Mass Detention of Civilians In Ethiopia

December 13, 2021

The Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency, resulting in the detention of civilians on suspicion of cooperating with rebel terrorists.

Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. DFID - UK Department for International Development CC BY 2.0

Ethiopia has been in the throes of a civil war. The federal government, headed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has been fighting against Tigrayan rebels in the northwest region of the country. Recently, it appears Tigray fighters are at an advantage as they push south towards the nation’s capital. In response, the government declared a state of emergency Nov. 2 and began to roundup civilians of Tigrayian descent. Civilians with no connection to the rebels are being detained, forced from their homes, plucked off the street or at work. The United Nations stated that more than 1,000 people have been detained since the government declared the state of emergency. Additionally, they reported that 70 drivers contracted by the United Nations and agencies to deliver aid to the country have been detained by officials as well. Along with the detained drivers, 16 employees of the United Nations were detained following the state of emergency. These employees were present because the Tigray region is in desperate need of aid after airstrikes fell on the region in mid-October. The dire situation in Tigray has been labeled an ongoing humanitarian crisis.

The civil war broke out after tensions between the Tigray’s People Liberation Front political party and the federal government came to a point. The party previously held control of the Ethiopian government for decades, until Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018. In 2020, the T.P.L.F attacked a military base in the Tigray region, prompting the Prime Minister to order a military offensive in response. In June, the Ethiopian military was forced to withdraw from the Tigray region, marking a major defeat and subsequent turning point of the conflict.

In July 2021, the United Nations requested access to the region because an estimated 400,000 people were experiencing famine, with another 1.8 million at risk. Additionally, 1.7 million people have been internally displaced while thousands of others have fled the country.

The state of emergency declared on Nov. 2 allows officials to search anyone’s home and arrest without a warrant solely based on suspicion of association with rebel groups. The recent arrests have included other ethnicities, but the majority of detentions have been people of Tigrayan descent. Along with the large-scale detentions, public figures allied with the government have taken to social media inciting hate speech against ethnic Tigrayans. The head of the Ethiopian government communication office stated that the detentions were not ethnically motivated, but the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights expressed concern at the broad terms of the recent state of emergency.

Dana is a recent graduate from Tufts University with a degree in English. While at Tufts she enjoyed working on a campus literary magazine and reading as much as possible. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she loves to explore and learn new things.

The CATALYST Giving Guide: 11 Nonprofits Working to Change the World

December 4, 2021

This holiday season, give the gift of support to nonprofit organizations operating across the globe. Through your donation, you have the ability of giving literacy to children, gender-equal education to girls, protection for displaced people and more.

Silent reading time in Lao, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY SA-3.0

Education is an important tool that many nonprofits work to provide to children in countries around the world. By building literacy and providing important resources, organizations are granting children the ability to change their lives.

1. Pencils of Promise

Pencils of Promise is a global organization that works for greater educational opportunities. Their initiatives provide teachers with training and resources and provide students with safe places to learn. Pencils of Promise has now built more than 550 schools in Ghana, Guatemala and Laos. Your donation would help them continue providing children with access to education in facilities that grant them access to clean water and private bathrooms.

2. Room to Read

More than 750 million people are illiterate, two-thirds of them women and girls. Room to Read works with global communities to extend literacy and gender equality in education. So far, more than 23 million children and communities in South Africa, South Asia and the Middle East have received their support. A donation will help bridge the gap, granting more women and young girls the power of literacy.

Women and girls are a crucial focus among national and international organizations. By providing women and young girls with equal access to education, healthcare and economic and political empowerment, nonprofits are creating a brighter future for generations to come.

3. Girls Rising

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, girls’ education is in a state of crisis. Girls Rising provides their own customized curricula focused on building confidence and agency among young girls in more than 12 countries. A donation gives girls the gift of understanding their rights along with confidence in their ability to change their lives and communities.

4. Global Fund for Women

The Global Fund for Women is one of the leading foundations for women’s equality. They have invested in nearly 5,000 grassroots groups in 175 countries, helping win rights for millions of women and girls. Their campaigns for economic and political empowerment as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights both take a movement-led approach that is consistently under-resourced. Donations support these movements and lead to more egalitarian workplace regulations, more equitable land rights, better access to financial institutions, expanded legal protections for domestic workers and stronger laws against sexual harassment around the globe.

