Blog 3- Katelynne Lee

                                                           Banning on Child Brides in Malawi

Summary:

Last week, I spoke of an African child bride and the multitude of effects she faced in her young life and of her looking at other girls her age who were able to be children and go to school. This week, I found an article that exemplifies the importance of going to school and of banning child brides in hopes to bring them a better life and build a good education. The Gender Equality and Women Empowerment act, says Nyasa Times, says this act is aiming to help young women to realize their potential and to encourage them to go to school and succeed. This act is attempting to ban child brides in Malawi by “providing a legal framework” and “increasing the legal age to marry to 18” (Chapalapata, 2015).

Analysis:

Despite this relatively new act, it is said that it will take about three years to be enacted and will take a lot of work and enforcement for it to do its job. However, I feel this is a huge step for foreign countries and their beliefs on women and what they should and should not do. Women, young and old, should be encouraged to stand up for what they belief and be strong in what they do. I hope this act gets its recognition it deserves and the young women get the education and freedom they crave.

Work Cited

Chapalapata, M. (2015, February 18). GEWE Project Welcomes Banning of Child Brides in Malawi: "To Help Keep Girls in School". In Nyasa Times. Retrieved February 19, 2015, from http://www.nyasatimes.com/2015/02/18/gewe-project-welcomes-banning-of-child-bride-in-malawi-to-help-keep-girls-in-schools/

Time Stamp: Friday 10:07pm 2/20/15

Corey Sitton, Labor treatment issues in Louisianna Blog # 3

Walmart, a huge company here in America, has been obviously confronted with an issue in which many Americans only thought was present outside of our country. Illegal and unfair working conditions right here in the US are apparantly not uncommon, according to this article. CJ's seafood, in Coastal Lousiana, has been uncovered by a advocacy group for foreign guest workers, along with an unreported 12 other Wal-Mart suppliers. The article describes working conditions consisting of foreign workers being forced to work 16 to 24 hour shifts up to 80 hours per week, peeling crawfish until their hands are numb. Walmart and Federal Agencies are investigating these coumpanies. However, the companies complain is that new rules protecting workers rights were supposed to have been effective in April. Business owners sued the Department of Labor for pressing the rules without supplying the funding to enforce them.  This is all a downhill slope effect of large companies (such as Wal-Mart) slashing costs to consumers, which forces suppliers to cut payments to workers, and abuse them to work just as hard.
We typically think of poor working conditions in China and other foreign countries with bad reputations of labor and production standards. Interestingly enough, although the problem exists right here in America, it is still a issue of foreign people. The workers in CJ's seafood are described as legal immigrants who have come to America for jobs under the H-2B program, and employers are doing things such as black mailing and confiscating immigration documents to get what they need out of the workers.  This is not only a racial issue, but also a subject of humane treatment inside the workplace.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/opinion/forced-labor-on-american-shores.html?_r=0

Blog 3: South Africa Warns Against Violence as Protests Fester

Africa as a continent has consistently faced problems of inequality for over 200 years. This is especially true for the country of South Africa. South Africa fought colonialism and apartheid up until 1994. These institutions brought with them massive amounts of inequalities between both the rich and the poor but also between ethnic groups. Recently, however, there has been struggles for wage increases between mine workers and the owners of mines. The individuals who are striking are tired of joblessness, deepening inequality and persistent poverty. The majority mines are controlled by foreign based companies or elite whites or blacks. With such a history of struggle and strife in the country, it is no surprise that strikes are becoming increasingly violent. The government is starting to take action but they are doing nothing to improve  the workers situations. Instead they are supporting the elites and foreign businesses.
It is disheartening to see a government taking action but not supporting the ones who are being oppressed. The strikes seem to be worsening but hopefully the workers will receive the requests that they have asked for and it can be resolved peacefully. The government needs to step in and take an active role in being a mediator instead of being in the pockets of international foreign businesses and rich elites. On top of siding with the workers the government also needs to address the other issues that affect the people in their country such as joblessness, inequality and persistent poverty. South Africa can no longer afford to have these consistent problems. They need to be addressed so that they can develop and prosper as a nation.

