Blog Post #2

Languages Spoken in Nepal

Nepal has a diverse range of languages spoken in their country. Due to the vast differences amongst various cultures in Nepal, the languages spoken there come from individual ethnic groups that have been founded in Nepal. According to the Census Bureau of Statistics, there are ten top mother tongue languages spoken in Nepal. These languages include; Urdu, Doteli, Magar, Bajjika, Newar, Tamang, Tharu, Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Nepali. Even those these langauges are the most popular in Nepal, there are of 126 other languages spoken in the country (Languages of Nepal). However, despite the various languages spoken in Nepal, Nepali is the official language of the country. The Nepali language was previously known as the, “Parbate Bhasa” or “Gorkhali”. This language can also be seen spoken in parts of Northern India. The Nepali language is also the official language of the Indian state of Sikkim (World Atlas). As far as the indigenous languages spoken in Nepal, historically, they have been known to have undergone major discrimination and “systematic government coercion” (Oli, 2006). Indigenous languages like ” Dura”, formerly spoken in the Lamjung District have already gone extinct. However, in order to prevent more use of mother languages spoken in Nepal, the government made provisions to their 1990 Constitution, allowing the right to preserve and promote different mother languages through scripture and education.

Illustration of languages “spoken as mother tongue by total % of population” (Census Bureau of Statistic, 2011)

Membership of Nepal in the WTO

Nepal has been a member of the WTO (World Trade Organization) since April 23, 2004. Their role in the WTO has transformed the climate of the country drastically. The intention of this change was to move forward with the overall global economic development in the country. However, is was not necessarily a choice Nepal was able to make but rather a necessity and requirement to ensure their economy and trade flow was running more smoothly. This change has effected the society in Nepal when it comes to their traditional customs and educational outlook. As far as the GINI coeffeciency, “which measures the extent to which distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution” (World Bank), the most recent report in 2010 from World Back indicated that the index was at 32.800%. Depending on interpretation, this means that there is an unequal distribution of income and wealth in Nepal. This issue could be caused by various different outlets, but overall comes down to the lack of modernization in the country and change of political climate over the years. The current GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ranking in Nepal is expected to be 25.10 billion by the end of 2019, having reached 6% since last year.

Major Concern in Nepal

On Monday, February 4th, a Nepalese woman died due to the harsh conditions of being forced to reside in a “menstrual hut”. According to Al Jazeera, the 21 year old woman, Parbati Bogati, suffocated from the fire she initiated in order to keep her body warm. The banishing of women into menstrual huts is a Hindu tradition that was banned in Nepal in 2015. This tradition was started on the idea that women are undesirable when going through their menstruation and after childbirth (Al Jazeera, 2019). Despite this law becoming illegal, it is still being practiced in the Western region of Nepal. Government legislators came together after the incident to report the urgent need in emphasizing banned laws and a change of the societal norms in Nepal.

Sources

Dahal, K. (2008). Nepalese woman dies after banishment to shed during menstruation. Bmj,337(Nov14 2). doi:10.1136/bmj.a2520Languages of Nepal: How many languages are spoken in Nepal? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.expeditionsnepal.com/languages-of-nepal/

Nepal Monitor: The National Online Journal. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nepalmonitor.com/2006/08/preserving_the_indigenous_lang.html

Rajbhandari, S. (2005). Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: E7720. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720. Inequality of Income and Wealth in Nepal,39-46. doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f

Thapa, & Bikash. (2010, June 07). World Trade Organization and its Impact to Nepal. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1621756

Post #8 Final reflection

 

What did you find most informative, inspiring and or challenging? Write a short reflection stating your reason?

The Cheslatta

There are very many things I found exciting including the fact that the indigenous communities lost their land to the government. Based on the fact that the first nation of the indigenous government lost their land to the Brtish Columbians, the fact presents itself since the government is the enemy of the people. It is clear to see that the government has failed the people in question and has demoralized them and significantly stopped them from achieving their goals and objectives.  It is also rather satirically what the government has done. Instead of fighting for the people, the government in question fights against the people. The government, in this case, fails miserably in accomplishing its tasks as an agent of the people and for the people in question.

Based also on the lecture notes it is clear to see that the Department of Indian Affairs, flooded the land and also created the Aluminium Company of Canada. The taking of property from innocent people can also be seen in this accord. The flooding of the earth is associated with the destruction of the environment. The department of India also burned down houses. The burning of houses is wrong and a type of harassment. Through these examples, it is clear to see that the indigenous people are harassed from time to time.

 

It is also clear to see from the notes that the current governments employ the internet as a weapon against the people. The use of social media trolls has significant effects on people. The individuals in question use artificial intelligence to control even the voting practices of the people. The use of such approaches is hazardous as it denies people their freedom.   The use of DDOS attacks has negating effects in that it can lead to the destruction of property and systems that are present in various places.