The environment is a crucial issue for our planet and everything it inhabits. As temperatures continue to rise, resources deplete and weather intensifies, we are beginning to see the realities of a future on Earth.

5. Greenpeace

Greenpeace’s global priority is to undermine the fossil fuel sector and remove fossil fuels’ legitimacy in society. Through nonviolent creative action, Greenpeace confronts the systems that threaten our environment. Donations support them as they pave the way towards a greener world.

Human rights issues occur around the globe, and there are nonprofit organizations doing the work to help. Through their efforts, victims of human trafficking and refugees around the world receive lifesaving assistance.

6. Free the Slaves

Free the Slaves is on a mission to abolish the conditions that allow modern slavery to exist. Their community liberation model focuses on community engagement, policy and advocacy, movement building and learning initiatives. Your donation would allow them to provide funding and technical expertise to local organizations in human trafficking hotspots in India, Ghana, Haiti, Mauritiana, Brazil, Nepal, Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

7. Amnesty

Show your support and give to Amnesty, a nonprofit organization that works for human rights across the globe through a three-tier approach: research, mobilization and advocacy. They are the world's largest grassroots human rights organization. Last year alone, Amnesty helped free 153 people who were wrongfully imprisoned and changed laws in dozens of countries on refugees, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ equality, free speech, the death penalty and other critical human rights issues.

8. Refugees International

There are currently more than 80 million people displaced by conflict, human rights abuse, persecution and climate disasters. Refugees International does work in the Americas, Asia, Europe, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East to provide lifesaving assistance, human rights and protection for displaced people. A donation to Refugees International supports promoting solutions to displacement crises around the world.

Travel can often have a negative impact on local communities. However, there are organizations whose goals are to connect travelers with locals to ensure the communities’ residents are the ones benefiting.

9. Travel2Change

Travel2Change is a Hawaii-based nonprofit organization that encourages travelers to make a difference in the community. Their work ensures that the local Hawaiian community benefits from tourism by connecting visitors with impactful activities offered by locals. Your donation this giving season helps Travel2Change keep its activities affordable or free so as many people as possible are able to participate and connect to the local community.

Health is a universal subject across the globe and during the pandemic, the most susceptible communities were ones that were already distressed. Nonprofit organizations are providing medical assistance to people all over the world who normally would not have access to it.

10. Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization that provides medical assistance to people in 88 countries. Amid conflict and political instability, their teams in Afghanistan provide vital medical care in Herat, Helmand, Kandahar, Khost and Kunduz provinces. The 2,300 staff members working in the country respond to a range of medical needs, from acute malnutrition to maternal health services. Donations support their work providing medical services to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from healthcare.

Sports are a competitive and entertaining activity that bring people together. Today, there are organizations using sports to break down cultural and political barriers in areas of conflict.

11. Surfing 4 Peace

Surfing 4 Peace is a community of surfers and supporters that conduct cooperative projects, host events and run campaigns that emphasize coexistence, cross-cultural dialog and the shared experience of surfing. In the Middle East and around the world, Surfing 4 Peace aims to bridge cultural and political barriers between surfers in diverse communities. In 2007, Surfing 4 Peace successfully gathered and transferred 14 surfboards through border authorities from Israel to Gaza to donate them to the small Palestinian surfing community. Since then, the group has organized multiple projects for the surfing community in Gaza, including the Gaza Surfer Girl Project and Gaza Surf Relief. Donations support creating a safe and inclusive community rooted in the shared love for surfing.

Claire Redden is a freelance journalist from Chicago, where she received her Bachelor’s of Communications from the University of Illinois. While living and studying in Paris, Claire wrote for the magazine, Toute La Culture. As a freelancer she contributes to travel guides for the up and coming brand, Thalby. She plans to take her skills to London, where she’ll pursue her Master’s of Arts and Lifestyle Journalism at the University of Arts, London College of Communication.

Underwater Noise Pollution is Shrinking Whales' Worlds

December 2, 2021

Human-caused noise pollution impacts sound-reliant species of whales and other marine life. Seismic mapping, shipping and boating traffic mask the acoustic communication systems they’re reliant on.

