Structural Learning Week 7 - Raising Awareness of the View of Disabilities Around the World

Raising Awareness of the View of Disabilities Around the World By Vicky Quaife:

Every week a member of our team has to educate the other members of the team on a developmental issue. It’s now week 7 and we’ve had such a variety of topics and I have learnt so much through them all. This week was my week to do my ‘structural learning’ and my topic of choice is disabilities.

Definition:

When you hear the world ‘disability’ many things may come to mind, but if you are unsure of this word here is a definition to help you out:

‘A disability can be physical (such as paralysis, loss of limb, deafness), mental (such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder) or intellectual (such as a learning disability). Some people are born disabled; others become disabled as a result of an accident or disease. Disabilities range from moderate to significant and can be temporary or permanent. With the help of a supportive community, education and vocational opportunities, disabled persons can make progress.’

Shocking Statistics:

Did you know that 1 BILLION people around the world (that’s roughly 15% of the population) are disabled? (UN)- That’s 1 in every 7 persons, or in some countries it’s as high as 1 in every 5!

And that within those 1 billion people, 80% of them live in developing countries!

20% of the world’s poorest people are disabled, and tend to be regarded in their own communities as the most disadvantaged.

1 in every 10 children has to cope with a disability around the world.

And within those children only 2-3% attends school! Imagine that- 97-98% of disabled children stay at home doing nothing every single day, never having the opportunity to learn, engage with other children, make friends. Not attending school and never learning basic skills is going to seriously impact your life as you grow older, having no education will probably mean that they will never be able to get a job.

Mortality for children with disabilities may be as high as 80 per cent in countries where under-five mortality as a whole has decreased below 20 per cent, says the United Kingdom's Department for International Development.

Also please bear in mind that these statistics are widely underestimated as in many communities people with a disability are shunned, isolated or stigmatized against, so are often left out of census reports, or families hide their children away.

It is also important to remember that these issues are not only occurring in developing countries. In the UK 75% of companies of the FTSE 100 Index on the London Stock Exchange do not meet basic levels of web accessibility, thus missing out on more than $147 million in revenue.

Only 45 countries in the world have some sort of anti-discrimination and other disability-specific-laws.

These two videos sum up a little bit about what persons with a disability rights are and how they can and should be able to exercise them! 

If you would like to see where I found my statistics then please have a look at these two websites.

http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=18

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/diswpa04.htm

My Passion:

I first started to become passionate about the rights and welfare of people with a disability when I started placements at university. I studied Occupational Therapy and during my placements I would be working with people who had physical disabilities, mental health problems and long term illnesses that resulted in some sort of disablement for that person. During my final placement I was working with adults who had a learning disability; through these placements I was able to see first-hand how important therapies such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech and language therapy can really dramatically change and enhance people’s lives.

This video is just a little cheesy summary of occupational therapy just so you all know, and it gives a few nice examples of how it can change peoples’ lives. 

Impacts:

For many children, the presence of an impairment leads to rejection or isolation from experiences that are part of normal development. This situation may be exacerbated by faulty family and community attitudes and behaviour during the critical years when children's personalities and self-images are developing.

However existing knowledge and skills could prevent the onset of many impairments and disabilities, could assist affected people in overcoming or minimizing their disabilities, and could enable nations to remove barriers which exclude disabled persons from everyday life. As I believe that actually people who have certain disabilities wouldn’t necessarily have to live a different life if it wasn’t for the environment and society creating barriers for them. If all our roads and streets were perfectly smooth a blind man could easily adapt to his environment and would be able to live a relatively normal and fulfilling life.

The issue is that in many countries, resources are not sufficient to detect and prevent disabilities and cannot meet the need for rehabilitation and supportive services of the disabled population. This is where we come in. The Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) are a set of 8 goals created by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which set out to:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

These goals are great and are really inspirational and are planned to be completed by 2015. However what’s missing?

15% of the population is missing. Although disabled people count for around 10-15% of the world’s population the MDGs still do not include persons with a disability.

The “END EXCLUSION – Let’s Enable the Millennium Development Goals” project sets out to change attitudes so that persons with disabilities are not denied their human rights because of discrimination. They especially want to make sure that persons with disabilities are included in programmes designed to reduce poverty, which is often not the case.

This video explains about the ‘Say Yes’ to inclusion campaign, which is backed by the European Union. 

Structural Learning Week 6 - The Return of Jesus Christ

The Return of Jesus Christ by Claire Umumaranrungu:

For our structural learning in week 6 Claire decided to do hers on an issue that she feels strongly about – the returning of Jesus Christ. Although this topic does not relate to a development issue directly Claire thought it important that we all be reminded of it, and it is something she feels very passionate about sharing.

