Int’l Human Rts: Nicaragua's Abortion Ban

Abortion is not a controversial issue known only to the U.S. In Managua, Nicaragua, a new law supposedly prevents doctors from being able to perform abortions even when the mother’s life is at risk. The law has made many pregnant women afraid of seeking medical help and even doctors are fearful of breaking the law. Government reports say that maternal mortality has increased significantly (by 100%) within the last year.

There are two schools of thoughts to this debate. One side contests that human rights are being violated because safe and legal abortion is restricted. Two Human Rights Watch activists say that “the government should not use religious doctrine as a pretext for violating women’s fundamental rights to life and health.”[1] The other side, of course, says that human life cannot be exterminated, even an egg.

As a proponent of human life, this issue has caught my attention. There is one condition when a fertilized egg is fixed outside the uterus and has a zero possibility of living. It is known as an ectopic pregnancy. So if the egg’s chance of survival is nothing, one could logically argue... shouldn’t the mother have a right to live?

Many Catholic churches around the world perform abortions in these cases. The controversy is apparent: if the egg is going to die, then perhaps the woman’s life should be saved if hers is in danger.

It is also disheartening that rich women can pay to obtain illegal abortions or fly to Miami to get abortions, while numerous poor women in Nicaragua do not have the same option.

Yes, life isn’t fair all the time.

Although human life should be treasured and preserved, there comes a time when controversy emerges. Perhaps there are exceptions to banning abortion, especially in ectopic pregnancies.

Life would be easier if things were always in black and white.

Until research finds a way of dislodging the egg from outside the uterus and ensuring its survival, one can’t help but wonder what to do in a situation like this.

Until there’s a miracle, only God knows what the right thing to do is.

-Denise
International Human Rights

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[1] http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/10/22/nicara17144.htm

HEALTH: The SCHIP War

The widely publicized battle raging between Congress and President Bush on the topic of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is pretty much well known by this point. However, it is not known for the right reasons.

Perusing through articles from news outlets nationwide you only get one conclusion: people at this point are more concerned with the gaping chasm between the right and the left than the people who would be affected by the bill.

For instance, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported on October 29: “the bill is yet another political statement in what has become an embarrassingly politicized fight.” This may be true, but who are those who are actually affected by this back-and-forth?

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), currently SCHIP combined with Medicare provides insurance coverage for more than 30 million low-income children. Of these kids, 91 percent were below 200 percent of the federal poverty line. This is great!

However, then you have to look at the number of uninsured children. KFF statistics show that 9.4 million children were without health insurance in 2006.

The trend is magnified when you look at the price of health insurance, which has basically doubled in the past three years.

Congress is arguing for an increase of $35 billion for the Bill. Remember that we are spending $200 million a day and the $12 billion we spend a month in Iraq. In order to pay for this expansion, there would be a hike in the cigarette tax, to $1 per pack – quite an increase from the current 39-cents. However, at the same time the new bill tightens the restrictions, closing the program to illegal immigrants and tightening the age and income limits of applicants.

After all is said and done, some 3.8 to 3.9 million uninsured people would be added, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

-Erika Eckstrom, Issues of Health

EDUCATION: The Green Schools Movement

We all remember learning about Earth Day and recycling in grade school, but these days, there is much more going on than just preaching "reduce, reuse, recycle." According to a recent New York Times article, schools like Scarsdale Middle School in Westchester County, N.Y., are encouraging students to not only get involved in the green movement, but to encourage their parents to do the same.

For example, they have made their pick-up/drop-off area a "No-Idling Zone" where parents are discouraged from leaving their engines on while waiting for students. In California, schools in San Bernadino and Riverside counties created a light-bulb exchange program where students replaced 15,734 incandescent bulbs (and counting) in their homes with energy-efficient compact fluorescent versions.

But some educators belive classroom environmental initiatives are a waste of taxpayer money, especially when so many of our nation's schools are filled with students who aren't meeting the minimum standards on math and reading tests.

According to the New York Times, Jerry Cantrell, president of the New Jersey Taxpayers Association, called the environmental programs an unnecessary expense, particularly for public schools facing budget cutbacks. “The ‘ed biz’ is known for faddish endeavors,” he said. “They pick up on some new philosophy, and it seems cool and popular, and I would throw being green in with that."

I personally believe schools have a responsibility to teach students about protecting and replenishing their environment. Not only will it create a generation of environmentally-aware individuals, but there is a high chance that these kids will also impact the way their parents act. Its also a little disconcerting that so many educators don't believe little changes will help. I think we should all HOPE that the green movement takes hold in schools.

-Lisa

INT'L HUMAN RTS - Yahoo Misleads Congress with Information

Last week, it was discovered that Yahoo gave a false testimony to Congress. Yahoo misled Congress on info given to Chinese authorities. The info was about Shi Tao, a Chinese journalist in Beijing. The ordeal sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

Democratic Republican Tom Lantos - a California representative and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee - has asked Yahoo officials to testify in court on November 6.

