Senseless

I wrote this on February 4th but am now posting it. Unfortunately the sorrow and brutalities continue....

Today I read an article about an Egyptian woman who was brutally killed as she went to mourn the dead at Tahrir Square. All she wanted to do was to show her respect and mourn the dead. Words cannot describe what my heart feels. A travesty? A tragedy? Horror? I don’t know what words can be adequate for the pain in my heart. I do not know who she is personally but at the same time I feel like she is my sister. She is a human being, and that is enough for me to mourn her senseless death. That is enough for my heart to break at the thoughtless extinguishing of her life. That is enough for tears to be shed for one lovely life that is no longer in this world. That is enough.

And the greater tragedy is that she was not the only one to be senselessly killed since the beginning of 2015. Recently we have seen the end of life for the Jordanian pilot and the Japanese reporter, among numerous others. There are also those who remain unnamed in Nigeria, massacred at the hands of Boko Haram. If the year is to begin with the cruel bloodshed of my fellow human beings - my brothers and my sisters for all intents and purposes - what do we look forward to? What do we say to our children who see such images of hate? What do we have to say for us as human beings living in the 21^st century as we brutally end other peoples’ lives?

For the children of Syria

My post on this subject is long overdue as is any post for that matter, but my heart has been heavy for the Syrian children since the conflict started several years ago. I have protested the US's bombing of Syria when that proposal was brought up and I have looked into what is being done for the Syrian children who find themselves refugees in neighboring countries. There are thousands of children who have fled from their homes, with or without their parents, and who have been adjusting to life as a refugee. A lot of them are not in school due to the turmoil and the stretch of resources available to them as refugees; and as for those who are still in Syria, who knows what their situation truly is. As much as I believe children are resilient, I also believe that children are the most fragile and vulnerable. We as adults really need to go to great lengths to protect children - any children - so that they can improve the society we live in. It is what we put them through today that will determine what kind of people they will be tomorrow. But it seems that the US news channels have now forgotten about these events and have moved on to others. Of course there are plenty of other current events that are captivating our attention, but I cannot shake the burden I have for these children and all those other children in that area that are suffering due to the actions of the adults. Children should not have to suffer because adults cannot find peaceful solutions to their conflicts.

More recent news articles and reports on Syria can be found here:

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2014/08/syria-no-strings-2014817105747216504.html
https://news.vice.com/article/airstrikes-pound-islamic-state-forces-in-syria-as-rebels-gain-an-unlikely-ally
UNICEF calls Syria one of the most dangerous places for a child.

And of course this also reminds me of the children in Gaza, who are suffering the same things as the Syrian children having already been through several conflicts depending upon their age. The only difference is that the children of Gaza have nowhere to go, no neighboring countries to flee to. It is a truly tragic situation - again, children suffering because adults cannot find peaceful solutions. Here's an article about the children of Gaza:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28803447

Human trafficking

Today my husband and I, along with some friends, attended an event called "Let My People Go: Equipping NYC Pastors to Fight Modern-Day Slavery". It was an event to equip Christian church pastors and church leaders to involve their congregations in the fight against human trafficking, organized by The Price of Life Campaign. Human trafficking as discussed today encompassed not just sex trafficking but also labor trafficking. In essence, human trafficking was defined as force, fraud, and coercion of the vulnerable; basically, it is an exploitation of vulnerability. The UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) has a diagram that describes more in detail what human trafficking is; to take a look, click here. Whether it's children, adolescents, homeless, or marginalized groups, human trafficking exploits human beings and considers them objects rather than beings with dignity and value. And Christian or not, this should be an issue that concerns all of us.

As those who live in the United States, we ought to know that the U.S. is the number two destination for trafficked persons next to Germany. And in the U.S., Flushing, New York is the epicenter of trafficking for the East Coast. Personally, living on the East Coast (close enough to Flushing) of the U.S., these are terrible facts to know. It is horrific to think that consumerism has extended to the exploitation of vulnerable people for profit. And it is imperative to spread awareness and action in whatever small or large way possible so that this form of slavery will come to an end.

