Human Trafficking is also a very important social justice issue. Human Trafficking is the sale, transport and profit from human beings who are forced to work for others. Human Trafficking is the third largest criminal industry in the world. It would be considered to be the modern slavery. Many people all around the world still live in slave conditions. Human Trafficking consists of many things such as prostitution, sweat shops and child soldiers. The Victims of Human Trafficking were most likely tricked by false promises or forced into it. The victims are usually really young most range from the age of eight to eight teen years of age. Sometimes even as young as five years old. The Traffickers take away the human rights of there victims. Once you have been taken and started it is very unlikely that you will escape or be rescued. When the victims arrive to there destination, they are physically and sexually abused and they take away there passport. The victims are sent away in a country and are forced to do services for many clients a day. After that they are sold to another person in a different country and repeat the same cycle again. The victims have a high chance and are probably going to catch a disease such as HIV or AIDS, which is passed on to the clients. These victims have a very high change of dying faster because of what they have been put threw. Trafficking happens because of men around the world that like to make a profit from the exploitation of women and children. The men who Traffic these women and children are making billions of dollars a year. Many of these women and children die each year because of all the abuse that happens. The number of people Trafficked each year would be in the millions. Human Trafficking is growing each and everyday and it is a huge human rights crises.
-Froso G-
Monday, May 30, 2011
Classism And Class Division
What is Classism exactly?
Some may simply reply with how its the division between the rich and the poor. When in fact, classism is the differential treatment based on social class or the supposive 'Social Class'. When comparing and contrasting different classes, there are several factors that get put into perspective. These follow the person's individual behaviours and attitudes, as well as looking at certain democracies and the policies that are set up to benefit more so the upper classes with no attention to the expenses of the lower classes. Surprisingly, the culture that surrounds us supports this rationale and the act of unequal valuing. This results in a huge wealth gap and income inequality.Essentially, classism is ranking individuals based on economic status, family lineage, job status and level of education.
There are many a people who believe that there isn't much of a 'so what' factor with class division. Class absolutely matters in our culture. Society as we know it, is suffering from being constantly influenced by those in the upper class. This leaves the voice of people who are marginalized to be silent. Their ideas and opinions go unheard. This creates more of a struggle since we are in a times when we are in a desperate need to come up with new approaches to our social challenges.
This class division, this institution that is running our nation, diminishes our capacity as a society and as a country to live our life of freedom and limits our pursuit of happiness.
There have been several events where there have been movements that came from people coming together and sharing their thoughts and experiences. It begins in small groups, who then come forth with not only strategic but creative plans, to then take action towards creating and moulding the world we aspire to live in. There is proof of this everywhere around the world and it is beginning a revolution.
With the elimination of class division, this country, the world and our entity will become stronger and more benevolent. We can then adapt to a deeper understanding of others' hardship and challenges along with appreciating all they have to offer and essentially, live together in a more harmonious world.
-Ilona V-
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Discrimination in the Workplace and School
Poverty in Canada
Poverty in Canada is very much a reality regardless of the scepticism. Adam Smith who was a classical economist who lived from 1723-1790, defines poverty as the lack of basic necessities of life. In 2000, 17% of all Canadians lived in poverty and 20% of all Canadian children lived in poverty. In Canada, a family of four is considered to be living in poverty if they have a gross income of $34 000. Back in 1990-1995, the population of Canada increased by 6.1% while the poor population increased by 28.6%. The country is growing but the poverty rate is growing even faster. Also in Canada, certain groups of people are more likely to be poverty stricken than others: single parents are 2.45 times more likely to be in poverty, Aboriginals are 2.26 times more likely, recent immigrants are 2.17 times more likely, visible minorities are 1.53 times more likely and disabled persons are 1.47 times more likely. The younger population as well as the elderly are more likely to experience poverty. People who do not have their high school education or post secondary education will likely live in poverty. Despite a promise made by parliament to get rid of child labour by the year 2000, child poverty has actually increased since the promise has been made.
Poverty is something that hurts Canada’s economy as well as its citizens. Children, whose parents cannot afford a decent education for themselves or their kids, are at a major disadvantage. These kids will have an education and as a result will be able to obtain a decent job. Also while living in poverty, they probably do not have all the necessities of life. They may go a day or two without having anything to eat. They may not have a shelter or clean clothes to wear. Poverty is a big social justice issue that needs a solution because the future of this country and others is in jeopardy with its children dying of starvation due to poverty stricken cities.