Eric Spriegel
Sept 15 2012 : 3:22 pm

Blog 3 Anti-Islam Video Brings Outrage

Kourtney Reynolds

Blog 3

4:59

The world as a whole is in an outrage due to the protestors and violent attacks on the U.S. embassies around the world. Protesting has started in 10 nations around the world and the region of Kashmir. These are very violent attacks on the U.S. in hopes to hurt as many people a possible. It is suggested that the reasoning for these attacks are a response to an anti-Islam film released couple months ago. The trailer of this film portrays Islam’s prophet, Muhammad, in a very degrading and displeasing light. Senator Clinton agrees, this video is distasteful and looks to be malicious.  Americans were killed in the attack Tuesday in Cairo and many others hurt in the attacks in Yemen and Egypt. Some of the countries even have taken this hate to a level of “Death to America.” In attempt to keep some peace, President Obama has taken the notion to contact many of his foreign cohorts in regards to these violent attacks. The goal is control this outrage about this video and keep in from spreading. The violence has yet t spread to Afghanistan, but in order to control this they have ordered for YouTube to be blocked so that the video cannot be seen.  The article goes on to speak about how this incident spikes a debate on the freedom of speech and it resulting in violence and turmoil. I found the article most interesting and went in to do further research. The author of this video is said to be in hiding and under protection. However this is where the freedom of speech has endangered thousands of people and the country as whole. There are special precautions being taken in order to not upset radicals within the US and hopes for this turmoil to not become more of a war-like issue. I believe some tact and class should have been into the thought of the video, but that’s only if I were the composer. These kinds of careless acts and unseen outrages are the causes for the huge divide in our world as whole.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/13/world/meast/embassy-attacks-main/index.html?hpt=wo_bn7

Blog 3 Libya:No excuse for attack on US consulate

Libya:  No excuse for attack on US consulate

Tuesday evening the United States embassy in Bengahzi of Libya was attacked by protesters and radical militia lasting for nearly 2 hours.  This attack was also on the evening of the 11^th anniversary of the US terror attacks from 2001.  The attackers were said to have used rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft weapons.  Many of the consulate staffers were mostly hit in their attempts to seek protection from the attackers.  The violence was said to have been triggered by an anti-Islamic film produced in the US.  The film showed to have been making fun of the prophet Muhammad and other key figures of the religion.  The film was translated into Arabic and posted on the Internet.  Religion is an extreme a hot ticket for many different cultures and followers of the Islamic faith took the disrespect very seriously.  However, no matter how offensive the video proved to be, the killings were completely unneeded.  This proves to be another demonstration of the lawless and armed groups, blatantly unconcerned with human rights.  They feel they are above the laws making violence their only answer. 

The Libyan authorities are expected to conduct a full investigation as to find those directly responsible for the deaths of the 4 American citizens, including the US Ambassador of Libya, J Christopher Stephens, to bring about justice. 

This anti-American protest has sparked many other protests in Islamic countries around the world.  This could prove to create very unsafe grounds for citizens who may be living overseas in Islamic countries.

The article could be can be found on the website of Amnesty International :  http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/news-item/libya-no-excuse-for-attack-on-us-consulate

Blog #3 Outrage over Anti-Islam video

Courtney Gaston

September 14, 12

3:03pm

Yemeni protestors are enraged and are protesting in 10 nations and Indian regions, against “Innocence of Muslims” and the nation were it was produced. The protest is targeted towards the US and Americans. Early this morning protestors burned a US flag near the US Embassy in Sanaa. The anger from the protestor’s stems from a film trailer that imitates Islam’s prophet, which the film is degrading the leader in a bad light. As a result of the anger of protestors, on Tuesday many of them invaded the US Embassy in Cairo and also the US Consulate, which left some American officials dead. President Obama has a high concern for the violent acts and protests over this video and has contacted many foreign counterparts about ways to prevent the protest and chaos from spreading. President Obama has made an agreement with the counterparts in Afghanistan to prevent the spread of violence by blocking access to YouTube there so that the Afghan people are not able to watch this video.

These acts of violence and rage are the wrong examples of protesting and freedom of speech. Protesting should not result in the harm of others or destruction of public places. In regards to the people behind the cause of this protects have the right of freedom of speech and opinion but it should be tactful and respectful. These kinds of wrongful acts, in both sides, are the reason behind the constant lack of unity and peace between nations and countries. A sense of respect needs to be spread among the nations for each respective religion, beliefs, customs and values. 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/13/world/meast/embassy-attacks-main/index.html?hpt=wo_bn7