Posts
If I was completely selfish, I would ask the people of Iran to keep fighting. But how can we ask someone to go to a voluntary death or imprisonment? How can we ask someone else to put life at risk while we're sitting comfortably at home?
Thanks to Twitter, many of us, outside Iran, have been able to keep a direct interaction with Iranians who are fighting for freedom and respect. You can't do this through newspapers, radio or television. Never before I felt so invested and involved in a political movement in a far away land, where I have never been to.
I am sure that the Twitter creators never thought that a social tool that was meant for entertainment would end up at the center of a revolution.
The current Iranian regime may be able to silence people for a while. They may be able to isolate their population from the international press. But they can't achieve complete isolation for the Iranian people, unless they cut all communications, a thing they can't afford. And as long as they can't do this, we can count on the fact that today there is a strong link between Iranian protesters and many people outside Iran who have felt their fight with them.
Iran is a land I do not know, yet I can identify with their fight in many ways and I feel that when their government uses violence and censorship to suppress their right to express freely, that hurts everyone of us.
We can't risk our lives with Iranians, but thanks to Twitter, at least for some time, we can feel we are all Iranians. After all, we are just people, never mind the nationality. Souls have no borders.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
It is about the Iranian people
For someone who is an ordinary citizen like me, the images of the protesters in Iran are heartbreaking.
I can imagine that international politics is a difficult business. I am sure there are many things into play for President Barack Obama in the Iranian issue. He has to be smart in order to protect the protesters from the actions that the Iranian government would take if the United States was an open supporter of Mr. Mousavi. He has to be smart in order to keep an open line of communication with the Iranian government for national security reasons, given the nuclear threat that Iran could represent in the future. He has to be smart in order to keep the United States away from a revolution without a clear end. And he has to be smart to take into account the implications that his actions might have on other important conflicts in the Middle East.
James Rubin, former Assistant Secretary of State during the Clinton administration, said in an interview with Larry King, that the US government cannot repeat the mistake of assuming that after eliminating Sadam Hussein, democracy would flourish in Irak. He said it was proved that Irak is not like Eastern Europe countries and that Iran is also very different.
Personally, I trust President Barack Obama and his advisors on this matter, but I still wonder whether the role of the United States could be different. I wonder if perhaps they are making the mistake of assuming that Iran is like Irak.
Whatever the right approach should be, we must remember that at the end these conflicts are about mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters... These conflicts are about people who end up being pawns of a regime that has no regard for the freedom and wellbeing of its own citizens. Iranians are being hijacked by their own government.
But where do sovereignty end? Today, the world's focus is on Iranians. But too many times in history, we have seen innocent people being the helpless victims of terrible crimes committed by their own governments. During its history, the government of the United States has intervened in harmful and unlawful ways in other countries. This has led to an intense antipathy on the part of many people around the world towards the United States, even if some of those conflicts are ancient history. Case in point, my mother still feels angry about the involvement of the United States in the Mexican Revolution of 1910.
How can the people of the world be protected from their own governments? What is the responsibility of the world? What are appropriate ways of intervention? Innocent people can't be left alone. It is about them.
I can imagine that international politics is a difficult business. I am sure there are many things into play for President Barack Obama in the Iranian issue. He has to be smart in order to protect the protesters from the actions that the Iranian government would take if the United States was an open supporter of Mr. Mousavi. He has to be smart in order to keep an open line of communication with the Iranian government for national security reasons, given the nuclear threat that Iran could represent in the future. He has to be smart in order to keep the United States away from a revolution without a clear end. And he has to be smart to take into account the implications that his actions might have on other important conflicts in the Middle East.
James Rubin, former Assistant Secretary of State during the Clinton administration, said in an interview with Larry King, that the US government cannot repeat the mistake of assuming that after eliminating Sadam Hussein, democracy would flourish in Irak. He said it was proved that Irak is not like Eastern Europe countries and that Iran is also very different.
Personally, I trust President Barack Obama and his advisors on this matter, but I still wonder whether the role of the United States could be different. I wonder if perhaps they are making the mistake of assuming that Iran is like Irak.
Whatever the right approach should be, we must remember that at the end these conflicts are about mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters... These conflicts are about people who end up being pawns of a regime that has no regard for the freedom and wellbeing of its own citizens. Iranians are being hijacked by their own government.
But where do sovereignty end? Today, the world's focus is on Iranians. But too many times in history, we have seen innocent people being the helpless victims of terrible crimes committed by their own governments. During its history, the government of the United States has intervened in harmful and unlawful ways in other countries. This has led to an intense antipathy on the part of many people around the world towards the United States, even if some of those conflicts are ancient history. Case in point, my mother still feels angry about the involvement of the United States in the Mexican Revolution of 1910.
How can the people of the world be protected from their own governments? What is the responsibility of the world? What are appropriate ways of intervention? Innocent people can't be left alone. It is about them.
Monday, June 22, 2009
About Iran and refugees
Perhaps the images that show us the treatment that protesters have been receiving in Iran in the past few days will help us remember about the importance of hosting refugees.