-Robert Lanni-
Poverty in Canada is very much a reality regardless of the scepticism. Adam Smith who was a classical economist who lived from 1723-1790, defines poverty as the lack of basic necessities of life. In 2000, 17% of all Canadians lived in poverty and 20% of all Canadian children lived in poverty. In Canada, a family of four is considered to be living in poverty if they have a gross income of $34 000. Back in 1990-1995, the population of Canada increased by 6.1% while the poor population increased by 28.6%. The country is growing but the poverty rate is growing even faster. Also in Canada, certain groups of people are more likely to be poverty stricken than others: single parents are 2.45 times more likely to be in poverty, Aboriginals are 2.26 times more likely, recent immigrants are 2.17 times more likely, visible minorities are 1.53 times more likely and disabled persons are 1.47 times more likely. The younger population as well as the elderly are more likely to experience poverty. People who do not have their high school education or post secondary education will likely live in poverty. Despite a promise made by parliament to get rid of child labour by the year 2000, child poverty has actually increased since the promise has been made.
Poverty is something that hurts Canada’s economy as well as its citizens. Children, whose parents cannot afford a decent education for themselves or their kids, are at a major disadvantage. These kids will have an education and as a result will be able to obtain a decent job. Also while living in poverty, they probably do not have all the necessities of life. They may go a day or two without having anything to eat. They may not have a shelter or clean clothes to wear. Poverty is a big social justice issue that needs a solution because the future of this country and others is in jeopardy with its children dying of starvation due to poverty stricken cities.
-Robert Lanni-
Discrimination in the Workplace and School
Racism at School
The universal problem that hurts societies in every country in the work place is also very evident in school. Some students get in trouble for virtually no reason, just a little suspicion a teacher has of their involvement. Some teachers have little patience with certain students because of their background.
At school, when certain problems arise and crimes are committed, specific groups of students are looked at right away. If there is a robbery at school, some teachers and other students will look at the black population of the school. The stereotype that black people are criminals and will steal items is as much alive in school as it is in the outside world. Sometimes when a teacher knows that he/she will be away the next day, he/she will tell the class and will give certain students a stare meaning you better behave yourself. Even if this student is the nicest person, if they are part of a minority group then they will most likely be targeted at least once throughout their school experience. One major way these students will be targeted will be through bullying. They will be picked on because of their colour, race, background, religion, etc. This bullying done by teachers and students may cause some psychological harm to the kids on the receiving end of it all. It will definitely cause emotional trauma. Also these kids will start to doubt themselves and have a very low self-esteem. They won’t think that they can do anything or achieve greatness. As a result, they might not try new things and this will hurt their chances of being anything in life. Not only will bullying lower their confidence, but it could lead to them lashing out and causing harm either to themselves, other students, or both. Racism at school is a serious matter because at school, kid’s minds are not fully developed so they do not always know that what they are doing is wrong and at the same time, the kids receiving it do not know how to let the words or gestures slide off their back.
-Robert Lanni-
The universal problem that hurts societies in every country in the work place is also very evident in school. Some students get in trouble for virtually no reason, just a little suspicion a teacher has of their involvement. Some teachers have little patience with certain students because of their background.
At school, when certain problems arise and crimes are committed, specific groups of students are looked at right away. If there is a robbery at school, some teachers and other students will look at the black population of the school. The stereotype that black people are criminals and will steal items is as much alive in school as it is in the outside world. Sometimes when a teacher knows that he/she will be away the next day, he/she will tell the class and will give certain students a stare meaning you better behave yourself. Even if this student is the nicest person, if they are part of a minority group then they will most likely be targeted at least once throughout their school experience. One major way these students will be targeted will be through bullying. They will be picked on because of their colour, race, background, religion, etc. This bullying done by teachers and students may cause some psychological harm to the kids on the receiving end of it all. It will definitely cause emotional trauma. Also these kids will start to doubt themselves and have a very low self-esteem. They won’t think that they can do anything or achieve greatness. As a result, they might not try new things and this will hurt their chances of being anything in life. Not only will bullying lower their confidence, but it could lead to them lashing out and causing harm either to themselves, other students, or both. Racism at school is a serious matter because at school, kid’s minds are not fully developed so they do not always know that what they are doing is wrong and at the same time, the kids receiving it do not know how to let the words or gestures slide off their back.
-Robert Lanni-
Child Labour: Girls Vs Boys
Because of cultural expectations, girls will tend to have fewer options for work then boys. Since there is a stereotype that girls are 'weaker' then boys, the work that the girls do is often valued less then the work boys can do. It is more likely to go unpaid and will often be out of sight from the public, such as when caring for other family members or babies. In countries where HIV/AIDS is popular among families, the families usually rely on the girls of the family to do the work that the adults would normally be doing. This will often mean that girls will then lose several opportunities to get a paying job and learn important skills.
