Blog 12: Battle in Nairobi

I have always believed that one of the scariest and most dangerous jobs was that of a police officer and based of the stories in Africa right now that notion still stands. I’ve noticed of the course of the semester in writing these blogs that crime covers many spectrums. In this article, the crime covers the spectrum of theft, murder, conspiracy. This article considers this event to be the “worst single incident” of Kenyan police. There were 38 officers killed over the weekend and many more injured. These officers died by the hands of heavily armed cattle rustlers during an ambush in the valley. The officers were a part of an operation to recover cattle that belong to the Samburu tribe and had been stolen by the Turkana tribe according to the minister. The Turkana opened fire on the police leaving many for dead. These two tribes have been in constant mini-battles for many years so they both remain armed with rifles and necessary protective equipment. In one of their small battles is when the Turkana stole the cattle. The government gave them a warning to return the cattle or force would be used to retrieve it. The Turkana ignored the warning and as promised the government tried to use force but was met with fire. Many feel the only solution to this issue is to completely remove the Turkana away from Samburu territory, but I am unsure of how possible that is. This was a blatant act against the police and the other tribe. Not only was tis theft but it was also murder. The government is taking the necessary precautions to limit the amount of crime and feud between the tribes but only time will tell.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/13/world/africa/kenya-ambush/index.html?hpt=wo_bn7

Blog 11: People in S. AFrica thrown out of their homes

Homelessness does not just exist in the US but is a widespread epidemic across the world. In this article homes were taken right form under people due to legalities and insensitivity. This took place in Lenasia, South Africa just southwest of Johannesburg. Bulldozers moved in on this town on Friday and begin taking down houses. People were removed from their homes just before their homes were torn to pieces. The reason behind all the destruction is due to these houses being illegally built and sold on land that was meant for government houses. Apparently, fraudsters sold several lots for prices ranging between 200$ and 10,000$ with phony deeds. The streets were crowded with protestors in opposition of the demolition to these people’s houses. It had a testimony in it about a 25yr old man who received a 7 day notice of his house being torn down and now he will be living on the street.  In one instance a woman and her baby were removed from their home right before it was demolished. Three of the people responsible for the fraud were arrested but the lengths they went to commit fraud were far beyond breaking one law. They forged signatures and stole letterheads to con these people into homes. Not only did they place these people in a horrible situation to have their homes taken away, they also placed a bad stigma on their government. The community y is outraged and saddened by their homes being ripped from under them. I feel as though this is an issue that comes back to moral which often collides with government. They are blaming the government for their loss and relocation to the streets and the government is blaming the fraudulent perpetrators. Fault is to be had on both sides but shelter in a must for humans and  there may have been another way to address the issue instead of tearing down over 100 homes putting families, children, grandparents, and babies on their street.

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2012/11/09/safrica-police-destroy-illegal-homes

Blog 10 Kidnapped!

I find it amazing that In America, we have a many people in lack of the basics needs but in other countries sever poverty is real. There are many children, women and men that go days without food, water and shelter. This not only breaks down their community and in time loses their culture but it also spreads infectious diseases in turn affecting many more people. In this article, kidnappers killed a Nigerien health worker.  BEFEN and Health alert announced that five health workers were freed in Niger Saturday but their friend and coworker Aime Soulembaye died after being shot during the kidnapping. They were kidnapped on October 14th from Dakoro, a town in southwestern Niger. Although the identities of the kidnappers have not been confirmed, they are suspected to have been Islamist extremists that have kidnapped other aid workers before. In previous cases they took them to Mali to be held for a ransom. The tragedy comes in when the reasons for taking theses men were to of ill intentions due to the work they do. Soulambye and the others had helped more than 20,000 children and families with malnutrition and malaria in Niger. Later in the weekend, the kidnappers were caught but while still holding another set of hostages so the army was placed in a critical position. Kidnapping seems to be a major issue across the globe with the common goal of looking for a ransom. Sadly, they are taking people who are actually making difference in our world. To combat this issue a sense of security should be put in place in every country. ON another note, this malnutrition that they were working towards bettering needs to get better.  I know the United Nations out into place the millennium development goals, which included eradicating poverty and world hunger. Although I don’t see this being done by 2015, the efforts toward reaching it are a start.