But I'm sure there are people who might ask why we should care as long as we don't participate in it (particularly when it comes to exploitation of persons for sexual purposes, such as girls and women who are being prostituted). Well, it's never that simple because we are talking about forced labor as well as sexual exploitation. And we all contribute in some way to forced labor if we are not aware of what we shop for and where we shop. The clothes we buy, the accessories we wear, the food and drinks we consume (like coffee and chocolate) all have the potential of contributing to forced labor, child labor, and exploitation. So, being informed and aware of all the issues related to human trafficking is certainly an important step in the movement to abolish modern-day slavery. I've blogged about certain things before like chocolate, child soldiers, child miners, and the like. And there will be more related blogs to come in the future I'm sure, so be on the lookout for those.

Some websites for resources aside from what I've mentioned above include:

• The Polaris Project 
• Restore NYC 
• New York City Urban Project 
• List of Organizations that Oppose Human Trafficking  (not a comprehensive list but you can cross-reference with another that I post)
• List of Organizations in the U.S. Working to Combat Human Trafficking

Women around the World

I am back to blogging after a hiatus due to personal circumstances. But human rights and social justice issues were never far from my mind. I have several posts in draft form waiting to be published so I will do that over the next few days.

Recently we celebrated International Women's Day, and though this day has come and gone, celebrating the accomplishments of women around the world as well as acknowledging their hardships should not be a one day thing. As I joined in on the celebrations with my mother-in-law at a local community center and then later that weekend listened to some conversations of women from Latin America who spoke of their stories, I was suddenly struck with the thought -- though not new nor profound -- that women are always so much more affected by violence, poverty, and politics than any other people. Here I was listening to my mother-in-law and her friends, thinking of my own mother's hardships, and thinking of those women still struggling today, when it hit me that it seemed that no matter what continent or what country these women were from their stories resonated in unison of the vulnerability of women everywhere. But their stories did not only speak of vulnerability; they spoke of strength--incredible strength--to overcome the obstacles in order to live a better life, save their children, and be teachers to us all.

Women still face obstacles and challenges everywhere; and crimes are still committed against them simply based on their gender. Think of the young woman who was gang-raped in India towards the end of last year. Think of women who are victims of domestic violence, right here in the United States to prompt the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act. Think of young girls forced to marry because of poverty and hunger in South Sudan. These are just a few examples of what happens around the world today, in the 21st century. I hope that in the coming years, we do not need to take a special day to recognize the plight of women around the world but learn to work together with everyone to build a better, more respectful and peaceful world for the next generation regardless of gender.

And I hope that we can remember that it is up to us to teach the next generation how women should be treated. I will always remember what I heard this past International Women's Day: "If a man treats a woman like a princess it is because he was taught by a queen." It is the attitudes and ideas that we hand down to our children that generally form the basis of ill-treatment of others. Let us be a generation that is aware of the injustices and resolve them for the next generation.

Human Rights Awareness Through Movies

Every day there are human rights violations occurring around the world; someone is suffering at the hands of someone or some institution. The biggest in the news recently has been the turmoil in Syria. It is certainly a shame that so many innocent lives have to be claimed due to a struggle for political power. People have a right to voice their opinion without getting killed, and they have a right to life, life that someone else has no right to take away. And let's not forget the women in Pakistan who were allegedly killed for "singing" at a wedding because they were not "behaving" according to the conservative traditions of the tribe. Tragic.

But sometimes the news does't impact us as much as the movies we see. Movies make us laugh, move us to tears, touch our hearts, and provoke us to think more than we ever realize. Movies convey values and ideologies in a context where we we can relate; or they enable us to project ourselves into those contexts so that we empathize with what's going on as well as with the characters. I think documentaries and films are an integral part of creating human rights and social justice awareness among people.

So here are some upcoming films in the Long Island area that are related to social justice issues and human rights:


Gasland: this Saturday (6/9)  from 7-9:15, in Babylon, free admission. The movie looks at the controversial issue of fracking.

