mind will reading this article. My fear is that such an event will make the area more volatile with higher tension from the "big countries" of the area. Also, in a similar report I read shortly after this, Serbia has already threatened war if the rumors of a separate state come true.

Alabbar urges India to offer ‘differential incentives’ for foreign investors in infrastructure projects

Mohamed Ali Alabbar, the Director General of the Department of Economic Development, and Government of Dubai urged India to offer different incentives to foreign investors to invest in India’s in infrastructure projects. This idea is a pressing need that drives India’s urbanization plans. It was reported that India needs an estimated $500 billion for its infrastructure development plans to meet the needs of the ever-growing population. Foreign investors can provide this large amount of money needed. The plan for getting these investors to cooperate is to offer special incentives for those investing in long-term infrastructural projects.
“Only 29 per cent of the Indian population lives in urban centers as against 40 per cent in China and 50 per cent in Indonesia. The increasing pressure on urbanization can be effectively met only through the growth engines that create new ‘absorption’ points which will take the stress from the cities and facilitate stronger rural-urban linkages,” said Mr. Alabbar.
I really like this article because it shows India planning ahead for their cities futures. Even though they are behind other cities in population, India realizes the inevitable urbanization. I think by offering these incentives for investments, they are paving the way for a positive population growth. I do however think that it will take more than just plans for new innovative infrastructure. The people, businesses, economy, and government leaders all need to be prepared for this shift. Since urbanization can affect health conditions, crime, sewage, waste, and pollution scales, every threat needs to be planned out.

http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/UAE/219632

Thinking Internationally - Acting Locally - CommonDreams.org

Thinking Internationally - Acting Locally - CommonDreams.org: "hinking Internationally - Acting Locally by Judith Blau Americans ignored Martin Luther King when he urged that the civil rights movement broaden to become a human rights movement just as the nation earlier ignored FDR when he proposed a bold human rights framework for the US. Human rights are not part of the American psyche, are not part of our laws, are rarely mentioned in the media, and they are not in the US Constitution. To be sure, Civil and Political Rights are part of our Constitution, but these are citizens’ rights, not human rights. America had a short flirtation with human rights, in the disorienting post-World War II period. Europe was in ruins and America was magnanimous. Shortly after the UN was founded in 1945, a small committee was formed to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The US was supportive and the committee was chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt. The US signed the 1948 UDHR, not a legal treaty but a document of great international significance, still today. The initial idea in 1948 was to redraft the UDHR as a treaty and send it out to states for their signatures and ratification, but the United States became increasingly adamant as the Cold War dragged on that it would not ratify a treaty that was such a bold challenge to the rights of capitalists. The UDHR advances civil"

Grudge sparked teddy bear crisis

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/12/03/sudan.school/index.html?iref=newssearch

CNN reports that the British teacher who faced charges after allowing her class of 7 yr. olds to name a teddy bear "Mohammed" may be the victim of a grudge that had nothing to do with her, and more to do with the school in which she worked. A previous worker in the school reported the incident of the teddy bear to school officials in the hopes that the private school would be closed. Gillian Gibbons, 54, was convicted last week of insulting religion and sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation. Fortunately, the teacher was pardoned of her prison time and has currently left the school to return to England. Personally, I was amazed that this teacher was placed in such a predicament over a teddy bear, then to find out that the person who brought the conflict about was not concerned about the teaching strategies being used but vindictive toward the school. It's no wonder people are leery of entering the education field when the least bit of trouble can land you in court.

Cutting a Climate Deal

The article starts out by stating that "the science has been settled" which means that it is now proven that global warming exists. the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 so the environmental ministers are meeting so that something can actively be done about global warming. Since the United States has had a republican in office the US has been against the Kyoto Protocol, it is suggested that if there was a democrat in office that this could change. The Us is in company with China who also isn't willing to set any emission caps on greenhouse gases. The European Union is one of the few countries that is actively working towards controlling the carbon emissions that are being let off by factories. Developing countries like India are not worried about the emissions yet because they are just being started.
I feel that this article will really hit the reader when they read about the United States because usually you feel that this is a superior country to most and when it is said that they are one of the leading emitters and they are doing as well as not wanting to do anything about it, it makes one wonder. Also i feel that developing countries should have to worry about emissions because it is also going into the air. Though i do feel that there should be a lot of give with them there should still be a limit.

