Algeria’s Relationship with the Media Grows Tense Amid Political Woes

On Aug. 10, Algerian officials sentenced journalist Khaled Drareni to three years in prison for reporting on the 2019 Hirak protests. Calling for the removal of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the Hirak pro-democracy protests were some of the largest anti-government demonstrations since the Algerian civil war in the 1990s. While the protests were successful in removing Bouteflika from power, Algerian activists are unsatisfied with the corruption that still drives the Algerian government. Drareni’s sentencing has amplified the divide between independent publications and state-run media, drawing attention to the censorship that Algerian journalists face.

Hirak protests in Algiers. Becker. CC BY 2.0.

From 1991 to 2002, Algeria was engaged in a civil war between the government and Islamist political groups. Throughout this unrest, journalists in Algeria explored the many human rights abuses present in the country. As the war began to resolve in 1999, Abdelaziz Bouteflika was elected president of Algeria. With his 2005 Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, he offered amnesty to groups that committed violence between 1992 and 2006. While this charter protected many Algerians from prosecution, Bouteflika also used it to restrict the press from investigating human rights violations. 

Following the enactment of this charter, independent publications were allowed a modicum of freedom as they operated independently of the state. However, the divide between independent publications and the Algerian state-run media only grew as Bouteflika consolidated his power.

An Algerian soldier barricades a street. Magha Rebia. CC BY 2.0.

In recent years, as pro-democracy movements gain traction in Algeria, independent publications have generally been the only media covering the protests. With tensions between Algerian citizens and the government mounting over the past decade, independent publications have been increasingly villainized by the state. Using state-owned companies as leverage, the Algerian government has stripped most independent publications of their primary source of income—advertisements. 

Within the past year, multiple independent media outlets critical of the regime have been blocked, including Maghreb Emergent and Radio M. Reporters Without Borders, an international organization that works to protect freedom of the press globally, now ranks Algeria 146th out of 180 countries in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, which evaluates the degree of freedom awarded to journalists. Algeria’s ranking in this index has dropped drastically in the past five years -- in 2015, Algeria was ranked 27 places higher. 

The imprisonment of Khaled Drareni only amplifies the harsh restrictions being gradually imposed on the Algerian media. In April 2020, Algeria passed a law criminalizing “fake news” to maintain “public order and state security.” This law increases the repression of journalists in an already corrupt state. With privately-owned media facing severe blockades, social media has become a driving force in disseminating information to young people across the country. Social media platforms have become a pivotal tool for activists, allowing them to coordinate nonviolent protests and spread news that is not aired on radio or television. This movement has encouraged reporters at state-backed media companies to resign and actively fight for marginalized voices to be heard. Algeria remains in a state of flux as reporters stripped of their formal platforms are actively working toward freedom of the press through alternative means of communication.

Sarah Leidich

is currently an English and Film major at Barnard College of Columbia University. Sarah is inspired by global art in every form, and hopes to explore the intersection of activism, art, and storytelling through her writing.

Following the Blast in Beirut, How Ready is Lebanon for Visitors?

The Aug. 4 blast in Beirut’s port devastated the city but also affected the entire country. Shock waves reverberated throughout the region, being felt as far away as Cyprus and Jordan. The cause was obscene negligence in the storage of ammonium nitrate, a component of many explosives, and the effect is 300,000 people left homeless, up to 220 dead, and parts of the city center in ruins. The scene harkens back to Lebanon’s tumultuous history of war and civil strife and effectively takes Beirut off the map in terms of international tourism.

This is all the more saddening given Lebanon’s storied history, vibrant culture and natural beauty. Lebanon has earned an unfortunate reputation as an unsafe travel destination due to its fraught political history and geographical proximity to war-torn nations such as Syria. Though a history of war still lives in the nation’s collective memory, most people view it as a piece of the past. Before the blast, Lebanon reported a record number of visitors, with just under 2 million travelers passing through in 2018 alone.

A cursory glance at the country reveals why. Though small, Lebanon’s landscape is astonishingly diverse. Its coastline holds balmy beaches and resorts, many started in the 1950s during the country’s first tourism boom. Farther inland, the Lebanon Mountains offer slopes for skiers of every skill level for a fraction of the cost compared to the Swiss Alps.

Hasroun, a village in northern Lebanon. Paul Saad. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Natural beauty is not the only wonder found in Lebanon. The Temple of Bacchus, one of the best preserved Roman ruins in the world, displays the full glory of Lebanon’s past, demonstrating the variety of influences it enjoyed due to its historical role as a Mediterranean trade hub. Arts events like the Cedars International Festival have drawn artists from around the world, including Shakira and Andrea Bocelli, with massive crowds in tow. Beirut’s nightlife alone was enough to draw thousands to its late-night parties with strobe lights, pulsing music and freely flowing liquor.

A concert in Byblos. Hisham Assaad. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

No longer. The blast damaged 2,000 venues in Beirut, many of them deciding not to rebuild. Months prior to the blast, the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the service industry, and a prolonged economic crisis which has endangered the lower and middle classes strained the balance sheets of nightclub owners. The explosion further compounds their plight. 

Equally bleak are the prospects for recovery. Rebuilding the city is estimated to cost $15 billion, a quarter of Lebanon’s GDP in 2019, and talks with the International Monetary Fund for a $10 billion bailout have led nowhere. The prime minister, along with most of his cabinet, resigned shortly after the explosion, leaving Lebanon in both physical and economic ruin with no leadership. The Lebanese dollar has lost 80% of its value while inflation has reached 112%. This has left thousands of people struggling or unable to buy food. The situation, by any metric, is abysmal. 

Lebanon’s tourism prospects are about as dire as those for its economy. Clearly, it is unwise to travel in the midst of a global pandemic to a country whose hospitals are already full. While tourism would pump much-needed dollars into the economy, it would be difficult to find food and lodging in a country not far removed from famine. Before travelers begin to think of visiting Lebanon, the country must rebuild. Only time will tell how long that process will take.

---

Michael McCarthy

Michael is an undergraduate student at Haverford College, dodging the pandemic by taking a gap year. He writes in a variety of genres, and his time in high school debate renders political writing an inevitable fascination. Writing at CATALYST and the Bi-Co News, a student-run newspaper, provides an outlet for this passion. In the future, he intends to keep writing in mediums both informative and creative.

East Asia Braces Itself as the 2020 Typhoon Season Begins

Southeast Asia is known for its tropical climate and distinct rainy, or monsoon, season. This sort of climate brings about an annual typhoon season. Typhoons are mature, tropical cyclones that mostly occur in the Pacific Ocean. They carry with them heavy winds, rain and tornadoes that rip through villages and beaches. These storms have the potential to be devastating, a fact confirmed by history several times over.

Thailand

While Thailand is not hit with as much force as its southern neighbors, the typhoon season is still clear. From September through November, the country is prone to typhoons with the potential to change the country’s landscape and infrastructure. 

In 2006, Typhoon Xangsane made landfall in the Philippines and devastated its way across Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. It wiped out 810 square miles of farmland across Thailand and caused 47 deaths. The storm brought with it strong winds, landslides and torrential rain that wiped out villages and caused hundreds of families to become homeless. 

Fortunately for Thailand, most storms are not nearly as devastating as Xangsane. Monsoons can be counted on, though, to bring about tropical storms each year. 

Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia 

These three Southeast Asian countries feel the brunt of two different sets of cyclones. Typhoons move in from the northern Pacific, while tropical cyclones make landfall from the south. While safety measures are in place, such as shelters, help lines and emergency services, ultimately their geographic location leaves them vulnerable to Mother Nature’s worst.

In 2017, Vietnam experienced its deadliest typhoon since 2001. Dubbed Typhoon Damrey, the storm originated in the Philippines’ Visayan archipelago toward the end of the rainy season and killed at least 123 people and over 600 injured. The severe flooding and winds swept away anything that was not secured to the ground and left an estimated $1 billion in damages across Vietnam. Since then, the country has taken measures to ensure that it has a better communication system for its citizens to learn about the threat of storms as they arise. 

Korea 

Farther north, the Korean Peninsula sits in a spot not nearly as impacted by typhoon season as countries in Southeast Asia. While the peninsula experiences jangma, or the rainy season, its normal extent is heavy rains that inconvenience residents. This shows just how quickly tropical storms lose power as they move inland; they dissipate soon after doing so. 

