Making the Invisible, Visible: The First Step to Stoping Human Trafficking

In 1948, the declaration of human rights were created and it consists of 30 universal rights that all human beings have. It doesn't matter where you're from, if you're rich or poor; the human rights applies to everyone. Despite this fact, millions of people around the world are deprived of these rights and some don't even know they have any. In humanities, we had to choose a human right to focus on and we decided on human trafficking. Human trafficking is currently the fastest growing criminal activity and it is a worldwide issue. It is the illegal trade of humans, often known as the modern day slavery. Our goal is to inform others about this crisis, attempt to reduce trafficking, and help victims. 

Being a global issue, human trafficking impacts everyone and no one is completely safe from this horrifying criminal activity. In fact, almost every thirty seconds, one person is trafficked. The victims are forced to endure harsh labour and sexual exploitation while living in appalling conditions and usually not earning any wage. However, the trafficked are not the only people suffering from this crime. Family members will be stricken with worry, the government and police have to take measures to enforce extra security and investigate the issue, people who hear the news will be concerned about safety, and the list goes on and on. Therefore, I believe that it is crucial for us to learn more about human trafficking so we are able to inform others and aid the victims.

Though I was already aware of the severity of this topic, I have still encountered many surprising and shocking facts. I was particularly disturbed by that the police often fail or refuse to investigate some complaints or casses of trafficking, especially those relating to domestic workers. I feel that this is unacceptable and that it could even promote more crime if the traffickers know that they won't be arrested and convicted.

While researching this issue, I was shocked and saddened by the pain and suffering that victims are forced to endure. I've read numerous stories and reports on human trafficking yet I am continuously appalled by this crime. I struggle to understand how and why anyone would ever do this to another human being, even if they were desperate for money. It just seems to highlight how fortunate I am to be living in a safe environment with plenty of security.



Sources:
http://www.ukrainebusiness.com.ua/modules/news/images/topics/4e1bbcd8-6157-0057.png
http://facts.randomhistory.com/human-trafficking-facts.html
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml

Looking Beyond Appearances

"No arms, no legs, no limits" ~Nick Vujicic

In this century, we are all pressured to by the media and stereotypes around us to be a perfect person. Perfect, however, is not always defined as being intelligent or kind, but rather physically attractive. Many starve themselves to be skinny and apply make up to hide their natural features. Nicholas James Vujicic was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disease that left him with no arms or legs. He struggled with his disability and was endlessly bullied by other children all throughout his childhood. Nick had always questioned why he was different from the other children and if he was ever meant to be born, but eventually realised that it was his unique appearance that made him special. He is now a worldwide inspirational and motivational speaker and author.

“I don’t care if you are a good mathematician, or a good athletic, or not good at anything- that you think. But I’m gonna come and tell you that you’re awesome the way you are.”

These words were said by Nick Vujicic and it has inspired many people around the world. In this quote, he tells everyone to just be yourself and that people will love you for you, not your abilities or looks. He tells all of us to look deeper, pass appearances. I too believe that we should all be who we are because if we don't, all we are doing is restraining our happiness, lowering self-esteems and limiting our life.

As international students, we are often told we are privileged because we get a fantastic education. But beyond that, we also have the ability of being economically secure. With the amount of money we have and the freedom with which we can spend it, we often forget that we can find happiness beyond getting a new cell phone or a new fancy sweater. Nick Vujicic says that "You could surround yourself with all that money can buy, and you'd still be as miserable as a human can be…You'll find contentment when your talents and passion are completely engaged, in full force". I think that this is an extremely true fact and one what many people do not put an emphasis on, despite its importance. For Nick, he found his passion through inspiring other people and this, I believe, makes him happy. He didn't let his imperfections prevent him from finding happiness but instead, accepted himself for who he is and moved on.  Nick also once said "I know people with perfect bodies who don't have half the happiness I've found. On my journeys I've seen more joy in the slums of Mumbai and the orphanages of Africa than in wealthy gated communities and on sprawling estates worth millions." What he is trying to say is that happiness isn't about the outside appearance or how wealthy you are, but if you have accepted yourself. Nick often uses himself as an example of this in his speeches. He is definitely not what you would call 'perfect', due to missing his four limbs, but Nick never lets this flaw get in his way. Instead, he embraces his imperfection and according to him, that is what makes him smile and laugh everyday, that he managed to overcome this challenge and is able to inspire others. Nick's happiness comes from doing what he loves, not his appearances and I think that this is something we should all learn from.