Jumping Humpback Whale, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5

When a strand of eight adult female beaked whales were found on the shores of the far-flung Aleutian Islands in Alaska, members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration response team were bewildered. The whales appeared to be healthy, with no major external injuries, but their presence was unusual. What was thought to be a rare occurrence in 2018 has turned out to be part of a recurring pattern. Marine Mammal Science published a study which revealed that since the original discovery of the species, Alaska has had 74 known beaked whale strandings in 42 separate events.

Military and naval operations in the area were put to a halt in 1997 but the U.S. Geological Survey’s monitors at the Alaska Volcano Observatory have detected human-caused seismic survey activity along the islands. New research suggests that the surveys may have been involved in the mass stranding. Underwater sonic tests are only the latest example of ocean noise pollution cited by environmentalists. Growing concern has spurred research into the potential threats of human-made noise for marine life.

During seismic surveys, blasts of compressed air produce pulses of sound that analyze the seafloor for natural resources. At 220-250 decibels, these seismic air guns are the loudest noise created by humans underwater, producing a sound louder than a Saturn V rocket during launch. According to an article in Nature, “in the five decades before 1950, researchers recorded just seven mass strandings; but from then to 2004, after the introduction of high-power sonar for naval operations, there were more than 120.”

During the Trump administration, a ban on offshore drilling was lifted and companies from Central Florida to the Northeast were granted permits to carry out seismic mapping for gas and oil exploration. Senior bioacoustics researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Christopher Clark has studied whale communication for 40 years. Clark described the noise produced from seismic mapping as a “living hell” for undersea life.

Another primary contributor to ocean noise is shipping traffic, both commercial and recreational. Between 1950 and 2000 ship traffic doubled, producing an increase in noise of about three decibels per decade. This has led to communication masking — a term used to describe the reduction in the area over which animals are able to acoustically communicate. Research shows that across species, the combination of noise contribution from commercial and recreational vessels led to a reduction in communication range of up to 82%. A recent study found that shipping noise has the potential to double by 2030, further limiting the distance whales and other marine life are able to communicate between.

In the marine ecosystem, where visibility is limited, acoustics are the primary form of communication. For whales, every aspect of their lives is dependent on sound. Many of their species are highly intelligent, social beings who communicate in clicks and songs, and are even known to have their own languages. Some whales and orcas are known to use echolocation, a natural sound wave sonar, to hunt and locate food. Noise masks their expressions between their families, affecting their ability to feed and care for their young, as well as their orientation and ability to detect prey or oncoming ships.

In 1956, French oceanographer Jacues Cousteau released a documentary misleadingly titled The Silent World, that fed into the misconception of a quiet underwater seascape. Today we know that a healthy ocean isn’t a silent one. The ocean thrives on the familiar sounds of its natural world, sounds that marine life recognizes as home. Lead author ofThe Soundscape of The Anthropocene Ocean Carlos Duarte says that “The soundtrack of home is now hard to hear, and in many cases has disappeared.”

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Claire is a freelance journalist from Chicago, where she received her Bachelor’s of Communications from the University of Illinois. While living and studying in Paris, Claire wrote for the magazine, Toute La Culture. As a freelancer she contributes to travel guides for the up and coming brand, Thalby. She plans to take her skills to London, where she’ll pursue her Master’s of Arts and Lifestyle Journalism at the University of Arts, London College of Communication.

A Romanian City Swallowed by Toxic Waste

December 2, 2021

The landscape of Geamăna is a reminder of the impact mining has on local communities and environments. A nearby copper mine, Rosia Poieni, continues to leak its contaminated deposits further into the water sources of surrounding areas.

Geamana church flooded with toxic waste, Flickr.com, CC BY NC-ND-2.0

Geamăna, Romania was once a quaint village nestled in the Sesii Valley of the Apuseni Mountains, a range in Transylvania, Romania. In the late 1970s, Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu made way for a new copper mining project called Rosia Poieni. Work began in less than a year and the 400 families who lived in Geamăna were evacuated. Their village was replaced by an artificial lake used as a catch basin for the large quantities of toxic waste the mining project produced.

Before displacing the villagers in Geamăna, the government promised the residents they would be relocated to a new village five miles away. They ended up being moved more than 60 miles away, receiving land and a small amount of money. Locals were upset because the government didn’t fulfill their promise to relocate the community’s gravesite, which still remains around the flooded church.