The journalist, Shi Tao, had written on an overseas Web site called "Democracy Forum" about the Chinese government’s crackdown on democracy activists and the media. Yahoo gave the computer information to Chinese authorities. Shi was soon arrested in his home in Beijing.

Evidently, Yahoo told Congress that it did not know that the information it provided was part of a Chinese government crackdown.

Interestingly, it was discovered recently that police in China had communicated with Yahoo that “they were seeking evidence about Shi for illegally "providing state secrets to foreign entities," a charge frequently levied against political dissidents in China.”[1]

Here's the nitty-gritty to it all:

Even if it is true that Yahoo did not know of the government crackdown in this case, the statement the police made was quite obvious in alluding to cracking down on political dissidents. The good thing that has come out of this is that Yahoo will finally create a unified global code of conduct for its branches around the world.

Also, shouldn’t Yahoo, an-American based company, protect the rights of its users? It would be interesting to conduct further research into Yahoo’s privacy rights to consumers.

It is shocking to me that Yahoo gave its consumer's private information to the public, especially when it received such clear evidence that there was an underlying purpose to the info request.

After all, if Yahoo can give away information about its consumers so easily and ignorantly - I’m not so sure how many people will still be Yahoo fans, or much less ... users.

-Denise
Posted Tues. 10/23/07
*Updated 10/24/07

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[1] http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/10/16/yahoo.congress/index.html

GLBTQ: House to Vote on ENDA Tomorrow

The House of Representatives will formally consider the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) on Wednesday. Last week, the House Education and Labor Committee, on a 27-21 vote, sent the bill to the House without a transgender provision, Gay City News reports.

If passed, ENDA would provide protection from discrimination in the workplace for gays, lesbians and bisexuals - but not transgendered employees.

For many gay rights groups in the country, the committee passage was a better sweet victory. While many in the gay community are ecstatic at the historical piece of legislation the House will soon consider, they are disappointed a portion of their "community" will be left behind.

In response to the committee's action, the House Democratic Leadership granted Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., the only openly lesbian member of Congress, permission to introduce an amendment adding the transgender or gender identity provision back into the bill. If the amendment fails, however, many gay rights organizations have claimed they will not support ENDA, possibly even actively opposing its passage.

As posted earlier, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nations largest gay rights organization, has taken some heat from the gay community because it has long supported ENDA with or without the gender identity provision, sparking some protests at its recent National Dinner.

Speaker Pelosi has argued in the past that passing this bill is instrumental in taking the small steps necessary to ensure equal protections for everyone in the gay community.

HRC, however, is mobilizing efforts to urge Congress to pass the bill WITH the transgender amendment via a website dedicated to the issue.

Insiders on Capitol Hill report the transgender amendment will most likely fail, but ENDA will probably pass. It remains unclear if the President will veto or sign the legislation.

Speaker Pelosi makes an excellent argument for passing ENDA with or without the transgender provision. If we only accepted "all-or-nothing" protections in the past, we'd probably still be debating civil rights for women or African-Americans today far more intensely than we already are. We must win this battle and live to continue to fight the war.

Fear and Loathing in Prince William County

As Prince William County decides the fate of dozens of illegal immigrants, there arises a sense of uncertainty and paranoia in the area. Many Latinos are fleeing to other states because they feel unwanted in PW County. This gets me thinking about motivation. What motivates people to come to these United States? Looking beyond the usual reasons for a better life, and “the American Dream”, the one question I have is “Why do they stay amid all the uncertainty? I don’t even believe that the animosity is necessarily aimed at illegal immigrants but it fills our need to have a sense of importance, or superiority if you will. Forty years ago, there was similar sentiment against the integration of Whites and Blacks. Different circumstances, sure, but same sentiments expressed. African Americans felt unwanted, they had no rights, no voices, and had an “annoying” habit of not going away. Throughout history, there has always been a tug-of-war between a dominant group and a not-so-dominant group. The races and sub-groups change but the dynamic stays the same. Is modern society predicated on this rhythmless dance filled with fear and loathing? This really gives meaning to the expression: those who cannot learn from history are bound to repeat it.

Jasmine - On Immigration

EDUCATION: Katrina offers second chances

Despite the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, many of New Orleans' schools (which were some of the country's worst) have been offered a fresh start. According to the New York Times, officials chose to turn over 40 of the 80 salvaged schools to state-charted and state-financed groups to provide oversight above and beyond that of common school leaders. It is proving to be a successful conversion process that is backed by the Bush administration and $24 million.