Source : http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1689230,00.html
Author : Bryan Walsh

24 die in peace meeting blast

A suicide bombing occurred in Diyala, one of Iraq’s volatile areas. This occurred at a reconciliation meeting that was attended by Sunni and Shiite militia leaders. This attack wounded dozens and killed many others. The number of people killed was 24 and 37 others wounded. The attack was detonated in a Shifta Shiite mosque in western Baquba. Many leaders, officials, and guards were slain in this violent attack. The US military issued a statement that called the incident "a brotherhood festival", which included over 800 people. "Once again, al Qaeda demonstrated the hatred they have for the citizens of Iraq by conducting a despicable attack against its people during one of their most revered celebrations -- Ramadan," said Col. David W. Sutherland, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division commander. Diyala has been a major front on the war on terror. Iraqi and US officials have been trying to settle the argument between the Sunni-Shiite sectarian strife to promote reconciliation through out Iraq. In other incidents, three roadside bombings have occurred killing many and injuring many more.
This incident was shocking to learn that someone would detonate a suicide bomb at a reconciliation meeting. I could believe that someone would actually do such an outrageous thing. There needs to be reconciliation between the Sunni’s and Shiite’s before things get more out of hand than they already are.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/25/iraq.main/index.html?iref=newssearch

Pakistan People Lose Rights.

The Pakistan government broke up a rally on Sunday and arrested hundreds of the opposing forces. "They dragged us out, including the women," he said from the police station. "It's inhuman, undemocratic and a violation of human rights to enter a room and arrest people gathering peacefully there." People are worried about the fact that Pakistan decided to suspend its constitution. Around 200 police with assault rifles and sticks stormed into the meeting and arrested around 50 members. Musharraf, a coup leader that promised to hand over his army and become a civilian president but it did not occur. Critics say that it was all one last attempt to maintain power. His leadership is currently being threatened by an Islamic militant movement. Parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place in January but they could be delayed up to a year. The government has gone as far as to cut off the phone, television, and all Pakistan controlled TV.
This is a sad event that never should have occurred. 50 people were arrested just because one man feared that he was going to lose power. Those people had to be punished because one man was selfish. People are losing their right to vote because this one man wants to stay in power a little longer. This government needs to realize that they may be able to stay in power for a little while by taking over but the entire time they force themselves into power they will be treated terrible.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,307939,00.html

Ethnic Identity In Ethiopia

Stephanie Branson
SOC 202 12/7/07

Ethnic Identity in Ethiopia. Why is it Important? http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=44181
The article that I read was about the ethnic identity in Ethiopia and why it was important. It goes on to talk about human evolution and how we are individuals with varieties of identities. This in turn makes up racial identity, ethnic identity, as well as political identity. It states that ethnic identity is formed by shared culture, religion, geography, and language of individuals who are connected by loyalty and kinship. It later goes into talking about advanced western societies who have a common race and language and how they view ethnicity in an unconscious way due to societal norms. Yet in other places such as underdeveloped countries they are not able to do such things because societal norms had been formed around specific ethnic and cultural frameworks.
Over the semester, I have been exposed to so many different topics relating to ethnicity and religion. I have seen so much diversity through doing these blogs as well as learning so many new things. It was just interesting to see all the diversity that there is in the world because you get so caught up in what is going on in your place that you rarely take the time to see what’s going on in the world around you. So it was just nice to see that even though it was not always a positive thing but it was still good to learn new information.

