Tribes Join Global Cause for Change

Tribes Join Global Cause for Change

Web address: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/01/2009127224359240168.html

By Gabriel Elizondo in Brazil from AlJazeera.net

Redone by Ariana and Corryn Wetzel

 

More than 100,000 people join together in the city of Belem, Brazil where the World Social Forum is to be held. This year’s theme of the World Social Forum is focused on the struggles of indigenous people. In the past, the World Social Forum was known as a place where many “decision-makers” gathered. This years meeting will be focused on indigenous people and racial equality for them. Many Brazilian Kayapo indigenous people are there in large groups to protest against the controversial hydroelectric dam. The people gathered there for hope to get equality and for illegal logging to stop.

Just a day before the starting time of the World Social Forum, eight major companies announced that they would be cutting another 75,000 jobs. Many citizens of Brazil have become victims of this economic crisis. Brazilians usually blame this problem from the economic downfall in the north to have a huge impact on the poor as well. Belem is in the most deforested state in Brazil called Para. People hope that because the World Social Forum is being held there that it will give visibility to the struggling wildlife in the Amazon and might help them rebuild their forests and natural habitat. There is a large illegal logging and deforestation company, and many hope that this meeting may be able to shut them down. Because so much of the Amazon has been destroyed due to deforestation, many more people are recognizing the vitality of this forest and its effect on the whole planet. This week participants of the meeting will be looking into what is ahead for their community and how to get there. 

The Last of 48 Sperm Whale Die

Ocean Beach on Tasmania’s west coast is the Australian spot where whales are stranded. Because of the whale’s unsupportive weight, they die quickly. When they topple over, and drown, their blowholes fill with water and sand. Also when they topple over they roll onto one of their flippers and lose their blood supply, because it’s not working… i.e. loss of circulation. It’s very sad because these animals cannot navigate properly, and when coming to a dead end, they have nothing else to do but strand themselves. These whales use echolocation to give them a mental picture of their surroundings. These whales create constant pulses that strike objects and return echoes. So when they are about to approach something that will cause them not to navigate any further, the signal is like a warning, and they can take immediate action. But with a light sloping beach like Ocean beach in Tasmania, well they can’t detect that, and that’s why these whales are being trapped. This kind of beach is basically a non-intentional whale trap. I thin this topic is important, because it teaches us to go out and learn about other beaches and their conditions, and more about the environment. Now this has nothing to do with global warming, but it does teach you how our environment is and how it changes, and the consequences. One last thing, when volunteers wanted to help at the beach with this whale situation, the authorities refused their request. I wonder why.

Rebecca and Clara's GAOC:Attack on women at a bar in India raises fear of "Hindu Taliban"

Attack on women at a bar in India raises fear of "Hindu Taliban"

Rebecca and Clara
South and Southwest Asia
Article: "Attack on women at a bar in India raises fear of "Hindu Taliban"
Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fg-india-brawl29-2009jan29,0,4516385.story

Top 3 Headlines:
Police in India charge 10 men in raping nun
Protest in India over "Slumdog Millionaire"
Attack on women at a bar in India raises fear of "Hindu Taliban"

You can easily say that it is normal for corruptions on the street to occur, from small things with an appropriate reason. But when 40 men try to attack you, slapping, pummeling and yanking you by the hair, you know that the problem has been pushed to its limit. However, this tragic even recently occurred on the streets of New Delhi. After being pushed out of the way, 40 attackers revealed that they were after young women at a bar. They later justified this by saying it was "a bid to safeguard traditional Indian culture." The men believed that women shouldn't wear Western clothes, drink alcohol or have an independent lifestyle. Shri Ram Sena was the group responsible for this act. "We are not a group of mad men, we are a patriotic group. We are the citizens of this nation, and I feel it is our duty to discipline indecent behavior. It is out of this sense of duty that we feel the need to safeguard our culture," says Pramod Muthalik, the group's leader. This attack shows the growing gap between an India that has "gone right into the flow" of the 21st century and a more traditional world of India. One girl says, "I feel caught between two worlds. At home, it's the old traditional India, but when I go out it's the new India."