Rosia Poieni is Romania’s largest copper mine and the second-largest copper mine in Europe. The mine is owned by the state company, CupruMin. In its prime, the copper pit produced 11,000 tons of copper a year, representing 65% of the total copper reserves in Romania. Before 1993, the discharge into the lake contained very few metals. When they could no longer sell the iron sulfate, CupruMin began discharging it into the water.

Ever since, the metals released and the acidity of the water have increased significantly. As of 2016, more than 130 million tons of tailings containing metals such as copper, iron and zinc, have been discharged into the settling basin, an act referred to as “acid mine drainage.” Despite measures to counteract the phenomenon, a 2000 report by the French Geological Survey found the water to be very acidic, with a pH of 2.7.

Recurring incidents of contaminated water leaking from the basin have spread pollution as far as Turda, a city more than 50 miles downstream. In 2008, millions of fish were found floating in the Aries river, a distributary of the Valea Șesii that connects to the artificial lake, as a result of CupruMin’s failure to charge the electric pumps that protect the area from biohazards. In 2011, a broken pipe led to 100 tons of waste poured into another nearby river, the Curmătura, and eventually into the Aries. Another incident occurred in 2012 when a few mineshafts flooded, spilling more of the contaminated water into the Aries.

CupruMin receives fines from the local authorities every year for their actions, but these reprimands don’t seem to have much of an effect. The deposit of the Rosia Poieni copper mine is estimated at 900,000 tons, allowing the company to continue its exploitation for at least 20 years. As production continues, the contaminated lake will only expand and increase the range of its environmental impact. All that’s left to be seen of the old village of Geamăna today is the spire of what was once the town’s church, engulfed in toxic water: a surreal landscape that serves as a striking image of what could become of nearby towns if CupruMin isn’t held accountable.

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Menstruation and Impurity Are Synonymous in Nepal

December 2, 2021

Women and young girls are dying every year in Nepal because of a tradition that deems them impure due to their monthly menstrual cycle.

Chhau goth (menstruation hut) and separate utensils. The Advocacy Project. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Rural villages in western and midwestern Nepal force girls and women to stay in menstruation huts outside of their homes. This centuries-old Hindu practice of chhaupadi (“chaau” means “impure,” and “padi” means “shed”) believes that women and girls are unclean, untouchable and impure during their menstrual cycles. When on their periods, girls and women are not allowed to live in the family home and are excluded from doing a range of everyday activities. Although the practice of chhaupadi was made illegal in 2005, it remains prevalent in remote areas and is still practiced by 77% of Nepalese.

Under the chhaupadi practice, menstruators are banned from touching milk, idols, cattle, a male family member, a pregnant woman or any child below the age of five. In addition, while on their periods, girls and women are not permitted to enter any social gathering, school, temple or kitchen, as they are considered impure. If anything or anyone is touched, it is to be discarded or deeply cleansed. Diet during menstruation changes as well: girls and women are not allowed to eat rice, meat, pickles, citrus fruits or milk products. Meals are further restricted as they do not have access to a kitchen.

While temporarily living in an unhygienic hut which oftentimes have no walls or doors, young girls and women are at risk for snake bites, rape, poor sanitation, urinary tract infections, diarrhea, dehydration, hypothermia and death. If girls encounter any health issues while in their huts, they are expected to wait until their menstruation is completed before seeking medical care. Blocked from using their bathrooms, they are forced to walk long distances to use public restrooms. Their time in the menstruation huts can last anywhere from 4-7 days a month. Each year at least one death occurs in menstruation huts. In December 2016, a 15-year-old suffocated after lighting a fire in the shed where she was staying to keep warm. In 2018, a teenage girl died when she was bitten by a snake while sleeping.

Chhaupadi is not limited to times of menstruation; itt is also practiced during childbirth. Women must deliver their babies in unhygienic sheds or huts, and remain for the next 10-14 days post-delivery. Consequently, chhaupadi during childbirth can lead to both maternal and infant death arising from excessive bleeding, septic shock, malnutrition and other unresolved complications caused by lack of healthcare access. Although exact figures of maternal and child health consequences due to chhaupadi are unknown, neonatal and maternal mortality is high in the far-western regions where chhaupadi is common.