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2012/11/03/niger-aid-group-kidnappers-kill-1-release-5

Blog #9: Suicide Bomber attacks Catholic Church

Protest can be peaceful, but can also become very violent. In many parts of the world the protests that are most violent are those for the rights and perpetuation of religions. As such, in this article a suicide bomber drove directly into a full church with the intent to kill as many as possible while making a statement as some have assumed. The bomber had a jeep packed with explosives that killed 8 people and injured more than 10; yet this is only the first body count and has yet to be updated. With his actions he triggered reprisal attacks in which killed two more people. This took place in a catholic church in the Malali area of Kaduna, an area that is seen as unstable yet a religiously moved city. Although no one had taken the blame for these attacks, several churches have experienced the same fatal activity in the last year as the campaign against Christians. Islamist sect Boko Haram has claimed the past ones. The explosion not only injured people but it also damaged the buildings around them and emptied debris everywhere. It did not take long for violence to spread due to rage but police ran many of them away. These attacks have not just been random have killed hundreds already. On this occasion the truck was actually driven into the church unlike the others that were done in the parking lot and at the entrances. This is a complete violation of human rights and the ultimate case of murder. In these cases however, capital punishment or any other punish is null and void because the murder has killed himself. Whoever decided to attack these churches are making a statement in the most unethical manner in terms of the way we think as a country.  

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/28/suicide-bomber-nigerian-church_n_2034222.html

Blog 8 : For women in Afghanistan the Struggle Continues

Prostitution strikes again. Although I have done a blog previously based upon the crime human trafficking, this article not only addresses the crime of prostitution but also the crime murder. In many cases of human trafficking across the world, there are an unbelievable amount of fatalities and murders in this industry but most of them go unnoticed. Due to the nature of the crime and the secretiveness of the industry in many places, a missing person may remain “missing” forever whether they are or were a prostitute is hard to discover.   In this article, a young woman had her head chopped off for refusing to be a prostitute by her mother-in-law. With the help of her cousin, her mother-in-law admitted to chopping off this 20yr old girl’s, Gul, head due to her refusal to prostitute. Not only is this a unique form of capital punishment but in the eyes of other parts of the world this is an inexcusable crime. Although the severity of the crime is heightened, this only supports the notions of the underprivileged and violent lifestyles women in Afghanistan face. Ironically, Gul’s husband and father-in-law had nothing to do with her killing. Many women in this society face these types of issues because of their lack of human rights. Sometimes boys are even subjected to use of their bodies for the sexual entertainment of others. Now in Afghanistan, girls are guaranteed the right to an education but still that is even a struggle. Under the Taliban rule, women were much like property with no say and although that no longer exist legally there are still many that abide by its previous rulings.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/18/afghan-woman-beheads-daughter-in-law-for-refusing-prostitution-police-say/?hpt=wo_c2

Blog 7: India's Sex Slaves

Crime is different as we look across the world but in India, for these girls, the most hurtful crime is discrimination. Due to the lack of respect for women, as noted in the article, they are subjected to life without love and in the sex trafficking world. This article gives us a brief overview of how many girls, as young as 13, are taken from their families and homes to sex traffickers and brothels. They are now at a home that is aiding these young women into ways to get away from this world and do for themselves. If, at all possible, they want to return to their families but in many cases this is not possible because their families see them as disgrace to their families. In some cases their husbands owe a debt and the only way to pay that debt is for their wives to be sex slaves. Statistics show that 300,000 women have been exploited but only 3,000 rescued. The acts performed on  and to these women are too graphic and vulgar to be printed. According to Plan India, “It is not just poverty, but an overall neglect and discrimination of girls that makes them most vulnerable to exploitation and abuse." This is a major social issue not just in India but across the world. Most human traffickers go unnoticed and unpunished in societies such as these. This has been a social issue globally since before we can remember it just lacked the publicity needed to make a difference. Sex Trafficking is in virtually every country in the world with about 80% of its victims being female and nearly 50% being minors.

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/10/indias-sex-slaves-face-lifelong-cycle-of-abuse/?hpt=wo_mid

Blog 6, Attempted terrorist Caught!