When working outside the home in other people's homes, usually as servants or nannies, they face a higher risk of being exposed to abuse whether it's physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, these girls are already being exposed to exploitative conditions. When the odd chance happens that a girl gets to actually attend school, because she is a girl, she might find that school is also an unsafe environment.
When working towards ending child labour, we as a global community have to take into account the cultural differences and issues that boys and girls have to face when creating laws. For children who are lucky enough to attend school even though they are working, it is held at night and is generally informal. Since it is held at night, this eliminates the opportunity for girls to go because they are not allowed out at night because it is not safe. At school, children are put in programs the will encourage the to use their decision making skills about their work and to also insure that both boys and girls have equal opportunities.
-Ilona V-
When working outside the home in other people's homes, usually as servants or nannies, they face a higher risk of being exposed to abuse whether it's physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, these girls are already being exposed to exploitative conditions. When the odd chance happens that a girl gets to actually attend school, because she is a girl, she might find that school is also an unsafe environment.
When working towards ending child labour, we as a global community have to take into account the cultural differences and issues that boys and girls have to face when creating laws. For children who are lucky enough to attend school even though they are working, it is held at night and is generally informal. Since it is held at night, this eliminates the opportunity for girls to go because they are not allowed out at night because it is not safe. At school, children are put in programs the will encourage the to use their decision making skills about their work and to also insure that both boys and girls have equal opportunities.
-Ilona V-
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Child Labour
Child Labour
There is no universal meaning for Child Labour.It is generally work that children do that exploits or harms them in some way. The definition of a "child" is defined as a person who is 18 years of age or younger. At 18 years old, this child is actually able to work legally in several countries. That being said, not all work is bad for children. For example, a child who would deliver newspapers would actually benefit from this job since they will be gaining responsibility, learning how to work and gaining revenue on the side. Although there are other cases that must be put into consideration such as if the child is paid poorly or not at all. This is an example of exploitative work especially if it interferes with the child's main cognitive development or health.
Other jobs given to children that are harmful are being exposed to dangerous chemicals when spraying pesticides or painting products on an assembly line, continuously lifting heavy loads that can curve the spine. Globally, there are millions of children who work to support themselves and their families. In fact, the ILO (International Labour Organization) had said that "246 million child workers aged 5 and 17 were involved in child labor, of which 171 million were involved in work that by its nature is hazardous to their safety, physical or mental health, and moral development. Moreover, some 8.4 million children were engaged in so-called 'unconditional' worst forms of child labor, which include forced and bonded labor, the use of children in armed conflict, trafficking in children and commercial sexual exploitation." (2000)
Even though the exact number of child labourers will never be known, from the recorded amount, the ILO has found that 61% live in Asia, 32% live in Africa, and 7% live in Latin America, 1% in US, Canada, Europe and other wealthy nations. In Asia, 22% of the total workforce is children and in Latin America, 17% of the total workforce is children.
"In Africa, one child in three is at work, and in Latin America, one child in five works. In both these continents, only a tiny proportion of child workers are involved in the formal sector and the vast majority of work is for their families, in homes, in the fields or on the streets." -- Unicef’s 1997 State of the World’s Children Report
Often, a child will have to go to work to support their working parents and other working siblings, or there are cases where children will be the sole providers for their family including their parents. Companies will not hire the parents over the children simply because they are mentally stronger and they cannot be manipulated as easily as a child would. Also they can easily get away with paying much less.
There have been hundreds of thousands of injuries and even deaths to children who are in the workforce because their job is dangerous. Within the next ten years, the majority of new workers, citizens and new consumers will come from developing countries. These people will also be the ones whose needs and their skills will develop the world’s economy and society. Although what will happen with the amount of people in that group who had to work at an early age causing either health implications or delays on their education? How will this effect the Global community as a whole?
In today's society, people learn about child labour at an early age and grow up knowing about their household brands that take part in it. As time goes on, it simply becomes apart of the norm and there is very little done about it. One large company that takes part in child labour is Nike. Even though it is widely known that they do this - except for products that were manufactured in Canada - there is barely a boycott towards to company. If anything, Nike has been, and seems to continue to be in the spotlight for one of the top brands and brand images to own today.
There are several solutions to child labour, although rarely implemented, a few small steps can go a long way one community at a time. Increased family income, Education for children, Social services to help families through hard times and family control of fertility so that they are not burdened with children. Theses are a few general things that can reduce child labour. Although depending on the country and this economic state, the solution will be different.