The Harvest: next Wednesday 6/13 at 7:30 pm, in Huntington, $15 including a reception. This movie looks at the plight of migrant child farmworkers in the US. This film is actually from the same director as The Dark Side of Chocolate, and he will be there in person.

Human Rights Watch Film Festival - New York: June 14 - 28 at the Lincoln Center in New York City, sponsored by Human Rights Watch. Films feature a variety of human rights issues; go to the page for more information on the movies. 

Cashmere at a high price: desertification

I was recently made aware of this situation, although from the looks of things, it has gone on for a while as is usually the case. I always liked cashmere because as thin as the sweater was, I'd be quite warm. Of course I didn't always have it because it was expensive to buy (expensive for me that is); but now I know exactly how expensive it is. Now I won't buy cashmere at all. And I hope you won't either.

Cashmere is generally supplied by few countries around the world and comes from a breed of goats. Mongolia is one of the largest suppliers for cashmere. And as such, many Mongolian herders choose to raise cashmere goats. And why not? It's very profitable and with a significant portion of the country's population living at or below the poverty line, it enables people to make a living as best as they can. But these goats can graze quite heartily, and I mean heartily! Goats are known to chew not just the tips of grass and plants but also through to the roots. And as the number of goats have grown, you can imagine what that does to the habitat, which was limited from the beginning. Take a look here. As the grazing land disappears, the desert creeps in. And while populations of man and goat grow, land that can sustain agriculture and grazing diminishes. As desertification creeps in, challenges to sustain a living creep in as well, not to mention the damage that has been done to the environment. Eventually, one can imagine that the damage caused by desertification will be so great that it will be irreversible and many of these people will have no way to sustain themselves and their families. So perhaps we can help in what small ways we can by not purchasing cashmere and reducing the demand, while the government and other agencies in Mongolia determine how they can involve the locals to work out their own future in harmony with the environment.

Here's an article that came out in 2010.... A bit dated I know, but the most recent I can currently find that's on the topic.

Dolphins are part of our world

This is another blog for the natural world, and for creatures that are perhaps some of the most intelligent on this planet. If we do not become a voice for them, I'm afraid they will be silenced forever. And I'm afraid that the future generations will never experience much of what we can still experience today, despite the precariousness of their survival.

Have you seen the documentary "The Cove"? I just watched it tonight and wondered how I missed it in the theatres. In any event, better now than much later. It is about the cruel slaughter of thousands of dolphins in the waters around Japan and it brings me to tears. For human entertainment and ultimately greed, a massacre occurs every September through March of these wonderfully unique and intelligent creatures. Dolphins have been swimming by Japan for centuries and now they are being lured into a cove in a town called Taiji, lured to their deaths in a cruel way. A sheltered cove turns red with the blood of these slaughtered dolphins, whose mercury-filled meat is sold to an unsuspecting public disguised as something else. But those that are slaughtered endure much more than just a cruel death; they endure the fear, desperation, and separation from their pods/families, some of which are captured for dolphin shows around the world. Those dolphins that are not chosen become part of the bloody massacre in a sheltered cove.

I have watched a dolphin show as a kid at Sea World in San Diego but I have not gone to one since as I have always thought it sad that dolphins and orcas in these shows and in captivity have been taken from the vastness of their ocean home and put in basically what is a small pool to them. But now all the more I will never pay to see a dolphin show again. These forms of entertainment fuel the profitability of the actions that go on in Taiji, Japan. And if you think about it, these atrocities to the natural world happen because of us -- all of us who are enthralled into thinking that we want to be direct participants in taming nature and bringing it close. But we neglect to think about the cruelty of this to the natural world, and we neglect to think what impact and consequence it has on our future.

So sign the petition found on this site:

Save Japan Dolphins

And then, spread the word and reconsider dolphin shows and any "swim with the dolphins" programs. Consider instead the wonder of swimming (or surfing as some do with Surfers for Cetaceans) with them in the wild.