Hundreds of thousands of people seek to leave their homeland every year because they are running away from poverty, war or persecution. Therefore, hosting these individuals should be a humanitarian matter. However, many countries still place many restrictions to immigration because of the persistent view of immigrants as a burden, instead of a gift.
Dear reader, today I ask you to think of the ways that people from other cultures have enriched your country and your life. I also ask you to think about what it would be like for you to be forced to live in a place without access to work, health and education for your children.
After this, please access these sites.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
EveryOne Group
Iranian Refugees' Alliance
Hundreds of thousands of people seek to leave their homeland every year because they are running away from poverty, war or persecution. Therefore, hosting these individuals should be a humanitarian matter. However, many countries still place many restrictions to immigration because of the persistent view of immigrants as a burden, instead of a gift.
Dear reader, today I ask you to think of the ways that people from other cultures have enriched your country and your life. I also ask you to think about what it would be like for you to be forced to live in a place without access to work, health and education for your children.
After this, please access these sites.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
EveryOne Group
Iranian Refugees' Alliance
Friday, June 19, 2009
Respectful response to Mr. James Petras about the Iranian elections
Alike you and The Supreme Leader of Iran, I believe that elections should be decided on the ballot boxes and not on the streets.
Alike you, I do believe that you cannot reject the legitimate winner of an election, just because you liked the other candidate.
Alike you, I do believe that you cannot condemn the result of an election without factual evidence.
Alike you, I do believe that street demonstrations can never be trusted as a reflection of an overall public sentiment. For this, you would need to run a poll, using a representative random sample.
Alike you, I believe it is plausible that the US wars in Irak and Afghanistan may have had a considerable impact on Iranian public opinion. Did this influence the vote? Why not? Do you have evidence provided by a scientific poll?
Alike you, I believe that the policies of Mr. Amhadinejad may be popular among the poor in Iran. Why not? Do you have evidence provided by a scientific poll?
However, your arguments in defense of Mr. Amhadinejad's victory are flawed for the same reason for which protesters cannot prove Mr. Mousavi's victory.
The big problem with the election in your country is the following:
There are not independent bodies responsible for organizing the election, deciding over electoral disputes, and regulating and overseeing polls to make sure that they are scientifically conducted. A judge cannot be accuser or defender at the same time.
Therefore, THERE IS NO SURE WAY OF TELLING WHO THE LEGITIMATE WINNER OF THE ELECTION IS and as much as you are entitled to distrust protesters, protesters are entitled to distrust the official results.
In my opinion, at this point, your arguments in favor of Mr. Amhadinejad's victory are irrelevant because no party can prove who the winner is.
Moreover, much of the international public outrage does not come from the fact that Mr. Amhadinejad is the official winner, according to Iranian authorities.
THE OUTRAGE COMES FROM KNOWING THAT FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ARE SEVERELY VIOLATED.
THE OUTRAGE COMES FROM SEEING HOW A PART OF THE IRANIAN POPULATION IS BEING TREATED.
It does not matter how much you dislike the upper-class technocrats and the Western-oriented privileged youth, as you call them. There is no excuse for threatening, beating, silencing and killing dissidents, even if they are right-wing. Western media may be biased, but it should be the prerogative of the Iranian population to judge what they like or dislike. And if your government conducts its affairs with legality and respect for its own population -regardless of their political opinions, why are Iranian authorities so afraid of showing what is happening on the streets of Tehran?
I come from a country with a long history of very disputed elections: Mexico. We learned the hard way, how important it is to have independent electoral bodies. Nevertheless, the last presidential election was very disputed and there were popular marches on the streets to protest the results. However, my government did not restrict the work of journalists and the media, and there was no violence against dissidents, not even when they tried to avoid the newly elected president from taking oath in congress.
In my country, there is also that traditional mistrust and despise between social classes that you reflect so well in your article. Obviously, you distrust and despise the upper-class in Iran. Unfortunately for you, the abuses committed in many countries, throughout history, against left-wing movements that were seeking to vindicate social, economical and political rights for the poor, do not justify revenge. ABUSE AND REPRESSION ARE ALWAYS WRONG.
Your article reflects that you worry too much about the Western interference in the Middle East, but too little about the respect that the government of Iran should have for its own citizens. The fact that you do not feel outrage by the treatment that protesters are receiving, makes me feel outrage.
And this makes you as qualified to talk about social justice and legality, as the FARC in Colombia.
Most respectfully,
Isabel Rodríguez
In response to the following article:
Iranian Elections: The 'Stolen Elections' Hoax
By James Petras. Axis of Logic.
Thursday, Jun 18, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
The obvious: Child labour occurs because of poverty
I am not pretending to discover the black thread, as we say in Mexico. This is just plain and simple common sense. But I decided to stress this point, because in countries like Mexico, child labour will continue to be an important problem as long as poverty implies that children need to help their parents to bring money to the house. For many of them, it is a matter of survival.
Of course, children in poverty are vulnerable to be taken by criminals who traffick with them or exploit them sexually.
But no matter, how many sophisticated studies, statistics, speeches and opinion pieces like the ones of this blog are produced, if we are not responsible and compassionate enough to produce an economy that works for all.