In the first few months after Katrina, James Huger, a real-estate investor, and his organization the Choice Foundation, applied for a charter for Lafayette Academy, a grade school in New Orleans. Choice then hired Mosaica Education, a for-profit chartering enterprise that promised “a tuition-free classical education worthy of the finest private schools,” to help them with management. But Mosaica failed to help and the school remained dirty and lacked technology and transportation for students and Choice did not renew their contract with them this spring.

Instead, Choice hired a new principal who actively recruited teachers, janitors and bus drivers and even sought out proper textbooks and gym equipment. And even though it took a little while, the school has now returned to normal. Considering the problems Katrina caused in the months and years after she hit New Orleans, its nice to see a little hope and to know that not everything that happened was bad.

-Lisa

GLBTQ: Georgetown Gays in Trouble

This is a friend's (who is a Georgetown student) recount of the trouble the gay community is facing at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Also, queerty.com has a good posting on the ordeal.

On Sept. 9th, a Georgetown student was the victim of a hate crime by another Georgetown student. The victim had to be hospitalized. The university failed to alert the Georgetown community of the crime until a month after it happened and only after GU Pride demanded that the university make a statement.

The university’s response to this incident was completely inadequate, so GU Pride formulated a list of demands, one of which is the creation of an GLBT resource center. We asked GU President DeGoia to attend an open forum on Wednesday to discuss this plan, but he refused to participate.

Yesterday, GU Pride held a press conference on campus and tried to deliver a petition to the President’s office. Because it was Coming Out Day, members of GU Pride were wearing yellow t-shirts that said “I am” on them. Upon arriving at Healy Hall, where the President's office is located, people wearing these yellow t-shirts were barred entry to the building while other students were allowed in, who were not wearing the t-shirts. Fifteen campus security guards were present and formed a human wall to block GU Pride members from entering the building.

Here is some press coverage of the ongoing problem at Georgetown:

Article: "Gay Georgetown Students Rally" by WUSA.

Video: "Georgetown Students Protest in Response to Alleged Hate Crime" by WRC.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RTS: Building a Democratic Russia

Last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated that the Russian government has accumulated too much power, which is blocking protection of the Russian people’s rights. Russia is in a transition to democracy under President Vladimir Putin.

"I think there is too much concentration of power in the Kremlin," said Rice.

In the U.S. State Department’s most recent human rights report on Russia, it describes the rising authoritarianism in the Kremlin, in addition to “a compliant legislature, political pressure on the judiciary, intolerance of ethnic minorities, corruption and selectivity in enforcement of the law, and media restrictions and self-censorship.”[1]

Thus, Rice has spoken with human rights activists in Russia to build institutions of democracy to offset rising arbitrary state power. Democratic elections are coming up in December and March, which she hopes will not be affected by democratic backsliding.

“How these two elections are carried out will have an effect on whether Russia is making the next step on toward democracy," said Rice.

Rice has made an important point that Russia should protect the rights of its people. The U.S. is making a wise move by remaining active in Russia’s transition to democracy. For one thing, Russia is still in the process of joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). Ensuring that its government maintains a smooth transition to democracy in future years, especially the next few, will be vitally essential. It must be guaranteed that Russia has a stable government that protects its people’s rights.

Freedom of speech and communication is another point worth mentioning. Electronic media restrictions have cast doubt on the freedom of speech. If the Kremlin is already amassing so much power to limit the media’s independence, one must wonder if it will ever become a “true democracy” in the future. The Russia media should have its free voice in a democracy.

Russia must build a strong foundation in the beginning, and the U.S. is right in being committed to helping it do so.

- Denise

International Human Rights

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[1] http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/10/13/rice.russia.ap/index.html

Killadelphia - The city of brotherly love?

The Streets of Killadelphia

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/10/11/mattingly.killadelphia.cnn

You still think Philadelphia is the city of brother love? Shaunta McDuffie wouldn’t agree with you. She lost her 14-year-old son to a violent, senseless killing this year. He was riding his bike with a couple of his pals, when the driver of the car behind him honked his horn, then shot and killed him. Cnn.com covered a report about the disturbing turn of events in Philadelphia. News reports show at least a homicide a day, with at least 300 people dead and counting during 2006. Living in perpetual fear, residents say that people get shot for something as mundane as a parking spot.

“Twenty years ago, people had disputes, and fights but they settled it with fists, now they use bullets”, says Mark Lamont Hill, an anti-violence expert. The problems are less about gangs and violence and more about individuals living frustrated unrewarded lives. Its more about frustrated individuals with guns.

Lawmakers believe that the revitalization of the city and economy would go far in curtailing the reports since, it would give people jobs and economic freedom. It would lessen the burdens people are under. People are so frustrated with their lives, the smallest issue could spark killing sprees in traffic, supermarkets, and neighborhood parks.

The educational system leave much to be desired - Philadelphia ranked 92nd in the a study of the number of adults with college degrees, according to a study by the Brookings Institution's Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy.

