Nobel Peace Prize

Three women who fought injustice, dictatorship and sexual violence in Liberia and Yemen received the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in the Norwegian Capital. The three women were Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee who also lives in Liberia, and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen.

The United States started Liberia. The last woman to win the Nobel Peace prize in the United States was in 1997 and was Jody Williams.

These three women represent the struggle for “Human rights in general and women for equality and peace in particular” There has not been a women or sub-Saharan African to win the prize since 2004.

Sirleaf was elected president of Liberia in 2005 and won the re-election in October. She helped her country emerge from a bad civil war.

Gbowee campaigned for a long time, for the rights of women and against rape. In 2003 she led hundreds of female protesters through Monrovia to demand swift disarmament of fighters, who continued to rape women; event thought they had the peace deal that ended the civil war.

And Karman won the prize because she was the leader of the human rights group Women Journalists without chains. She was the first Arab women to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the youngest she is 32. They are hoping since she won that many more women will go out and protest against the leader of their country who people want to get rid of.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/12/10/three-women-accept-nobel-peace-prize/

Question: Why do you think that a woman winning the Nobel Peace prize was such a big deal? Why do you think more men have won this prize then Women?

Racism in the 2012 President Election

Race and racism in candidates speech or beliefs has been a large factor in determining the success on votes for many years. According to the article by CBS on January 6, 2012, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich were scrutinized by the National Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for including remarks of racial undertones. The NAACP is an activist group for minorities that was founded in 1909 as a response to the lynching of black people. When it was founded it consisted of 53 white people and 7 black people. The NAACP's goal was to secure the rights of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution. These rights promised black people an end to slavery, the equal protection of the law, and voting rights for black males. In the 1940’s the NAACP convinced President Roosevelt to agree to open thousands of jobs to black workers because they threatened a national March on Washington in 1941. President Roosevelt also agreed to set up a Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) to ensure agreement.

Throughout the 1940s the NAACP saw a large growth in membership and by the close of the decade had over 600,000 members. The group continued its legislative and legal advocacy by helping to inaugurate an anti-lynching act and the integration of public schools. They succeeded in these goals by 1950 when with the end of Brown vs board of education, where schools became integrated. Heading into the 21st century, the NAACP succeeded in maintaining the civil rights that all black people receive as well as maintaining civil rights in economics, health care, education, voting, and the criminal justice system. The NAACP now has over half a million members and its current President is Benjamin Jealous.

The NAACP responded to Republican candidate Rick Santorum because while he was in a press conference in Iowa, a state that is only 3% African American. Rick Santorum stated on January 7^th, “ I don‘t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money and provide for themselves and their families.” This statement had been deemed racist since most of the people who needed public assistance in the US are white people living in non urban areas. Also, since his audience was predominantly white, he has been scrutinized for using black people as a scapegoat for the ills of the government. Another incident of racial stereotyping had been committed by Republican candidate Newt Gingrich who stated that Obama was “the best food stamp act President in history,” and that African Americans should be given the opportunity to have paychecks rather than food stamps. This was deemed another racist comment since Black people are not the only recipients of food stamps. Of Gingrich's remark, an NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous said: "It is a shame that the former Speaker feels that these types of inaccurate, divisive statements are in any way helpful to our country. The majority of people using food stamps are not African-American, and most people using food stamps have a job." Also it is important to note that whites receive 34.4% of all food stamps, and blacks receive 21.4%. Another member of the NAACP told CBS radio that Gingrich’s remarks "goes right to the heart of real racism -- that African Americans are lazy and don't want to work and depend entirely on handouts". Though both candidates didn’t intend to upset the black community these comments are still being investigated for generating such controversy.

What do you think, do you think these comments could be deemed racists or does the media and activist groups like the NAACP take it out of proportion? Also, do you think these controversial statements will impact their votes (especially voters that are of minorities)?