This is an important article because it shows how different people are reacting to different changes in the world, such as in India. It highlights some beliefs and values certain people have and it's important to know how people are acting because things like this shouldn't be happening. It also showed how women are shunted aside in various cultures and how it is very hard to change this problem because people are getting accustomed to those ways. This struck me because women should not be treated this way and should have an equal say in they like and their rights.

Rebecca and Clara's GAOC:Attack on women at a bar in India raises fear of "Hindu Taliban"

Attack on women at a bar in India raises fear of "Hindu Taliban"

Rebecca and Clara
South and Southwest Asia
Article: "Attack on women at a bar in India raises fear of "Hindu Taliban"
Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fg-india-brawl29-2009jan29,0,4516385.story

Top 3 Headlines:
Police in India charge 10 men in raping nun
Protest in India over "Slumdog Millionaire"
Attack on women at a bar in India raises fear of "Hindu Taliban"

You can easily say that it is normal for corruptions on the street to occur, from small things with an appropriate reason. But when 40 men try to attack you, slapping, pummeling and yanking you by the hair, you know that the problem has been pushed to its limit. However, this tragic even recently occurred on the streets of New Delhi. After being pushed out of the way, 40 attackers revealed that they were after young women at a bar. They later justified this by saying it was "a bid to safeguard traditional Indian culture." The men believed that women shouldn't wear Western clothes, drink alcohol or have an independent lifestyle. Shri Ram Sena was the group responsible for this act. "We are not a group of mad men, we are a patriotic group. We are the citizens of this nation, and I feel it is our duty to discipline indecent behavior. It is out of this sense of duty that we feel the need to safeguard our culture," says Pramod Muthalik, the group's leader. This attack shows the growing gap between an India that has "gone right into the flow" of the 21st century and a more traditional world of India. One girl says, "I feel caught between two worlds. At home, it's the old traditional India, but when I go out it's the new India."

This is an important article because it shows how different people are reacting to different changes in the world, such as in India. It highlights some beliefs and values certain people have and it's important to know how people are acting because things like this shouldn't be happening. It also showed how women are shunted aside in various cultures and how it is very hard to change this problem because people are getting accustomed to those ways. This struck me because women should not be treated this way and should have an equal say in they like and their rights.

From: http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=1227349

The chart above demonstrates the rises and falls in the Canadian Stock Market over the course of the last year. A lot of predictions about the growth and sustainability of the Canadian Stock Markets have been wrong. More and more projections are being lowered to suggest that the recession will continue for over a year. Projections for losses are going up as their projections for profits go down. It has been noted by many economists that almost all the predictions have been off by a fair amount, so many believe that we are now in "uncharted waters". There have been and continue to be stimulus packages produced but they have done little to jump start Canada's economy.

I believe that a sustained economical recovery will not be possible until confidence in the economy is restored. The public's outlook on the future must change before the stock market will begin to go back up. It appears that the people without spare money cannot buy much besides the necessities, and the people with money are too afraid of economical collapse to spend their money. Canada needs consumers to help jump start it's economy, and along with the stimulus packages I think that the Canadian economy will recover soon.

Kenya's 'moment of pride' as Obama sworn in

Daily Nation Tuesday January 20, 2009

As I read this article about that town on Kenya where President Obama's father and how they celebrated the inauguration. They talked about the their reaction to the ceremony and how proud they where to have one of there own become president of the United States of America. This article is about how the town reaction to the inauguration and how they where going to stay communicated with the US.
When I was trying to find an article for this, I saw one with Obama and though it would be interesting. It was right after the inauguration and there was a lot of things about the inauguration and I thought that this was so cool that there was something about the tribe that Obama's father is from. This was fun reading about the tribes experience with the inauguration.