 

 

What insights did you gain researching your country?
From the research performed I was able to attain a lot of information about my country, Singapore. I was able to identify that the indigenous language for the individuals located within Singapore is Malay. The word is still spoken among the individuals found in Singapore. Additionally, other languages are always expressed in Singapore that includes Tamil and Mandarine Chinese. These languages are useful in that they aid in the transfer of meaning from one person to another. The removal of purpose is essential so that understanding is conveyed from one person to another. Without the use of appropriate language, it would be practically impossible to converse and live with the different groups of individuals in Singapore. Writing has also aided in the transfer of culture over the decades from one person to another. It has become unequivocally vital to ensure that individuals not only comprehend their past developments and changes in science and technology but also change appropriately to face the changes in their lives.

 

Link to the resource: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-young-Chinese-Singaporean-couples-today-not-teach-Mandarin-to-their-children-Will-this-cause-the-use-of-Mandarin-in-Singapore-to-become-virtually-non-existent-in-the-next-generation

 

Additionally, the social interactions and culture of the members of the country have been strengthened through the use of the unifying factor, that is language. Furthermore, I was able to identify that Singapore is Indeed a member of the UN, IMF, and WTO. The participation of Singapore in these organizations has significantly promoted its location on the global map. In terms of growth and development, Singapore has been able to find its position on the worldwide map. It is possible for Singapore to locate itself on the worldwide map. It is worth noting that Singapore has a third world society. Singapore runs its economy as a third world country.

However, it is also significant to note that Singapore is the fifth most comfortable place in the world for one to get rich if one is correctly politically affiliated. Singapore is also reaching in a lot of debt as a country. The debt experienced by Singapore is also appalling based on the fact that Singapore has a Third world debt. 

 

Singapore has also graduated to receiving foreign currency and has recently stated that changes will be instituted in foreign currency transactions. This step by Singapore places it on the map as a developed country.

The research I did also revealed that there is racial inequality within the country. Through racial disparities, the data collected showed that the people in Singapore have very high rates of malevolence against outsiders. There is existential evidence that the people of Singapore elicit high rates of hatred towards others. I was able to find out that the only way peace and tranquility can be maintained between the different races located within Singapore is by creating an equal ground for competition and performance in the activities and that every individual who was found in the country did. Without the existence of peace and tranquility together with the acceptance of individuals from different races it will be close to impossible to live in harmony with the various tribes that exist in the locale. Therefore, it becomes increasingly necessary to create community sensitization programs that support the assertion that freedom of mind and  action is required for the development of the people (Velayutham, 2009.)

 

Link to video: https://youtu.be/O6tVjFkweLc

 

The idea that climate change significantly affects human rights is of high magnitude when individuals have to consider the associated effects of climate change on their day to day life. I was also able to see that cultures are also endangered.  Many religions are likely to face extinction unless something is done about them. The need to have versatile learning and meet the needs of the people is crucial. It is also vital to consider the underlying cause of culture degradation s observed in the video. The maintenance of a cultural view that is not Eurocentric is viewed to be essential. Cultural degradation has a profound effect not only on individuals but also on their ways of life. Key to avoiding cultural degradation is identifying its source and finding ways to maintain cultural values within the society such as that which is located within Singapore.

Blog Post #8 – Semester Overview

Guest Lecture Insight

I found that I was most inspired and informed by Jung Ha-Brookshire and Nick Monaco’s lectures. I honestly don’t recall Dr. Brookshire’s lecture detail for detail. I just recall being very motivated during her lecture and thinking about how she genuinely cared for topics and how it was displayed through her mannerisms and tones. Dr. Brookshire spoke of sustainability amongst several countries throughout her conversation. Nick Monaco’s lecture touched on the use of bots throughout politics and propaganda, as well as their role in state sponsored trolling. He mentions how we deal with bots on the daily and how exactly we interact, or rather, how they interact with us. He states that there are several different kinds of bots within these categories. Most collect information and intelligence, some crash sites, and some even amplify messages. These bots are more commonly known for their utilization in the 2016 U.S Presidential election, however, they have been utilized in several other elections worldwide. Monaco also discusses open source intelligence and the ethics behind the information that is collected and compiled from the public resources they are taken from.

Semester Insight on Laos

Laos is not a country that if we had the choice to decide which country we would have liked to reported on that I would have chosen. I had no idea what or where Laos even was in the world. However, I fairly enjoyed learning about Laos and their sectors, people, government, and culture. This was an immersive project throughout the semester and even though it was difficult to get by at times, it was interesting to view and understand the differences not only between the United States or the western world in general and Laos PDR, but it was also interesting to gain an understanding for the region in which Laos is placed in. The countries that border Laos, although they share common territory, are widely varied in comparison.