The mental health of women and girls is impacted due to isolation from family and social exclusion, which results in: depression, low self-esteem and disempowerment among girls. In addition, there is also a fear of sexual abuse and assault at night causing extreme anxiety in the young girls. Cases of rape are not reported due to fear that a man would not want to marry a girl in the future as a result of “impurity.” The psychological issues girls and women endure while in the huts go unnoticed and are often ignored. The continuity of the chhaupadi practice is one way of preserving a tradition to the Nepalese people. It has been in existence for a long time with a focus on purity, aimed at pleasing the deities believed to take care of the community.

In August 2017, the Nepalese government began criminalizing the chhaupadi practice and imposed a fine ($30) and/or a three-month jail sentence for anyone forcing a woman to follow the custom. Local police are tasked with destroying chhaupadi shelters. Despite these efforts, the practice has been difficult to abolish as it is deeply rooted in traditional beliefs. Activists argue that the chhaupadi practice will be difficult to fully stop, as many women make the decision to practice it for themselves. However, with the new law, women who choose to practice chhaupadi are required to do so in a safer way, by isolating themselves from their families in a separate area or room and not a shed. This requirement exists to help protect the health and safety of the menstruators whilst allowing them to follow their traditional practice.

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Jennifer is a Communications Studies graduate based in Los Angeles. She grew up traveling with her dad and that is where her love for travel stems from. You can find her serving the community at her church, Fearless LA or planning her next trip overseas. She hopes to be involved in international humanitarian work one day.

India’s Third Gender — Hijra

November 23, 2021

Despite being protected within the Indian constitution, hijra communities experience persecution. Their colonies are often sites of abuse and poverty, yet serve as the only space in Indian society for their identity.

India’s third gender includes a few different groups, but the most common are the hijras. The hijra identity is complex; some are born male but dress in traditionally feminine ways, some are born intersex, some seek gender reassignment procedures, and some choose to be castrated as an offering to the Hindu goddess of chastity and fertility, Bahuchara Mata, granting them their religious powers. Outsiders tend to associate them as transgender, but Indian society considers them to be the third gender — not male, not female, not transitioning. The one defining characteristic of hijras is that they leave their homes from a young age to become a part of the hijra community, where they teach their lessons in secret. These communities exist on the outskirts of society, where they are often shunned by their families and at the mercy of police authorities.

For centuries, trans, intersex and genderqueer individuals abandoned by their families have been initiated into the hijra community by gurus within the system. From the age of 12 or 13, hijras trade their relationships with their families for a relationship with a guru who takes on the role of of parent, teacher and boss. The gurus are expected to teach each hijra the chela, or the disciple, in the hijra way of life. This includes learning their rituals, how to manage a household and how to make a living. Gurus are expected to treat the hijras like their children, but their ability to dictate how a hijra works, what they earn and even who they see maintains a hold over their lives that many activists consider a systemic form of bonded labor.

These communities operate within a pyramid system where the “chelas,” or the hijra students, are divided into hierarchies by their work. At the top of the pyramid are the senior-most chelas, who sing and dance. Below them are the chelas who beg and collect alms in exchange for blessings at events. And lastly, at the bottom of the chela pyramid are the sex workers. In addition to their work, chelas are expected to take on chores that serve their guru. Regardless of how a hijra earns their money, a portion of it will go to their gurus.

The founder of online transgender community Transgender India, Neysara, told News Newslaundry,aundry, an independent news media company in India, that the hijra community is “not a child-friendly place equipped to handle trauma.” She went on to say that, “What is vulnerable is trafficable and most that join are disenfranchised.” Neysara recalled turning to the hijra community at a time when she was young and scared. “When my family was trying to honor-kill me, I sought the hijra jamaat for help. They outright told me that I [...] could only stay with them if I do sex work and earn for them.” Honor killings are committed by a male family member seeking to protect the dignity of their family against someone they believe has brought them shame. It was sex work or death.

Hijras have been a part of Indian life for more than a thousand years. Evidence of their existence within Hindu society can be found inside holy texts like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, where Arjuna became the third gender. Throughout South Asian history, third-gender people have often held positions of high power. For example, during the Mughal Empire in the 15th to 19th centuries, Hindu and Muslim rulers were considerate advocates of the third gender, and many rose to significant positions, even serving as the sexless watchdogs of Mughal harems. In Hinduism, their high regard is marked by their loyalty to Lord Rama, when hijras waited at the edge of the forest for 14 years until he returned to Ayodhya after being exiled.