A recent exception was Typhoon Hagupit, which made landfall in August. The Category 1 typhoon traveled north from the Philippines to China before impacting Korea as a subtropical storm. South Korea reported 15 deaths along with considerable property damage from the storm. 

The western Pacific typically sees more tropical storms than anywhere else in the world. About one-third of the world’s natural disasters occur in the region, and the numbers only seem to increase each year. These storms have caused countries to increase safety measures, focus on disaster communication, develop evacuation measures and create safe spots in public areas. The countries are well-known among visitors, but during the rainy season, the more experienced traveler might count these locations out.

---

Elizabeth Misnick

Elizabeth is a Professional Writing and Rhetoric major at Baylor University. She grew up in a military family and lived in Europe for almost half her life, traveling and living in different countries. She hopes to continue writing professionally throughout her career and publish her writing in the future.

Locked Up: Unmasking Australia’s Aboriginal Youth Prison Crisis

The Aboriginal people have been severely marginalized by Australia’s government, but among the most impacted are the group’s children.

A young Aboriginal girl. mingzhuxia. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Indigenous people make up approximately 3% of Australia’s overall population and are considered the country’s most disadvantaged group. It is believed that the Aboriginal people lived in Australia for over 47,000 years prior to European colonization. Even today, the Aboriginal people continue to suffer some of the consequences of violent colonization such as low literacy rates, low life expectancy and a high unemployment rate.

Aboriginal children in particular are 30 times more likely to be stopped and prosecuted than other Australian youths. This reveals a pattern of racial profiling and stereotyping that has been called out by protests affiliating with the U.S.’s Black Lives Matter movement. 

Progress was made in 2018, when police in Western Australia apologized for practicing “forceful removal,” the separation of Indigenous children from their families. Forceful removal was popular throughout the late 19th century and was legal until 1969. Many refer to those impacted by forceful removal as the “Stolen Generation.” 

Since May 26, 1998, Australians have observed “National Sorry Day” as a way to apologize to the Aboriginal people for the harmful practice. It is a nationwide campaign committed to paying homage to affected groups while teaching youth of Australia’s harmful past actions. In 2008, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a proposal in front of Parliament to help bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. 

Australia’s National Sorry Day in 2015. butupa. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Yet, the gap between the Aboriginal community and other Australians remains as wide as ever. In February, the police of New South Wales revealed details about the Suspect Targeting Management Plan, which is intended to prevent future crimes by targeting likely or repeat offenders. Reports from 2016 to 2018 show that up to 72% of targeted children were likely from Indigenous descent. The youngest child identified was 9 years old. 

The minimum age of criminal responsibility in Australia is one of the lowest in the world, allowing children as young as 10 to be sentenced to jail. Additionally, Aboriginal children are 17 times  more likely to be jailed than non-Indigenous youth. Statistics from Western Australia say that 60 to 70% of children currently being held in the state’s detention centers are of an Aboriginal background. 

As of now, very little research proves that locking up children reduces criminal activity in the future. In fact, youth already in the criminal justice system are far more likely to be repeat offenders, challenging the original intent of New South Wales’ Suspect Target Management Plan. 

There is a push by lawyers and advocacy groups to raise the age of criminal responsibility in Australia to at least 14. Others believe that an alternative is to provide better health care and other social services in an attempt to elevate Aboriginal children’s socioeconomic standing. The end goal would be to improve their overall quality of life, allowing for better employment opportunities and an end to the societal obstacles currently facing the group.

---

Eva Ashbaugh

Eva is a Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies double major at the University of Pittsburgh. As a political science major concentrating on International Relations, she is passionate about human rights, foreign policy, and fighting for equality. She hopes to one day travel and help educate people to make the world a better place.

South Africa’s Success Continues in Slowing Rhino Poaching

Poaching, the illegal hunting and sometimes killing of animals, has always been a serious threat to conservation efforts. Animals like rhinos, elephants, tigers and lions are often the target of poachers looking to make money through exotic pet sales and traditional medicine practices. While habitat destruction does contribute most to the strain on many animal species, the illegal trading and selling of wildlife has gained popularity as e-commerce continues to grow. 

Kruger National Park, South Africa. Vincent van Zalinge. Unsplash.

In South Africa, this illegal practice has finally decreased to the point where native rhino species can finally thrive. Rhinos are often hunted in South Africa because their horns are used for traditional medicine in Asia. In just the first six months of 2020, South African rhino poaching decreased by 53% - a goal that the South African Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has been working toward for the past five years. Only 166 rhinos have been poached for their horns in the first six months of 2020. This is a significant drop when compared to the 316 rhinos that were poached in the first six months of 2019.  

Street art against rhino poaching. Kosmoseleevike. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Barbara Creecy, South Africa’s minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, said, “After a decade of implementing various strategies, and campaigning against ever-increasing rhino poaching by local poachers recruited and managed by crime syndicates, efforts are paying off. We have been able to arrest the escalation of rhino losses.” The ministry credits this success in part to COVID-19 lockdown measures as they kept poachers from actively hunting. 

Poached rhinoceros. Kehworks. CC BY-NC 2.0.

Additionally, the lockdown measures have made poachers much easier to spot. From January to June, 38 suspected rhino poachers have been arrested in Kruger National Park and 23 firearms have been confiscated. These arrests also led to historic convictions as the ministry reports that from January to June, the National Prosecuting Authority managed to obtain convictions in 15 cases marking a conviction rate of 100%. To guarantee that these poachers will not return to poaching, they were given lengthy sentences. Coordinated efforts with the South African Police Service, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (also known as the “Hawks”) and the Department of Justice have curtailed the selling and purchasing of poached rhino horns. 

White rhino silhouette in Kruger National Park. Javier Ábalos. CC BY-SA 2.0.

South Africa’s success came just in time to celebrate World Ranger Day on July 31, a day dedicated to rangers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The minister paid tribute to these brave men and women who have risked their health and safety, both by stopping poachers and risking possible exposure to COVID-19. “Our rangers have remained at the forefront of the battle against poaching, despite the national lockdown, contributing to the decrease in poaching. In this time, rangers have had to face not only the threats posed by poachers, but they, and their families, have also had to deal with the danger of contracting COVID-19,”  said the minister. It is apparent that their bravery has paid off as the rhino population of South Africa is now at a decreased risk of population decline.

---

Renee Richardson

Renee is currently an English student at The University of Georgia. She lives in Ellijay, Georgia, a small mountain town in the middle of Appalachia. A passionate writer, she is inspired often by her hikes along the Appalachian trail and her efforts to fight for equality across all spectrums. She hopes to further her passion as a writer into a flourishing career that positively impacts others.

Reclaiming African American History, One DNA Test at a Time

“Go back to Africa.” These are the words many African and Black Americans hear from those who have animosity toward the color of their skin. But how can African Americans even consider returning when their ancestors were forced to come to the United States, and little to no records were kept? The United States has a history and a foundation built by hands that were forced to work against their will. These peoples’ origins were never documented and failed to get passed down. Much of the United States’ history has been unanswered for so many people, but now Black and African Americans are finally having some of their questions answered.  

Slaves cutting sugar cane on the island of Antigua in 1823. British Library. Unsplash.

Thanks to the DNA testing site 23andMe, the lineage and heritage of many African Americans have been identified, and key genetic traits are appearing. Joanna Mountain, senior director of research at 23andMe, began on this project before the company even existed. For over 10 years, she and her team built a genetic database of mostly 23andMe customers whose grandparents were born in a geographic region linked to the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Although medical experimentation and research on African Americans has often not been performed for their benefit, all participants consented to have their DNA used in the research. 

Essentially, the company created this project to shine a much-needed light upon the genetic impact that slavery has caused and to confirm historical accounts. The report, which includes more than 50,000 people and 30,000 of African ancestry, confirms where people were taken from in Africa and where they were enslaved in the Americas. What was found is significant not only in the sense that so many unknown lineages were tracked, but also regarding the fact that distinctions in genetics have been made. The centuries of mistreatment against Africans brought to America has impacted the structure of their genetics and DNA. 