I gained knowledge on how Laos is relying on their resources that make up their country to include themselves in the world market. The side effects of this ‘need’ to be included have harmed the country and continues to affect every citizen within its bounds. Deforestation and the use of through damming are vital to their economy. However, the over manufacturing of wood and wood products and the extended use of dams throughout Laos and the lower Mekong River basin that it sits on has caused widespread devastation to areas. This has led to the displacement of thousands, deaths, missing persons, disruption of the ecosystem that people rely on so heavily, and taxing effects on the climate (locally, regionally, and worldwide).  I was especially curious to view how exactly these processes have an effect on world global climate and the world trade network that has been established. The laws and policies involved with these processes have not necessarily been forged into the country and its various sectors, causing commotion and loose standards in terms of safety.

The Future of Laos

Blog Post #7 – Sex Trafficking

Defining Sex Trafficking

Sex trafficking, often viewed as a current form of slavery, involves the performance of sexual acts through the use of force or coercion. Women, men, and children are traded around for profit that is received by traffickers. “Sex trafficking is a market-driven criminal industry that is based on the principles of supply and demand. Therefore, people who purchase commercial sex increase the demand for commercial sex and likewise provide a profit incentive for traffickers, who seek to maximize profits by exploiting trafficking victims” (Sex Trafficking).

Trafficking Statistics

Laos PDR and Sex Trafficking

In Laos, there is a severe issue with sex trafficking and sex slavery. In the 2018 Global Slavery Index, Laos ranked 22nd out of 167 countries. There are 62,000 estimated people involved in the sex trafficking in Laos. Laos not only shares borders with countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar, they also share a sex trafficking ring of imports and exports between the countries that numbers in the high thousands. Most of the import and export of trafficking occurs in the country’s capital, Vientiane. Those trafficked are “mostly rural migrant, specifically from the Lao Tai ethnic group and lowland Lao regions” (Human Trafficking).

Sex Trafficking Ring of Laos and Countries in Southeast Asia

There has been the implementation of policies put into place by the government and this has assisted in capturing some criminals but there are several loopholes in relation with sex trafficking and not many key players have been captured. It should be noted that Laos was recently downgraded from Tier 2 to Tier 3 of the U.S. Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons report. “The government took some steps to address trafficking, including by continuing to investigate, prosecute, convict, and sentence a modest number of traffickers; providing re-integrative livelihood assistance to some returned victims; and conducting awareness-raising activities in Lao communities at elevated risk of forced labor in relation to large-scale infrastructure projects” (Trafficking in Persons).

Born Free Summary

In Sarah Mendelson’s article, “Born Free”, global sex trafficking is discussed in relation to MDGs or Sustainable Development Goals. There hasn’t been an emphasis on sex trafficking as opposed to movements such as AIDS and other movements that appear to need to be immediately solved. Mendelson recalls that most organizations have not made trafficking a priority of theirs. She believes if there were more of an emphasis on the cause decades ago, more solutions and results may be in place. Its stated that it is vital for there to be an inclusion of trafficking in other sectors, mainly, the integration of education on trafficking. She finds it increasingly important fo there to be an establishment of human trafficking into the post MDGs, aside from those established in 2000. This way there is proper funding available for the cause and with this comes opportunities for solutions and open awareness.

There have been goals set in place that include gender equality, ending the trafficking of women, girls, and children, promotion of inclusive societies, and providing legal identity for all. Also, transparency and crack down of organized crime. These goals have separate dates of achievement but they all plan to achieve them by 2030.

Artificial Intelligence

There have been mishaps in relation to AI, diversity, and the data used to train the technology. AI reportedly performs poorly with specific groups and companies are looking to solve the issue. Workplace diversity and the inclusion of different races, genders, and mindsets could serve as a potential solution. If you’re able to include as many people as possible into a room, all with different backgrounds, outlooks, and viewpoints, you’re bound to end up with a more distinct AI.

Blog Post #6 – Non-Governmental Organizations

NGOs Overview

Non-governmental organizations, otherwise known as NGOs throughout the world, are often thought to be a sincere form of aid provided to disasters throughout regions of the world. If you were to imagine what an organization such as this would look like, one would probably visualize a group of people that genuinely care for the well being of others, most of the time for people that they have never had any sort of encounters with. They are there to assist those that are in need and to lighten the burden of whatever it is that they might have had to deal with prior to the arrival of aid organizations. Individuals constantly donate to notable organizations such as the American Red Cross or United Way because they only have heard proper things about them. Whenever a disaster occurs or relief is expected, organizations such as these usually are the first to step up and try to create some sort of funding to assist.