The greatest obstacles are cultural and political. We need to want to help others. We need to accept that we depend on each other. We need to accept that our wellbeing depends on the wellbeing of others. We need to be willing to learn and understand the means to solve our problems.
Anyone who works in government in this country, especially at the state and municipal levels, can see that although there are some good and excepcional social servants, too many resources are wasted due to the irresponsibility, superficiality, selfish attitudes and a lack of education of the many. And even if Mexico is the 14th economy in the world, no amount of money will be good enough if it can't be invested wisely.
Therefore, in the long run, as it occurs with most major problems, education is our only way out. But for it to be true, we need to make sure that the cultivation of a sense of social responsibility and social service are part of the curriculum, along with the development of higher order thinking skills and attitudes of understanding and respect towards those who are different from us.
Perhaps, it would also help to include some economics. A general understanding of economics would help people make informed decisions at the time of voting.
There are exceptional people who do great things for others in and outside of governments. But they can't do everything by themselves. At the end, they can find themselves overwhelmed by the problems and never having all the resources they need. If they are lucky enough to work for government, they may have a safe budget that is too small. If they work outside government, they may depend on a fluctuating budget.
The reality is that every country needs a social safety net that is supported by our taxes, and not by the heroism of a few. The heroism of a few can't guarantee that everyone has access to work, universal education, and universal health care.
Of course, children in poverty are vulnerable to be taken by criminals who traffick with them or exploit them sexually.
But no matter, how many sophisticated studies, statistics, speeches and opinion pieces like the ones of this blog are produced, if we are not responsible and compassionate enough to produce an economy that works for all.
The greatest obstacles are cultural and political. We need to want to help others. We need to accept that we depend on each other. We need to accept that our wellbeing depends on the wellbeing of others. We need to be willing to learn and understand the means to solve our problems.
Anyone who works in government in this country, especially at the state and municipal levels, can see that although there are some good and excepcional social servants, too many resources are wasted due to the irresponsibility, superficiality, selfish attitudes and a lack of education of the many. And even if Mexico is the 14th economy in the world, no amount of money will be good enough if it can't be invested wisely.
Therefore, in the long run, as it occurs with most major problems, education is our only way out. But for it to be true, we need to make sure that the cultivation of a sense of social responsibility and social service are part of the curriculum, along with the development of higher order thinking skills and attitudes of understanding and respect towards those who are different from us.
Perhaps, it would also help to include some economics. A general understanding of economics would help people make informed decisions at the time of voting.
There are exceptional people who do great things for others in and outside of governments. But they can't do everything by themselves. At the end, they can find themselves overwhelmed by the problems and never having all the resources they need. If they are lucky enough to work for government, they may have a safe budget that is too small. If they work outside government, they may depend on a fluctuating budget.
The reality is that every country needs a social safety net that is supported by our taxes, and not by the heroism of a few. The heroism of a few can't guarantee that everyone has access to work, universal education, and universal health care.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Sexual exploitation of girls: Let's take a hard look at us
On February 14th, 2006, there was a BIG POLITICAL SCANDAL in my city, which became a major source of discussion and ridicule in national in international media.
The Governor of the State of Puebla in Central Mexico, Mario Marín, was exposed by a recording of a telephone conversation between him and Kamel Nacif Borge -a very wealthy local textile entrepreneur. In this conversation, Mario Marín is praised by Kamel Nacif for his intervention in speeding up the arrest of the journalist Lydia Cacho, and arranging for her to be beaten at jail.
What was Lydia Cacho guilty of? Well... She wrote a book, entitled Los Demonios del Edén -The Demons of Eden, in which she denounces a network of wealthy and powerful men who are involved with the trafficking of children -mainly girls- for pornography and prostitution purposes.
What happened after that?
Fortunately, the story was a big hit in major news shows and newspapers, and many people were extremely outraged. There was a popular march in my city, asking for Mario Marín to leave the Governorship and for the liberation of Lydia Cacho. So much publicity for this scandal, as well as the march, paid off and Lydia Cacho was released.
Unfortunately, Mario Marín kept his job as Governor and the case of Lydia Cacho against him, has been delayed for eternity. On November 29th, 2007, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation ruled 6 to 4 that Marín had no case to answer in Cacho's arrest, jailing and harassment. This is possible because recordings of telephone conversations are not valid proofs of evidence in Mexican judicial proceedings. This case remains open in another national instance, making it impossible for Lydia Cacho to access international instances. And the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) to which Mario Marín belongs, remained united against the possibility of a political judgment against the Governor.
What's the point of this story? Well... I decided to talk about it because on June 12th of this year, we will be celebrating the World Day Against Child Labour and, very tragically, many children are forced into prostitution and pornography throughout the world.
Therefore, although I do not have statistics at hand, it is possible that many adult sex workers -not all- did not enter that business voluntarily. But yet, among certain groups of people, hiring a prostitute or watching women dancing naked is considered a valid and fun form of entertainment. After all, it is about two adults agreeing voluntarily to have sexual fun. Who do I hurt with it? Many would say.... However, they support a hidden industry of human trafficking that very often involves children.
Yet, in my hometown, which sadly I have to share with Mario Marín, table dance establishments are very popular. But how would they prosper without the attendance of a considerable number of ordinary and respectable citizens who think they do no wrong with it?