Two Men Beheaded in Celaya

Two men were beheaded in Celeya at 3:22 am this morning. They were found, headless by a Municipal Guard. They were wrapped in canvas when they were found. They were tied together and handcuffed. One had an ice pick in him with a note on it, the note read: “The Zetas against The Family.” The heads were found in coolers, one was found at 3:50 am in front of the Supreme Court of Justices House and the other was found at 4:00 am in front of a convenience store. This cooler had a “Z” carved on the side of it with another ice pick on top with another note attached to it.

It is believed that this happened because of a feud between two different drug traffickers. People should care about this because two men just got killed because of a substance that makes you feel good. One of the men was identified as 33 year old Armando Gutierrez Lopez. The other man hasn’t been identified yet but they are still people who’s lives were worth more than drugs.

Obama takes on China-US ties

Uriah and Deepa
GAOC- Eastern Europe, Central and Northern Asia
1/29/09

Byline: Al Jazeera Beijing correspondent Melissa Chan looks at what changes - or otherwise - Barack Obama will bring to US-China relations.
From: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/01/200912735628322980.htmlpeople

There are many issues that the U.S. is facing that President Obama must address. Some of these issues are the Economy and the environment. After only a week in the White house it is obvious Obama is focused on fixing the economy. He is also working on the two wars in Afghanistan and the many terrorist attack around the world. It is clear Obama has a lot of things to accomplish, but china is wondering where they stand on that list. For now it doesn’t seem like they’ve become a higher priority on the list.
The U.S. and China are two major powers that depend on each other. These two countries must have a peaceful relationship. They especially need to work together to improve the economy. However there remains tension between China and the U.S. on other important matters which may strain their relationship. Some Americans would like the U.S. to put pressure on China so the Chinese Government can put pressure the “Sudanese government over the conflict in Darfur” (Obama takes on China 1). The in China are hoping President Obama will step up and start talking and helping issues like the Tibet and Beijing’s human rights record.
Another priority on Obama’s list is the environment. China and the United States are the two largest countries in the world and they are the top countries who produce the most greenhouse gasses. If the U.S. and China work together peacefully Obama believes they can useful resources to help save the environment.
Obama is also working with other countries to improve their relationships. In his inaugural he stated “We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” Many people across the world wonder which countries he was talking about. Some believe Iran is a possibility, but the first idea that comes to the people in Beijing is the North Korea issue. Because the leader in North Korea is ill it could be one of the biggest challenges Obama has with negotiating denuclearization.

Kenya's 'moment of pride' as Obama sworn in

Daily Nation Tuesday January 20, 2009

As I read this article about that town on Kenya where President Obama’s father and how they celebrated the inauguration. They talked about the their reaction to the ceremony and how proud they where to have one of there own become president of the United States of America. This article is about how the town reaction to the inauguration and how they where going to stay communicated with the US.
When I was trying to find an article for this, I saw one with Obama and though it would be interesting. It was right after the inauguration and there was a lot of things about the inauguration and I thought that this was so cool that there was something about the tribe that Obama’s father is from. This was fun reading about the tribes experience with the inauguration.

Kenya's 'moment of pride' as Obama sworn in

Daily Nation Tuesday January 20, 2009

As I read this article about that town on Kenya where President Obama’s father and how they celebrated the inauguration. They talked about the their reaction to the ceremony and how proud they where to have one of there own become president of the United States of America. This article is about how the town reaction to the inauguration and how they where going to stay communicated with the US.
When I was trying to find an article for this, I saw one with Obama and though it would be interesting. It was right after the inauguration and there was a lot of things about the inauguration and I thought that this was so cool that there was something about the tribe that Obama’s father is from. This was fun reading about the tribes experience with the inauguration.

Kenya's 'moment of pride' as Obama sworn in

The Nation tuesday january 20

As I read this article about that town on Kenya where President Obama’s father and how they celebrated the inauguration. They talked about the their reaction to the ceremony and how proud they where to have one of there own become president of the United States of America. This article is about how the town reaction to the inauguration and how they where going to stay communicated with the US.
When I was trying to find an article for this, I saw one with Obama and though it would be interesting. It was right after the inauguration and there was a lot of things about the inauguration and I thought that this was so cool that there was something about the tribe that Obama’s father is from. This was fun reading about the tribes experience with the inauguration.