In Linda Polman’s, ‘The Crisis Caravan War’, she raises concerns on whether or not the aid that is being sent to countries that are in desperate need, are actually receiving the aid. She mentions that “warlords of regions are taking large siphons of aid/relief for themselves and their own uses” (Polman). As organizations enter the areas that are in need, warlords, whether current or post-war are finding ways to control what goes to who and where. She also mentions that as these organizations arrive, to even make it to their destinations they are susceptible to “taxes” that allow for those in power in the area to remain in power by creating avenues of revenue for themselves.

Dilution of Foreign Aid

Aid Organizations are “Businesses”

Polman continues by saying, “Aid organizations are businesses dressed up like Mother Teresa” (Polman 177). I interpreted this as aid organizations such as the Red Cross who have portrayed themselves as premiere NGOs that are the first responders to any sort of disaster situation. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, if you are these NGOs you have the perfect opportunity to amass huge chunks of money and usually you don’t have to explain your true intentions for its use because everyone believes that you’re headed to the disaster zones. However, as we can view situations like Haiti’s 2010 earthquake that devastated the country as a whole, the Red Cross was able to round up nearly $500 million worth of relief that was to be used to assist in the rebuilding of the country and the homes of the people who had everything that they had taken away from them. To this day, no one has been able to quite pinpoint where the funds have gone or why an ‘established’ organization such as the Red Cross would act so oddly when questioned about locations of funds or why they’ve yet to do what they promised millions of people.

Improvements on Reporting

We all have a job to do when it comes to this topic. We must not assume that these organizations whose names we’ve become so familiar with always have the best intentions. It’s okay to question things. It’s even better to question everything about a process so meticulous as these usually are. It’s often not just instantaneous and this may be understandable but it should be reported on to allow others to gain knowledge on the topics of war, politics within certain regions, and the goals of organizations. Humanitarian aid is just that, it’s available for those who are in desperate need of it, it should not be treated as an opportunity for others to be able to siphon off funds for themselves so that they may be even more well off than they already are.

Works Cited

Polman , Linda. “The Crisis Caravan: What’s Wrong with Humanitarian Aid? by Linda Polman.” Goodreads, Goodreads, 14 Sept. 2010, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8101105-the-crisis-caravan.

Blog Post #7

Sex Trafficking and Sex Slavery in Nepal

Sex trafficking and sex slavery are two epidemics that are plaguing countries around the world. In Nepal, sex trafficking and sex slavery are two of the most common illegal criminal in the country and other surrounding areas. According to World Politics Review, “The United Nations defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transfer or harboring of persons through force or deception for the purpose of exploitation. No comprehensive figures exist for the number of Nepalese women and girls trafficked across the border into India. The border is nearly 1,100 miles long and very porous, with only 14 checkpoints” (Weinert, 2018). Due to the open border, human traffickers have found transporting girls and women much easier in to India. Human traffickers usually ask whether or not the girl is being accompanied or not, and through this, decide if they want to take her captive. Not all incidences like this result in girls and women being exploited for sex, some of them are used as slaves and forced to do domestic work in Indian homes, where the environment is anything but tolerable, and highly damaging for girls and women to live in. A anti-trafficking charity called 3 Angels Nepal, estimates that on average. 30,000 girls and young women, between the ages of 12 and 25, some as young as 8 years old, are smuggled from Nepal to India each year. On the other end, not all victims of sex trafficking and slavery are female, young boys and men between the ages of 7 and 19 are also trafficked and made into slaves for sexual and domestic work. Luckily, over the years, Nepal’s government, and other NGO’s have done an effective job by host large campaigns to heighten awareness of sex trafficking, and solutions to ensure this issue comes to an end.

(Retrieved from: https://www.grida.no/resources/8306)

Sustainable Development Goals and Human Trafficking

According to the article Born Free, SDG’s seek to stress the importance of human rights, and explicitly states goals that seek to end human trafficking. Goal five states, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. Goal eight also advocates in ending human trafficking, it states, “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all”. Lastly, goal 16, which says, “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels”. Overall, the SGDs main goal is to help large populations experiencing terrible epidemics such as sex trafficking, poverty, sex slavery, and much more. There is also no limit to their target group, if someone is in need, SDGs are there to help and protect them. So what needs to be done to combat human trafficking? I think addressing what makes sex trafficking prone to happening if the first big step to help this epidemic cease to exist. Bringing awareness to pressing issues such as “gender inequalities, underemployment, family conflicts” (Blackwell, 2015), would help to put in places laws and policies that would make these elements less vulnerable to trafficking. Responding quickly to incidences of human trafficking instead of adding it to the pile and neglecting the issue would raise urgency in trying to rescue victims of trafficking, and make perpetrators feel threatened by their weakened system.