Tornado victims in the Southern U.S.

Natural disasters have a way of demolishing things and uprooting lives as we've seen with previous earthquakes and tsunamis. The tornado that hit the southern states in the U.S. was no different....with at least 342 people dead and buildings and towns demolished. And as the people try to pick up the pieces and salvage mementos, the rains are coming in. I pray for those who are trying to figure out how to move forward amidst this tragedy and for those who lost loved ones to this devastating tornado....

See here for more of a story on "Mourning for tornado victims in the South".

Prayers for the Japanese people

By now I'm sure you've seen all the news about the earthquake, tsunami, and possible nuclear catastrophe. What a devastating disaster, and how heartbreaking for so many people who have lost loved ones, lost their homes, and lost their entire communities.... I pray for them and their families, and the nearly 2500 souls that have left us behind in such a tragic way.... I also hope and pray that in the days ahead more survivors are found, and that more survivors are reunited. And I hope and pray that nuclear catastrophe is averted....

International Women's Day (3/8/11)

I've been away from the blogger for a while, and albeit a day late for Women's Day, I'm back to posting (hopefully on a more regular basis this year).

Yesterday was the 100th International Women's Day, a day that started in 1908 on March 8th in Germany. International Women's Day (IWD) has a long history of political and social awareness connotations, thanks to the various struggles in Europe against sexual discrimination in the work and political arena in attempts to achieve equality in a continually industrializing "man's" world. In 1977, March 8th was proclaimed as the UN Day for Women's Rights and International Peace.

Most of us probably don't think about it, particularly if we live in a westernized society, but women still live in difficult conditions all over the world. From the very poor in nations abroad to those very women who live in our communities, women are not always given the value they deserve or treated as they should be. I mean, I've encountered that treatment as a woman myself. It's not as drastic as women who live in extreme poverty or are displaced by war and disaster; those women face horrible situations that make mine look tolerable. But in fact, I think that any act based on the perception that women may be a less powerful, less strong gender, and therefore less significant, should be an outrage. We should treat each other with respect, regardless of gender or anything else for that matter. In order for respect to be garnered, respect should be given. I believe that begins with us as the individual - it is our initiative to begin the cycle of respect and break the cycle of disrespect, discrimination, and violence. And I think this initiative begins with awareness - awareness of the condition of our fellow women around the world, awareness of what they still endure, despite the advent of the 21st century....

I know IWD has passed, but I hope we are able to remember that women are an important part of society and should be treated with the care that we would want bestowed upon our mothers, our sisters, and our daughters...all year long....

Steps in the right direction

There are times when we have to pause and think about what we can celebrate in the journey to overcome obstacles and injustices. And although it has been a few days already since this positive occasion, I still want to share this: the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.

If anyone knows about a light at the end of the tunnel, it must be her. She has been under house arrest or in detention for 15 of the last 21 years. And while this is a long-awaited positive event for her supporters in Burma/Myanmar and worldwide, it does not remove the injustice of her imprisonment or other political prisoners. But it is an event that will hopefully fuel more steps in the right direction to political freedom and actions of conscience in the world.

Read an article about the celebration of her release here.

Floods in Pakistan

Has anyone been tracking the situation with the floods in Pakistan? It has been an onslaught of water from torrential rains that have continued for over two weeks now. One article from MSNBC.com indicates that while the death toll of 1500 is "relatively small", the disruption and damage it has caused is staggering. 1500 people is 1500 too many...regardless of the opinion that it is a "relatively small" loss. The devastation from the floods is tragic, and what's worse is that the rains continue. Aid trickles in but it's not enough. Infrastructure damages and health hazards impact this area. Please keep these people in your prayers and do what you can to help them.

Gulf Coast Oil Disaster

By now I'm sure you're well aware of the situation in the Gulf of Mexico with the oil disaster. Why am I blogging about this on here? Because I think that it is definitely something that needs to be blogged about and advocated considering the thousands of animal, sea, coastal, and human life casualties that the disaster is yielding. Environmental disasters affect human beings; the ripple effect of that disastrous spill that is ongoing will reverberate out to the rest of the U.S. and perhaps even Central America and beyond.