I wanted to talk about the return of Jesus because I feel that it is important to remind people, as it can be very easy for people to forget that the current world is not permanent – and that this is a place we will spend a very short amount of time in. I wanted to highlight how the Bible tells us that there are signs about the return of Jesus, and allow my team mates to see these.

"When you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near."
- Luke 21:31

Throughout the Bible there are references to the second coming of Jesus Christ - Luke 21:28 and 31; Matthew 24:42 - 44, 25:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 John 3:2 - 3; Hebrews 10:24 – 25.

Although it is not possible to say with any certainty how events that take place today relate to the Biblical prophecies, it would be unwise to not take heed and ignore their warnings. The following are some of the signs that the Bible says we should be aware of when considering the return of Jesus Christ.

Wars and Rumours of Wars:

“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” (Matthew 24:6 - 7a NIV)

Famines, Pestilence and Earthquakes:

“And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:7b - 8 NIV).

Deceivers who claim to follow Jesus:

"Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” (Matthew 24:4 -5 NIV)

People of Israel return to their Land:

“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.” (Ezekial 37:21 -22 NIV)

Increased Wickedness and Loss of Love:

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12)

Return of the Fallen Angels and Hybrid Heroes:

"The Nephilim were on the earth in those days--and also afterward--when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown." (Genesis 6:4 NIV)

Strong Delusion:

"For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie." (2 Thessalonions 2:11 NIV)

One World Government:

"It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.That number is 666." (Revelation 13: 16 - 18 NIV)

One World Ruler:

"The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” (Revelation 13: 1 - 4)

Claire finished off her presentation by getting us to watch the following video...

Structural Learning Week 5 - Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking by Rachel Garner

I chose to do my structural learning on Human Trafficking because I feel that this is a really important development issue. Human Trafficking takes place across all corners of the globe and there isn't one continent that is not affected by it. It permeates all aspects of people lives whether they know it or not, a person may not know that they are condoning trafficking purely because they are unaware of how widespread the effects are. For example did you know that Human Trafficking could have been involved in the making of the chocolate bar you ate yesterday? Or the cotton t-shirt you are wearing right now?

So what is Human Trafficking?

The google definition of Human Trafficking is - “the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposes of forced labour or commercial sexual exploitation” – and I suppose this is the crux of what Human Trafficking is.

 However I feel that Human Trafficking was better described by the Arch Bishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby when he said…

            “Human trafficking is a grave crime against humanity. It is a form of modern day slavery and a profound violation of the intrinsic dignity of human beings. It is intolerable that millions of fellow human beings should be violated in this way, subjected to inhuman exploitation and deprived of their dignity and rights. This outrage should concern each one of us, because what affects one part of humanity affects us all. Virtually every part of this world is touched in some way by the cruelty and violence associated with this criminal activity. If we are to combat this evil then we must work together to prevent the crime, support the survivors and prosecute the criminals.”

This definition and explanation highlights how heinous a crime Human Trafficking is, but also how it can often fall under our radars and how that is not acceptable.

Some Facts and Statistics:

How many children are trafficked every year?

1.2 Million (UNICEF)

How many men, women and children are trafficked across INTERNATIONAL borders each year?

600,000 to 800,000 (US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2007)

Of that, what percentage are minors?

50% (US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2007)

At least 20.9 million people are victims of forced labour worldwide. While it is difficult to establish a precise amount, conservative 2012 research estimated trafficking victims as comprising some 44 per cent of this figure. (ILO 2012 Global Estimate of Forced Labour)

Human Trafficking is the second largest source of illegal income worldwide exceed only by drug trafficking. (Belser 2005)

Relevance of Human Trafficking Today:

There are so many examples of human trafficking going on every day. Even in the past couple of weeks since I have been researching this project there have been numerous examples of crimes involving trafficking. Some of which are incredibly close to home. 

Suspected human trafficker and Thai 'baby factory' under investigation - Thai police hunt Japanese man who fathered 15 babies to 11 surrogate mothers in possible trafficking inquiry - Guardian Article

Tilbury Containter Stoways included 13 children. “The group arrived on Saturday on a ship from Belgium and were said by police to be victims of "people trafficking" -  BBC Article

What can be done?

Human Trafficking happens for many different reasons, some people see it as their only way out of poverty and this is not acceptable. A person should not be able to be driven to such desperation that they feel their only answer is to sell a loved one or themselves, on the promise or false hope of a Human Trafficker. Something has to be done to stop this...

STOP THE TRAFFIK

There are so many different ways for people to get involved, but one of the biggest things that you can do is just to be aware – next time you buy chocolate or cotton, look out for the fair trade sign, without that mark you cannot guarantee that what you are buying doesn't involve the trafficking of people.

Especially in industries where it is none that there is trafficking, it is really important to be alert and proactive so as to not accidentally condone it, through purchasing that product.