Sustainable Development Goals (retrieved from: imp.org)

Artificial Intelligence Diversity

What is AI? “It is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs. It is related to the similar task of using computers to understand human intelligence, but AI does not have to confine itself to methods that are biologically observable” (McCarthy). AI has grown expeditiously in the past ten years and can be seen on all type of technology that an average person uses on a daily basis, such as home speaker devices (Google home, Amazon Alexa, etc), as well as phone devices like Apple iPhones (Face ID technology, Siri, etc.). However, a lack of diversity can be seen heavily in AI, and needs to be addressed. “The AI field, which is overwhelmingly white and male, is at risk of replicating or perpetuating historical biases and power imbalances, the report said. Examples cited include image recognition services making offensive classifications of minorities, chatbots adopting hate speech, and Amazon technology failing to recognize users with darker skin colors. The biases of systems built by the AI industry can be largely attributed to the lack of diversity within the field itself, the report said” (Paul, 2019). According to the website diversity.ai, actions to fix the diversity problem in AI is being discussed and AI companies have takes step to perform reports and studies that allow them to collect enough data to integrate into AI technology. I also think hiring a more diverse population in the AI industry would be helpful too because it would change the environment and present perspectives from actual diverse people to input into the technology.

References

https://missouri.instructure.com/courses/18212/pages/born-free-on-trafficking?module_item_id=1103983

https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/25630/the-danger-of-human-trafficking-is-no-secret-in-nepal-why-is-it-still-so-common

https://www.grida.no/resources/8306

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/01/3-steps-stop-human-trafficking/

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/apr/16/artificial-intelligence-lack-diversity-new-york-university-study

http://jmc.stanford.edu/artificial-intelligence/what-is-ai/index.html

http://diversity.ai

Blog post #6

What are the principle concerns Linda Polman, raises in her book?

The core concerns Linda Polman raises in her book, The Crisis Caravan, is whether or not aid organizations are really helping those countries they claim to be assisting. She addresses the discussion of whether or not these organization are using money to fund terrorist groups, and if they are doing more bad and than good. Polman does a good job by giving examples in reference to the Rwanda genocide, where the Tutsi’s citizens were killed under the hands of people apart of the Hutu’s tribe. She explains that $1 billion dollars was given in order to place aid in Rwanda to help the people experiencing this tragedy. However, the aid that should’ve been used to help the Tutsi citizens seek refuge from the Hutu’s, as well as medical aid, turned into aid organizations helping the Hutu’s recover from a disease called, “cholera”. Aid organizations set camps near the city Goma and gave relief to the perpetrators of the Rwanda genocide. Polman then goes on to explain how the campsite turned into a huge foundation of different aid organizations promoting and marketing in order to compete with other aid organizations placed near Goma, in efforts to receive more funding. Coming from the standpoint of a Tutsi citizen who has just loss thousands of her people, I would be in a place of heartache and confusion too. Polman explains through her research that the fed up Tutsi people warned aid organizations that if they did not receive help soon, they would strike, and ultimately, in the end, they kept their word.

The Rwandan Genocide (retrieved from: http://endgenocide.org/learn/past-genocides/the-rwandan-genocide/)

Why does she say “Aid organizations are businesses dressed up like Mother Teresa” (p. 177)?

Mother Teresa was one of the greatest humanitarians in history, dedicating her life to giving back to others by helping the poor. When Linda Polman says “aid organizations are businesses dressed up like Mother Teresa”, she is insinuating that aid organizations publicly perceive themselves to be helping those in need, but are really wanting to make a profit off of the work that they do. Aid organizations are known to pay top dollar for good coverage, if it means making their organization look like heroes, but what relief are they actually giving to those in need? And is it benefiting victims in effective ways? These are the discussion Polman brings up in this section of her book, and she makes interesting points when noting the suspicious intention of these organizations.

What do journalists, the public, governments have to do to make humanitarian aid successful?

Polman stresses that in order for journalists, the public, and governments to make humanitarian aid successful, we have to present skepticism to these organizations and investigate explicitly whether or not they are doing the aid for the right reasons. Polman points out that journalists fail at asking important questions to these aid organizations. Questions like, “where does your funding go? what benefits, if any, are you receiving from proving this aid? are you collaborating with any local warlords in exchange for money?”. These types of questions would force the spotlight on these aid organizations, giving us the informations and answers we need to see if they are acting in a corrupt manner or not. Linda Polman also points out the need to ask people what type of aid are they seeking? If a country is in desperate need for clean water, any type of aid that comes to them should not only be providing medicine for AIDS, or any other type of disease, instead of the clean water. They should be offering people help that will ultimately resolve the issue, allowing the problem to fixed. Otherwise, aid organizations are wasting time and resources.

References

Linda Polman, The Crisis Caravan and Aid as a Weapon of War

Post #08: Final Post Reflection

The two guest lectures I find most informative, inspiring, and challenging will be Dr. Peter Muesser and Dr. Mary Stragmaier.