The hijras’ religious backgrounds tend to center around traditions that blend Hinduism and Islam. The practice of removing genitalia is something stigmatized in a normal Indian community, however, it’s this act that is the source of their sacred power and legitimizes their role in society. According to tradition, when a hijra is castrated their genitalia is offered to the Hindu Mother Goddess, Bahuchara Mata. The Mother Goddessworks alongside Muslim saints to transform the sacrifice of their ability to procreate into the power to bestow fertility and good luck onto others. The hijras give blessings at births and weddings to grant new couples and their newborn children fertility and prosperity. Intersex people, transgender women and infertile men are considered to be called upon by the goddess to become a hijra. Should they ignore the call, it is believed that they will pay the price of being impotent for the next seven lives they have on Earth.

The castration surgery is performed by a guru and takes place without an anesthetic. The operation is illegal and life-threatening and has led some Indian regions to consider offering a medical alternative free of charge. However, because of tradition, the sacred sacrifice is performed in absolute secrecy and never spoken of. Following the surgery, new hijras recover in semi-seclusion and eat a special diet for 40 days. Afterward, they conduct a special ceremony where they're dressed as brides and blessed with the power of Bahuchara Mata. From this moment on, they are given new names and new identities. Articles in the India Times and India Today have reported how this system has been forced upon young and at-risk men, who are then pressured into prostituion and homosexuality.

Even though hijras were treated with respect for thousands of years, much of their societal downfall can be attributed to Hinduism’s encounter with colonialism. The British colonized most of South Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries, and their Christian beliefs did not prepare them for their confrontation with the third gender. In 1871, the British named all hijras hereditary criminals and ordered authorities to arrest them. The law gave police the power of increased surveillance over the community, who went as far as to compile registers of hijras. A historian named Dr. Jessica Hinchy told BCC that, "Registration was a means of surveillance and also a way to ensure that castration was stamped out and the hijra population was not reproduced."

Even though the law was repealed once India regained its independence, 200 years of stigmatization took a toll. Today, hijras are almost always excluded from employment and education outside of their religious roles. They are often stricken by poverty and forced to resort to begging and prostitution. Most are victims of violence and abuse, harassed by police and refused treatment in hospitals.

In a step forward, India’s Supreme Court officially recognized hijras as a third gender in August of 2014, in a law that ordered the government to provide third gender people with quotas in jobs and education. The ruling came just six months after the Supreme Court’s decision to re-criminalize homosexual acts through the reversal of a 2009 Delhi High Court order.Despite being legally recognized and protected under the Indian Constitution, the court’s choice meant that hijras would be breaking the law if they participated in consensual homosexual relations.

As Neysara told NewsLaundry, “without trans representation, laws made by cis people for the ‘other’ can be damaging.” Prior progress gained seemed to be lost in 2019 when activists protested the Transgender Persons Act. According to Ajita Banerjie, a Delhi-based gender and sexuality rights researcher, this “set the whole movement back by a decade.”

Today, as many as half a million members of the Indian hijra community live within the guru-chela system. Despite facing discrimination, abuse and living on the margins of society, the community continues to “remain a visible presence in public space, public culture, activism and politics in South Asia," Dr. Jessica Hinchy told BBC. On a high note, NewsLaundry says that policy-led interventions have been advocated by stakeholders in the system, with the mission to integrate “trans folks into mainstream society to reduce and ultimately end their dependency on this system, if not the system itself.”

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER:

Carol is based in Queensland Australia and has always been drawn to street photography, searching out the most colourful and quirky characters in her own environment. After studying documentary photography at college, she travelled to Yunnan, China to photograph the wide diversity of ethnic minorities in the region. However, over the past five years, her focus has shifted to Tibet, Nepal and India. As someone who has always been drawn to unique and different cultures, the regions rich heritage and local traditions make it a haven for her style of photography.

Check out more of Carol’s work here.

Child Labor Increases in India During the Pandemic

November 23, 2021

Child labor in India has always been prevalent, but due to the pandemic the numbers are at an all-time high.

India has always had a large number of child laborers. In 2019, 152 million children were working. In the last two years, there has been an increase of 8 million children to the workforce. There is a great risk that this new generation will be academically displaced.