Pornography and prostitution should be socially discredited, not because we should become puritans, but because all citizens should be well informed about the ramifications of what they could even consider as a voluntary commercial agreement between two adults.
We need to take a hard look at our attitudes towards sex and what happens behind the scenes of sexual businesses, many consider as harmless.
The sexual exploitation of children is not a problem between some degenerates and the authorities, it is a problem that concerns every citizen. Young people should be educated about this issue. Certain kinds of entertainment should not be considered as manly and cool.
More information at:
Girls in the shadows of Cancun
Children for sale
If you want to help, visit these links:
CIAM
UNICEF
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The Governor of the State of Puebla in Central Mexico, Mario Marín, was exposed by a recording of a telephone conversation between him and Kamel Nacif Borge -a very wealthy local textile entrepreneur. In this conversation, Mario Marín is praised by Kamel Nacif for his intervention in speeding up the arrest of the journalist Lydia Cacho, and arranging for her to be beaten at jail.
What was Lydia Cacho guilty of? Well... She wrote a book, entitled Los Demonios del Edén -The Demons of Eden, in which she denounces a network of wealthy and powerful men who are involved with the trafficking of children -mainly girls- for pornography and prostitution purposes.
What happened after that?
Fortunately, the story was a big hit in major news shows and newspapers, and many people were extremely outraged. There was a popular march in my city, asking for Mario Marín to leave the Governorship and for the liberation of Lydia Cacho. So much publicity for this scandal, as well as the march, paid off and Lydia Cacho was released.
Unfortunately, Mario Marín kept his job as Governor and the case of Lydia Cacho against him, has been delayed for eternity. On November 29th, 2007, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation ruled 6 to 4 that Marín had no case to answer in Cacho's arrest, jailing and harassment. This is possible because recordings of telephone conversations are not valid proofs of evidence in Mexican judicial proceedings. This case remains open in another national instance, making it impossible for Lydia Cacho to access international instances. And the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) to which Mario Marín belongs, remained united against the possibility of a political judgment against the Governor.
What's the point of this story? Well... I decided to talk about it because on June 12th of this year, we will be celebrating the World Day Against Child Labour and, very tragically, many children are forced into prostitution and pornography throughout the world.
Therefore, although I do not have statistics at hand, it is possible that many adult sex workers -not all- did not enter that business voluntarily. But yet, among certain groups of people, hiring a prostitute or watching women dancing naked is considered a valid and fun form of entertainment. After all, it is about two adults agreeing voluntarily to have sexual fun. Who do I hurt with it? Many would say.... However, they support a hidden industry of human trafficking that very often involves children.
Yet, in my hometown, which sadly I have to share with Mario Marín, table dance establishments are very popular. But how would they prosper without the attendance of a considerable number of ordinary and respectable citizens who think they do no wrong with it?
Pornography and prostitution should be socially discredited, not because we should become puritans, but because all citizens should be well informed about the ramifications of what they could even consider as a voluntary commercial agreement between two adults.
We need to take a hard look at our attitudes towards sex and what happens behind the scenes of sexual businesses, many consider as harmless.
The sexual exploitation of children is not a problem between some degenerates and the authorities, it is a problem that concerns every citizen. Young people should be educated about this issue. Certain kinds of entertainment should not be considered as manly and cool.
More information at:
Girls in the shadows of Cancun
Children for sale
If you want to help, visit these links:
CIAM
UNICEF
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Please, pay more money to children who want to stay at school
I live in Mexico and in this country, it is not unusual to see children working, who do not attend school. In fact, you see them EVERYWHERE. You see them in street corners, cleaning windshields or selling candies. You see them cleaning houses. You see them in car repair shops. You see them in an unlimited number of places.
What to do about it?
The Mexican Federal Government operates a program called Oportunidades (Opportunities) that basically makes money transfers to mothers, in exchange for keeping their children at school and attending health clinics, among other things. It started in 1997, when it was called Progresa (Progress), and today serves 5 million families, which represent 25 percent of the country's total population. As a result of this program, it has been reported that the probability of entering secondary school has risen by 33 percent and enrollment rates in tertiary schools have nearly doubled (Project Information Document, February 23rd of 2009, retrieved on June 10th of 2009 from the World Bank Web site).
These results are very good, but they are not good enough. The work is not done if all children do not remain at school, at least until they complete their basic education, which in Mexico is equivalent to nine years of schooling (primary and secondary school).
In this regard, I would like to express my opinion, which is entirely based on a single observation and my common sense. I know a girl, called Manuela, who is the grand daughter of a woman who has worked for my family for more than twenty years. She has several brothers and sisters. They are over seven. Her mother has had so many children because of either one of two reasons: 1) Catholic women are not allowed to use contraception methods, or 2) many women are not assertive enough, especially if they lack formal education and they have been raised in an environment where women are submissive. Although her mother has worked for long periods, these are often interrupted by the fact that she has epilepsy. And anyway, even during the periods that she has remained at work, she is not able to earn enough money to support all her children and pay for her medications. Of course, I should mention, she does not have a husband.