Dr. Peter Muesser emphasize on economics in Bangladesh sweatshop using the term such as competitive advantage, and how Bangladeshi workers prefer to work long hours in a sweatshop despite minimal pay. Before his lecture, I assume that those sweatshops in developing countries provides inhuman condition and seems like forced labor with working hours as long as twelve hours a day, six days a week and with minimal pay (less than $2 a day). However, Dr. Peter Muesser give an economic perspective that makes sense, in which, without sweatshop, consumer buying apparels products in developed countries will be very expensive due to the lack of competitive advantage. Furthermore, it does not benefit individuals in the developing countries, having to work the sweatshop, though do not have the perfect condition, but they can afford food, basic necessities. Without the presence of sweatshop, these workers could be jobless and just probably be farmers, in which, they might starve and extremely poor living conditions. As such, a sweatshop factory is a win-win solution in which provides cheap clothing to consumers in developed countries and some job and funding to people in developing countries.

Dr. Stegmaier on the name change of Macedonia, its rich culture and how the political turmoil due to the name result in social unrest. Dr. Stegamier is also an election observant. SHe mentioned the purpose of her role is to observe and assess the election in terms of compliance with: 1) International standards for democratic elections; 2) National laws governing the election process; 3) Focus is on the process not on the outcome; and 4) OSCE offers findings and recommendations based on these assessments. Her experience in being election observant is insiring, especially when he talked about the process and how she and her team unable to give comment on site even when she say malpractice of the election process.

 

Insights gained from Malaysia

The insights I gained in Malaysia are that it is famed for its beaches, rainforest, and mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultural influences. The victory of the opposition party during the 2018 Malaysian general election that held on 9th May last year has put a new focus to the country’s political system, which has been dominated by one party (Barisan National) since Malaysia independence in 1963.

Malaysia’s wealth of natural resources has been indispensable to its economic growth, but this growth has come at a significant human and environmental cost. Last year, Malaysia experienced the worst air pollution within the decade.  Furthermore, Malaysia having some pressing problems such as political corruption, the influx of refugees into Malaysia, the high poverty, and the unemployment rate in Malaysia, and gender equality.

The top three most pressing issues are political corruption, environmental issues, and gender inequality in facing the challenges of sustainable development goals.

Image retrieved from:  IPSOS 

 

Corruption Issues

According to the Transparency Index, Corruption is a problem. Malaysia had a corruption score of 82 out of 180 (high scores are less corrupt).

On 3 July 2018, former Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)former Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), investigating how RM42 million (US$10.6 million) went from SRC International into Najib’s bank account. Police seized 1,400 necklaces, 567 handbags, 423 watches, 2,200 rings, 1,600 brooches and 14 tiaras worth $273 million.

Environmental Issues

Malaysia is the country manufacture palm oil, the forest clearance for palm oil production has been an important engine of Malaysia’s economic growth. According to The Wall Street Journal, Malaysia exports around $12 billion of palm oil per year, 40 percent of the world’s supply. But the palm oil industry is notorious for dangerous conditions and abusive labor practices that exploit a largely migrant workforce. Migrant palm oil workers told the Wall Street Journal that they were paid less than the minimum wage of about $200 per month and many are exposed to toxic herbicides and perform physically dangerous jobs with no safety equipment. 

Gender Inequality

Based on the Salary and Wages 2018 Report released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the average gender pay gap in Malaysia is 21%, meaning that female employees are basically working for free every Friday of the week. Following this, male employees earn a median monthly salary of about USD 1200, while female employees earn about USD 900. The median for men has increased by 7.3% whereas it has only gone up by 5.2% for women. Men have always earned more than women at every education and employment level, even though there are more female students in higher education in comparison to males according to the Gender Parity Index. In Universiti Malaya, there are 1.63 female students to every 1 male student thus a higher number of graduates in the country are females.

Overall, Malaysia boasts one of south-east Asia’s most vibrant economies, the fruit of decades of industrial growth. Furthermore, it is a country that is rich in culture and many ethnics groups. However, the pressing problems have caused some minor social unrest within the country. The communities coexist in relative harmony, although racial and religious divides persist. The country is benefiting from a growth in manufacturing and is a major tourist destination, but there are fears that development could harm the environment, particularly the rainforests of northern Borneo, which are under pressure from palm oil plantations and illegal logging.

Blog post# 7

Sex trafficking and sex

Sexual trafficking is a vice that happens in very many states across the world. This vices cuts across various realities. Because of its specific nature, the trafficking of women for the purpose of sexual exploitation therefore requires special analysis and actions. This is a big issue even in my region. There are pimps who traffic young women on the street of Singapore. Singapore is very popular in transit and destination for sexual trafficking activities. Many women and girls get trafficked into and out of the country for sexual exploitation.