A map of African Slave Trade Regions during the time period of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Queen Mother Kradin Goree. CC BY-SA 4.0

To conduct the current study, researchers compared Mountain’s genetic database with a historical one, Slave Voyages, which holds massive amounts of information about slavery, such as numbers of enslaved men, women and children along with embarkment and disembarkment points. From this historical database, researchers were able to align information. This allowed historians and scientists to discern that 5.7 million people were forced to migrate from West Central Africa to the Americas, explaining why so many African Americans today trace their lineage to Nigeria.

Another finding was that women’s DNA made up much more of the current population’s DNA than males, and European ancestry was common in African American descendants. The study reveals that enslaved women in the United States gave 1.5 times more to the modern-day gene pool of African American people than enslaved men. Additionally, European women contributed three times less to the current gene pool of African Americans than European men. Eric Depradine, a Kansas City, Missouri, resident who participated in the study, said, “It’s part of us, whether we like or not. It’s painful; it sucks having to talk about how our grandmothers were treated a long time ago. Unfortunately we can’t do anything about that in 2019 but just recognize that’s part of us and just don’t let those stories fade into oblivion.” This reveals how deeply rampant sexual assault by European owners was against female slaves, and how that impact on the heritage of many African Americans cannot be ignored.

The 23andMe study has helped merge historical and genetic findings together to bring forth the realities of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. According to the project’s website, the researchers intend to expand the study with the help of funding from the National Institutes of Health in order to “help alleviate some of the existing disparities in genetics research between people of European ancestry and people of African, Latino and Asian ancestry.” Their ultimate goal is to provide genetic insights for populations underrepresented in the studies of genetics and health.

---

Renee Richardson

Renee is currently an English student at The University of Georgia. She lives in Ellijay, Georgia, a small mountain town in the middle of Appalachia. A passionate writer, she is inspired often by her hikes along the Appalachian trail and her efforts to fight for equality across all spectrums. She hopes to further her passion as a writer into a flourishing career that positively impacts others.

As Acai Demand Rises, Amazonian Communities Seek Out their Role

The acai palm is one of the many native plants that has been commodified for Western consumption. This has shifted acai consumption and production practices within Indigenous Amazonian communities. 

Acai bowls are the most common form of Western acai consumption. Ella O, CC BY 2.0

Prior to 2000, Indigenous Amazonian communities utilized the acai palm plant on a local scale. The purple berry then found its way to the U.S., appealing to surfers in Hawaii and Southern California. It has since been in the spotlight, spurring new industries and finding its way into the global marketplace. The acai palm plant is one of many Indigenous plant foods that has been commodified for foreign consumption, shifting acai usage and production practices among Brazil’s Amazonian tribes. Indigenous Amazonian communities, who have utilized acai as a diet staple for centuries, are now exporting it  for profit, hoping not to forfeit their land to multinational corporations. 

Companies that sell acai heavily market its health benefits, calling it a superfood that allows individuals to reach maximum health. Acai specifically offers anti-aging benefits, improved digestive health, increased energy levels and a strengthened immune system. The berry contains high amounts of antioxidants, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. When globally transported, the acai berry is processed and packaged into various forms. When reduced to powders, capsules and liquids, the acai berry becomes a watered-down entity detached from Amazonian food culture. While many understand acai’s countless health benefits, few consumers know the context from which it comes. 

Grown on tall acai palm trees, the acai berry sprouts in large, clustered bunches. The trees grow to between 50 and 100 feet tall, bearing the fruit from their extended branches. In the village of Acaizal on the Uaca Indigenous reserve, villagers loop a palm leaf tied around their feet and scale the tree, knife gripped firmly between their teeth. Children, some as young as seven, learn this harvesting method. Once collected, acai pulp is served chilled and often mixed with sugar and tapioca. 

Increased demand for acai pushes Indigenous groups to formalize and industrialize this cultivation process. Amazonian tribes subsequently alter their traditional production to accommodate increased consumption. In the state of Amapa, Indigenous communities want to explore potential business arrangements and have identified acai production as a top priority for natural resource management. In a workshop hosted by local government agency Secretary Extraordinary of Indigenous People, Acaizal village chief Jose Damasceno Karipuna learned how to capitalize on acai harvesting processes. The increase in acai demand creates a flourishing job market for large-scale Amazonian farmers; however, it harms farmers who rely on small-scale production. With an ever-increasing demand for acai, protection of natural areas is crucial to preservation. For the villagers in Acaizal, proper environmental management will increase productivity while ensuring sustainability. Acai companies emphasize this business exchange as mutually beneficial, bettering individuals’ health and the Brazilian economy alike. However, the mass consumption and commodification of acai is ultimately a gray area, creating an uncertain future for Indigenous communities.

---

Anna Wood

Anna is an Anthropology major and Global Health/Spanish double minor at Middlebury College. As an anthropology major with a focus in public health, she studies the intersection of health and sociocultural elements. She is also passionate about food systems and endurance sports.

The Impact of the Coronavirus on Efforts to End Child Marriage

The coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted the world, creating unforeseen challenges and serving to highlight and deepen racial disparities and global inequalities. Since the start of the pandemic, many countries have enacted mandatory quarantines in order to slow the spread of the virus, while a few countries are now in the process of easing, and in some cases lifting, restrictions. In addition to the coronavirus’s effects around the world, the pandemic is also having lasting impacts on the lives of women and girls across the globe—from school closures to a rise in domestic abuse to a loss of access to health care and community programs. In particular, COVID-19 is setting back efforts to end child marriage as it causes delays in programs around the world that are dedicated to ending child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM). According to the World Health Organization, more than 3 million girls are at risk for FGM every year. According to UNICEF, there are approximately 15 million child marriages annually.

Researchers at the United Nations Population Fund predict that there “could be an extra 13 million child marriages and another 2 million cases of FGM in the next decade as the pandemic stymies global efforts to end both practices,” according to a report from Reuters. As more families face economic struggles caused by a global recession in the wake of the pandemic, “parents may marry off girls as a way to reduce the number of children they have to support or to access dowries,” according to the World Economic Forum. The risks of child marriage and FGM are also increasing during the pandemic because schools are closed and many organizations are finding it difficult to operate under lockdown. Schools help protect children, particularly girls, and when the schools shut down, organizations found it difficult to reach the girls and communities they support, according to Girls Not Brides, a global organization dedicated to ending child marriage.

The Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) said that “some girls are prioritizing marriage and children over education” and “in Malawi, some people are saying, ‘Schools won’t reopen, so just marry,’” according to Voice of America. Malawi has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, according to UNICEF. In Malawi, 42% “of girls are married before the age of 18 and almost one in 10 are married before their 15th birthday,” according to a 2016 study.

The Centre for Social Concern and Development (CESOCODE) is one group that is trying to continue its work despite the challenges of COVID-19 restrictions. The programs director for CESOCODE, Ephraim Chimwaza, said, “When girls are forced to stay at home or within their communities rather than attending school, they are at far greater risk of experiencing gender-based violence and are more vulnerable to child marriage. The difficulty of the lockdown means that they cannot report anything that does happen to them, as they are much more isolated,” according to Girls Not Brides. CESOCODE utilized technology to keep in touch with the girls, using social media and a Bluetooth messaging service to check in with them and to promote domestic violence prevention and public health. They have also developed a podcast about domestic violence against girls, and for communities without access to technology the organization is handing out flyers and brochures to educate and spread advice on how to keep safe.

In Somalia, the coronavirus lockdown led to a huge increase in FGM. The country has the world’s highest FGM rate “with about 98% of women having been cut,” according to Reuters. The practice is “traditionally carried out during school holidays in urban settings or during the rainy season in rural areas,” according to Plan International, a girls’ and children’s rights charity. According to Plan International, Somali girls are being subjected to FGM from door-to-door circumcisers who are using the lockdown as an opportunity to carry out FGM since the girls are not in school. Since the period that girls are off of school is longer than other years, there is already an increase in FGM cases.

Girls and young women who were already at risk before the pandemic are now left unprotected, and as such, Sadia Allin, Plan International’s head of mission in Somalia, says, “Measures to address increased risk of gender-based violence and harmful practices, including FGM, should be included in response and recovery plans and these should be gender and age responsive. Girls and young women should be involved in the development of response and recovery plans to ensure their unique needs are met.”