Toy row teacher speaks of ordeal

This article is a follow up of a current event I did last week concerning a woman, who was teaching in Sudan. This woman was arrested on November 25 on a charge of blasphemy for letting a class name a teddy bear Mohammed. A protest even broke out with protesters screaming for her execution. The teacher, Gillian Gibbons, said "I am just an ordinary middle-aged primary school teacher. I went there to have a little adventure and got a bit more than I bargained for." Gibbons is from England and was just in Sudan for an experience she would never forget, sadly this was not the experience she wanted to endure. However, she was pardoned on Monday by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. Worldwide, she had received support from friends and well-wishers. Her son, John was one of her biggest supporters, who was in England waiting for his mother's arrival. Gibbons made very clear she was sorry for any harm she may have done. She said she never intended to insult anyone and she does not want this occurrence to have an impact on people's decision to travel to Sudan. She described it as a beautiful place, where she had a fabulous time. The reason for her release was because of two British Muslim lawmakers, who were both members of the House of Lords. They persuaded Sudanese officials that letting the woman go would create international goodwill toward their country. Gibbons' conviction could have resulted in 40 lashes and without a pardon, she would have remained in jail another six days.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/12/04/sudan.teacher/index.html#cnnSTCText

Teacher Arrested Over Toy

A British elementary teacher by the name of Gillian Gibbons was arrested for blasphemy last Tuesday. She brought a teddy bear into class and allowed her students to name it. So, with this freedom, the children decided to call the teddy bear Mohammad. She was teaching in the Sudan when she got a little more adventure than she bargained for. Apparently, she was turned in by and angry secretary who had just lost her job. The blasphemous act of naming the bear Mohammad was punishable with up to forty lashes and at least six days in prison. However, two lawyers from the House of Lords persuaded the officials to free her. They brought up a good point that pardoning her would lead to goodwill for their country, internationally. Finally, President Omar al-Bashir officially pardoned her and she was allowed to go home. As far as the teacher’s intentions go, she claims to have meant no harm. She has nothing but good things to say about Sudan; it’s beautiful and she had a good time. This pitfall has not discouraged her from wanting to teach. She has stated that she wants to spend Christmas with her family and then begin searching diligently for a new teaching job in the New Year. This would be a good time for her to turn over a new leaf.
I can understand how naming a teddy bear Mohammad could be degrading, but I do not understand giving someone forty lashes over it. I was quite surprised by the story and I am glad that she is now safely at home. Honestly though, she should have been more thoughtful and careful of what she was doing. She had to have known that naming a bear Mohammad would be a bad idea.

Mindy Collins

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/12/04/sudan.teacher/index.html

Ending Famine, Simply by Ignoring the Experts - New York Times

Ending Famine, Simply by Ignoring the Experts - New York Times: "Ending Famine, Simply by Ignoring the Experts By CELIA W. DUGGER LILONGWE, Malawi — Malawi hovered for years at the brink of famine. After a disastrous corn harvest in 2005, almost five million of its 13 million people needed emergency food aid. But this year, a nation that has perennially extended a begging bowl to the world is instead feeding its hungry neighbors. It is selling more corn to the World Food Program of the United Nations than any other country in southern Africa and is exporting hundreds of thousands of tons of corn to Zimbabwe. In Malawi itself, the prevalence of acute child hunger has fallen sharply. In October, the United Nations Children’s Fund sent three tons of powdered milk, stockpiled here to treat severely malnourished children, to Uganda instead. “We will not be able to use it!” Juan Ortiz-Iruri, Unicef’s deputy representative in Malawi, said jubilantly. Farmers explain Malawi’s extraordinary turnaround — one with broad implications for hunger-fighting methods across Africa — with one word: fertilizer."

population problems?

I have already offered evidence and much more is available, that the population situation isn't really quite the crisis many say that it is. But, let's consider whether, even if it were, the argument for coercive reduction of growth rate would be compelling. The argument for this always points to China as a success story for coercive methods of reducing population growth rates that should be followed some where else. The cries to do something other than promote development have no content without actual programmatic aims, and the Chinese pattern of regulating family size by law as well as providing financial incentives for not birthing and penalties for birthing is the one that points the programmatic way.