Before the pandemic, being in school protected children from child labor. However, with most families out of work or working to get by, the most vulnerable have to pay the cost: children. Children are often working 16 hour days in inhumane conditions. There are many contributing factors to this issue, the largest being that a third of the Indian population is living under the poverty line. With families working and narrowly making ends meet, families may feel they have no other choice but to send their children to work. Another factor is the country’s high illiteracy rate of 287 million people. Children who do not get a basic education will become illiterate adults, making them a target for underpaying jobs that creates an intergenerational cycle of poverty within the family.

The states where child laborers are most prevalent are Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, where over half of the country’s children work. Uttar Pradesh in northern India is the state with the highest number of child laborers, 20 percent of children work in the silk industry and child laborers work in textile factories making garments for big companies. Gap was once in the headlines when someone discovered children working in the shops. Many of the child laborers were there due to their families selling them. Taking swift action, Gap responded and said, “the factory was being run by a subcontractor who was hired in violation of Gap’s policies, and none of the products made there will be sold in its stores.” Additionally, the spokesman for Gap Bill Chandler told The Associated Press, “Under no circumstances is it acceptable for children to produce or work on garments.” Since then Gap decided to stand up against child laborers and stated on their website that they would be “removing young workers from the facility.”

Children will work all kinds of jobs from carpet manufacturing, farming, brick making and gem extracting/polishing to selling cigarettes on the streets for the tobacco industry. Indian law prohibits children under the age of 14 to work and teens from age 14-18 to do any work that is considered hazardous. Nonetheless, most go unnoticed due to lack of enforcement of the law. Companies that turn a blind eye to this issue will oftentimes not recognize the child’s labor. Children will be forced to work long hours with no compensation or very little compensation. It has been reported that a child can make as little as 52 cents a day, if they are paid at all. They are frequently abused physically, verbally or sexually. Sexual exploitation in India is widespread, with 1.2 million children involved in prostitution.

The mental and physical effects of this arduous and traumatic experience have consequences. Exposed children may experience mental health issues, causing a disruption in their emotional development. Many psychiatric disorders can stem from child labor, for example, depression, mood disorder, attachment issues, psychogenic seizures, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse. The physical effects include but are not limited to exposure to toxic substances, working in extreme temperatures, malnutrition, sleep deprivation and death. The mental and physical toll it takes on the child will be long term if it is not dealt with.

According to one estimate, more than 20 percent of India’s economy is dependent on children. This is a large financial burden on the hands of young people who should be exploring and playing, nurtured in their formative years, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The government’s accountability is key to move forward and to bring change to an already impacted generation. The laws that protect children need to be enforced and further tightened.

The extreme poverty that has affected India is another root cause of child labor. According to Humanium, a organization that defends children’s rights, this is the primary reason children are falling victim to child labor. Their need to grow up before their time and help feed their impoverished family is only a momentary fix. This will impact their future and the future generations that will come after them.

To Get Involved:

Global March is an organization that seeks to eliminate child labor. Their mission is to ensure free access to education. To learn more about Global March click here.

To support the children of India through Global March click here.

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Jenn is a Communications Studies graduate based in Los Angeles. She grew up traveling with her dad and that is where her love for travel stems from. You can find her serving the community at her church, Fearless LA or planning her next trip overseas. She hopes to be involved in international humanitarian work one day.

A Cage Home Away from Being Homeless in Hong Kong

November 23, 2021

Cage homes have become the dangerous solution to living in the most expensive housing market in the world: Hong Kong.

Man Living in a Cage Home. Pondspider. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Hong Kong is considered one of the most expensive cities to live in the world. The population of 7.4 million people live in a metropolis 110 times smaller than New York City. Many struggle with the mounting housing prices which seem to keep rising. As a dangerous solution, low income individuals have developed "cage homes'' or “coffin homes” in which they reside. It consists of a bed-space, usually made of wood or wired boxes, large enough to only fit a bed and one or two personal items. An estimated 200,000 people, including 40,000 children live in cage homes in Hong Kong. The poor and elderly are the ones experiencing the effects the housing crisis Hong Kong has caused.

Out of desperation, many people are deciding to live out of these cage homes in order to avoid living on the streets. These barbed wire “homes” were created in the 1950’s due to an influx of refugees coming from mainland China. They provided cheap labor for Hong Kong and, therefore, a demand for low cost bed space apartments. The apartment operators decided to make more profit by stacking bunk beds known as cages on top of each other, and the term “cage home” was created. Since then, the inhabitants have grown from immigrant workers to elderly men and women and children.