 

The issue of sexual trafficking in women is difficult to address for a number of reasons. It is insufficiently documented and, because of its clandestine nature, all recognize that it is difficult to establish complete and reliable data; that is what the Canadian government, the Council of Europe and the United Nations support. It is the subject of strongly polarized debates between the proponents of the regulations and those of the abolition of the prostitution which oppose on the policies to put in place to correct the problem of the traffic. Finally, the stakes are immense because it concerns life and respect for the fundamental human rights of millions of people, mainly women and children.

Trafficking in human beings, understood in the sense of international treaties, encompasses realities as vast as trafficking for domestic work, forced labor assimilated to slavery, organ removal, and so on. These different forms of trafficking have kinships at the level of causes, modes of coercion, etc. But sex trafficking has specificities that hold our attention here.

 

 

 

• The article (pdf) Born Freetalks about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which came into effect in 2016. Find out if human trafficking is addressed by one of the goals? What needs to be done to combat human trafficking?

Better management of this vital global resource is a key element for a sustainable future. However, at present, human trafficking continually happen across the world. Many authors have written to address this issue. This also has a negative impact on plight of human kind. Human trafficking needs to be effectively managed and considered, and regulations need to be put in place to reduce the incidences. There is no definite clause that addresses the vice of human trafficking.

• AI an area that needs more diversity. Why? How can there be changes?

This is a very important area in the world today. Artificial intelligence id dominating almost every field in technology.  Artificial intelligence crops up between machine learning, deep learning and automatic processing of natural language.

A single definition of AI does not exist within the scientific community. To simplify, we can consider two fields of application according to the approach we adopt. For example, the field of AI that is regularly mentioned today is that of machine learning, in which the computer learns by itself by identifying patterns alone. Deep learning, which we also hear a lot about, is a subcategory of machine learning, using layers of artificial neurons that mimic the workings of the human brain. And some of these branches of AI intersect, making classification difficult: it is for example possible to use machine learning to solve problems related to computer vision.

Versatility is one of the advantages of artificial intelligence. This science intervenes in quite varied fields, it is thus that it is present in sectors of the daily life by the GPS, the computer science, the facial recognition, the weather and many other fields. It is also used in the world of the spectacle and the art. It can for example be found in science fiction such as robotics or various virtual games. There an exhaustive list of the fields of application of AI technologies. The fields of intervention of this modern science are vast and varied. We cannot list everything, but here are some interesting references.

 

 

Blog post# 6

Linda Polman in her book “The Crisis Caravan,” labors to give insight into who gives AID money, to whom it is given, why it is given to them and how is spent.

The principal concerns Linda Polman raises in her book

Four concerns are evident according to Polman (2011). First, that people remain ignorant about how the funds they contribute to AID are spent. Secondly, journalists are not highlighting how AID organizations spend their money. Thirdly, she points out the faults of AID organizations themselves. She observes that they don’t act together to ease the pains of the suffering. Instead, they take their agendas to the poor other than dealing with their present plight. As such, so little gets done for the poor, yet so much money has been donated to help them. Also, she claims that they give priority to the agendas of the governments which send them, instead of focusing on the needs of the poor.

 

 

Finally, she observes that the governments which fund AID organizations or donors, direct them to areas where they have their own political and military agenda.

The result, AID organizations become the funding agents to rebels, terrorist or one of the political parties in a war. For example, Goyder (2011). Points to the Rwanda genocide where AID was given to the chief perpetrators of war, the Hutus, other than those who suffered the pains of war.

 

She adds that the elite, Business personas, warlords and politicians in suffering countries take advantage of the crisis.  They use it to gain resources, business profits and political affiliation other than helping the suffering poor. She gives an example of Sierra Leone. Polman (2013) observed that once the AID organizations stepped into the region, the central town was rebuilt and renovated to take care of the many AID organizations coming into the area. Behind this were business people, some country elites and politicians. They had to rebuild the town to tap into business only but were not so concerned by the victims.

 

 

 

Why she says “Aid organizations are businesses dressed up like Mother Teresa” (p. 177)?

 

Mother Teresa’s mission was that of helping the poor. Alleviating their suffering was her major concern, her first priority.

Business would be concerned with making a profit. Polman (2013) shows that Aid organizations are interested in getting a share of the billions distributed for the poor. To do this, they follow two paths. First, they act in the interest of donors, that is, make a priority the donor’s military and political agenda. Secondly, they show up at the place in crisis places to receive a fair share of the incoming cash. Or create a reason to receive it.

What journalists, the public and governments have to do to make humanitarian aid successful?