Thoughts? The media and lawmakers are quick to point to gun proliferation as the chief cause of city violence. Hardly any thought is given to how the problem could go deeper than simply a knack for violence in trigger-happy gangs.

To me? Part of the problem, is the fact that people are obsessed with the need for speed : the need to get the most in the fastest possible way. Everybody is in a hurry to get nowhere fast, and nobody is immune from the onslaught, even a 14 year old kid.

Jasmine - On Philadelphia

Health: Healthy Worldwide Children

Thanks to the recent assignments I have been receiving on the topic of childhood obesity, I’ve been inspired to write a couple words on the topic of childhood health – and this time I truly do mean a couple words.

Going through the news this past week there were a number of articles that touched on the pressing dangers of unhealthy childhood. An article in the Canadian newspaper, The Globe, based out of Toronto, touches on the topic of “wheat-washing” – the marketing of food as whole wheat products to give the illusion of health. Another newspaper, The Independent Online, based in Cape Town, South Africa, discusses new statistical proof on how alcohol abuse is “frying the brains” of South African youths. A newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, The Sunday Herald Sun, documents an increase of childhood obesity, diabetes and depression.

These may all be different issues, but they happen everywhere. They also evidence the growing worldwide concern for youth and their health. The decline in teenage and childhood wellbeing is a worldwide problem and something that is in desperate need of a solution.

Friday, Oct. 13, I had the privilege of meeting Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon and listening to his address at the United States Peace Corps Headquarters. While he was there he talked about the nature of global issues saying: “Global problems have global impacts and they need global solutions.”

I think that he is right. These issues are a result of a worldwide shift. Based on the globalization of our planet, we cannot control these issues on a local scale. I’m not arguing that localized programs are a problem, but they are lacking the coordination that a worldwide program could have – and as a result they also lack the worldwide sharing of successful tactics.

I’m still debating if this is an issue for a multinational organization, such as the United Nations, of if it could be sustained by a non-governmental organization. However, I think it is self-evident that we need a worldwide sustainable solution.

Let California Ring

As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., prepares to veto a gay marriage law passed by the state legislature for the second time, a coalition of 40 groups, including the Equality California Institute, launched an ad campaign as a part of its Let California Ring initiative.



The legislature passed the bill on Sept. 7 and Gov. Schwarzenegger has until Oct. 14 to sign or veto the measure. Since insiders say his most likely argument for a veto will be he's "following the will of the people," the California Institute is attempting to sway public opinion in favor of marriage equality, currently at 43%.

Unusually, the :60 second spot doesn't feature a single gay or lesbian person. It features a bride trying to reach her groom at the alter but is unable to do so because of various obstacles (people grabbing her dress, items blocking the aisle, and etc.).

EDUCATION: Do Thank-Yous Work?

Apparently, high school students are worried that a high GPA, good SAT scores and extracurricular activities aren’t enough to get them in to college these days. According to a New York Times article published on October 9, more and more college applicants are sending thank-you notes to admissions officers and interviewers, thanking them for their time and consideration. Patrick J. O’Connor, director of college counseling at the private Roeper School in Birmingham, Mich says that “it seems like a small thing, but I tell my students that every contact with the college contributes to their perception of you.”

But Woody O’Cain, the admissions director at Furman University in South Carolina says he realizes many of them are strategic. And schools like NYU, Johns Hopkins and MIT simply throw the notes out without even reading them. According to the New York Times, Barbara F. Hall, associate provost for enrollment management at N.Y.U., said writing a note was “a very polite thing to do.” But, she added, the university does not keep the notes, because “with our reading files twice, we don’t need extraneous material, and that is extraneous.”

At some schools, however, the notes are placed in students filed. “Is it necessary to write a thank-you note?” said Janet L. Rapelye, dean of admissions at Princeton. “No. But I’m still in favor of them. Expressing gratitude is a lovely quality.”

Whether or not thank-you notes are kept or remembered is obviously up for debate, but I think the idea is an interesting one- especially from a PR standpoint. Students feel like sending the notes adds to their character and builds a positive image that colleges will respond to. But I can’t help but wonder if it actually works or if just makes them seem desperate. Shouldn’t their application say enough?

-Lisa Rassenti

Immigration and Gang Related Activities

(2006) ( 2, 294) (3,974) (7,655) (700) (2005)
These seemingly random numbers describe increasingly disturbing statistics and facts;

Since 2006, the arrests of the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement have increased from 2, 294 to 3,974. They have also have arrested 7, 655 people from 700 gangs since 2005.

The Federal lawmakers have arrested and deported people involved in gang-related activities, thereby enforcing immigration law across the U.S.
A recent three month crackdown across the U.S resulted revealed that the nationwide implications of this goes beyond a few arrests. The arrests recorded in the five cities below came after the ICE targeted specific gangsters and they associated gangs or organizations.