Coming back to Manuela, she was able to stay at school and complete her primary education, thanks to the subsidies of the program Oportunidades and the remittances that one of her brothers used to send from the United States. However, after her brother got himself a wife, he was unable to keep sending money to his family in Mexico, and therefore, Manuela chose to leave school. Why did she do this? Very simple! Oportunidades does not bring the family as much money as she can make by getting a job.The cash incentives of Oportunidades amount to an average of about 30 dollars per month, but Manuela can make about 208 dollars, cleaning houses.
The point that I want make with the help of this example is that although Oportunidades has made a good job by keeping children at school for more years, it should improve in its efforts to evaluate and monitor the situation of its recipients. Oportunidades eligibility requirements take into account family size and composition, and the number of income earners and their income, but obviously, in this particular case, Manuela and her brothers and sisters, who are still at school age, should receive a larger money transfer from Oportunidades or perhaps, have an opportunity to earn the money they need, after school.
It should be mentioned that according to the International Labor Organization, not all work done by children should be classified as child labor that is to be targeted for elimination. If work does not affect their personal development or interferes with their schooling, it can be a positive thing that provides them with money, skills and experience.
A good thing that could happen to Oportunidades is that it could be linked to larger development projects in rural areas, which would serve three purposes: 1) they would generate higher paying jobs to parents, 2) they could improve the infrastructure of their communities if people are employed at projects, like building schools, houses, and streets, and 3) they would generate incentives to acquire more education.
Education could be viewed as more valuable, if rural families, like that of Manuela, perceived that by staying at school, they could actually have the same opportunities as middle class people. Paradoxically, due to cultural conditioning factors that limit their aspirations, even if they belong to Oportunidades, they may not feel that they actually belong in the club of opportunities. Education should become good enough to make parents think that it is worth to make the sacrifice of keeping their children at school.
And we should not forget that in Mexico, there is a lot of room to improve the quality of education in order to make it more meaningful and relevant. Are schools engaging and interesting enough? Do they provide enough opportunities to experience success and change the expectations of children? Can their content be more linked to the development needs of their communities?
On Friday, June 12th of this year, we will be celebrating the World Day Against Child Labor under the title “Give girls a Chance: End child labor.”
Children are protected from child labor by a number of international conventions, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the United Nations in 1989 and has been ratified by 193 countries, except the US, as of June 10th of 2009.
But still, according to UNICEF, an estimated 158 million children aged 5-14 are engaged in child labor -one in six children in the world. And if we add children between the ages of 15 and 17, the total number of children who work increases to 218 million. Many of them suffer the worst forms of exploitation, including slavery, prostitution and pornography. Others are involved in hazardous situations, such as working with chemicals and pesticides in agriculture or working with dangerous machinery.
Despite her hard life, Manuela is still lucky in many ways. She has a loving mother and her brothers and sisters care for each other. And even as she has to work full-time, eventually, with enough will and hard work, she will be able to complete her education through adult educational services provided by the National Institute of Adult Education (INEA, Instituto Nacional para la Educación de los Adultos).
This is not the end of the world for Manuela. However... WE COULD DO SO MUCH BETTER FOR CHILDREN WHO NEED TO WORK!
If you want to help to end child labor, check these links.
World Education
Ahava Kids
Campaign to end child labor
Free the children
M.V. Foundation
Robin Raina Foundation
What to do about it?
The Mexican Federal Government operates a program called Oportunidades (Opportunities) that basically makes money transfers to mothers, in exchange for keeping their children at school and attending health clinics, among other things. It started in 1997, when it was called Progresa (Progress), and today serves 5 million families, which represent 25 percent of the country's total population. As a result of this program, it has been reported that the probability of entering secondary school has risen by 33 percent and enrollment rates in tertiary schools have nearly doubled (Project Information Document, February 23rd of 2009, retrieved on June 10th of 2009 from the World Bank Web site).
These results are very good, but they are not good enough. The work is not done if all children do not remain at school, at least until they complete their basic education, which in Mexico is equivalent to nine years of schooling (primary and secondary school).
In this regard, I would like to express my opinion, which is entirely based on a single observation and my common sense. I know a girl, called Manuela, who is the grand daughter of a woman who has worked for my family for more than twenty years. She has several brothers and sisters. They are over seven. Her mother has had so many children because of either one of two reasons: 1) Catholic women are not allowed to use contraception methods, or 2) many women are not assertive enough, especially if they lack formal education and they have been raised in an environment where women are submissive. Although her mother has worked for long periods, these are often interrupted by the fact that she has epilepsy. And anyway, even during the periods that she has remained at work, she is not able to earn enough money to support all her children and pay for her medications. Of course, I should mention, she does not have a husband.
Coming back to Manuela, she was able to stay at school and complete her primary education, thanks to the subsidies of the program Oportunidades and the remittances that one of her brothers used to send from the United States. However, after her brother got himself a wife, he was unable to keep sending money to his family in Mexico, and therefore, Manuela chose to leave school. Why did she do this? Very simple! Oportunidades does not bring the family as much money as she can make by getting a job.The cash incentives of Oportunidades amount to an average of about 30 dollars per month, but Manuela can make about 208 dollars, cleaning houses.