---

Asiya Haouchine

Asiya is an Algerian-American writer who graduated from the University of Connecticut in May 2016, earning a BA in journalism and English. She was an editorial intern and contributing writer for Warscapes magazine and the online/blog editor for Long River Review. She is currently studying for her Master’s in Library and Information Science. @AsiyaHaou

The Continued Abuse of Australia’s ‘Stolen Generation’

The term “Stolen Generation” was coined after deeply discriminatory government policies were passed in Australia between 1910 and 1970. This was due to the fact that many Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their homes under the pretense of “assimilation” into “white society.” Assimilation was based on the “assumption of Black inferiority and white superiority, which proposed the Indigenous people should be allowed to ‘die out’ through a process of natural elimination or, where possible, assimilation into the white community.” This tragedy led to children being torn from their families, taught to reject their culture, forced to not speak their native languages and required to adopt white culture in new white families they were brought into. 

Aboriginal people of white parentage, known at the time by the derogatory term “half-castes,” were most at risk of being removed from their homes since it was thought they would be easier to assimilate into white culture because of their lighter skin. Many were abused and neglected, and they received minimal education due to the assumption that the highest they would go was indentured servitude or work as manual laborers. The ensuing trauma has caused both the children and families mental trauma while the continued societal abuse such as stolen wages and racial discrimination was and still is prevalent. This is especially evident in statistics such as incarceration numbers and yearly wages. After George Floyd’s death, “debate raged about Australia’s own history.” By looking into the Australian national statistics, it was revealed the distrimination from back in the early 1900s has continued into the present. 

Stolen Wages Still Prevalent Today

“Back in the early 1970s, Aboriginal people living in remote areas were being paid as little as 19% of the non-Aborginial population.” The average Indigenous income is roughly only 44% of the median non-Indigenous income, though the gap is starting to close for the 37% of the Indigenous population living in Australia’s major cities. 20% of the Indigenous population living in cities is still living in poverty, though, along with more than half of those living in rural areas. Even more concerning, “about 10% of the Indigenous population also received no income at all and that includes government payments. It is unclear how these people survive.”

Largest Incarcerated Population in the World 

An even more shocking statistic was found in 2018 that “100% of children being held in youth detention in the (Northern) Territory are Aborginal.” They are currently the most incarcerated people in the world - not always for committing crimes. Tanya Day was arrested for sleeping on a train, later dying from repeated head injuries in jail. Additionally, a woman named Ms. Dhu was found dead in jail due to untreated injuries caused by prior family violence and abuse. The coroner said her medical care was “deficient” since the police refused to treat her, believing she was “faking it.” There have been serious concerns about racial profiling that have been directly correlated to arrests made - and the arrests not made. It was found that “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up about 2% of the general population but represent 28% of those in prison.” It has been estimated that in the last 29 years, one Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island person has died every three weeks in jail. 

Higher Levels of Domestic Violence, Abuse and Poverty

Another impact of Aboriginals being forced to assimilate into white communities is a staggering amount of domestic violence and abuse. Aboriginal women are 34 times more likely to be hospitalized from domestic abuse; however, when Aboriginal women try to call police for help, they are often arrested instead for defending themselves. This has also led to the statistic that Indigenous people have a lower life expectancy than the average non-Indigenous person, by an estimated 9 years. This has been blamed on factors such as poverty, poor health care, lack of healthy food, low living standards and more. 

The reality of today’s society in Australia is the hidden discrimination that started in the early 1900s and prevails even today. With the recent global reaction to racial discrimination and slavery, a closer look into Australia’s history has revealed these revelations that have often been covered up and disputed. Efforts to increase awareness of the current state of affairs in the country have been underway and protests continue despite an absence of widespread media coverage.

---

Elizabeth Misnick

Elizabeth is a Professional Writing and Rhetoric major at Baylor University. She grew up in a military family and lived in Europe for almost half her life, traveling and living in different countries. She hopes to continue writing professionally throughout her career and publish her writing in the future.

COVID-19 Further Complicates Kenya’s Health Care System

Kenya is facing a double burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Clustering of infections, such as HIV and tuberculosis, and noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, renders Kenyans vulnerable to COVID-19. This has pressured an already overstretched health care system.

Hospital entrance sign in Kenya’s Rift Valley province. Melanie K Reed. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

In mid-March, shortly after Kenya’s first confirmed COVID-19 case, the word “corona” began circulating around western Kenya’s villages. Young people used the word as a novelty, and the overall population remained preoccupied with existing illnesses. “This is a disease for whites,” said Sylvanus, a local father of seven. When calling after white people on the street, children replaced their traditional “mzungu!” (white person) with “coronavirus!” At this point, Europe was the pandemic’s epicenter. Kenyans felt that this foreign virus was removed from their world. 

However, Kenya’s high prevalence of preexisting health conditions renders a significant portion of the population immunocompromised and therefore vulnerable to the coronavirus. In a country experiencing health issues such as HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes and malaria, the pandemic has posed a threat to an already fragmented health care system. Although less than 4% of Africa’s population is over the age of 65, countries such as Kenya have seen high coronavirus mortality rates. 

Global evidence shows that people with underlying medical conditions are at a greater risk from COVID-19. In 2019, half a million Kenyans were living with diabetes, and over half of accounted deaths were associated with noncommunicable diseases. Currently, Kenya’s health care system is structured to manage individual diseases, rather than multiple ones. Because patients frequently carry more than one health condition, the health care system has been overstretched and inadequate. HIV, tuberculosis and malaria treatments are easily accessible, but noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer often go undiagnosed, and care is costly. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these shortcomings, as social distancing restrictions prevent Kenyans from accessing medical resources, and a surge of coronavirus cases imposes a double burden of disease. Additionally, front-line workers with undiagnosed, chronic illnesses have critically compromised their health, and hospitals have dealt with equipment shortages. 

Transcontinental travel has heavily contributed to the increase in COVID-19 cases across Africa. In order to minimize Kenya’s number of infections, President Uhuru Kenyatta stopped all flights from Europe. Kenyatta also imposed a national curfew and restricted movement between populated areas. Domestically, middle-class, urban dwellers have carried the virus into rural areas. On Kenyan television, villagers have urged educated, urban residents to remain in the city, instead of threatening the lives of others. 

In African countries, lockdowns are nearly impossible to implement because they would spur social and economic crises. Many people rely on cash earned daily to sustain themselves and their families. A strict lockdown would result in poverty and starvation. Kinship systems also play a crucial role in social welfare, as relatives care for one another. For people already barely getting by, cutting these social ties would be dangerous. Finally, a lockdown would interrupt the supply chains of essential drugs, preventing access to tuberculosis, HIV and malaria treatments. 

According to several African presidents, developed countries are failing to fulfill their pledges of financial support and debt relief. Throughout the pandemic, outside aid has not met the continent’s needs. While wealthy countries in the global north have funneled trillions of dollars into their own stimulus packages and health initiatives, the global south cannot afford such measures. With limited testing capacity, Africa has not confirmed many of the world’s COVID-19 cases, but the continent has been grossly affected by the economic crisis and global trade disruptions. Furthermore, the global shortage of testing kits, hygienic material and personal protective equipment has left developed countries vying for their own supplies, without consideration for underdeveloped nations. 

Anna Wood

is an Anthropology major and Global Health/Spanish double minor at Middlebury College. As an anthropology major with a focus in public health, she studies the intersection of health and sociocultural elements. She is also passionate about food systems and endurance sports.

Even Antarctica Is Impacted by COVID-19

Antarctica is the only continent without any reported cases of COVID-19. As lucky as Antarctica’s temporary residents might consider themselves, they know that a single diagnosed case could be devastating for the 5,000 people living there. Not only is there a lack of medical equipment, but also of resources because nearly all of them have to be brought from elsewhere in the world. The continent has already had a few close calls with the virus thanks to cruise ships coming to visit. The most alarming incident occurred when almost 60% of the passengers on board the Greg Mortimer, an Antarctica-bound cruise liner, tested positive for the virus in late March.

Isolation is, in many ways, already an innate aspect of living in Antarctica. Nevertheless, those on the continent are still taking precautions against the virus. Rob McKay, director of the Antarctic Research Centre in Wellington, New Zealand, summed up the situation: “Antarctica's an isolated environment - if you had a medical emergency with a high number of people sick, you just don't have the capacity to deal with it. And with close-quarter, confined environments, it's kind of like living on a cruise ship down there.” Many researchers and scientists currently stationed on the continent have been forced to reassess their travel plans as well as their research. As the Antarctic winter approaches and the world wrestles with COVID-19, residents are growing increasingly concerned. 