Statistics show that 50% of teens inflict self-harm upon themselves due to low self-esteem and self-image issues. Nick was no exception to this and suffered depression when he was eight years old and by the time he was ten, had tried to drown himself but couldn't go trough with it as he loved his parents too much. As he grew up, he realised that it was about how he perceived himself and no one else's opinion mattered. What Nick had come to realised not only helped him to be a happier person but changed his entire life as well. He finally understood that just because he wasn't physically perfect didn't mean that he couldn't achieve his dreams. With that thought in mind, Nick fought through his depression and self-image issues and is now a man of high self-esteem and appreciation. Learning from his experience, Nick said "There's no point in being complete on the outside when you're broken in the inside." I strongly believe in this statement that being attractive isn't worth your self-esteem and life. No one should think that they aren't good enough based on their looks. Nick's own experiences clearly prove that there is much more beyond appearances and that being unique isn't always bad.

Nowadays, many people are also limiting themselves due to believing that they aren't good enough. "At first I was not willing to confront that what was really wrong with me wasn't my body, it was the limits I put on myself and my limited vision of the possibilities for my life." These were the words of Nick Vujicic when recounting his struggle to 'figure himself out'. Before this, Nick was suicidal and lost about who he was and what he was going to do with his life. He continuously judged himself based on other people and was convinced that he was useless. But when Nick's mother showed him an article about a man also dealing with a severe disability, Nick realised that he wasn't the only one going through this and that if that man managed to live his dream and accept himself at the same time, so could he. After Nick stopped limiting and doubting himself, he said to others in one of his many inspirational speeches “In life you have a choice: Bitter or Better? Choose better, forget bitter.” In this quote, Nick tries to tell others that criticizing and self deprecation only creates bitter thoughts that limit you. He believes that we always have an option of simply acknowledging that not everything can be 'perfect' and move on. This is exactly what Nick did with his life and now, he makes the best out of his unique situation to inspire others.

Nick is an inspiration to all of us. Whether we are tall or short, skinny or fat, looking beautiful or having a bad day, Nick tells us to appreciate life and to be positive and happy. He shows us that by believing in ourselves, we can achieve more than we think we can, and even surprise ourselves with abilities we didn’t know we had. Most importantly, however, Nick teaches us that the fact that we are here, on this planet, sharing our lives with people we love and doing the things we enjoy, is enough of a miracle to keep living.  

Citations:

http://quotecorner.com/index.html

http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org

http://www.attitudeisaltitude.com/

http://www.self-esteem-school.com/self-esteem-statistics.html

http://justmotivated.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/nick-vujicic-i-love-living-life.jpg

Spreading Hope Through Education

Gaining access to education is a major problem in today’s society. About 121 million children around the world cannot go to school due to poverty, registration issues and lack of schools (global issues). In Batey Cuchilla, Dominican Republic, most of the children do not go to school because they are not officially registered or do not have a birth certificate. Francia Simon used to be one of these children, but when she finally succeeded in obtaining official registration, nationality, and a birth certificate, she decided to help others around her gain birth certificates too, so that they can have access to education and health care.