The point that I want make with the help of this example is that although Oportunidades has made a good job by keeping children at school for more years, it should improve in its efforts to evaluate and monitor the situation of its recipients. Oportunidades eligibility requirements take into account family size and composition, and the number of income earners and their income, but obviously, in this particular case, Manuela and her brothers and sisters, who are still at school age, should receive a larger money transfer from Oportunidades or perhaps, have an opportunity to earn the money they need, after school.
It should be mentioned that according to the International Labor Organization, not all work done by children should be classified as child labor that is to be targeted for elimination. If work does not affect their personal development or interferes with their schooling, it can be a positive thing that provides them with money, skills and experience.
A good thing that could happen to Oportunidades is that it could be linked to larger development projects in rural areas, which would serve three purposes: 1) they would generate higher paying jobs to parents, 2) they could improve the infrastructure of their communities if people are employed at projects, like building schools, houses, and streets, and 3) they would generate incentives to acquire more education.
Education could be viewed as more valuable, if rural families, like that of Manuela, perceived that by staying at school, they could actually have the same opportunities as middle class people. Paradoxically, due to cultural conditioning factors that limit their aspirations, even if they belong to Oportunidades, they may not feel that they actually belong in the club of opportunities. Education should become good enough to make parents think that it is worth to make the sacrifice of keeping their children at school.
And we should not forget that in Mexico, there is a lot of room to improve the quality of education in order to make it more meaningful and relevant. Are schools engaging and interesting enough? Do they provide enough opportunities to experience success and change the expectations of children? Can their content be more linked to the development needs of their communities?
On Friday, June 12th of this year, we will be celebrating the World Day Against Child Labor under the title “Give girls a Chance: End child labor.”
Children are protected from child labor by a number of international conventions, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the United Nations in 1989 and has been ratified by 193 countries, except the US, as of June 10th of 2009.
But still, according to UNICEF, an estimated 158 million children aged 5-14 are engaged in child labor -one in six children in the world. And if we add children between the ages of 15 and 17, the total number of children who work increases to 218 million. Many of them suffer the worst forms of exploitation, including slavery, prostitution and pornography. Others are involved in hazardous situations, such as working with chemicals and pesticides in agriculture or working with dangerous machinery.
Despite her hard life, Manuela is still lucky in many ways. She has a loving mother and her brothers and sisters care for each other. And even as she has to work full-time, eventually, with enough will and hard work, she will be able to complete her education through adult educational services provided by the National Institute of Adult Education (INEA, Instituto Nacional para la Educación de los Adultos).
This is not the end of the world for Manuela. However... WE COULD DO SO MUCH BETTER FOR CHILDREN WHO NEED TO WORK!
If you want to help to end child labor, check these links.
World Education
Ahava Kids
Campaign to end child labor
Free the children
M.V. Foundation
Robin Raina Foundation
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The freedom of Muslim women to wear the hijab
President Obama said the following, in his most commented speech at Cairo University:
"Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state in our union and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That's why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it."
I agree with this, no one should tell a woman what she is allowed to wear. Asking Muslim women to remove their hijabs in public places is discriminatory and wearing a hijab does not mean that a woman is oppressed.
However, it worries me that many Muslim women may not be able to choose freely whether they want to use the hijab or not.
As a follow-up to my last post, I would like to emphasize the importance of being able to have complete freedom of belief within our families and communities.
In my opinion, Muslim women should not be forced to remove the hijab at work or school, but Muslim religious authorities, communities and families should be encouraged to protect and respect women who choose not to wear the hijab.
Here are some links I found about this complex issue.
http://religionhumanrights.com/Religion/Islamic/muslims.fhr.htm
http://www.seattlepi.com/opinion/289808_cathyyoung25.html
http://www.islam-watch.org/MNamazie/BeyondVeil.htm
http://www.islamfortoday.com/syed06.htm
http://www.islamfortoday.com/veil.htm
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/shadya/muslimfeminism.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4384512.stm
"Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state in our union and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That's why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it."
I agree with this, no one should tell a woman what she is allowed to wear. Asking Muslim women to remove their hijabs in public places is discriminatory and wearing a hijab does not mean that a woman is oppressed.
However, it worries me that many Muslim women may not be able to choose freely whether they want to use the hijab or not.
As a follow-up to my last post, I would like to emphasize the importance of being able to have complete freedom of belief within our families and communities.
In my opinion, Muslim women should not be forced to remove the hijab at work or school, but Muslim religious authorities, communities and families should be encouraged to protect and respect women who choose not to wear the hijab.
Here are some links I found about this complex issue.
http://religionhumanrights.com/Religion/Islamic/muslims.fhr.htm
http://www.seattlepi.com/opinion/289808_cathyyoung25.html
http://www.islam-watch.org/MNamazie/BeyondVeil.htm
http://www.islamfortoday.com/syed06.htm
http://www.islamfortoday.com/veil.htm
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/shadya/muslimfeminism.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4384512.stm
Monday, June 8, 2009
On the understanding and respect of a faith different than ours within our families
Because of my last post, I will avoid the use of the word tolerance. I do prefer to respect other religions and gain more understanding about them.
Having said this, this time around I would like to comment on the importance of religious understanding and respect within families.