Article Website: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57354055-503544/naacp-leader-blasts-gingrichs-food-stamp-comment/

NAACP history: http://www.naacp.org/pages/naacp-history

Current Event

Jamie Hein a landlord in Ohio had a complaint filed against her, on a discrimination charge with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. On Memorial Day weekend in 2011 Michael Gunn a 40 year old man and also a tenant of Jamie Hein’s filed the complaint. He said that he had his daughter over to swim and then after that day Jamie Hein accused his daughter of fogging up the pool with the chemicals in her hair. After this he said that she put up a sign on the gate saying “Public Swimming Pool, White Only”, and was dated 1931 from Alabama. Jamie Hein claimed that it was just an antique and was on the fence before, and that they just had never noticed it. Also she stated even though the sign says “Public Swimming Pool” you still need to ask for permission to use it. Michael Gunn said that before this he and his family always could use the pool whenever they had wanted. On September 29, 2011 the Ohio Civil Rights Commission found that this did violate the Ohio Civil Rights Act made in 1959. This Act was intended to end segregated business, along with that it also guaranteed all people fair access to public facilities and private business. So the question is if the pool is actually a public pool or since it is on her private property do they not have a right to use it. Since then Michael Gunn moved out and said it was “in order to not expose my daughter to the sign and the humiliation of the message”. In this time Jamie Hein has not apologized and said that “If I have to stick up for my white rights, I have to stick up for my white rights. It goes both ways.” The commission will meet and make their decision on January 12, 2012.


So my question is do you agree with the Civil Rights Commission? Should she be allowed to keep up her sign? And if you had to decide, what would your decision be on the issue?


ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2011/12/exclusive-white-only-pool-sign-owner-explains/

This I Believe Reflection Due MONDAY 1/9/12

This week you heard your classmates "This I Believe" statements. In a comment to the post, respond to the following questions:

1. What had writing your "This I Believe" essay taught you about yourself?

2. What did you hear from your classmates that resonated with you?

Please post your response by MONDAY 1/9/12

Women in Music - 2011

When the media develops, women have been continuously degraded for the way they look or act on television or in videos. However, women have played and continue to play a more positive role in the music industry. Throughout history our society has developed new varieties of music because of the contribution from women. Going back to the 1930's, a female black opera singer, Marion Anderson was denied her right to sing by the president but his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt gave her back her fame by allowing her to sing at the Lincoln Memorial. Not only was she a female singer who was performing in front of 75,000 people but she was a black women who played a striking role in the civil rights movement. A recent article shows how throughout the achievements of women such as Marion Anderson, women have become the main attraction in music.

According to host, Allison Keyes, in 2011, women have become the ones who "rule the music charts". Some of the main singers that Keyes considers in her interview are Lady Gaga, Adele, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and Taylor Swift.

In the article Keyes shows and interest in Beyonce's new album of 2011 called "4". She has an interview with NPR's hip hop expert, Frannie Kelly about the new album. Kelly explains that because her album was not completely new she didn't make the nominations for a grammy. Beyonce's song Countdown goes back to R and B music that is not from this generation. Beyonce is an example of a singer who can be easily defined by her mistakes that she makes in one song and how that one song which was a risk could ruin her career.

Then the article changes to other celebrities and their scandals but a huge part mentions, Nicki Minaj. She started off rough just like Anderson did with her album that was released during 2010, Pink Friday. However she struck everone with her song super bass which was the highlight of music over the summer of 2011. According to the editor of Billboard Magazine, Danyel Smith, Minaj was the rising star of the year who took the place of Queen Latifah in bringing that type of excitement to 2011. Although Nicki Minaj didn't have to deal with being black during her time of fame like Anderson, she does have the role of being a female singer who needs to act certain ways to be noticed by the media just like all of the female singers who are becoming more famous in the 21st century.