New York – 205 arrests
Dallas – 121 arrests
Miami – 160 arrests
Fort Smith, Ark – 42 arrests
Boston - 59 arrests
Interestingly, opponents of these crackdowns take issue not with the crackdown themselves but with the seemingly “end-justify-the-means” implications of these operations.

This begs the questions: are the raids justified in the pursuit of law and order? And is the immigration issue separate from criminal and gang enforcement. Are they related?
Case in point, and with an interesting choice in words, Sgt. Kelly O'Rourke of the Metropolitan Gang Strike Force in Minneapolis-St. Paul, describes the immigration charges as a “helpful tool” in their bid to control the growth of gangs and gang wars. Her words imply that in a bid to ensure peace and tranquility amid the evolving gang influence, the immigration issue could become a “control” yardstick.
Not all raids have resulted in “legal” immigration-related arrests, however. The department of Homeland security has been accused of misconduct and malfeasance for crossing the line by Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi.
Another question arises: Do Sanctuary laws, contribute to crime? Media reports of deported illegal immigrants who return to the United States, and continue to commit crimes, make these questions sufficiently viable.

Opponents suggest that sanctuary law undermines policing and hampers the campaign against crime. To arrest an American citizen when they commit a crime all that is required is a warrant as opposed to when an illegal alien commits a crime.

Jasmine on Immigration Issues

Immigration and Gang-Related Statistics

Immigration and Gangs

(2006) ( 2, 294) (3,974) (7,655) (700) (2005)
These seemingly random numbers describe increasingly disturbing statistics and facts;

Since 2006, the arrests of the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement have increased from 2, 294 to 3,974. They have also have arrested 7, 655 people from 700 gangs since 2005.

The Federal lawmakers have arrested and deported people involved in gang-related activities, thereby enforcing immigration law across the U.S.
A recent three month crackdown across the U.S resulted revealed that the nationwide implications of this goes beyond a few arrests. The arrests recorded in the five cities below came after the ICE targeted specific gangsters and they associated gangs or organizations.

New York – 205 arrests
Dallas – 121 arrests
Miami – 160 arrests
Fort Smith, Ark – 42 arrests
Boston - 59 arrests
Interestingly, opponents of these crackdowns take issue not with the crackdown themselves but with the seemingly “end-justify-the-means” implications of these operations.

This begs the questions: are the raids justified in the pursuit of law and order? And is the immigration issue separate from criminal and gang enforcement. Are they related?
Case in point, and with an interesting choice in words, Sgt. Kelly O'Rourke of the Metropolitan Gang Strike Force in Minneapolis-St. Paul, describes the immigration charges as a “helpful tool” in their bid to control the growth of gangs and gang wars. Her words imply that in a bid to ensure peace and tranquility amid the evolving gang influence, the immigration issue could become a “control” yardstick.
Not all raids have resulted in “legal” immigration-related arrests, however. The department of Homeland security has been accused of misconduct and malfeasance for crossing the line by Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi.
Another question arises: Do Sanctuary laws, contribute to crime? Media reports of deported illegal immigrants who return to the United States, and continue to commit crimes, make these questions sufficiently viable.

Opponents suggest that sanctuary law undermines policing and hampers the campaign against crime. To arrest an American citizen when they commit a crime all that is required is a warrant as opposed to when an illegal alien commits a crime.

GLBTQ: String of Hate Crimes Sweeps Nation's Capital

There has been a disturbing trend in the District of Columbia over the past month. The Washington Post reports there have been a series of anti-gay hate crimes in a relatively small amount of time.

****

Sept. 25, 2007

Three persons on bicycles follow a man leaving a nightclub at 9^th & O Streets NW, taunt him with anti-gay remarks and then hit him with an unidentified object.

Sept. 13, 2007

A transgendered person is thrown through a plate-glass window in the 800 block of 7^th Street NW.

Sept. 9, 2007

Two men attack a 19-year-old Georgetown student in the 1400 block of 36th Street NW. The attackers yell homophobic epithets during the attack and leave the victim with cuts and bruises to the face and a broken thumb.

Aug. 5, 2007

Now, authorities are saying the Aug. 5, 2007, execution-style murders in a New Jersey school yard were possibly anti-gay motivated and are considering declaring it a hate crime. According to a Washington Blade article, the students killed were planning to attend a gay pride rally that day. Unfortunately, the students never made it there.

****

As advocated in an earlier blog posting, this only reiterates the need for a nationwide hate crimes bill that includes sexual orientation AND gender identity. Though, it appears the President is still planning to veto the Matthew Shepard Act and Congress still may not have the votes to override his decision.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS: A Government Blacklisting Peacemakers?