What a tragedy that a company with high-tech machinery to drill for oil has had such miserable failures in capping it. Have you seen the pictures of the animals drenched in oil? Sickening.... And what about those people who now have no idea what their future will be like? Tragic.... And keep in mind, this is the very same area that experienced the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.....Talk about double-trauma.... I for one am angered at the lethargic pace of BP in cleaning up this mess, almost as if they're stuck in their own oil. And I am boycotting BP, albeit it is the nearest gas station to my house; I refuse to gas up at BP, and I'm even more enthusiastic about alternative fuels, electric cars, and hybrids. We as consumers need to ponder the consequences of off-shore drilling and continuous dependence on oil. I for one don't like the consequences that I see. What about you?

International Women's Day

March 8th, 2010 was International Women's Day. So in honor of all the women in the world, I write this entry.

I am proud to be a woman, and am proud to recognize what women have fought for throughout history, all over the world - for freedom, equality in treatment, education, and independence of mind and action. Every culture, every ethnicity, every nation, and every tribe has plenty of great women who have come and gone; and every culture currently has great women among them, working hard not only to improve themselves but to improve the lives of those around them and those to come. Look around you; consider your community; read the annals of the past; and you will find inspiring stories of women everywhere.

Women have been victims and women have been ill-treated; yet women still seem to rise up with persistence, if only to ensure that their children will not face the same harsh realities. Countless women go unrecognized and countless women still suffer in various places in the world, but I hope that the rest of us can raise awareness of that suffering and recognize the strength and resilience with which women go on day after day in poverty, despair, tragedy, and economic insecurity.

On this International Women's Day, I hope we remember those women who have become victims of earthquakes in Haiti and in Chile; and women who become victims of violence. More personally, I remember my mother, who is my inspiration in all that she has overcome to improve our family's well-being. Who is your inspiration?

Here's an inspiring story shared by Madonna on the Huffington Post.

Prayers for Haiti

It has been a while since I blogged, but that doesn't mean I've been away from all the news and happenings around the world. Of course, by this time, it has been about 3 weeks since the earthquake in Haiti and everyone has heard of what is going on there. I would be remiss to not mention it, however, on this blog because this blog is about being a voice for those who are poor, disadvantaged, and suffering.

It is a tragedy that people who were already poor to begin with are suffering even more as a result of the earthquake; and the situation that has been unfolding post-earthquake has been heartbreaking. The news recently showed bodies of the dead plowed aside, and of those who have survived looking for ways to continue their survival despite the shortage of medical care, shelter, food, and water. The need is truly great, just as it was in the wake of the tsunami in southeastern Asia.

Amidst the difficulty the country faces, I pray that hope will not be lost and that all those whose lives are in upheaval and grief due to this tragedy will be comforted and renewed. And I pray that the world will recognize that we are all interconnected, that the suffering of people in Haiti is our suffering as well, and that this is a time to show our compassion and our benevolence in whatever ways we can to those who are less fortunate than us.

Violence against Guinean women

On September 28th, there was a demonstration in Guinea to protest the political events that have been unfolding in Guinea since December 2008, after the death of the president Lasana Conte (who had been president for 24 years). A group of military officers, calling themselves the National Council for Democracy and Development, had seized power after the president's death; and during their nine months in government, Human Rights Watch states that their government has been "characterized by arbitrary arrests and detentions, restrictions on peaceful political activity, unpunished criminal acts by the military, and calls for vigilante justice." For the rest of this article, click here.