It is widely accepted that every human being should be free to choose his/her own beliefs. And when we say this, we mean that governments should not intervene in this kind of personal decisions, but we tend to assume this is different when it comes to our children.
I agree that parents are entitled to pass on their faith to their children. In fact, it can be seen as part of their responsibility. After all, it is their duty to provide their children with the best tools they have to help them succeed in life.
However, what happens when, as adults, our thoughts and life experiences persuade us to take a different religious path from that of our parents and siblings? Are families always willing to respect a decision like this?
How we choose our faith and the way we want to live it are deeply personal things. Our faith is a big part of who we are and it is not something we change on a whim. It is never a sudden and superficial decision. It only happens after a process.
Still, changing religions can be the cause of severe conflicts within families. It can also be the cause of people living their true faith in secret, so that they do not disappoint their loved ones.
Why am I talking about this? Because religious conflicts at a macro level are not very different from those that are lived within families.
Religious conflicts are born out of fear and suspicion. We think that our religion is the only path to salvation. We fear that our relative will be condemned. We suspect that our relative is being manipulated. And hey.... salvation is worth defending. It is too important. So, at the end, paradoxically, religious conflict is born out of love. We want the wellbeing of our family.
But, also paradoxically, religious conflict goes against love. Why? Because it goes against accepting people as they are. It goes against trusting and respecting their judgments and needs.
Of course, at a macro level, we know religious conflict has been the source of war, which also goes against the teachings of most religions.
Therefore, if we want to live in a more peaceful world, but if many people can't change their belief that there is only one religion, at least, we should adopt a practical approach, understanding that religion is not something that can be imposed. No matter how hard we fight it, we can not control other people's thoughts. And if we can't change this, instead, we should focus on compassion and love, empathizing, knowing that we would not like to be isolated, rejected and hurt, and remembering, as it is taught in many religions, that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
For the most part, within countries, there is not a separate culture at home, school, work and government. If a country has a very corrupt government, there is corruption everywhere, and this includes corruption taught at homes.
For the most part, major political conflicts reflect who we are as individuals and family members, whether we want to accept it or not.
We must pay attention to what happens within families. And when we teach children about the importance of the respect towards the freedom that each of us have to choose our own beliefs, we should emphasize that this does exclude what we do at home.
There can be no compulsion in matters of religion
—Quran 2:256
Having said this, this time around I would like to comment on the importance of religious understanding and respect within families.
It is widely accepted that every human being should be free to choose his/her own beliefs. And when we say this, we mean that governments should not intervene in this kind of personal decisions, but we tend to assume this is different when it comes to our children.
I agree that parents are entitled to pass on their faith to their children. In fact, it can be seen as part of their responsibility. After all, it is their duty to provide their children with the best tools they have to help them succeed in life.
However, what happens when, as adults, our thoughts and life experiences persuade us to take a different religious path from that of our parents and siblings? Are families always willing to respect a decision like this?
How we choose our faith and the way we want to live it are deeply personal things. Our faith is a big part of who we are and it is not something we change on a whim. It is never a sudden and superficial decision. It only happens after a process.
Still, changing religions can be the cause of severe conflicts within families. It can also be the cause of people living their true faith in secret, so that they do not disappoint their loved ones.
Why am I talking about this? Because religious conflicts at a macro level are not very different from those that are lived within families.
Religious conflicts are born out of fear and suspicion. We think that our religion is the only path to salvation. We fear that our relative will be condemned. We suspect that our relative is being manipulated. And hey.... salvation is worth defending. It is too important. So, at the end, paradoxically, religious conflict is born out of love. We want the wellbeing of our family.
But, also paradoxically, religious conflict goes against love. Why? Because it goes against accepting people as they are. It goes against trusting and respecting their judgments and needs.
Of course, at a macro level, we know religious conflict has been the source of war, which also goes against the teachings of most religions.
Therefore, if we want to live in a more peaceful world, but if many people can't change their belief that there is only one religion, at least, we should adopt a practical approach, understanding that religion is not something that can be imposed. No matter how hard we fight it, we can not control other people's thoughts. And if we can't change this, instead, we should focus on compassion and love, empathizing, knowing that we would not like to be isolated, rejected and hurt, and remembering, as it is taught in many religions, that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
For the most part, within countries, there is not a separate culture at home, school, work and government. If a country has a very corrupt government, there is corruption everywhere, and this includes corruption taught at homes.
For the most part, major political conflicts reflect who we are as individuals and family members, whether we want to accept it or not.
We must pay attention to what happens within families. And when we teach children about the importance of the respect towards the freedom that each of us have to choose our own beliefs, we should emphasize that this does exclude what we do at home.
There can be no compulsion in matters of religion
—Quran 2:256
Friday, June 5, 2009
Tolerance versus understanding
We often are reminded about the importance and necessity of tolerance. However, I think, I do not like the idea of tolerance so much. Tolerance would mean something like I do not like you, but I have to live with the fact that you exist. If I tolerate you, it does not mean that I have to speak to you. It does not mean that we can be friends.
On the other hand, understanding would mean that although I may not like or agree with everything you do or say, I get where you are coming from. I get it and I can respect you. I can be able to listen to you. I may even be able to learn something and be friends with you.