Life in Antarctica

There are over 80 bases established across Antarctica, each of which has its own community and is adjusting to COVID-19 independently from its neighbors. Although the bases are run by a multitude of countries and organizations, there is a universal understanding that the virus cannot reach Antarctic shores. If it does, there are plans for the virus to be dealt with immediately with methods such as isolation and contact tracing. Multiple organizations have announced that their priorities lie in keeping the stations safe for inhabitants and in continuing to operate the various base locations, even if it means redirecting resources. This reorganization means that construction and many major research projects have been canceled or postponed, leaving scores of researchers potentially cut off from a trip to the region. 

For some stations, day-to-day life has continued mostly as normal. Davis Station, a research base between Australia and Africa, is home to 23 researchers who are still enjoying communicable luxuries such as a shared gym, sauna and bar. Fortunately, people who are living in Antarctica were trained before going there and taught how to live an isolated lifestyle. Nevertheless, the age of COVID-19 has brought isolation to a new level and even the smallest connections are being cut off. At the Bharati base, one of the more remote research outposts, residents say that although they typically get “regular visits” from nearby expeditions and bases, they have not seen anyone from another facility since the beginning of March. Australia has stopped shuttling people between its three Antarctic bases because they typically make stops at other nations’ places. Even in a place with no cases of COVID-19, there is a fear of inadvertently spreading the virus; people are wary of cross-continental travel, even if it's with residents who have been in Antarctica for months. 

People in Antarctica have been watching the virus unfold from a distance. Some are struggling to conceptualize what a quarantined world looks like and wonder if they should practice social distancing to create good habits in anticipation of their return home. Everyone is worried about their loved ones, all of whom are at the very least 774 miles away. 

Coming Home

Penguins on a stony beach on the Antarctic Peninsula while an expedition ship transfers passengers in the background. Derek Oyen. Unsplash

Beyond setting high levels of restriction in order to enter Antarctica, isolation policies in the rest of the world have affected people’s ability to leave the continent as well. Many organizations wishing to bring people back are encountering closed borders, forcing travelers to reroute. Out of anyone to face these problems, however, Antarctic researchers seem to be the best suited. Despite running into major barriers about a month ago, organizations have been working to resolve this problem and have determined various ways of getting people out of Antarctica, especially in anticipation of the Antarctic winter. As one researcher said, “...that's the kind of the thing that we have to deal with. We have to be completely adaptable because working in Antarctica is like that - conditions change, the weather changes. So, we have to be ready.”

Phoebe Jacoby

is a Media Studies major and Studio Art minor at Vassar College who believes in the importance of sharing stories with others. Phoebe likes to spend her free time reading, drawing, and writing letters. She hopes to continue developing her skills as a writer and create work that will have a positive outward effect.

U.N. Drops Saudi Arabia-Led Coalition From Blacklist Despite Recent Killings of Children

With no evidence that children are safe, the U.N. decided to remove the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen off a blacklist for violations of children’s rights. 

Child in Yemen among the rubble. Carl’s eye. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

On June 17, the U.N. made the decision to remove the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia from one of its blacklists. The significance of this specific list, which focuses on children in armed conflict, is to shame groups that are guilty of violating the rights of children. Anyone can be placed on the list for a multitude of violations ranging from killing children to the recruitment of children for war. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the coalition’s removal was decided by efforts made to reduce the number of deaths and decrease the airstrikes that caused the killings over the previous three years.

However, there is a discrepancy in the decision. According to data released by the U.N., 222 children were hospitalized or killed as a result of these attacks last year. In addition, several hours after the U.N. announced its decision to remove the coalition, four children were killed in an attack in northwest Yemen.           

The war in Yemen can be traced back to 2011. Following the Arab Spring, there has been unrest due to a failed political transition that led to terrorist attacks, a separatist movement and corruption. However, in 2014 a rebel group known as the Houthis, backed by Iran, ousted the government. What started out as a civil war transitioned into a conflict with neighboring countries as the Saudi Arabia-led coalition stepped in, attempting to help restore the government and defeat the Houthis.  

Child of Yemen. Carl’s eye. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

As of March 2020, it is estimated that 7,700 civilians have died in the war, largely due to airstrikes from the coalition. However, these are only verified deaths. Some statistics estimate it to be as high as 100,000 fatalities. On top of the conflict, Yemen has been experiencing one of the worst famines it has seen in over 100 years. The country is considered the poorest Arab nation, and the war has ruined the economy to the extent that many people, especially children, are considered malnourished.                                                            

There has been backlash over the U.N.’s decision to remove the coalition from the blacklist. From a video posted by Al Jazeera, protests have taken to the streets outside of the U.N. headquarters in Yemen to speak of their disapproval. The main concern is that the removal could leave children vulnerable to future attacks, as voiced by groups like Save the Children. Observers are also questioning the integrity of the blacklist itself, including Iran which said that “the U.N. is giving a free pass.” Iran claims that the Houthis and the Yemeni government have been responsible for the same number of deaths yet only the Houthis remain on the list.

Guterres has said that U.N. would monitor the coalition’s activity over the next year. If there is an increase in children’s casualties, the coalition would be placed back on the list.

---

Eva Ashbaugh

Eva is a Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies double major at the University of Pittsburgh. As a political science major concentrating on International Relations, she is passionate about human rights, foreign policy, and fighting for equality. She hopes to one day travel and help educate people to make the world a better place.

Nearly a Decade of Strife in Libya

After the overthrow of then-leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, Libya has been in a constant state of political unrest. Since 2014, the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA)  have sought control over the country, sparking a destructive civil war. Based in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, the GNA is recognized by the United Nations. Allied with General Khalifa Hifter, the Benghazi-based LNA receives aid from Russia, France and the United Arab Emirates. 

Libyan civilians have endured chaos, including shelling near the front lines, injuries from explosive devices and abductions for ransom. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that 1.3 million Libyans require urgent humanitarian assistance.

Armed Conflict and War Crimes 

Weapons proliferation has been a major security concern in Libya, as allied countries provide the GNA and LNA with advanced military equipment. State-provided arms transfers make Libya a volatile battleground. Currently, the country has the world's largest uncontrolled ammunition supply, with an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 metric tons of uncontrolled munitions. Yacoub El Hillo, the U.N.’s resident and humanitarian coordinator in Libya, announced, “The increasing use of explosive weapons has resulted in unnecessary loss of life, displacement, destruction and damage to vital civilian infrastructure.” The Islamic State group has also used the country as a hub to coordinate broader regional violence, further complicating efforts to create a united government. 

In April 2019, Khalifa Hifter’s forces attacked Tripoli, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities. As General Hifter continues his campaigns, the International Criminal Court (ICC) warns of potential war crimes, including mass murder, desecration of corpses and kidnappings. In a statement to the U.N. Security Council, chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda accused the LNA of targeting innocent civilians: "Of particular concern to my Office are the high numbers of civilian casualties, largely reported to be resulting from airstrikes and shelling operations. Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities is a war crime under the Rome Statute. Likewise, the Rome Statute prohibits the intentional directing of attacks against hospitals and other buildings protected under international law, such as those dedicated to religion or education, when they are not military objectives." 

Civilian Victims and Internal Displacement 

Displaced civilians flee their homes in Libya. Magharebia. CC BY 2.0

Due to ongoing conflict, nearly 400,000 Libyans have been forced to flee their homes and are now internally displaced. According to UNICEF, Libyan hospitals and schools serve as shelters for thousands of displaced civilians around Tripoli. Yet, with military forces continually targeting these makeshift shelters, Libyans face inadequate access to health care, essential medicines, food, safe drinking water and education. School has been suspended indefinitely for nearly 200,000 children, leaving them susceptible to abuse, human trafficking and violence.

Given the lack of eyewitnesses and credible reports, experts can only estimate the total number of fatalities since 2011. Small Arms Survey, a research-based organization, suspects that approximately 27,000 people have perished in the nine-year-long dispute. 

Migrants, Refugees and Asylum-Seekers 

Migrants aboard an inflatable vessel in the Mediterranean Sea. Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet. Public Domain.