A group of activists had decided that they were going to go ahead with demonstrations despite being warned, and people (about 50,000) had gathered at a stadium to join in protest and hear the activists speak. But before they even got a chance to speak, the police fired into the crowd and committed violent acts against the civilians, especially women. A New York Times article details the brutality of acts towards women that are absolutely horrific. Women are being raped and beaten by the soldiers, targeted for violent attacks. These acts are truly heinous, a crime against Guinean women and the citizenry as a whole. Where is the humanity in all of this? Do these soldiers not have mothers, sisters, girlfriends, daughters? Perhaps this is the savagery that comes to light when someone is so desperate to hold on to power, but for what purpose? At the cost of brutality against their own citizens, so much so that it is decried as inhumane? It is just terrible. Human rights organizations say that 157 people have been killed, but I'm sure there are many wounded and even more who have been raped and abused. What will the international community do? France has already acted, being the former colonial power in Guinea. What else needs to be done to bring justice to these women and the rest of the civilians in Guinea?

Here's another New York Times article about the recent events in Guinea.

I Am Because We Are

We are all connected to each other, in our communities, in our cities, our states, our countries, our regions, and ultimately our world. In this economic crisis, people around the globe are feeling the effects. No person is an island to her/himself. It's not just economic crisis, however, that should raise our awareness of how we are connected. If we just step back from our individual lives and try to look at the world as a whole, the suffering of one community should be on the radar of our own, the plight of one country should be something we are aware of in our own country. The world is a large place, and yes, our lives can get busy and crazy, but still, I find that the least we can do is try to learn about one more place each day, month, or year.

I meant to post this when it first became available on YouTube, but I am a guilty party to being busy with the goings-on of my life and forgetting that I meant to share this with you. What is it? It is a documentary by Madonna. I know that a bit of the media and probably several people are just tired of news about her and her adoption issues. Granted she's not perfect, at least she's attempting to use her fame and her fortune to be a part of someone else's suffering. The documentary called "I Am Because We Are" is one that I recommend because of a couple of reasons: 1) It is about my childhood home--Malawi, and 2) it sheds some light on the reality that Malawians face on a daily basis. Although every country in Sub-Saharan Africa afflicted by HIV/AIDS has its own personal story, the general theme of difficulty and suffering are the same. So I urge you to watch it. Click here to watch it online.

Bullying should not be ignored

There has been so much in the news recently about 2 boys who killed themselves, driven to suicide by bullying. Such a tragedy. These are not rare incidents, unfortunately. Bullying occurs all the time. But what are educators doing about it? It is not enough about intervening when bullying happens, but it is about preventing bullying from happening in the first place.

Creating a culture of tolerance and acceptability, creating compassion for others without judging, and maintaining that environment is just as important as acting on the situation when it happens.

Here's a fact sheet put out by the National Association of School Psychologists on bullying. And there's also a book that talks about the effects of bullying that I think should be read by adults everywhere. It's called "The Wounded Spirit" by Frank Peretti.

Let's raise our awareness about bullying and be a voice for those children who are victims of bullying, regardless of whether it is your child involved directly or not.

World Water Day 2009

March 22nd 2009 was declared World Water Day 2009, designated by the UN. According to some sources (like World Vision and the UK Government) 900 million people do not have access to clean water. To see their video, click here. It reminds me of what I take for granted. I turn on the faucet and know I'm going to get clean, drinkable water - both cold and hot. I know that I don't have to worry about any waterborne diseases. But there are so many people who are not able to do this.

Here's another World Water Day video made by a charity organization.

For more information on water and sanitation programs, visit the UN site at www.unwater.org. This year, the primary focus has been transboundary waters.

Peace for Civilians in the New Year?

Civilians - children included - are caught up in this constant back-and-forth attack between Israel and the Hamas, particularly in the Gaza strip. We face the new year and while we look forward to many things, the civilians in this part of the world are constantly suffering - both in Gaza and Israel.

See what Human Rights has published on these recent bombings and attacks that have targeted civilians here. Amnesty International has an online petition that you can sign urging Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to take action on these occurrences. This is not just a conflict between two military/political entities, and it does not leave civilian lives untouched; it affects the lives and the futures of those who have little choice as bystanders, inevitably drawn in because of proximity and default by birth.