Do you think that women have achieved power by their role in music? Is the music that woman are creating trying to prove a point? What about the videos that go along with the music, do they degrade the quality of the song?

http://m.npr.org/story/143980818?url=/2011/12/26/143980818/it-was-a-good-year-for-women-in-music

http://www.empire.k12.ca.us/capistrano/Mike/capmusic/Women%20In%20Music/women_in_music.htm

Violence Against Women in Russia

As well as women’s right issues in America there are many issues in Russia. Women in Russia also face violence. On March 4, 2011, Ambassador Dame Anne Pringle held a meeting with human rights activists to discuss the topic of women’s rights in Russia. This meeting was held right before the International Women’s Day on March 8^th. For those who don’t know what International Women’s Day is, it is a day where women look back and see how much they’ve accomplish through their continuous struggle for justice, equality, peace, and development. At this meeting that Ambassador Pringle held, the problems women face in Russia was discussed. Andrei Sinelnikov is the head of his organization known as the ANNA Centre for the Prevention of Violence. This organization was created to protect women and children from violence. ANNA Centre provides programs to help violence victims with legal, emotional, psychological, and informational support. The ANNA Centre also works to raise awareness for women victims on a local, regional, and national level. ANNA Centre is recently opening their first ever nationwide hotline for victims of violence. “Tanya Lokshina and Friederike Behr, representatives of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International respectively – also discussed the unique issues affecting women in the North Caucasus.” North Caucasu is the northern part of the Caucasus region right between the Black and Caspian Seas and is within the European part of Russia. The Human and Rights Watch an Amnesty International (HRM) is a non-governmental group that advocates human rights. Many groups all over Russia are starting to talk more about how to prevent this violence against women. These activists set out to attempt to prevent, “honour killings, bridal abductions, and enforced dress codes in Chechnya and other republics in the region.” Many women all over Russia have been and unfortunately continue to be attacked. A specific example of an attack was, “last summer in Grozny in which women not wearing headscarves were attacked with paintball guns is one recent example of the severe harassment often inflicted upon women” Groups in Russia are stepping up the fight against violence against women, by talking and creating the first hotline for support. This hotline is just one step in the right direction to continue the efforts to end violence against women in Russia. This is historically significant because not only have women in America been fighting to end violence against them, women in Russia have been too. Even though a new law wasn’t put into place to end this violence, many groups are continuing to try and make a difference in their community.

Do you think that these non-government groups are doing enough to stop the violence? Do you think that the Government should step in to solve these problems, or within time that these non-government groups can solve this violence issue. Do you think these small groups have enough power to stop the violence?

Article Link:

http://ukinrussia.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=560748782

Background Info Links:

http://www.owl.ru/anna/index_eng.htm

http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm

Laws Offer Little Protection for Afghan Women

Women in Afghanistan are barely under the protection of laws, making them vulnerable to rape and assault by strangers and their relatives. Laws to protect women from forced marriages and rape are still not being enforced and while this issue has gained attention from the media, nothing is being done to stop it. While many women in jail are victims of rape and assault, a lot of them are imprisoned for refusing to marry, running away from their husbands, and for “adultery” when they are raped. Many Afghanistan women are blamed for committing a crime when it wasn’t their fault, often times taken advantage of by their perpetrator. Their rights have been violated and yet they are still being punished as criminals.

These women are running out of time to get their voices to be heard as the “international presence in Afghanistan draws down in the coming years”. The United Nations is pushing to make Afghanistan’s government enforce laws on violence against women, but the future for this looks bleak. Afghan laws are often prevented by traditional Afghan justice, which doesn't protect women and often lets perpetrators walk free. While movies are trying to be made to get more attention about the issue, countries don’t want to endanger the lives of the women who would be interviewed. This is an ongoing problem that unfortunately doesn’t look promising for Afghanistan women.

Question: Would an international women’s organization (i.e Women for Women) make effective change for women’s rights in Afghanistan? Would change be better served from a political body, like the United Nations? Or should a religious organization (i. e Islamic Relief) try to effect change for women’s rights?

Link to source: Here