Francia became motivated and inspired to help others when she almost lost the chance to attend school because she didn’t have a birth certificate. She was constantly pressured by the teachers as she needed a birth certificate to continue in school. But Francia didn't give up, instead she spent hours researching and gathering as much information as she could about official registration and how to get a birth certificate. "Then when she had her own, she saw that other boys and girls within the community don't have their own birth certificate and couldn't go to school." (empower news) Through this experience, Francia discovered the importance of education and how fortunate she is to be able to attend school as there are many children who cannot get education. She also realized that she has the power to help others like her to gain official registration and access to education and health care. Francia had no one to assist and guide her when she was going through this situation and doesn't want the other children to face the same thing she did. Francia hopes to spread her story around the world and help other children to receive birth certificates, "so that they can achieve their goals of becoming engineers, architects, etc" (children’s peace prize). She aims to inspire others to get their basic rights of education and health care and to give them hope of a better and brighter future. Francia is determined obtain access for all of the children to go to school and notifies parents on their child’s right to be registered. By doing this, Francia provides others with a chance for a more promising future.

Francia is a source of hope and a chance to have a brighter future to many poverty stricken refugees and migrants by helping others gain access to education and health care. Many of the children living in the bateyes of the Dominican Republic are without birth certificates, official names or nationalities. Without these essential things, the children cannot have access to education or health care (kid’s rights). Francia not only acknowledged this situation as a major problem but strived to fix it as well. Though Francia has no control over the law that children cannot go to school if they don't have birth certificates, she can help others to be officially recognized. Since she herself has gone through the process of gaining official registration, Francia guides other families through the procedure and teaches them about the rights to get education and health care. Francia believes that it is important to have official registration, name and nationality as it “increases the children’s own self-esteem and gives them the chance to lead a more secure and fulfilling life” (kid’s rights). She knows that education can help to get the children better jobs and more money to support their families when they get older, eventually breaking them out of poverty. Furthermore, Francia believes education will raise the children's self esteem as it will give them hope for a better future beyond poverty and scavenging for food.

Francia's dedication, compassion, and efforts has allowed the Batey children of the Dominican Republic to have an opportunity to live a more fulfilling life. By helping the children gain official registration, nationality and a birth certificate, she not only provided them with access to education and health care but hope as well. Francia gave the children hope for a better future, access to a healthier lifestyle, and a chance to learn. She is an amazing and inspirational person who fully deserved to win the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2010.

Graphic Citation:
http://childrenspeaceprize.org/files/2011/01/30-sept-10-238-300x241.jpg

Home

I am from the garden city,

from grass, flowers, mud & dirt.

I’m from riding bikes and climbing trees,

sandcastles, parasailing, & the deep blue sea.

I am from teddy bears & unicorns,

Waking at 6 to watch dora & boots.

Sponge bob, teletubbies,

Powerpuff girls and Tom & Jerry.

I am from “Make your bed” & “Go practice clarinet,”

Getting grounded because I ‘read too much.’

I’m from staying up till 12 “working,”

In reality just listening to music & relaxing.

I am from wishing on stars,

And wanting the unattainable.

From “nothing is impossible”

And “Never give up.”

                                           

Where am I from?

I’m from the memories of my childhood,

The actions I take today,

And from my hopes and dreams for the future.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne is a novel about two young boys who are living during the holocaust. The two boys are opposites, Bruno being a child of a Nazi commandant, and Shmuel, a Jew. Though they are supposed to be enemies, because of their youth, ignorance and freedom from prejudice, they befriend one another.

The gates to a concentration camp

The prejudice in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas were mostly caused by fear, anger and humiliation. When the Germans lost the war and were forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles, they were humiliated and lost a lot of their wealth and power. Because of their anger, they wanted someone to blame and be responsible for the disgrace of Germany. The Germans decided that the Jews were responsible, even when they had no support or evidence on how the Jews were to blame. The majority of the people thought that they were doing the right thing but the few who disagreed were too fearful to speak up.


This novel has taught and shown me many things about prejudice and biases. In The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Bruno and Shmuel meet each other when they were both still unaware of the holocaust. They befriend one another despite the fact that they are on the opposite sides of the fence. This shows that not all prejudices are correct as Bruno and Shmuel were meant to be enemies but, because of their lack of knowledge, they were willing to get to know and understand each other. 