Within this war-torn nation, there are currently 654,000 migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 90% of people crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe depart from Libya. Migrants and asylum-seekers who are captured at sea and returned to Libyan territory are detained in centers run by the GNA’s Interior Ministry, where many suffer inhumane conditions including sexual violence, extortion and forced labor. While the GNA manages formal migrant detention centers, smugglers and traffickers run numerous informal facilities. “Those interned there, mainly refugees, keep dying of diseases and hunger. They are victims of violence, rape and arbitrary treatment at the hands of militias,” said Julien Raickmann, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) chief in Libya. Since January, more than 4,000 migrants have been intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, while hundreds have disappeared altogether. Despite threats of detention, migrants and asylum-seekers still venture to Libya, hoping to reach Europe. 

Humanitarian Relief 

After nine years of instability, thousands of Libyan civilians and migrants face displacement, malnutrition and violence. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan, which pledges $115 million in relief efforts. Protection is at the core of this plan, as well as the provision of food, shelter, health care, water and sanitation. The U.N.’s refugee agency, UNHCR, will also work at 12 disembarkation points in Libya to aid and protect migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. At detention centers, they will provide humanitarian assistance and mitigate maltreatment. These organizations seek durable solutions to prevent another decade of turmoil.

---

Shannon Moran

Shannon is a Journalism major at the University of Georgia, minoring in English and Spanish. As a fluent Spanish speaker, she is passionate about languages, cultural immersion, and human rights activism. She has visited seven countries and thirty states and hopes to continue traveling the world in pursuit of compelling stories.

Shoemaker’s Solar-Powered Hand-Washing Station Protects Ghana from COVID-19

As COVID-19 slowly spreads throughout the world, some have used this experience as an opportunity to create. 32-year-old shoemaker Richard Kwarteng and his brother Jude Osei are two brothers who are certainly included in this innovation boom. Located in Kumasi, Ghana’s cultural capital, the brothers used the city’s two-week lockdown as time to invent a solar-powered hand-washing basin called SolaWash. 

They noticed that opportunities to wash one’s hands were often slim in Ghana.  One day, while staring at a pile of recyclables and other materials, Kwarteng had a brilliant idea.

In a statement obtained by CNN, he said, “My brother and I decided we would create a basin to encourage regular hand-washing etiquette." They took this observation and from it came the first solar-powered hand-washing machine in Ghana. They designed it so that the faucet would run for 25 seconds, following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, then shut off without even having to touch it. A video of their product quickly went viral on Twitter, and it caught the attention of many.

The Building Process 

The SolaWash hand-washing machine. Best Trends gh. YouTube.

To create such an invention, the brothers began with the recycled materials they had and then headed to the market. They already had the large barrel their design would revolve around so they only had to purchase a sink, a faucet, a motherboard, a solar panel, a sensor and an alarm. After obtaining all the materials, they knew they needed help with the electrical work so they called upon their friend Amkwaah Boakye to do the wiring. They were able to gather the materials in only 48 hours and complete their project in just five days. 

How Does It Work? 

To wash your hands using the basin, you simply place them under the faucet. The device, programmed by the brothers, releases soapy water when hands or other items are picked up by the sensor installed underneath the faucet. The faucet runs for 25 seconds, then an alarm beeps to let the user know their hand-washing is complete. Water is then released again to rinse off any excess soap before drying. Their design is meant to not only be sanitary but also to conserve as much water and energy as possible. 

What Will They Do With It? 

President Akufo-Addo addresses Ghana about COVID-19. Joy News. YouTube.

The brothers have been commended by Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo for their incredible work, and he hopes to make their product widely available. Ghana's Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation also reached out to the brothers in order to plan for mass distribution. They are hoping to quickly manufacture and distribute these hand-washing basins in order to curb the spread of COVID-19, and Kwarteng is encouraging this as well. 

Richard Kwarteng receiving his product certification. Best trends gh. YouTube.

This process can officially begin as the Ghana Standards Authority released their official certification of the product. Professor Alex Dodoo, director-general of the GSA, has his full support behind the brothers as well. He presented the certificate to a manufacturer in Accra on Wednesday, and said the product had been tested for its safety and efficiency. Dodoo also noted that the hand-washing basin was ready for mass production, and he hopes to see this product used around the world. The certification given by the GSA attests to the product’s quality as it met international standards for electrically-controlled machines. That means that the hand-washing basin has the potential to not only save Ghanaian lives, but also many others around the world especially in places that do not have widespread sanitation accessibility.

---

Renee Richardson

Renee is currently an English student at The University of Georgia. She lives in Ellijay, Georgia, a small mountain town in the middle of Appalachia. A passionate writer, she is inspired often by her hikes along the Appalachian trail and her efforts to fight for equality across all spectrums. She hopes to further her passion as a writer into a flourishing career that positively impacts others.

Defunding the Police: What it Means and How it Works

Amid protests against racism and police brutality, Minneapolis has pledged to dismantle its police department and restructure its system of public safety. To further promote reform in the city of George Floyd’s murder, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced, “We need a new compact with police, one that centers around compassion and accountability, one that recognizes that the way things have been done for decades and decades is not acceptable. We need change." 

Cities across the United States have joined this movement to defund and downsize their police forces. Police departments currently oversee an array of services, including monitoring the homeless, resolving domestic disputes, receiving mental health calls, disciplining students, and addressing minor complaints like a counterfeit $20 bill, the accusation that led to George Floyd’s death. Many activists urge funds to be reallocated towards neglected social services, such as mental health, education and housing. By assisting underprivileged and overpoliced neighborhoods, these programs would alleviate the underlying causes of crime. Thus, defunding the police means a “divest and invest model: divesting money from local and state police budgets and reinvesting it into communities.” 

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 14 million students attend schools with police officers but no counselors, nurses, psychologists or social workers. With few behavioral resources, teachers and principals turn to law enforcement to discipline children. This results in an increased criminalization of minors, especially marginalized students of color. Black students are three times as likely to be arrested as their white counterparts, and black students with disabilities account for 12% of school arrests. The ACLU also found that roughly 25% of school police had no prior experience working with youth. Police are trained to arrest and detain, not to oversee the social and emotional well-being of minors. Schools with health and youth professionals see improved attendance, lower rates of disciplinary incidents and higher rates of graduation. 

Rather than funding police officers, Chicago Public Schools hires counselors from Alternatives, a multicultural youth development organization. Alternatives operates as a support system for more than 3,000 students in Chicago. Counselors promote “restorative justice,” teaching students leadership, responsibility, community-building and respect. Last year, in schools with Alternatives, reports of misconduct dropped by 31% and out-of-school suspensions dropped by 50%, showing that police may not be necessary in schools. 

A protester in Minneapolis holds a sign that explains defunding police. Featous. CC BY 2.0

Criminalization of drugs also drives violent encounters between police and citizens, like the tragic shooting of Breonna Taylor. Since the “War on Drugs” began in the 1970s, police have targeted black neighborhoods, implementing stop-and-frisk protocols to subject thousands of “suspicious” minorities to searches. Higher arrest and incarceration rates in these communities reflect oversurveillance, not increased drug use. In the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 17 million white people and 4 million black people reported using an illicit drug within the last month. However, black Americans are six times more likely to be incarcerated for drugs than whites. Prosecutors are also twice as likely to issue a mandatory minimum sentence for black people than for white people charged with the same offense. Those selling small amounts of drugs to support their addiction may face decades of jail time. Since prisons rarely offer addiction treatment, released convicts often endure a cycle of drug abuse and arrests. 

Oregon is at the forefront of decriminalizing drugs. In November, voters will review Initiative Petition 44, a measure to reduce possession of illegal drugs to a $100 citation. This citation could be waived if the person agrees to a health assessment at a drug recovery center. Drug trafficking and possession of large quantities of drugs would still result in criminal penalties. The initiative also includes $57 million a year for funding drug treatment programs. “We are trying to move policy towards treatment rather than prison beds,” former state senator Jackie Winters told the Washington Post in 2017 ahead of a similar bill. “We can't continue on the path of building more prisons when often the underlying root cause of the crime is substance use.”   

George Floyd protest in Miami. Mike Shaheen. CC BY 2.0

Every year, two million Americans with mental illnesses will be jailed. People living with mental illnesses are also 16 times more likely to die as a result of a police encounter compared to the general public. In 2017, one in four killed by police suffered from mental illness. These statistics prove that people experiencing a mental health crisis are more likely to encounter police than medical professionals. Although officers may receive crisis intervention training, police continually shoot and kill schizophrenic and mentally disabled people. 