If you want to get involved in a more physical way then stopthetraffik have a number of different schemes and ideas to help raise awareness and fundraise. A big campaign that they have going on in October is called “The Big Auction”. Here you auction of a skill or talent that you have, even just your time, and the money that is raised goes to stopthetraffik. To find out more about this go to - Big Auction

What Progress Has Been Made So Far?

Through campaigning organisation such as stopthetraffik so much progress has already been made in order to get the breakthrough that is needed...

Just recently Nestle announced that they are on track to have 100% of their cocoa in the UK & I certified by the end of 2015. They are the first major confectionery brand to reach this milestone. Nestle

Hundreds of people have been rescued from human trafficking, and or been prevented from being trafficked in the first place thanks to charities like stopthetraffik and the campaigns that they are running. 176 Saved.

If you want to find out more about human trafficking then there are lots of different documentaries that focus on particular types of traffiking, for example a couple of years ago Stacey Dooley looked into sex trafficking in Cambodia.

Picture of the Day 22/08/2014

Today Rachel led us in our fifth structural learning session, she did hers on Human Trafficking. Stayed tuned over the weekend to see her post!!

Vicky and David concentrating intensely on Rachel's session...

Structural Learning Week 4 - Genocides around the World:

Genocides around the World by Lion-Sam:

What is Genocide?

It is a very specific term, referring to violent crimes committed against a group with the intent to destroy the existence of the group. This term did not exist before 1944. The word was used for the first time in 1944; by a polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin. He described the Nazi policies of murder and the destruction of European Jews throughout and before the Second World War. He formed the word “GENOCIDE” by combining GENO from the Greek which means race or tribe with CIDE from Latin which means killing.

Any of the following acts is classified as genocide when the intention is to destroy in whole or part a national, ethical, racial or religious group:

1. Killing members of the group
2. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
3. Deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the group
4. Imposing measures with the intent to restrict or prevent births
5. Forcibly transferring or converting members of the group into the 'desired' group

There are considered to be eight recognised stages of genocide: classification, symbolisation, dehumanisation, organisation, polarisation, preparation, extermination and denial.

To find out more about these eight stages and what is classified and punishable as an act of genocide, read this article by Gregory H. Stanton - The Eight Stages of Genocide

Past Genocides and Mass Atrocities:

CNN has made a really interesting documentary called "Scream Bloody Murder" where Christine Amanpour tackles the really tough topic of Genocides around the world, and how the international community acted and whether it was appropriate. To watch the whole documentary/film follow this link - CNN Scream Bloody Murder. Otherwise the parts of the documentary that are relevant to the Genocides we talked about, will be inserted into the rest of the blog.

Armenian Genocide (1915 – 1923):

In 1915, leaders of the Turkish government set in motion a plan to expel and massacre Armenians living in Ottoman Empire. Most sources agree that there were about 2 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire at the time of the massacre. The combination of massacres, forced deportation marches and deaths due to disease in concentration camps is estimated to have killed more than 1.5 million ethnic Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks between 1915 and 1923. In addition to the numerous deaths around 5000 to 6000 women and children were forcibly converted to Islam as a means of escaping murder. 

The Holocaust (1933 – 1945):

After coming to power in 1933, the Nazi party implemented a highly organised strategy of persecution in order to eliminate those who they deemed to be undesirable and unfit for their “perfect race” – the Arian race. Their targets were the Jewish, the disabled, Jehovah’s witnesses and homosexuals.

The Jewish community was separated and torn apart. They were persecuted and finally they were treated as less than human beings and murdered. During the Second World War the Nazis sought to murder all of the Jewish population of Europe and to destroy their culture. In 1914 they were about 11 million Jews in Europe; by May 1945 the Nazi had murdered six million of them and other five millions. One and half million of these were children.

There are lots of different documentaries about the Holocaust so this is only one example...

Cambodian Genocide (1975 – 1979):

When the Khmer Rouge took control of the Cambodian government in 1975, they declared the beginning of a new age dedicated to a peasant-oriented society. To accomplish this vision the Khmer Rouge began outlawing education, religion, healthcare and technology. Then the Khmer Rouge ordered the evacuation of Cambodia’s cities and forced these residents into manual labour without adequate food or rest. Those who were unable to keep up were executed.

At the same time, the Khmer Rouge began to target suspected political dissidents. These citizens, including doctors, teachers and those suspected of being educated; they were singled out and tortured at the notorious TUOL SLENG prison. In four years, between 1.7 and 2 million Cambodians died in the Khmer Rouge’s ‘Killing Fields.’ 

A film has been made about Pol Pot and the atrocious deeds that he committed - it is called 'The Killing Fields'. The following are clips from the CNN documentary 'Scream Bloody Murder'.