And, certainly China's total fertility rate (reflecting the number of children born per woman) is now at the replacement level of 2.0, compared with India's 3.6 and the weighted average of 4.9 for low-income countries other than China and India. This shows that though the Chinese approach of legally limiting family size to one child has caused a large loss in reproductive freedom for women, has arguably enhanced state power at the cost of individual freedom more generally, and has led to large increases in infant mortality as parents commit infanticide of girl babies to try again for a preferred boy child, with all the attendant effects this type behavior no doubt has, on victims and perpetrators, at least the population growth rate is down, and the positive benefits of that outweigh the losses incurred due to the drastic means chosen for restricting births.

Even the demographic part of the argument is not as tight as it may at first appear, regardless of how one might feel about the assessment of relative costs and benefits. For given that China has also had very high levels of improvement of health care, literacy, female workforce participation, etc., before jumping to conclusions about the cause of declining rates of population growth, we need to ask just how much of the reduction in growth rate is likely due to compulsion, as opposed to what would have taken place any way, due to these other social gains.

We can't know the answer to this question for sure, of course, but we can look at some relevant data. For example, do countries that closely match China in life expectancy, female literacy rates, and female participation in the labor force have a higher fertility rate than China? It turns out that the three countries that fit this profile are very close indeed to China's level: Jamaica (2.7), Thailand (2.2), and Sweden (2.1).

So what is the upshot? (1) Of course population can reach a point where, for a given level of technical know-how, and with a given social structure, more people means more environmental degradation and a lower standard of living for most. But (2) there is no evidence that we are near such a population level. And (3) there is no evidence that current poverty, hunger, and environmental degradation etc. owe their origins or tenacity In any significant degree to a population problem, but, instead, the evidence is abundant that these particular crimes against humanity are rooted in oppressive institutional structures and the abhorrent misallocations of labor and energy and a poor distribution of product that they foster. (4) In any event, non-coercive approaches to population reduction emphasizing improving standards of living, economic security, education, rights of women, and health care generally, not only promise reductions of growth rate to the 2.0 fertility level that marks no growth, but promise this in a time period comparable to or better than what can be accomplished with coercion, assuming the latter would in fact work at all without parallel social progress. And, finally, whereas the developmental approach to stabilizing population dovetails nicely with concerns for justice, equity, an end to patriarchy, etc., the coercive approach in practice leads almost inexorably to misogynist, racist, and colonialist formulations and practices, even against the protests of its more humane and thoughtful advocates.

http://www.zmag.org/ZMag/articles/albert3.htm

Sean Taylor shot, and suddenly everyone cares.

Once again, a famous person is killed and they steal the new lime light. Two minors were arrested last week for the shooting and subsequent murder of Redskins member Sean Taylor. They claim the murder was not premeditated. The idea was to break into Sean's home, expecting him to be out of the state, and burgle his things. When Sean confronted the two juveniles in his home, they panicked, shot him, and left in a hurry. Sean did not die instantly however, he lived into the next morning, residing in a hospital in Florida. More than one confession has been made, but police officials will not elaborate on who of the four suspects actually shot Sean.

An interesting discovery was that a recent break-into Sean Taylors home a few weeks ago, might be linked the his shooting. If the suspects broke into his home a second time, who is to say they were not planning on killing Sean if he was home this time? They were obviously prepared, in the sense that they brought at least one gun to the robbery.

Alibi's have suddenly been formed for a few of the suspects, stating one was with his mom, one was with his girlfriend. Yet no one else can say where the suspects were. Their only witnesses, were also their closest friends. Sean, before his death did identify a few suspects, so who is right? Again, it will be a case of the rich and famous versus the poor. We all know who will eventually win in this battle. Needless to say, I'm sure Sean's daughter will not only be left with his fortune, but a huge settlement from the killers before they are shipped off the federal prison.