Apparently, the Philippines government blacklisted 504 people related to the “Al-Qaeda/Taliban Link” in July and August. These people are banned from entering the country. It is not known whether or not this blacklist is still in effect. According to Human Rights Watch, which recently uncovered the document, the blacklist contains names of people from over 50 countries, including “individuals from U.S.-based organizations such as Church World Service, the Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, the National Lawyers Guild, and the Center for Constitutional Rights.” [1]

Certainly does not sound like people tied to Al Qaeda or the Taliban to me.

What’s astonishing is that some of the Americans targeted in the list are nothing more than peacekeepers who visited the Philippines. Ramsey Clark, a former U.S. attorney general, had visited the Philippines to help human rights victims of the armed forces. The Philippines government has been under intense scrutiny for extrajudicial killings of government critics and activists, by which Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has shrewdly welcomed international assistance in examining unsolved killings.

Clearly, the blacklist is a form of suppression of freedom and speech in the Philippines. The discovery of blacklists also does not help build a better reputation for the Philippines, much less President Arroyo’s open international invitation to investigate the cases.

What is the irony of the situation? The Philippines is a nation that “prides itself on being a democracy that values free speech.”[1] The authors of the blacklists should see that they are doing a disservice to their country’s “open policy” of investigations into the killings. Rather than promoting justice, the blacklists only appear to suppress speech and peacemaking in the Philippines. The world will think, “If they can blacklist non-violent people, wouldn't it be possible for them be held responsible for unsolved killings?” The president’s message to the world would be of no value – and the image of the nation would do nothing but crumble.

-Denise
International Human Rights

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[1] http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/09/28/philip16961.htm

HEALTH: Celebrating the Diversity of Ability Through National Disability Employment Awareness Month

So, as many people probably do not know, October is National Disability Employment Month.

I’m not a very big fan of this “National Month” process. First of all, I think it embeds organizational discrimination because it continues to remind people of our differences and not our sameness. Secondly, it implies that all the other 11 months of the year are not for specific groups of people. And lastly, there just aren’t enough months to cover everyone out there. For instance, National Disability Employment Month (October 1 to October 31) overlaps with National Hispanic Month (September 15 to October 14).

HOWEVER, having said this, I REALLY like National Disability Employment Month. It’s an opportunity to show the fortitude of people that not only have to combat stereotypes and discrimination, but also have real, tangible, and every day limitations and obstacles. I do not think this can be said for any other group of people and it truly emphasizes the resilience and determination of this unique population.

Keeping on topic, my motivation for this blog came while I was writing the press release for the Peace Corps for our “celebration of National Disability Employment Month” (click here to see the release). This month gave me the great opportunity to get in touch with Peace Corps Volunteers (and employees!) around the world who are either have limited abilities or are working with disabled host country nationals.

What is so striking about Peace Corps Volunteers in particular, at least to me, is that the not only transgress stereotypes in the U.S., but also abroad. Furthermore, people do not seem to understand that because someone has certain limitations it doesn’t mean that they are incapable of, say, going halfway around the world to help others. These Volunteers are not only able to fulfill the mission of the Peace Corps, but they bring very valuable and specialized lessons to their work and help debunk stereotypes worldwide.

I was able to communicate with four Peace corps Volunteers that truly inspired me:

Brooke James is a legally blind Peace Corps Volunteer who is breaking stereotypes through her Service in Cameroon. James has the juvenile form of macular degeneration called Stargardt’s disease and has been legally blind since the age of 13. However, despite this limitation, she has followed her dreams and joined Peace Corps and has not been disappointed: “I'm here and loving every minute of it,” said James. “However, I have faced some serious visual obstacles.”

Another label breaker is Allison Rice, a Deaf Peace Corps Volunteer who works with the Deaf Education Program teaching literacy and HIV/AIDS awareness. According to Rice, many Kenyans correlate disabilities to ineptitude and are also surprised to discover that Deaf Americans, such as herself, exist.

“There are Deaf people in Kenya and all over the world,” wrote Rice in an email. “At the moment, the only thing I love is being able to deflate the ongoing stereotypes and villagers' limited view on Deaf people in the world.”

Something that I also found very interesting was the immense worth of limited Peace Corps Volunteers, especially in the Deaf Education Program in Kenya. Here, as in other places world wide, limited Peace Corps Volunteers placed in areas where their specific skill-sets are needed not only to provide an example of their capability, but to help teach others who may not understand their perspective. It is the perfect twisting of ‘disabled’ to the, now cliché, ‘differently abled.’

“I have good relationships with all fellow volunteers, which is based on interdependency and being helpful,” wrote Frank Lester, who is also a Deaf Volunteer in Kenya. “I would help them with their sign language skill, as well as educate them on deaf issues. They would assist me with communication access. We all have different strengths we use to contribute to our joint projects.”