Blog 6
4:20 pm

Often times I don’t think we realize how much the US has a impact of the surrounding world. In this article a 21-year-old man was arrested in Palama, Majorca for attempting to plan and bomb a university campus. In the most interesting part about this planning Is that it was based on the killings in the United States in 1999, Columbine. This man was arrested because he had over 310 pounds of materials used to make bombs, one of which was ammonium nitrate. The Spanish Minister thinks the have avoided a massacre, in which I completely agree. Much like columbine and the most recent attack on Virginia Tech, these attacks were random and took the country by complete surprise. This man had blogged many times about his high regard for the American teenagers who murdered the fellow students. He was infatuated with the idea of taking those lives. His infatuation was in fact what led to him being investigated and arrested. His diary later exposed his want to make and plant shrapnel bombs around the University of the Balearic Islands. Luckily he was not successful. I know tis doesn’t fit under the crime category as much as some of the other post but planning to terrorize a country in definitely a crime and it get even more interesting when the plot and planning behind the crime is based on a United States of America Event. Looking at the social aspect of this crime, I know he hadn’t did any of things he planned to do yet, but he was in the works. In the US we would argue freedom of speech and the 1^st amendment but in this case he was a threat to society and himself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/world/europe/man-accused-of-planning-bombing-in-in-spain.html?ref=world

Blog 5: Afghan girls are coming up

It is amazing how tradition carries on for so long. Under the Taliban rule, women had little to no say in the decisions of their lives. More importantly, they were not entitled to education of any sort. Although no longer under the Taliban rule, many people still do not want these girls and women educated. This article shows the harshness of just walking to school. In the past year, this article tells us there were at least 185 documented attacks on schools in the last year in Afghanistan. These attacks were mostly targeting women and those trying to educate girls. These girls are subject to vicious attacks through poison, bombs and so much more. Although some consider it to be advancement that girls are even allowed to attend school still many women are not allowed to receive the education. Women are denied education due to Physical and emotional abuse in the home, being married off by the men in their families, and/or being threatened. There is a good percentage of teachers in the urban areas but it is much harder to become educated in the rural areas of Afghanistan. Women have such a low status in Afghanistan that the need for them to be educated is being overlooked, however in order for the country to truly advance, they will need everyone including women to be educated. This is a social issue by every means but those advocating for it and actually reaching out to help are making that step.  The right to education is a right all people should have and that is what we are fighting for. These women have already taken a step to continue the movement by being brave and walking to school. Although I read chapter 4 out of sequence, the access to education is not easy. Gender inequality in primary schooling still exist, but countries are accelerating in the education of women.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/26/world/asia/cnnheroes-afghan-schoolgirls/index.html?hpt=wo_mid

Blog 4: Sister Aziza to the Rescue

Kourtney Reynolds

9:12am

Blog 4

According to the dictionary, a human right is a right that is believed to belong justifiably to every person. In many studies this right includes safety. In the parts of Africa discussed in this article, safety is rarity and a luxury. This article focuses on what is considered to an “oasis” for African Asylum seekers and its dedicated leader, Sister Aziza. Sister Aziza saves as a safe haven for Africans that are escaping from danger within their own countries through the Sinai Desert to flee to Israel. Sister Aziza is a nun whom practices as a nurse for the African refuges. She has conducted over 1300 interviews and seen thousands of people and out them n path to recovery. These interviews expose the rapes, kidnapping, torture, forced, labor and slavery these refugees have experienced and survived. She does not do this alone, but does serve as maternal figure for everyone helping heal him or her emotionally not physically. She has shined an enormous light on the trafficking issues in the Sinai. Her stories stretch from women raped to men beat to near death. Sinai desert is a prominent for people trafficking from sub-Saharan Africa. In the process of trafficking their families may be blackmailed, as they are tortured. Bedouin gangs hold them captive and continue to torture them many times until family members pay a ransom for that loved one. This is often much worse for women. From a Sociological perspective, I see the masculinity as vulnerability. Currently in these deserts, men are unable to protect their families and fall vulnerable to the traffickers. Also, although not exactly what may be thought of when is comes to word matrifocal, I see this oasis as matrifocal with Sister Aziza being the mother figure. Yet as the book states, the constant rapes, sex trafficking, and harsher punishments with the desert support the continued perils of being a female. 

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/20/sister-gives-hope-to-trafficked-migrants/

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