We need to develop the ability to listen to each other and understand the reasons for which we are like we are. We may not always agree, but we could feel compassion and if we need to work together, it should be easy to find some common ground. However, in order to be able to understand each other, we may need to become less judgmental and accept that 1) our way may not be the only way, 2) emotion often gets in the way of objectivity, and 3) no religion, ideology or pressing need justifies the violation of other people's basic human rights.
I liked the speech that President Barack Obama gave in Cairo this week. He may be the President of the United States of America, but he speaks as a citizen of the world, someone who can relate to people from all different backgrounds, cultures and religions, and who can understand and respect what you are without encapsulating you into a stereotypical idea.
However, at the moment, I am not very hopeful about his ability to reach people who just don't want to listen to anyone with a different point of view. His speech was banned in Iran and extremists from all sides -who do not even bother themselves to be informed enough, will keep on listening only to themselves. Just check this interview to young Israelis.
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/06/max-blumenthal-feeling-the-hate-in-jerusalem-on-eve-of-obamas-cairo-address.html
It's pretty scary. Isn't it?
As President Obama said himself: one speech won't solve the problem. What can we do?
It is my opinion that education is the key towards peace in the long run. Children need to be exposed to many different cultures, religions and world views. Children need to develop analytic skills in order to differentiate objectivity from emotion and value judgments. Children need to learn that at the end, we are all the same. No one is better than anyone else. We just come from different places. And if we want to be able to truly listen and understand each other, so that we can live together, peace and respect should be above differences and individual needs.
However, multiculturalism, higher order thinking skills and peace should be incorporated into the curriculum explicitly. And schools would have to pay a lot of attention to the hidden curriculum, as well. They would have to review their norms and assumptions about how teachers and students can treat each other at school, and they would have to impose zero tolerance for bullying. After all, under a curriculum for peace, all kinds of violence in everyday interactions should be unacceptable. And perhaps, religious schools would have to incorporate inter-faith dialog experiences.
The extremists of our world won't change. But we could cultivate a growing sense of understanding among children. They will grow up and they will raise their own children accordingly.
Unfortunately, reforming schools is a very complex and slow process.
Fortunately, even if schools do not change that much, our world is getting smaller. Modern communications make it harder to isolate people. More and more persons have an ever growing exposition to different world views, whether we want it or not. Therefore, as time goes by, it becomes more difficult to manipulate other people.
So... I'm hopeful about the future. A much more peaceful world may not come in my lifetime, but it will happen.
On the other hand, understanding would mean that although I may not like or agree with everything you do or say, I get where you are coming from. I get it and I can respect you. I can be able to listen to you. I may even be able to learn something and be friends with you.
We need to develop the ability to listen to each other and understand the reasons for which we are like we are. We may not always agree, but we could feel compassion and if we need to work together, it should be easy to find some common ground. However, in order to be able to understand each other, we may need to become less judgmental and accept that 1) our way may not be the only way, 2) emotion often gets in the way of objectivity, and 3) no religion, ideology or pressing need justifies the violation of other people's basic human rights.
I liked the speech that President Barack Obama gave in Cairo this week. He may be the President of the United States of America, but he speaks as a citizen of the world, someone who can relate to people from all different backgrounds, cultures and religions, and who can understand and respect what you are without encapsulating you into a stereotypical idea.
However, at the moment, I am not very hopeful about his ability to reach people who just don't want to listen to anyone with a different point of view. His speech was banned in Iran and extremists from all sides -who do not even bother themselves to be informed enough, will keep on listening only to themselves. Just check this interview to young Israelis.
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/06/max-blumenthal-feeling-the-hate-in-jerusalem-on-eve-of-obamas-cairo-address.html
It's pretty scary. Isn't it?
As President Obama said himself: one speech won't solve the problem. What can we do?
It is my opinion that education is the key towards peace in the long run. Children need to be exposed to many different cultures, religions and world views. Children need to develop analytic skills in order to differentiate objectivity from emotion and value judgments. Children need to learn that at the end, we are all the same. No one is better than anyone else. We just come from different places. And if we want to be able to truly listen and understand each other, so that we can live together, peace and respect should be above differences and individual needs.
However, multiculturalism, higher order thinking skills and peace should be incorporated into the curriculum explicitly. And schools would have to pay a lot of attention to the hidden curriculum, as well. They would have to review their norms and assumptions about how teachers and students can treat each other at school, and they would have to impose zero tolerance for bullying. After all, under a curriculum for peace, all kinds of violence in everyday interactions should be unacceptable. And perhaps, religious schools would have to incorporate inter-faith dialog experiences.
The extremists of our world won't change. But we could cultivate a growing sense of understanding among children. They will grow up and they will raise their own children accordingly.
Unfortunately, reforming schools is a very complex and slow process.
Fortunately, even if schools do not change that much, our world is getting smaller. Modern communications make it harder to isolate people. More and more persons have an ever growing exposition to different world views, whether we want it or not. Therefore, as time goes by, it becomes more difficult to manipulate other people.
So... I'm hopeful about the future. A much more peaceful world may not come in my lifetime, but it will happen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