Polman (2013) emphasizes that the public, journalists and government should ensure that funds given to AID organizations are utilized to ease the pain of victims. She offers the following suggestions. First, that journalist should fearlessly report the truth about what AID organizations are doing in suffering countries. On the other hand, people should be keen in observing and questioning what happens to every dime they give out to AID organizations. They should not remain ignorant about what the government and AID organizations are doing with the money. Finally, the government should ensure that the aid is reaching the right hands instead of terrorist, rebels and wrong political movements.

Blog Post #5

Human rights is the declaration that was founded in 1948 by the United Nations, that declared all humans are entitled to basic rights and freedoms. Without having human rights, people would not be able to have free access to the things that human deserve, such as food, water, housing, a right to education, and so on. Implementing human rights into society as allowed it to function somewhat peacefully, and put in place a solid structure for humans to live by. These rights give humans the ability to have access to resources that were made for them and by them. In saying this, climate change is also a component that goes hand in hand with human rights. Humans are entitled to clean air, clean water, livable conditions, edible food, and so on. If the environment is suffering poorly and causing a negative impact on climate change, what rights are humans losing in that?

HR Climate Change (Retrieved from: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/HRAndClimateChange/Pages/HRClimateChangeIndex.aspx)

Climate change poses a serious threat to the rights entitled to humans. If effects not only the environment, but the overall quality of living, in turn, effecting humans as a result. The rise of severe weather conditions and the frequency of floods, heat waves, droughts, water shortage etc., has major impact on the overall environment which ultimately affects everyone globally. “These phenomena directly and indirectly threaten the full and effective enjoyment of a range of human rights by people throughout the world, including the rights to life, water and sanitation, food, health, housing, self-determination, culture and development” (OHCHR, 2016). If climate change doesn’t improve, it would be difficult, especially countries who already have a lack of resources, to maintain their fundamental rights in regards to climate change and control.

Human Rights and Climate Change in Nepal

In recent years, climate change has drastically hit Nepal in negative ways, due to the increase in natural disasters, specifically, severe floods and winter droughts. These major incidences have caused people to lose housing, water, and farming land, causing a major shortage in basic human rights in Nepal. The air quality of Nepal has not been the best either. Kathmandu specifically is known to have some of the most toxic air in the world. In order to improve quality, due to the air index reaching well above a 200 index, they’ve installed air quality monitors to oversee the continuous state of the air.

Kathmandu capital of Nepal (retrieved from:https://handluggageonly.co.uk/2018/09/02/10-of-the-best-things-to-do-in-kathmandu-nepal/)

Endangered cultures in Nepal

Endangered cultures are are cultures that are on the verge of being extinct. Becoming endangered causes a huge threat to those apart of said culture, ultimately causing the loss of the makeup of that culture. Languages that were created through a certain culture begin to not be spoken anymore, the area that a culture may have owned is now loss, traditions are no longer celebrated, and in all, the culture and its deep-rooted history, become lost and forgotten overtime. Nepal is no stranger to endangered cultures, as of April 2019, Nepal is home to over 100 endangered languages and/or cultures on the verge of being vulnerable to being endangered. A quote from the case study on endangered cultures in Nepal by Mark Turin, goes into depth by explaining the reasoning for these increasing endangered languages and cultures.

“More prosaic, if far more influential, reasons for the decline in usage of Nepal’s
mother tongues, include decades of state neglect towards poor, rural ethno-linguistic
communities, and the effectiveness of the Nepali language media in cultivating a sense
of national Nepali identity at linguistic, religious, and cultural levels. While state policy
makers may speak of ‘language shift’, for example, from a minority mother tongue to
the national language, members of the affected community may interpret this rather
as encroaching ‘linguicide’. The value judgement lies in the frame of reference and
perspective. Changes to linguistic forms and decreased competence in mother tongues
are thorny and political issues” (Turin, 2007).

Customs and culture in Nepal (retrieved from: http://www.himalayanadventuretrekking.com/customs-and-culture/)

Eurocentrism

As we shift the discussion, Farish Noor describes eurocentrism as, ““the emerging perception within the European cultural, historical experience of European identity as good and all other forms as less good or less advanced.” More or less, the perspective that is biased towards western civilization. In Nepal, eurocentrism plays a large role when it comes to tourism. According to The Wire, tourist activity in Nepal is “not only threatening indigenous lifestyles, but also eliminating local cultures and histories” (Tewa, 2019). The government is rapidly taking over Nepalese land in order to accomodate tourist activity, ultimately effecting the socio-culture, politics, and economics in Nepal.

References

https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-04-06/nepal-s-air-pollution-threatens-humans-and-glaciers

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/HRAndClimateChange/Pages/HRClimateChangeIndex.aspx

Click to access Talking_Points.pdf

https://thewire.in/south-asia/nepal-tourism-foreign-eurocentrism