As I noted before, there are also abled Peace Corps Volunteers that work to help disabled host country nationals find better ways to contribute their strengths, find employment and help themselves. Megan Monroe, an abled Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador, has been working with a blind organization in her host community.

“This group has incredible manual abilities,” said Monroe who continues to be inspired by her counterparts. “The group of the blind is self organized and formed with the intention to better their lives and reach out and provide developmental opportunities for those living with a visual disability.”

The work of Peace Corps Volunteers is just the best example that I have to show the how the disabled are not only abled, but uniquely valuable. And this value is transnational, cross-cultural, imperative, and crucial. My only hope is that people continue to respect, enable, and initiate opportunities for this group of Americans.

-Erika Eckstrom, Issues of Health

EDUCATION: Vulgarity vs. Free Speech

On Sept. 21, Colorado State University's student newspaper The Rocky Mountain Collegian ran an editorial with the message "Taser this...F*** Bush" in the space where a 600-word editorial should have been. The newspaper's editors wrote the message in response to the Sept. 18 incident at the Univ. of Florida where a student was tasered by police at a forum featuring Sen. John Kerry. According to the New York Times, the campus paper "ran a news article on its front page that discussed free speech regulations on college campuses, as well as the disputed attack."

The paper's editor-in-chief, J. David McSwane, has vowed that he will not resign, but school supervisors are meeting this week to decide whether he should be fired for agreeing to publish the message. According to the New York Times, "the board plans to consider whether the language violated the newspaper’s code of ethics, specifically the provision that 'profane and vulgar words are not acceptable for opinion writing.'"

In a letter to the public in defense of his decision, McSwane wrote: “We feel this statement, albeit unpopular, was necessary in communicating our opinion that it’s time college students challenge the current political climate and speak out."

Since the editorial was published, advertisers have pulled $30,000 worth of ads, student pay has been cut and the paper’s reputation has suffered. The message was obviously meant to be an expression of free speech, but was it worth it?

I believe college student newspaper writers and editors, like every other American, have the right to free speech. But in this case, there are a million other ways the editors could have expressed their opinions without putting the university's reputation and newspaper's integrity on the line. The four-word message wasn't accompanied by an written explanation and I believe they could have gotten their point across much more effectively by way of a traditional editorial. The bold, unnecessarily vulgar headline likely left readers confused and annoyed rather than impressed and, in my opinion, simply gives the newspaper a lack of credibility.

For college newspapers, I believe there are better ways to champion free speech without putting the university’s reputation, fellow staff members’ jobs and the newspaper’s integrity on the line.

-Lisa

HEALTH: New York Smoking Ban Connected to Decrease in Heart Attacks

This week I came across an article in the Ithaca Journal, my hometown newspaper in Ithaca, N.Y., about the purported link between a decrease in heart attacks and the New York State law banning smoking in all workplaces, including bars, taverns and restaurants.

New York, which was passed the Clean Indoor Air Act on March 26, 2003, was the first of at least 22 states and the District of Columbia to enact measures to eliminate smoking in workplaces. The law was created to protect people from unwanted second-hand smoke.

According to a report issued by the state Health Department on September 27, hospitals admitted 3,813 fewer patients for heart attacks in the year following the enactment of the law. This, in monetary terms, resulted in a $56 million savings for the state in the year of 2004.

A related article on the website for WBZ-TV, a station in Boston, Mass. , contrasted the views of Harlan Juster, who led the study and works for the state Health Department, and Michael Seigel, a professor at Boston University’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Department.

Harlan argued that the study was unbiased. “Clearly, I’m a researcher, but I’m also probably a tobacco control advocate,” he said. “But I’m a researcher first. If the [clean air] law was not effective I would be reporting that, but the law is effective.”

Seigel, who I agree with, countered that, “You can’t conclude that the decline was due to the smoking ban. Because it’s possible that decline was happening everywhere, and without assessing data from every state, there’s no way to know.”

Both have valid points, but on the whole – the entire report leaves me with what question: how can you prove that the two are directly connected. Just because trends coincide, it does not mean that they are causal. This does not mean that I do not think that the law does not advocate better health – I’m just saying that there doesn’t seem to be a direct connection to a decrease in heart attacks.

The Ithaca Journal, however took a different slant and looked at the effect that the law has had on the bar and restaurant industry. For instance, they took a statement from the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association on how the group has accepted the band but has been hurt in the long run. “A lot of people stopped coming into bars when they couldn’t have a cigarette,” he said.

Juster countered these notions, however, by saying that the law was created to protect New York citizens, not to hurt the restaurant and bar industry.

This different perspective was extended into the comments that were posted on the Ithaca Journal’s website. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that Ithaca is not the typical audience – I’d probably best describe the inhabitants as those who got lost on their way back from a Woodstock concert in the ‘60s and ‘70s – however they do have some interesting comments that show that the ban has created a sticky situation when it comes to civil liberties and the freedom to do business.