-Ilona V-
There is no universal meaning for Child Labour.It is generally work that children do that exploits or harms them in some way. The definition of a "child" is defined as a person who is 18 years of age or younger. At 18 years old, this child is actually able to work legally in several countries. That being said, not all work is bad for children. For example, a child who would deliver newspapers would actually benefit from this job since they will be gaining responsibility, learning how to work and gaining revenue on the side. Although there are other cases that must be put into consideration such as if the child is paid poorly or not at all. This is an example of exploitative work especially if it interferes with the child's main cognitive development or health.
Other jobs given to children that are harmful are being exposed to dangerous chemicals when spraying pesticides or painting products on an assembly line, continuously lifting heavy loads that can curve the spine. Globally, there are millions of children who work to support themselves and their families. In fact, the ILO (International Labour Organization) had said that "246 million child workers aged 5 and 17 were involved in child labor, of which 171 million were involved in work that by its nature is hazardous to their safety, physical or mental health, and moral development. Moreover, some 8.4 million children were engaged in so-called 'unconditional' worst forms of child labor, which include forced and bonded labor, the use of children in armed conflict, trafficking in children and commercial sexual exploitation." (2000)
Even though the exact number of child labourers will never be known, from the recorded amount, the ILO has found that 61% live in Asia, 32% live in Africa, and 7% live in Latin America, 1% in US, Canada, Europe and other wealthy nations. In Asia, 22% of the total workforce is children and in Latin America, 17% of the total workforce is children.
"In Africa, one child in three is at work, and in Latin America, one child in five works. In both these continents, only a tiny proportion of child workers are involved in the formal sector and the vast majority of work is for their families, in homes, in the fields or on the streets." -- Unicef’s 1997 State of the World’s Children Report
Often, a child will have to go to work to support their working parents and other working siblings, or there are cases where children will be the sole providers for their family including their parents. Companies will not hire the parents over the children simply because they are mentally stronger and they cannot be manipulated as easily as a child would. Also they can easily get away with paying much less.
There have been hundreds of thousands of injuries and even deaths to children who are in the workforce because their job is dangerous. Within the next ten years, the majority of new workers, citizens and new consumers will come from developing countries. These people will also be the ones whose needs and their skills will develop the world’s economy and society. Although what will happen with the amount of people in that group who had to work at an early age causing either health implications or delays on their education? How will this effect the Global community as a whole?
In today's society, people learn about child labour at an early age and grow up knowing about their household brands that take part in it. As time goes on, it simply becomes apart of the norm and there is very little done about it. One large company that takes part in child labour is Nike. Even though it is widely known that they do this - except for products that were manufactured in Canada - there is barely a boycott towards to company. If anything, Nike has been, and seems to continue to be in the spotlight for one of the top brands and brand images to own today.
There are several solutions to child labour, although rarely implemented, a few small steps can go a long way one community at a time. Increased family income, Education for children, Social services to help families through hard times and family control of fertility so that they are not burdened with children. Theses are a few general things that can reduce child labour. Although depending on the country and this economic state, the solution will be different.
-Ilona V-
Human Trafficking & Sexism
Sexism is another important social justice issue that we face all around the world. Sexism is present in every culture and country. Sexism is when someone is treated different because of there sex or gender. Sexism can involve a lot of different issues such as unequal pay to women compared to men, and getting beaten up by there husbands or wives. Sexism can effect both men and women but women are experiencing it more because in most cultures the man is the one who is dominant. In the workplace gender discrimination is very common. It mostly consists of being sexually harassed by the male co workers and getting paid lower then the male workers. Men feel they have more power then women and that they will never be equal. Women fought for there equality rights and to this day women are still treated different because they are women. Some of the male workers that we still have present in our societies believe that women have to do favours for them in order to get a promotion or a raise. Even if they are qualified for it, the male workers feel they can control what the women get. As I said before in most countries and religions the male is more dominant then the women. In the religions and countries where this is present the women in the families are most likely getting beat up often and always at a much lower level then the men. Women are treated bad and called all types of names ranging from unclean, whore and not worthy to be with them. Gender discrimination happened a lot before but it is still happening today all around the world. Men with that kind of mentality only think of there wives as sexual objects and that’s all there good for. Now of days we see this in the media. In music videos women are described as sex objects and willing to do anything for the man. It is not right that we still see that in our society and that people think its right. Music is very popular in the world and by showing people videos like that is giving them the wrong impression on women. We don’t see men in music videos treated the way that women are because that would be considered wrong and not right. Sexism and gender discrimination is presented everywhere and in all types of ways, people need to realize that women are as equal as men are in the world and deserve equal treatment.
-Froso G-
-Froso G-
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