Southern African- Anna-Simone and Shalini

Anna-Simone
GAOC- Southern Africa
1/29/09

Kenya's 'moment of pride' as Obama sworn in- http://www.nation.co.ke/InDepth/-/490068/517454/-/i0xk8r/-/index.html

As I read this article about that town on Kenya where President Obama’s father and how they celebrated the inauguration. They talked about the their reaction to the ceremony and how proud they where to have one of there own become president of the United States of America. This article is about how the town reaction to the inauguration and how they where going to stay communicated with the US.
When I was trying to find an article for this, I saw one with Obama and though it would be interesting. It was right after the inauguration and there was a lot of things about the inauguration and I thought that this was so cool that there was something about the tribe that Obama’s father is from. This was fun reading about the tribes experience with the inauguration.

Southern African- Anna-Simone and Shalini

Anna-Simone
GAOC- Southern Africa
1/29/09

Kenya's 'moment of pride' as Obama sworn in- http://www.nation.co.ke/InDepth/-/490068/517454/-/i0xk8r/-/index.html

As I read this article about that town on Kenya where President Obama’s father and how they celebrated the inauguration. They talked about the their reaction to the ceremony and how proud they where to have one of there own become president of the United States of America. This article is about how the town reaction to the inauguration and how they where going to stay communicated with the US.
When I was trying to find an article for this, I saw one with Obama and though it would be interesting. It was right after the inauguration and there was a lot of things about the inauguration and I thought that this was so cool that there was something about the tribe that Obama’s father is from. This was fun reading about the tribes experience with the inauguration.

Southern African- Anna-Simone and Shalini

Anna-Simone
GAOC- Southern Africa
1/29/09

Kenya's 'moment of pride' as Obama sworn in- http://www.nation.co.ke/InDepth/-/490068/517454/-/i0xk8r/-/index.html

As I read this article about that town on Kenya where President Obama’s father and how they celebrated the inauguration. They talked about the their reaction to the ceremony and how proud they where to have one of there own become president of the United States of America. This article is about how the town reaction to the inauguration and how they where going to stay communicated with the US.
When I was trying to find an article for this, I saw one with Obama and though it would be interesting. It was right after the inauguration and there was a lot of things about the inauguration and I thought that this was so cool that there was something about the tribe that Obama’s father is from. This was fun reading about the tribes experience with the inauguration.

Southern African- Anna-Simone and Shalini

Anna-Simone
GAOC- Southern Africa
1/29/09

Kenya's 'moment of pride' as Obama sworn in- http://www.nation.co.ke/InDepth/-/490068/517454/-/i0xk8r/-/index.html

As I read this article about that town on Kenya where President Obama’s father and how they celebrated the inauguration. They talked about the their reaction to the ceremony and how proud they where to have one of there own become president of the United States of America. This article is about how the town reaction to the inauguration and how they where going to stay communicated with the US.
When I was trying to find an article for this, I saw one with Obama and though it would be interesting. It was right after the inauguration and there was a lot of things about the inauguration and I thought that this was so cool that there was something about the tribe that Obama’s father is from. This was fun reading about the tribes experience with the inauguration.

Southern African

Twenty-four Year Wait for Justice in Peru

Emily Syrjala

South America: Peru

Christen Today Australia

from: http://au.christiantoday.com/article/twenty-four-year-wait-for-justice-in-peru/5215.htm

On December 13th 1984 in Putis, Peru there was a killing massacre; 123 people were killed.  The person who is accused of this killing spree was a former general named Wilfredo Mori Orzo. Orzo was ordered to court on January 29^th and 30^th for his trial of the massacre.