Prejudice and biases not only affect yourself but others too. Gretel was deeply influenced by her parents and Lieutenant Kotler to believe that all Jews were responsible for Germany losing the war. When Gretel talked to her parents or Lieutenant Kotler about the current situation with Jews, they would tell her information based on their points of view, some of which are not accurate or correct. Gretel chose to trust her parents and in result, became a supporter of the Nazis. She tried to influence and educate Bruno about the Jews but Bruno, who is ignorant and naive, did not listen to Gretel and carried on to be friends with Shmuel. This proves that it is possible to ignore what others say and just do what you believe in.


"Prejudice is a burden which confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible." - Maya Angelou 


Reference:
http://www.krakow-poland.com/i/cms/krakow_auschwitz.jpg

Treaty of Versailles

In the June of 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed by Germany. The treaty was created to punish the Germans for World War One, which, the other nations agreed Germany should take complete responsibility for starting the war. Out of the 440 clauses which the treaty consisted of, 414 of them dealt with punishing Germany. 


The Treaty of Versailles was much too harsh on the Germans. Though Germany had a big impact in the war, they were not the only country who participated in it. Countless of other nations have fought, destroyed, and killed many people as well. The treaty caused for the Germans to admit that they were responsible for the entire war but this is not true. Each country had the right to decide to stay neutral like Spain and Sweden did, but instead, many chose to get involved and in result, many died. Germany was also not the only nation who had invaded another country, the Allied Powers did as well. They are just as responsible for the war as the Germans are.

Allied Powers in green, Central Powers in orange, and neutral countries in grey

Clause number 233 of the Treaty of Versailles had Germany pay for all damages done to the civilian population and property of the Allied Governments. In the end, The Allied Powers charged Germany $33 billion, leaving Germany in serious debt. This was unfair as there were many innocent Germans who were greatly impacted by this. There was much hardship for the Germans as many lost their jobs, money, and those who had family members injured also had to pay for the medical fees. Adding to that, the treaty caused Germany to lose a lot of land, resulting in some Germans losing their homes and having to move. The Treaty of Versailles made life in Germany very harsh and unpleasant even though some Germans did not get involved in or support the war.

Land that Germany lost after the treaty

The Treaty of Versailles was incredibly hard on Germany but not on the other defeated nations. Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey all lost some land and money but none of the punishments were as harsh as it was on Germany. This is unfair as all the nations should be sharing the blame instead of just Germany. They all had played a part in the war, including the Allied Powers, so they should all pay the debt together. It was unjust to thrust all the responsibility on Germany alone.




References:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/WWI-re.png/400px-WWI-re.png
http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW1/germanlosses.htm

No Man is an Island

No man is an island entire of itself; every man

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe

is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as

well as any manner of thy friends or of thine

own were; any man's death diminishes me,

because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom

the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
- John Donne

How do these texts explore similar themes?
These text all explore the theme that everyone is connected and we all have to help and show compassion one another, no man is an island. No one can survive and be successful by themselves and we all have to rely each other for assistance and support some point during our lives, as shown in Mankind Is No Island (Jason van Gederen). The video shows many pictures of poverty stricken people on the road sides and emphasizes on the amount of people who walk by without doing anything. They ignore their silent pleas for help. This is also shown in The Island (Armin Greder) when a stranger is washed onto an island. The story tells a tale of a man who had to depend on the compassion of the other villagers for survival and all but one of the villagers was willing to help the stranger. The Island shows a representation of the current world and how little people care for and help others. In John Donne's No Man is an Island, he suggests that all mankind are the same and we should all be treated equally. This contrasts to Greder's illustrations which show villagers treating a man like an animal. They keep him in a goat pen and feed him scrapes of food. They do this because they think that he is different from "them." And yet in the saying, no man is an island, it tells us that though each of us might have some unique qualities that different-shade us, underneath it all, we are all the same. We all are humans. We all want to be loved and appreciated. We all want to fit in. 