Sex-selective abortions spanning national boundaries

British-Indian women aborting girls

Samantha Stevens
Soc 202
Prof Sills
12/03/07

Sex-selective abortion, long known to be a problem in places such as China and India, where sons are preferred over daughters, now seems to be a problem elsewhere. The BBC Networks documentary "Britain's Missing Girls" shows that British-born Indian women are likely to feel pressure to have sons, and henceforth to have an abortion if the fetus is determined to be a girl.
The documentary includes an interview with a British-Indian woman, who travelled to India to find a gynecologist who would perform the gender scan and abortion of her female fetus. The documentary also includes footage of a British-Indian woman going to Indian doctors for gender scans. The doctors agreed to do the scan, even though they knew that an abortion would most likely follow if the fetus was female.
The documentary also includes research from Oxford University, showing that from 1990 to 2005, about 1,500 fewer girls were born to Indian mothers in England and Wales than would be expected. The statistics show about 1 in 10 girls less than would be expected.
As I stated in an earlier blog about sex-selective abortion, this is a phenomenon that must be stopped by laws and bans on gender-selective abortion, but also through the changing of the mindset that sons are "worth" more than daughters. The fact that this has spread is only more disturbing, adn shows a backward trend that is shocking and frustrating.

Muslims face a tough future

Muslims face a tough future

It was shown in a poll done in London, England that Muslims there are discriminated against and are considered "morally intolerant." Muslims in London are clearly isolated from the rest of society. This isolation and discrimination cause the Islam believers to lose jobs, be abused, and face violence. Many protests and riots have occurred because of this segregation.
I feel that it is unnecessary for people to discriminate against people living in their city. It is sad when you see history repeat its self, especially with the knowledge we have in the 21st century. We should all be educated and know by now and respect Human Rights policies. If people do not get their acts together and learn to either accept differences or just keep to themselves, then the world is going to become a corrupt and miserable place for not only Muslims, but other cultures as well.

IHT Article about young African 'witches'

The International Herald Tribune published an interesting article about suspected child witches in different parts of Africa, suspicions which have been leading to an increase in violence against children.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/13/africa/witches.php

Language Exchange

Language Exchange Seeks Volunteers
conversation pair
With just one mention in our eNews, we already have our maximum of 15 native English speaking volunteers for our new program, the Language Exchange. In the Language Exchange, a native English speaker will be paired with a native speaker of a foreign language and they will meet weekly in 90 minute to 2 hour sessions during which half the time will be spent conversing in English and half the time conversing in the other language. This program will enhance each partner's ability to converse fluently in the other's language. It also will be building community across cultures, the primary mission of FaithAction International House.

We are still seeking native speakers of Spanish (and other languages as well) for this program which is slated to begin in mid-January. The demand for Spanish is especially strong. If you are a native Spanish speaker, or know someone who is and who would like to improve conversational skills, please contact Rebecca Burrell at 379-0037 extension 1# or email here by clicking here.

As the program evolves and grows, we anticipate matching volunteers in a variety of languages, so please let us know if you would like to be matched with someone who speaks Arabic, French, Vietnamese, Mandarin, or other languages (or, of course, if you speak any of those languages and would like to be paired with an English speaker).

AlterNet: Tom Tancredo Hired Illegal Laborers to Renovate His McMansion

AlterNet: Tom Tancredo Hired Illegal Laborers to Renovate His McMansion: "Tom Tancredo Hired Illegal Laborers to Renovate His McMansion By Max Blumenthal, AlterNet Posted on December 1, 2007, Printed on December 2, 2007 http://www.alternet.org/story/69391/ When Republican Representative Tom Tancredo isn’t railing against the “scourge” of illegal immigration on the presidential campaign trail, he relaxes in the 1053 square foot basement recreation room of his Littleton, Colorado McMansion. There, he and his family can rack up a game of billiards on their tournament size pool table, play pinball, or enjoy their favorite movies in the terraced seating area of a home theater system. Tancredo, who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War by producing evidence that he suffered from mentally illnesses, especially likes entertaining his buddies with classic war movies. “We have friends over and I have now shown Pearl Harbor about six times,” Tancredo boasted to the Rocky Mountain News about his 102-inch television. “But I mainly just show the attack scene because the sound is so good.” When Tancredo hired a construction crew to transform his drab basement into a high-tech pleasure den in October 2001, however, he did not express concern that only two of its members spoke English. Nor did he bother to check the workers’ documentation to see i"

SOLIDARITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND NON-VIOLENCE ~ V3 N12 DECEMBER 2007

SOLIDARITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND NON-VIOLENCE ~ V3 N12 DECEMBER 2007: "Violence is the main obstacle to human development. There is an intrinsic link between violence and religion, patriarchal gender violence being the most pervasive expression of religious violence. Mitigating violence therefore requires overcoming the patriarchal mindset, especially in religious institutions. The mission of this independent newsletter is to provide a commented digest on current research and emerging issues related to human solidarity, ecological sustainability, and both religious and secular non-violence. The U.N. 'Millennium Development Goals' (MDGs) are used as a point of reference."

Childhood Mental Illness

Childhood mental illness is becomming a growing problem throughout the world. In the past seven year, England has seen a rise in the number of in patient beds but they are now becomming overpopulated. This is leaving children with only teo alternatives; either go into an adult treatment center or not get treatment at all. "The Royal College of Psychiatrists found the number of in-patient beds in England had risen from 844 to 1,128." Along with the increase in beds provided for the patients, the number of facilities has also increased from 72 to 91 in the past seven years.

The number of beds are being unequally distributed to the south eastern part of London, leaving other regions without the proper support for their patients. Even with this increase, "four regions were still well below the recommended minimum of 20 beds per million people". "It means 75 of the 113 beds set aside for eating disorders now are confined to four units in London." Quality care is now the biggest problem that program directors are facing. The programs need to see faster changes but the process is starting of slowly. I would hope that educating the community about mental illness would bring in more money and support for these patients.

The program is giving extra support and help to the children (under the age of 16) that are being housed in adult mental health facilities. Their goal: "We are on track on our commitment to ensure that no child under 16 will be treated on an adult psychiatric ward by November 2008." I decided to write about this topic sice mental health is a global problem but it is now just being recognized as a public health issue.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7119500.stm

NPR : Artificial Intelligence Enters Brave New World

NPR : Artificial Intelligence Enters Brave New World: "unday, December 2, 2007 · The idea of what Artificial Intelligence should be has evolved over the past 50 years — from solving puzzles and playing chess to emulating the abilities of a child: walking, recognizing objects. A recent conference brought together those who invent the future. A recent 'Singularity Summit' brought together those who imagine — and invent — the future. Rick Kleffel from member station KUSP reports."

Brazil and Urbanization

This is a positive article for urbanization. Brazil has had its share of problems. Drugs being at the front. As most urban areas go, drugs are very prominent in a lot of areas in Brazil. The "hills" are home to a good amount of poor people. The area in itself has been taken over by heavy drug trafficking. Causing fierce competition and creating a dangerous place for people to live. The plan is to use urbanization as a tool to get the drugs out of the country. The want to link a part of the hills to another part of the city and then connected to a future subway. Trying to make it easier for the people that live there by omitting competition from the drug traffickers. $22 Billion dollars are going to be invested in to 13 of Brazils major Metropolitan areas in the next 3 years. The prject is known as the Growth Acceleration Program. It should be a big release for all the people that are scared to liuve in the area because of whats going on. The drugs have gotten really bad and the government is hoping to end this war on substance. If the lords try to reclaim there territory, the police are ready and will be alerted. This is a good example on how urbanization can do a positive thing for a community and they way it should be used. By transforming the slums of the area to a more urban feel not only does it get give the residents a more comfortable place to live and call there on, it also gives the community a breathe of fresh air to know that something is trying to be done to get rid of drugs in the area.