Cambodia Part 1

Cambodia Part 2

Cambodia Part 3

Bosnian Genocide (1992 – 1995):

In April 1992, the government of the Yugoslav republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina declared its independence from Yugoslavia. Over the next several years, Bosnian-Serb forces, along with the backing of the Serb dominated Yugoslav army, targeted both Bosnian Muslims and Croatian civilians. In what can only be considered atrocious crimes resulting in the deaths of some 100 000 people by 1995, 80% of them were Bosnian Muslims. 

Bosnia Part 1

Bosnia Part 2

Rwandan Genocide (April to July 1994):

Before 1994 there were 3 tribes in Rwanda: Tutsis, Twa and Hutus. Starting from 1959, Hutus started killing Tutsis and burning their homes denying them to be Rwandans saying that they are from Ethiopia and that they should return. For many years the tensions built in Rwanda and ultimately led to the genocide.

From April to July 1994, members of the Hutu ethnic majority in Rwanda murdered more than 800,000 people of the Tutsi minority. It was started by extreme Hutu nationalists in the capital of Kigali. The genocide spread throughout the country with staggering speed and brutality; as ordinary citizens were incited by local officials and the Hutu Power government to take up arms against their neighbours. By the time the Tutsi-led Rwandese Patriotic Front gained control of the country in early July, hundreds of thousands of Rwandan Tutsis were dead and many more displaced from their homes.

There has also been a couple of films made about the Rwandan Genocide - 'Hotel Rwanda' and 'Shooting Dogs'.

Rwanda Part 1

Rwanda Part 2

Rwanda Part 3

So What Now?

During our first week in Rwanda the team was given the opportunity to visit the Rwandan Genocide Memorial in Kigali. We all found it a rather sobering experience that bought the facts and the figures about genocide a lot closer to home. However it also demonstrated that there is something being done to stop future genocides from happening.

The charity AEGIS is working towards educating people about genocides and mass atrocities and runs centres about the Rwandan Genocide and the Holocaust. To find out more about what they do go check out their website - AEGIS Trust.

During our trip to the Kigali Rwandan Genocide Memorial

Structural Learning Week 3 - Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by Chinwe Soares-Feyisitan:

I chose to do my structural learning on FGM because I find it to be an extremely important subject that many people are too afraid to discuss, and the longer we remain quiet about it the worse and more extreme it will become.

I started of my structural learning by giving some facts and figures about FGM around the world so that the team would understand that this is a really important topic and that it isn't just an isolated occurrence - that it even happens in our home countries; the UK and Rwanda.

How many girls and women alive today have been affected by FMG?

- More than 125 million in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East

How many girls everyday are put through this process?

- 8,000

How many times has this procedure been carried out in the UK?

- 66,000

These numbers are really difficult for people to get their head around as FGM can often seem as a relatively small practice as not many people are willing to talk about it, and the negative impacts that it has not only on the girls and women but on society as a whole.

FGM is a non-medical procedure that has no health benefits for women or girls. It is typically carried out on girls aged between 4 - 15, but there have been known cases outside this age range. FGM actually has nothing to do with culture, tradition or religion - many people believe that this procedure is done for religious reasons; however it is not mentioned in any religious book.

I then went on to show the group the different types of FGM as there are three main ones:

A handout that I gave to the group.

Type 1 - Clitoridectomy:

• This is the partial or total removal of the clitoris.
• This is done by cutting or poking the area.

Type 2 - Excision:

• The partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia.

Type 3 - Infibulation:

• All parts are cut off, and the remaining skin is pulled together and sewn up.
• This has been carried out on 90% of girls in Somalia.

What does the Law have to say about this?

I then went on to explain to the group the take that UK law has on this scenario. It is particularly difficult to find out the different legal stances on this matter and this is why I focused on the UK.

In 1985 the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act made the procedure illegal in the UK. This was then amended in 2003 to make it illegal to carry out the procedure on a UK citizen whilst they are outside the UK - as many people were taking their children abroad to have the procedure carried out.

If convicted, a person in the UK faces 14 years imprisonment and a fine; however no one in the UK has been convicted, but in May 2014 a 38 year old women was arrested for conspiracy to commit FGM however the charges were dropped.

In France they regularly check their girls to make sure that they haven't had the procedure done - more than 100 people have been arrested in France.

But it's not all bad news:

The Netherlands are investing millions into finding a way to stop FGM and there is a campaign right here in the UK that you can join - Stop FGM Campaign

Further more the UK has introduced a form whereby if a young girl is feeling threatened or she believes that FGM is going to happen to her she can place it in her passport and the staff at the airport will be notified of this fear and check out the problem.

If you want to find out more about FGM then watch a documentary called The Cruel Cut.