To prevent these senseless killings, cities have diverted funding to mental health programs. Austin, Texas, recently revamped its public safety department by adding millions of dollars to its mental health budget. Now, 911 operators inquire whether the caller needs police, fire or mental health services. The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) refers to a group of law enforcement officers specifically trained in mental health crises. CIT diverts patients from the criminal justice system, instead connecting them with mental health services. Eugene, Oregon, also launched a service called CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets) which deploys a medic and a mental health crisis worker to emergency calls. CAHOOTS avoids the need for law enforcement by providing immediate stabilization to urgent medical and psychological needs. 

While defunding the police may seem inconceivable, programs and initiatives across the country are already similarly preventing crime. By reducing the reliance on police, community-driven solutions can de-escalate situations that result in arrests and police violence. Globally, the U.S. has the highest rate of police brutality and the largest prison population, with black people constituting 34% of the total 6.8 million inmates. One in 13 black Americans are now denied the right to vote due to laws that disenfranchise people with felony convictions. To afford such mass incarceration, the U.S. spends an estimated $100 billion on their police forces annually and $80 billion on incarceration. Yet, social services remain underfunded. It’s evident that people of color experience discrimination at every stage of the criminal justice system. With police brutality and incarceration on the rise, activists urge the United States government to finally reimagine policing in America.

---

Shannon Moran

Shannon is a Journalism major at the University of Georgia, minoring in English and Spanish. As a fluent Spanish speaker, she is passionate about languages, cultural immersion, and human rights activism. She has visited seven countries and thirty states and hopes to continue traveling the world in pursuit of compelling stories.

Russia’s Oil Disaster in the Arctic Circle

On June 4th, 20,000 tons of diesel fuel spilled into the Russian Arctic after a fuel reservoir collapsed at a power plant near the city of Norilsk. It is considered Russia’s second largest oil spill in modern history. The site of the spill is the Ambarnaya River. The site of the spill, the Ambarnaya River, has turned into a deep red pool of deadly oil.  Since then, Russian President Vladimir Putin has instituted a state of emergency for the region around Norilsk, and investigations into the power plant are beginning. 

In terms of economics, it is vital that Russia acts with speed in order to clean up the oil, as they are the world’s third largest oil producer. Environmentally, though, the disaster is even worse. This oil spill has the potential to wipe out entire species in the region, literally poisoning and suffocating the plants and animals that rely on the Ambarnaya. 

How it happened  

There was a slight delay between the actual spill and reporting of the incident to the public, so the investigation process is playing catch-up. As investigations are ongoing, it is not entirely clear how such a massive disaster could have happened. The power plant claims that the fuel reservoir possibly collapsed due to thawing of permafrost below it. This could be a result of the larger issue of global warming and over-construction on unstable permafrost. 

Norilsk, Siberia, Russia. GRIDArendal. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Norilsk Nickel, the company that owns the power plant under investigation, is a huge economic force in Russia as they lead the world in nickel and palladium production. This has not stopped the Russian government from taking the power plant director, Vyacheslav Starostin, into custody. It is pursuing a criminal case of pollution and alleged negligence against the company.

What is being done

Putin began the work to remedy the spill by declaring a state of emergency over the region, but he expects the company to pay for the costs of damages. In collaboration with Norilsk Nickel, the Russian government’s state of emergency allows for more clean up personnel to be dispatched to the area. According to BBC, Oleg Mitvol, former deputy head of Russia's environmental watchdog Rosprirodnadzor, said there had "never been such an accident in the Arctic zone". Mitvol said the clean up could potentially cost 100bn roubles (£1.2bn; $1.5bn) and take between five and 10 years

Cleanup efforts have been difficult because of the remote location of the plant. The crews are unable to use barges due to the shallow water, and there are no roads leading to Norilsk. Sergey Dyachenko, chief operating officer of Norilsk Nickel, told reporters on June 4 that the company plans “to transport contaminated oil to temporary sites for remediation.”

To prevent the oil from spreading to other areas, containment booms have been placed on the Ambarnaya River. In response, Greenpeace stated on its website that it “will help collect only a minor part of the pollution, and therefore it would be safe to say that nearly all of the diesel fuel will remain in the environment.”

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.

The United States has also offered its help. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on June 6, "Saddened to hear about the fuel spill in Norilsk, Russia." He added that despite their disagreements, “the United States stands ready to assist Russia to mitigate this environmental disaster and offer our technical expertise.” Although the U.S. State Department and White House have not specified the ways they plan to help, efforts are in progress. 

The future 

It is not known how long the process to clean up the oil will take, or if all of the oil can even be cleaned up. Until then, it is important to note how environmental disasters in the Arctic like this are a result of the other dangerous environmental practices in place. The soil, plants and animals in this region of Siberia will be undoubtedly impacted and some species may never recover. This is not the first oil spill of its kind, and it will likely not be the last. 

---

Renee Richardson

Renee is currently an English student at The University of Georgia. She lives in Ellijay, Georgia, a small mountain town in the middle of Appalachia. A passionate writer, she is inspired often by her hikes along the Appalachian trail and her efforts to fight for equality across all spectrums. She hopes to further her passion as a writer into a flourishing career that positively impacts others.

‘Same Story, Different Soil’ as Police Brutality Hits Home for Indigenous Australians

Joining millions of activists around the globe, tens of thousands of Australians have taken to the streets over the past two weeks to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. However, for many of these protesters, the demonstrations are about more than standing in solidarity with their American counterparts — Australian activists have used the movement to place an international spotlight on Indigenous Australian deaths in police custody.

According to The Guardian’s database on Indigenous Australians’ deaths in custody from 2008 until today, 164 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had died while in police custody. As of June 2018, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 28% of Australia’s prison population, despite making up 2.8% of the country’s total population as of the 2016 census.

This widespread issue draws parallels to police brutality against African Americans in the United States. While no official data has been released on deaths in police custody in the U.S. despite the passage of the 2013 Death in Custody Reporting Act, African Americans in 2019 were 2.5 times more likely than white Americans to be killed by police officers. Broken down, 24% of all police killings in the U.S. in 2019 were of African Americans, despite only 13% of the nation’s population identifying as black.

Many Australian activists were further galvanized to take to the streets after a video surfaced of a Sydney police officer slamming an Indigenous boy to the ground on June 1. This video is similar to the countless ones in the United States which have documented instances of police brutality.

These activists have expressed how the issues in the United States and in Australia are one and the same. “It’s the same story on different soil,” 17-year-old activist Ky-ya Nicholson Ward said during a June 6 rally in Melbourne.

Justin Grant, an activist who attended the Melbourne rally, spoke on the historical relationship between the police and Indigenous Australians in an interview with Al-Jazeera. “[The police] are breaking our trust and scaring our people ... they [don't] respect our culture, our laws or our practices."

These parallels have been emphasized during the protests, with chants such as “I can’t breathe” taking on new meanings outside of their American context. Several protesters’ signs have echoed this sentiment, with phrases such as “Same Story, Different Soil” popping up on protest materials throughout the country.

However, others have diminished the similarities between the motivations behind the Black Lives Matter movement and Indigenous Australian deaths in police custody. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said during an interview with local Sydney radio station 2GB that: “There’s no need to import things happening in other countries here to Australia … Australia is not the United States.”

Black Lives Matter protests both within Australia and around the world are expected to continue throughout the coming weeks. As of this article’s publication, there have been no major responses to the protests within the Australian Parliament House to address Indigenous deaths in police custody.

---

Jacob Sutherland

Jacob is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego where he majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish Language Studies. He previously served as the News Editor for The UCSD Guardian, and hopes to shed light on social justice issues in his work.

History Repeats Itself as the Navajo Nation Faces COVID-19 Neglect

In the coronavirus pandemic, the Navajo Nation has seen the highest per capita rate of COVID-19 infection rates in the U.S., surpassing densely populated, urban hotspots. As of May 31, there have been 5,348 positive cases and 246 deaths out of 173,000 residents. These infections stem from governmental neglect and underfunding, as many in the Navajo Nation lack running water, COVID-19 resources and federal assistance. Additionally, preexisting health conditions and lifestyle factors prominent within the Navajo Nation render its residents especially vulnerable to the virus. Homes are often cramped with several generations of families, and lack of food access elicits widespread dietary illnesses on the reservation. 