http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/8938/1/

Drug Users Driven Away From Effective HIV Programs

Reports in Thailand it has failed to address the issue of the HIV epidemic that has damaged its reputation as a global leader in fighting AIDS. According to the 57-page report, "Deadly denial: Barriers to HIV/AIDS treatment for people who use drugs in Thailand," states that the former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra 2003 drug war has failed to keep drug users from receiving lifesaving treatment and important HIV information that the Thailand government has promised. The Thailand government has failed to treat HIV infection among drug users in Thailand, the government now estimates that there are around 40-50 percent drug addicts living within Thailand today. Rebecca Schleifer says that "Thailand wants to be seen as a success story in the fight against AIDS, yet it is failing to address the epidemic among the population hit hardest by HIV." Thailand in the past has been labeled as a global leader among the developing countries of the world due to its aggressive HIV prevention programs, but yet still Thailand has failed to install programs for the prevention of for injection drug users.

I think that this situation that the Thailand government is facing is a difficult situation not just in Thailand but also on the world stage. Thailand for years has been seen as a great fighter in the prevention of aids in its country but now it is facing a complicated situation where they will have to spend a large proportion of their funds into more programs for drug users. The aggressive “war on drugs” tactic installed by the former president Shinawatra has left many people in fear and has killed around 3,000 thousand people.

posted for the (11/30/2007)

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/11/28/thaila17427.htm

Sex now the main cause of HIV in China

Kristyn Phillips
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/11/071130-AP-china-aids.html

UNAIDS and a commitee of the state council reported that there were 50,000 new cases of HIV in 2007. Health Minister Chen Zhu said that sex instead of intravenous drug use is the main mode of spreading the disease. Although the rate of infection in China is less than one percent, 50 million more are put at risk because of sexual transmission. Prostitutes and gay men were the cause of most of the new cases. A report stated that 60 percent of prostitutes do not use condoms regularly. Prostitution is illegal in China but it still occurs with the average number in the millions.

HIV and AIDS are a growing problem all over the world. Its in the news and people know the risks but still do not take precautions. Once HIV/AIDS is contracted there is no getting rid of it. With all the knowledge we have about the disease and ways to prevent it, it would be logical to assume that the rate of infection would decrease. We all shoudl be more careful and try to reduce our risk of spreading HIV/AIDS.

Does "Compass" point kids to atheism?

Alexandra Loesser

Does"Compass" point kids to atheism?

We live in a time driven by entertainment. The media is everywhere and many people believe it to be extremely influential. This is why a new film coming to theaters next week is stirring up quite a bit of controversy. The Philip Pullman series with the first installment called The Golden Compass is a fantasy-based story for children that is said to have strong undertones of atheism. Schools are pulling these books off their shelves and certain religious groups are boycotting it.
“Kiera McCaffery, a spokeswoman for the New York-based Catholic League, says the film is a hook to lure kids into a series of what she calls deeply anti catholic books.” McCaffery has not yet seen the film. New Line Cinema has said they watered down the anti-religious themes but Pullman sees nothing wrong with his stories. “He talks about the value of the religious impulse and goes on to condemn organized religion that has burned, hanged, tortured, maimed, robbed, violated, and enslaved millions in the name of God.” “That is the religion I hate, Pullman writes, “and I’m happy to be known as its enemy.”
Many Catholics even see nothing dark about the film. Nicole Kidman who plays the sinister Mrs. Coulter (interesting name) says, “The Catholic Church is part of my essence, I wouldn’t be able to do this film if I thought it were at all anti Catholic.” Even Donna Freitas, the professor of religion at Boston University agrees. She said “reading the trilogy reinvigorated her concepts of God, salvation and the soul, this trilogy is actually responsible for helping me stay Catholic.” In the end it is all how you interpret the book. People who are fans of the Golden Compass believe it is not God who is killed in the end but an “imposter God.” And when it comes to kids the interpretation is completely different again. In a question and answer session with Pullman not one child asked why he killed God in his books.
When it comes to this movie everyone is going to have a different opinion just as they do when it comes to religion. Movies are a form of expression, as is all art, so lets not malign the first amendment.

Heather Donckels, "Does "Compass" point kids to atheism?." Charlotte Observer