How do the texts provide insight to prejudice and "otherness"?
Greder provides insight to prejudice and "otherness" by showing a man who is isolated, ignored, and ill-treated just because he is different. He is secluded from society because others believe that his differences is too great and that he are not like "them." They judged him based on his looks and refused to help him. They think of him as an animal and locks him up a goat pen. Otherness is also clearly shown in Mankind is no Island. There are many pictures of people on the road who need help but are ignored due to them being different from others. 


Why do people make distinctions between "us" and "them"? 

People make distinctions between us and them because they are afraid of their differences. They judge people based on what they look like and where they come from. They are afraid that the people who are different from them might be dangerous, harmful and maybe even more powerful than they are. They isolate the different people to make themselves feel safer from harm. Also, it is much easier to ignore people and make excuses by saying that they are different and could be dangerous instead taking the time help them. 

Profile A

     In humanities, we learned about learning profiles again. This is because learning profiles can sometimes change, just like how peoples personalities can change too. When I did the learning profile test, I found out that I am still an A. This means that my eye, ear, hand and foot work well under stress but I might have difficulty seeing the big picture instead of focusing on the details.

     Being a profile A means that I should sit on the left side of the room so that I can access my right ear easily. I know that I am right ear dominant because we did a test in class. For me, when I pick up the phone, I would usually bring it up to my right ear. Another test we did was that imagine that someone is talking on the other side of the door. You want to know what they are saying so you go up to the door and put your ear on it. When I acted that out, I put my right ear on the door confirming that I am right ear dominant. It is important that I can access my right ear easily because it means that I can hear the teacher better. I also learn best when I focus on the details. I process by analysis, verbalization and writing. Being a profile A also means that I like and have the ability to follow step-by-step visual and auditory instructions. I learn best from oral and written communication. This means that I am not very creative or emotional and can sometimes be unsympathetic towards others. I think that all of this is very true because I like to follow detailed instructions. I also like it when there is only one correct answer. 

     I should be encouraged to understand information from a whole perspective and should also be allowed some time for my ideas to generate. I need to learn how to not always ignore and dismiss my ideas to quickly. This happens to me very frequently especially in humanities. When we are have to write a story but not told what to write about, I get ideas but most of them I would ignore. This makes my writing less creative and in other words, my imaginative stories are usually very dull. I also need to trust my instincts more as most of the time, my movements would be planned. This means that I don't like to improvise because I would have to trust my instincts. To help me with this, I should try to draw blindfolded because I would not be able to see what I was drawing in result forcing me to follow my instincts.

Strategies that would help me learn include trying freeform painting and writing poems that don't rhyme. Freeform painting would help me because it would help me to trust my instincts and to use my imagination. In freeform painting, there are no rules and your results can never be wrong. Freeform painting also allows me to show my emotion through the artwork. For example, if I was sad then I might paint using black, grey, and brown but if I was happy, I would use bright colors like yellow and green. Freeform painting will help me be more creative and show my emotions more and this would help me to write better stories in humanities. Writing poems that don't rhyme can also help me a lot. It will help me to be more imaginative and it will improve my writing. It will help me to be more imaginative because there are no rules and I could write about anything. Even if it doesn't make sense to others, it is okay. This means that I can use a lot of imagination. By writing poems, I am also improving my writing because I am practicing my writing skills and practice make perfect.

     I would like my teachers to know that though I am suppose to try to use my imagination more, I do not like to be imaginative or creative. I like it when I have specific instructions to follow. The thing that I dislike the most is when teachers give instructions that are not clear. It is annoying because you know that they want you to do something in a specific way but you don't exactly understand what they want you to do. Another thing that I would like teachers to know is that I don't like to perform (acting/drama). I don't like to because I am always not sure if what I was doing correct or not and think it is embarrassing.

Graphic Citation:

http://qwickstep.com/search/learning-brain.html

http://www.sacredheartsns.net/poetry/

Take a Stand

Hundreds of public libraries in the United Kingdom are threatened to close down due to the lack of people visiting them. This makes the government feel that there are no need for the libraries and that they are a waste of space. The budget needed to sustain the libraries are high so they think that it will be more advantageous to use the land for something else. Fortunately, many people are protesting at all corners of the nation causing the government to reconsider their decisions. 