            The massacre took place in a rural part of Putis called the Andean highlands. The people of the village that were targeted were people who spoke Quechua and who were indigenous.  A Maoist terrorist group called The Shining Path was very strong so the village asked of the Peruvian military to set up camp close by to protect the village from The Shining Path.  They agreed to protect the village.  Then after setting up the base they gathered the men to dig holes to be used as trout-farming. After the men were done digging the holes, the soldiers had men, women, and children line up in front of the holes and then opened fire.  The soldiers later used those holes to bury the dead bodies. There are thought to have been 123 people killed. So far there have been 60 body remains found.

            Orzo was charged for the killings and violating human rights but didn’t show up to court.

Taliban demands end to music on pakistan buses

Is by Mariah and Robbie

Taliban demands end to music on pakistan buses

According the Times of India, bus drivers in Peshawar, Pakistan have started to take out their audio and video equipment out of the buses. This is because of Taliban militants threatening suicide attacks because of the equipment. In the town, Mardan, bus drivers received letters from militants saying that by providing audio and video entertainment, were guilty of (another word for spreading) “Vulgarity and Obscenity”(a quote from the letters) said Walid Mir, general secretary of the town's transport union.

Taliban militants have said that they are checking the buses for audio and video equipment. This has been prompting Mardan’s transport union to act as quickly as possible to avoid suicide attacks. The letters have been very threatening. Here is a quote.

“It is obligatory on us to stop such violations. We request you to remove the vulgar systems ... otherwise suicide bombers are ready,'' the letter said

I find this very disturbing because people’s freedoms are being violated. Here is the link to the article:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Taliban_demands_end_to_music_on_Pak_buses/articleshow/4013457.cms

Turkmenistan's 'gray cardinal' leaves government.

URL: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/pp012509.shtml

(The picture above is of Turkmenistan's current president, because i wasn't able to find a photo of the defense minister that this story focuses most on.)

This week, the Turkmenistan government's oldest  cabinet member, their 'gray cardinal,' defense minister Mamedgeldyev, left the government supposedly because of health reasons. According to the article i read, Mamedgeldyev was a significant part in bringing up current president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov after the death of . One suspicion that was expressed in the article that I read, was whether or not "health problems" where really the reason of Mamedgeldyev's departure. Some people are saying it could be because of the current president's indebtedness. 

Another interesting thing to ponder, is why the current president got rid of so man government officials. Two reasons for this is one, because he is very confident of his power and that he can do this on his own, and 2, because he is trying to get rid of government officials who could still be loyal to the old leader, Sapamurat Niyazov, who died in 2006. If this new president let Mamedgeldyev go, this could be just his way of making sure no one on his team ever had loyalty towards Niyazov. 

A question that i found very important to look at after i saw it in this article, was whether the fact that Mamedgeldyev's aid and support towards the current president lead to his success in staying in the government for SO LONG. 

It is also very interesting and amazing that president Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov started acting as president hours after Niyazov's death in 2006, and was officially elected in 2007. 

I think since we just witnessed the historical election of Barack Obama, it is of the utmost importance to know and understand what presidential elections and political important events are going on in other countries. I also think kids our age, and everyone for that matter, should know how different governments operate in different places around the world. 

~Vava.

Partner: Sydney.

Area of concern: Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia. 

China Reports Fifth Bird Flu This Year

 Title: China reports fifth bird flu this year  URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE50P4P020090126

 Since the beginning of the year there have been five deaths because of bird flu. On January 21^st the fifth person this year was taken to a clinic in the town of Beliui after falling ill. Three days later he was taken to the hospital reporting with bird flu. The Ministry of Agriculture says he became sick after he had contact with dead meat although mysteriously his friend say he had not shown any symptoms of illness. Other victims include a man in Guizhou providence and a two-year old girl in the Shanxi hospital.

In December of 2008 the Ministry of Agriculture reported that in the Jianhsu providence poultry tests for bird flu were positive. However, they have not reported an outbreak within poultry for months. The bird flu is mainly a virus in birds. But experts predict that it will evolve into a disease easily passed on by humans and lead to an epidemic that could kill millions of people. The bird flu first appeared in Asia in 2003. Since then 399 people have been infected and its killed 253 people.