One person commented:

“I am so glad that New York State is here to protect me and everybody else.”

This comment was followed with a frowning/scared smiley face, evidencing the writers sarcasm.

Another person wrote:

“A couple of years ago I went to America on my vacation. I drove through 4 states on 5 interstates and NEVER paid a toll. Gasoline was a quarter of a gallon cheaper. When I went to a restaurant they asked me if I wanted smoking or non. I was shocked. I rarely ever sit in the smoking section of restaurants because I prefer not to be around it while I’m eating. BUT I had the choice, and I saw people on both sides enjoying their freedom.”

These comments only can lead me towards my final conclusion. The smoking ban, though great for people like me who hate smoke and despise coming home reeking of cigarettes, has yet to be proven as a measure worthy of denying people their civil liberties. Further, the lack of evidence that this law is directly linked to an improvement in people’s health is trounced by the substantial data showing the negative impact that this law has had on local, small-scale business.

-Erika Eckstrom, Issues of Health

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS: Birth Pains of a New Burma

Last week, the Bush administration urged China to curb severe violence in Burma (also known as Myanmar), the largest geographical country in Southeast Asia, which is currently transitioning into a new government. Earlier this year, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened during its annual summit. ASEAN foreign ministers insisted that Burma speed up its transition to democracy and national reconciliation. Yet since then, the country’s progress has been hampered by human rights abuses, especially anti-government protests since August. According to the Washington Post, just last week the U.S. Treasury Dept. incurred financial sanctions on 14 Burmese officials accused of human rights abuses.

The Bush administration has continued to call upon countries with influence near Burma to support the Burmese people’s goals for democracy.

A critical problem is that authorities in Burma have increasingly cut communication to the outside world by shutting down the Internet and other methods of contact. As a result, U.S. officials have limited information about human rights abuses in Burma, such as the exact death toll. Although the U.S. has a mission in Burma, it has recently been difficult for diplomats to testify about events.

Lack of communication is hampering the world from learning about Burma. Even the technologically advanced U.S., does not know how serious human rights abuses are in Burma.

Hopefully the ASEAN nations will team up and help Burma get out of the mess it is currently in.

Lack of media, internet and phone communication also makes us realize how often we take communication for granted. The world relies on communication vehicles such as the internet, TV, phone and other forms of media to share information globally. National governments especially need the communication tools to negotiate and work with one another to foster peace and understanding.

Even if ASEAN does not come to Burma’s rescue soon, one would like to anticipate that the Burmese authorities will shortly reopen to the doors to communication.

-Denise

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Chess: The Jealous Mistress

Take the red line train to Dupont Circle, and take a walk towards the “University campus”. There, you may run into its president, king and bishop- Tom Murphy. Wells Tower profiled the chess maven in the September 30th, 2007 edition of the Washington Post. The campus consists of little more than ten rudimentary table-and-chair sets lining the sidewalk between New Hampshire Avenue and P Street NW. The article describes a world of intellectuals who rule the chess circuit in Dupont Circle. Murphy, a 49-year old artist, unencumbered by the regular rigmarole of society, holds court, navigating life with street smarts and an intellect belied by his disheveled appearance. Murphy started out with great success and potential. In school he excelled in math and played the viola. Once he discovered chess, he became adept at it and competed in many championships. Once he began playing speed chess for money however, there was no going back. Chess became his one and all, taking the place of gainful employment, meaningful relationships and security. Beyond the “halls” of Dupont Circle, Murphy is well known in both the professional chess world as well as the underground world. This other group, reveal two sides to the ancient game of strategy and intellect: the bookish, learned side, as well as the street-smart world of hustlers and grifters. All in all, they all bring to chess, an intellect defying understanding. Murphy holds lessens for passersby alike and admirers. He artfully engages his student’s pockets, often without even trying. He is described as someone adept at teaching the art form, and he has hopes of making a profession out of it. Interestingly, he is adept at blitz chess also known as fast chess. “What drives my obsession is the search of the next painting on the chessboard. It might take a painter a week, or a month to crate his masterpiece. In blitz, you do it in five minutes”, says Murphy. On the surface, it’s easy to disregard Murphy as wasting his life but upon further reflection, one comes back with the realization that there may be method to his madness. Say the game is a plan for his own life, and then Murphy plays it well. Making strategic fast-thinking decisions, living life as it comes, and does just enough to survive. There is a quiet dignity about him. He earns money by “hustling” or offering tutorials where he can. He seeks not handouts but doesn’t go beyond his comfort zone either. Walls’ article aptly describes Chess University, a bohemian village just overlooking the bureaucratic castle of the nation’s decision-makers. For more information, see The Days and Knights of Tom Murphy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/25/AR2007092501981_Comments.html?referrer=emaillink


Jasmine