I strongly disagree with closing of libraries in the United Kingdom. Libraries not only let people read books for free but also let them have internet access. Some people cannot afford to buy books for themselves and rely on public libraries for reading materials. Others who don't have internet where they live and come to libraries to do research for school projects and assignments. Closing down libraries means preventing people from reading and making it harder for them to excel in school.
Reading is very important in life because it can teach us what is right and what is wrong. History is written in books and when we read them, we can know not to make the same mistakes as people in the past did, reading makes us wiser.
Books are also a source of inspiration. It causes people to think and question, and without these traits, we will never move forward in life. Many inventors read books to help them figure out how things function and how to improve them but without the books, they won’t be able to create new machines to make life easier.
Reading is also entertaining and educational for both children and adults. When you read, your vocabulary expands and you become better at writing stories and essays. Studies have shown that people who read all four types of reading materials, books, magazines, newspapers, and encyclopedias, scored higher than those who don't read. Books can be entertaining and a better way to past time than watching television as well. To some people, books are who they confined to when they are stress and want to escape reality. Taking away libraries is like taking away a friend to them. Public libraries benefit people a lot and it is wrong to close them down.

"To read is to fly; it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experiences and the fruits of many inquiries." - A. C. Grayling

Reference:

http://www.wisbechmuseum.org.uk/collections_libraries.htm

Five Objects

If you could only have five items for the rest of your life, what would they be? A book? A stuffed animal, an iPod, or perhaps even candy? These objects can be almost anything but they will show who you are and what you value. For me, the five items that I would choose are a bracelet, my bookshelf, a metal box with my stationary inside, my sticker-covered bible, and my clarinet.

When I was around nine years old, my cousin, Jasmine, gave me the rose bracelet. This bracelet reminds me of my extended family because all my female cousins and my sisters have one. It shows that we are all connected somehow as there are exactly six flowers on the bracelet, each one representing a family. The rose bracelet also symbolizes my great-grandmother, who is 98 and still alive, because she loves plants and has them in pots outside her front door. Whenever I go visit my great-grandmother, I would see flowers blooming despite the weather and the season and it will cheer me up, because it looks like a rainbow exploded on her porch.

My bookshelf is also another significant object to me. The bookshelf at the corner of my room is filled with books which I used to read when I was a little girl. Some of them were given to me as a present and some I bought. When you look at it, you can see how I started to read, mostly about fairies and princesses, and how the books start to become thicker and less childish. The shelf holds many memories of my past and my journey through life. Sometimes when I am bored, I would just select a random book from the shelf and start reading it. Each book has a special meaning and story behind it and they are all very precious to me.

A metal box painted to look a little rusty is another object which is important to me. I keep all my stationery supplies in it and for those of you who don't know this, I have a weird hobby of collecting unusual pens, pencils, highlighters etc. I keep all of my unused stationery in the box and sometimes give it to people as presents.  The box itself is also important as my mom gave it to me for Christmas and it was painted by one of her friends. My sisters also have similar boxes with different designs.

When I was eight, my parents bought me a bible which I still have today. I like this particular bible because it is dark blue, my favorite color, and slender instead of wide. My bible is also covered in stickers which I pasted on when I first got it. It is important to me because it teaches me valuable lessons that reminds me of my experiences, actions, and attitudes and how they should be.

The last object that I would chose is my new clarinet. The clarinet is really important to me because I spent years trying to find the right instrument for me. When I was seven, I learnt the guitar for a year before moving on to two years of piano, later playing the violin. When I started middle school, I chose to learn the clarinet. Like every instrument before, I hated it and regretted picking it up. However, I quickly learnt that the practicing was worth it and found that I was starting to enjoy it. I hope that playing the clarinet will stay with throughout my life, and that I will just keep getting better.  

A bracelet, a bookshelf, a metal box, bible, and clarinet might not seem like special objects when alone, but together, they clearly represent something... ME!