Even though scientists assumed that being around dead poultry causes the bird flu. Bird flu deaths have been scattered across china in areas where there has been no poultry deaths from bird flu. Scientists are now concerned that the virus could be carried by other things.

This is important because the risk of bird flu and other diseases is high. We need to be aware of the viruses and diseases that we would be infected with. Along with that everyone needs to know how to stay away from catching bird flu. It is also important because people should know about things that happen in other countries. 

--Ana Rae

Partner: Jessica

Area of concern: East Asia

China Reports Fifth Bird Flu This Year

Title: China reports fifth bird flu this year

From: 

Annabella's GAOC: Girl Thrown From Bridge

Article: "Murder charge: girl 'thrown' from West Gate Bridge"

Source: "The Age," Max Cooper, January 29, 2009, http://www.theage.com.au/national/murder-charge-girl-thrown-from-west-gate-bridge-20090129-7sb7.html

Area of Concern: Australia and Pacific Region

Partner/Core: Natalie Merlo, Core Y

I can clearly remember what I was like as a four year old. I was a very happy kid, and was never worried about anything. I would never, in my wildest dreams, consider the possibility of getting thrown off a fifty-eight-meter high bridge. Sadly, this nightmare was a reality for a young girl living in Australia.

            On Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 1:15pm (Australian time), a four-year old girl died while resting in her hospital bed in the Royal Childrens’ hospital. While most people go to the hospital because they’re sick, she was being hospitalized because she was thrown off a bridge. At about 9:10am, a thirty-six year old man was driving across the West Gate freeway bridge, pulled over to where a small child was standing, and plummeted her into the freezing water below. People reported that “it took place so quickly, no-one had the opportunity to intervene.” No one could stop this tragic event from happening. The girl was then rescued from the river at about 9:15 in the morning. She was found in the water on the northern side of the bridge, on a western bank. After she was found, the paramedics spent about fifty minutes resuscitating her before she had to be taken to the hospital by helicopter. 

            The man who is guilty of the murder will go to the Melbourne Magistrates Court for a “single count of murder.”

            The father of the young girl seemed very traumatized by this unfortunate event. He was seen outside of a courthouse an hour after the murder, and appeared to be shaking uncontrollably. It has been reported that he looked like he was about to have an anxiety attack.            

            When I came across this article, I was completely shocked. I hoped that by doing my GAOC on it, I can educate everyone about it. I hope that everyone reading this will now be very cautious about their safety. As the famous saying goes, “better safe than sorry.” I give my best wishes to this girls’ family, as well as everyone else that may have been affected by this very unfortunate event.

Slumdog Millionaire’s Success used by Save the Children to Highlight Misery of Slums

Byline: Slumdog Millionaire’s success is being used by charity Save the Children to highlight the misery of living in the slums of Mumbai

From: Telegraph.co.uk / January 19th, 2009

The hit movie, Slumdog Millionaire, which has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards as well as an Oscar, is being cited by the international charity Save the Children, as a vehicle for better understanding the dire conditions of poor children living in India. The literal “rags to riches” story portrayed in the film depicts a beleaguered “slumdog” – a slang term for a child growing up in the poverty-stricken area of Mumbai - who manages to beat all odds and win big on the popular television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Indian representative of the Save the Children organization, Shireen Vakil Miller, focuses on the differences between the fantasy depicted in the film and the reality of a life of poverty in any number of Indian cities. Children, along with their families, live in tiny shacks and work round the clock, with little or no opportunity to go to school and thus escape through education. There are over 120 million children who live in poverty across India, which is about twice the population of Great Britain or the UK. Save the Children seeks to help child victims of poverty in Indian cities such as Delhi, Calcutta and Hyderabad – where they are offered education, training and reunions with families after rescues from child trafficking – another term for selling children into the sex trade. It is thought that the film Slumdog Millionaire will serve to call attention to the plight of poor Indian children.