"You got the feds, you got everybody saying, 'Wash your hands with soap and water,' but our people are still hauling water,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez in a digital town hall meeting on May 12. Roughly 40% of Navajo homes do not have running water, and 10% do not have electricity. This conflicts with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which call for the thorough washing of hands. Although the Navajo Nation government has called for mask wearing and issued lockdown curfews, it cannot implement all preventative measures ordered by the CDC. Respiratory complications are also brought on by indoor pollution, as Navajo homes are often heated with wood and coal.

The largest Native American reservation in the U.S., the Navajo Nation contains 173,000 people. Its 27,413 square mile semi-autonomous territory spans across parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Like all Native Americans, the Navajo people have faced generations of genocide, dispossession, and forced relocation that came with colonization. Mark Charles, a Native American activist and U.S. presidential candidate, traces disproportionate infection and death rates to the inequities caused by settler colonialism. “It's a problem 250 years in the making, going back to how this nation was founded. The ethnic cleansing and genocidal policies … that's where the problem lies. Health care is poor, treaties are not being upheld,” he told Al-Jazeera.

Indeed, the COVID-19 outbreak parallels previous epidemics, such as smallpox, the bubonic plague, and Spanish flu that devastated indigenous peoples. The Navajo Treaty of 1868, signed by the Navajo and U.S. government, promised federal support to the Navajo Nation, including health care, infrastructure and water access. The U.S. government has since then failed to uphold this treaty. The $8 billion relief package for Native American communities, prompted by the COVID-19 stimulus bill, was only put to use by mid-May, long after the initial outbreak. This delay in funding left essential workers without protection, and led to a shortage of critical resources in health facilities. 

Preexisting health conditions brought on by reservation lifestyle habits highlight the social determinants of health that have been continuously exacerbated in communities of color. Specifically, European colonization hindered Native Americans’ agricultural methods and eating practices, resulting in current diet-related illnesses. Since the mid-1900s, reservation bound Native Americans have experienced problematic blood sugar levels, obesity, diabetes and cardiac stress. American Indian adults are over three times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes, and over 50% more likely to be obese. According to CDC data, about half of the hospitalized coronavirus patients are obese, and face higher risks of severe illness.

---

Anna Wood

Anna is an Anthropology major and Global Health/Spanish double minor at Middlebury College. As an anthropology major with a focus in public health, she studies the intersection of health and sociocultural elements. She is also passionate about food systems and endurance sports.

Nigerian Women Protest Over Police Brutality and Abuse of Women

In light of the U.S.’s Black Lives Matter movement, women in Nigeria have begun their own protests online following the abuse and death of three women.

Since April 2020, Nigeria has seen an extreme increase of sexual violence and police brutality. However, attention was gained on the issue after the death of three women. In April, an 18-year-old woman known as “Jennifer” was gang raped by up to five men. Toward the end of May, 22-year-old Vera Uwaila “Uwa” Omozuma was also sexually assaulted and killed. Around the same time, 17-year-old Tina Ezekwe died after police opened fire on her as she sat at a bus station during a curfew established due to COVID-19.

Unfortunately, the main reason why arrests in Uwa and Jennifer’s cases were made in the first place was due to public outcry, especially from family members of the victims. There was a great fear that those at fault may never be held accountable and that families would never get justice for the wrongful deaths of their loved ones. #JusticeForUwa, #JusticeForTina and #JusticeForJennifer have been used in campaigns across Nigeria, all inspired by  Black Lives Matter protests over the past week in the U.S. For Jennifer’s family, it also took the release of a video of her family trying to comfort her to trigger national response.

Arrests, not all, have been made for the death and sexual assaults of Uwa and Jennifer. On the other hand, police who were found guilty for killing Tina have been dismissed by the police department of Lagos but still must face internal disciplinary actions upon further investigation. The regional governor of southern Edo, home of Uwa, also pledged to investigate her case to bring all those to justice.

Photo of Vera Uwaila “Uwa” Omozuma. CNN. CC 2.0

However, many across the country are also fearful of the increase of rapes due to many individuals across the region being displaced. Nigeria has a long history of violence between tribes which makes women feel more vulnerable. Those who are supposed to be watching over the refugee camps have been held responsible for raping girls as young as 9. Being displaced has also caused a phenomenon where families are selling their young daughters for marriage in exchange for money.

In 2014, a survey found that one in four Nigerian women experienced sexual violence. 70% of women even experienced multiple incidents of abuse yet only 5% reported the crimes. Many have linked President Muhammadu Buhari to U.S. President Donald Trump due to the lack of national support and resources readily available to survivors. Most women cannot even receive treatment without filing a police report first. Just as with the assaults in refugee camps, it has caused hesitation in women for filing reports

The internet has become the main outlet for these protests unlike what has been seen in the U.S. Protesting on the street is highly discouraged as protesters could be punished for their actions. Thus, having access to the internet has been able to highlight the injustices of the police in Nigeria. Currently, the #WeAreTired campaign is aimed at not only raising awareness of violence against women in Nigeria, but the overall dissatisifcation with the government in its lack of action.

Just as in the U.S., this has been an ongoing struggle for many Nigerians that has lasted for generations. Since 2015, there has been demand to pass the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act nationwide which would better define rape in court cases. It is hoped that through these hashtags, people can use their voices effectively and help amplify the message of reform in Nigeria.

Eva Ashbaugh

is a Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies double major at the University of Pittsburgh. As a political science major concentrating on International Relations, she is passionate about human rights, foreign policy, and fighting for equality. She hopes to one day travel and help educate people to make the world a better place.

Costa Rica Becomes the First Central American Country to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

On May 26, 2020, same-sex marriage was legalized in Costa Rica, ending years of discrimination and struggle to get the same rights as heterosexuals.

In 2018, Costa Rica’s Supreme Court ruled same-sex marraige to be constitutional. To enforce the ruling, the country’s Legislative Assembly had 18 months to either enact it or have the decision overturned. There was even a failed attempt by 20 politicians to get an 18-month extension to further delay marriage equality.  Two years later, though, marriage equality became legalized with the first marriages officiated in May of 2020. At midnight on May 26, same-sex marriage was legalized. To celebrate, marriages were also televised across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic postponing many in-person events.

Marriage equality was a key campaign promise by President Carlos Alvarado Quesada. According to Quesada, “Together, under the same flag, we will build a better nation.”  His 2018 presidential campaign highlighted Costa Rica’s commitment to bettering human rights and social actions. Quesada’s presidency helped the nomination of the first openly-gay congressman, Enrique Sanchez, who emphasized that this has been a long battle for activists across the nation.

Alexandra Quirós and Dunia Araya become first homosexual couple to be married at midnight on May 26. Ezequiel Becerra. CC 2.0

Sanchez was correct in this statement. Costa Rica has pushed for equality for homosexuals since 2016. It first advocated for equal protections and rights to privacy for LGBTQ+ individuals under the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR) with assistance from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Through the convention, all countries within the Americas were pushed to recognize gay marriage. It was then decided in 2017 that all rights of heterosexuals and couples must be applied to every Costa Rican. 

This was not an easy feat. Many across the country protested against this decision. For instance, 20 politicians tried to get another 18 months to delay the ruling but ultimately failed. There also has been strong pushback from religious groups that deny that homosexuality has grown considerably in Costa Rica. Catholicism is recognized as the official religion of the state, so lawmakers such as Eduardo Cruickshank felt the need to “defend the family as established and pleasing our Heavenly Father.” Up until now, marriages of same-sex couples were not recognized by the state and would automatically be annulled. 

A research study by Sin Violencia LGBTI shows that more than 1,300 members of the LGBTQ+ community have been killed over the past five years across Latin America and the Caribbean. This group has become the leading coalition that pushes for governments to take action to better protect the LGBTQ+ community.

This historical achievement makes Costa Rica the first country in Central America and the 28th U.N. member state to recognize same-sex marriage and to legalize marriage equality. It is the sixth Latin American country to do so, following Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and parts of Mexico. The Costa Rican government hopes this will not only encourage change in Central America but throughout the entire world.

Eva Ashbaugh

is a Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies double major at the University of Pittsburgh. As a political science major concentrating on International Relations, she is passionate about human rights, foreign policy, and fighting for equality. She hopes to one day travel and help educate people to make the world a better place.