An average home in Hong Kong is about $1.28 million USD and a tiny “nano” apartment is on average $500,000 USD. Cage homes are approximately $230-$300 USD a month. They are the size of a parking space in the US, 7.5 feet in width and about 10 feet in length. They’re stacked on one another and there are approximately 30 cage homes in one room. All of the renter’s personal items are locked away at night or when renter’s go out for the day. Bathrooms are mostly communal and often there are no kitchens, just electric portable burners. While living in these homes, renters usually have no privacy or natural light coming in. Most windows are away from where the cage homes are placed. Many of the cage homes are in older urban districts, such as, West Kowloon, Sham Shui Po and Mongkok.

The mental and physical effects of living in a cage home are concerning. The people who live in these spaces are dealing with depression, anxiety and stress due to their financial situation and cramped living space. Although they live among others, they often feel isolated and alone. Hygiene is also a big issue when living in these confined spaces. Up to a dozen people share bathrooms and kitchen areas, which are at times both in one room. In addition, there are poor safety regulations due to the buildings’ age and the number of people living in these tight spaces. The inadequate fire protection is a big risk many face when choosing to live in constricted spaces like these. Renters often have to deal with the infestation of rodents, roaches and bed bugs, which in turn affects their sleep and adds to health issues. There is poor air quality and no ventilation systems, with summer temperatures making it unbearable. Some elderly people have described their lives in their cage homes as “waiting for death.”

The new coronavirus pandemic has made it extremely difficult to live in these confined spaces. The cage home inhabitants find it impossible to quarantine safely as they do not have any walls or personal space. Most of them have to wear masks to sleep in order to avoid contracting the virus from others in their room. Many who live in the cage homes used to escape their reality by spending the day in parks, librairies or jungle gyms, however the pandemic has forced all public areas to close. Now cage home dwellers pass the time by, napping, listening to music or watching TV. Volunteers visit the people living in these spaces and bring food to donate, while also spending time with the residents to ease their loneliness.

The reason for the rising costs in the housing market is Hong Kong’s dense population, in which only seven percent of the city’s land is used for residential living. The pace of land supply and creation has slowed down in recent years. With low supply and high demand for living space, Hong Kong’s housing prices have no chance to come down. Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam has proposed a variety of measures to boost the number of homes in the residential market. Her plan includes an aggressive target to turn the remote northern part of the city into a “metropolis” for 2.5 million people, a project that will take decades to complete. In July, Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Xia Baolong set a city goal to eliminate its ‘infamously small apartments’ by 2049. This refers to less than 500 square foot apartments many residents live in. The Hong Kong government legally recognised cage homes, but did so under the label “bedspace apartments,” which are defined as “any flat in which there are 12 or more bed spaces occupied or intended to be occupied under rental agreements.” The United Nations has taken notice and calls the poor conditions present “an insult to human dignity”.

79 Female Judges, Journalists and Activists Evacuated From Afghanistan

November 23, 2021

Female Afghan judges fear for their lives as Taliban prisoners they previously sentenced are now free.

Women’s photojournalism course in Farah City, Afghanistan. ResoluteSupportMedia. CC BY 2.

In August 2021 the Taliban took control of Afghanistan shortly after the United States withdrew its military. As a result, there were mass attempts to flee. This culminated in citizens desperately rushing the Kubal airfield in attempts to leave the country. Concern for female judges and lawyers started immediately when the Taliban seized control, as many of those judges had sentenced Taliban fighters to prison and feared what would happen to them and their families. Many of the prisoners released by the Taliban had been convicted of serious and violent crimes, causing the judges and lawyers that prosecuted them to fear retaliation. One female judge reported receiving threats from released prisoners shehad convicted, forcing her to go into hiding, fearing for her and her family’s lives. Many of the people that initially fled the country were citizens of NATO countries who were evacuated by their respective governments, leaving citizens of Afghanistan scrambling to find refuge. Early efforts to evacuate the judges were made by the nonprofit International Association of Women Judges, who worked to find ways out of the country for the female Judges.

Most recently the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute helped to evacuate a total of 79 female judges, journalists and activists to Greece. The group was also able to evacuate the women’s families, totalling to 370 people who were able to flee Afghanistan. Greece gave the refugees temporary visas, and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute is continuing to look for more permanent solutions for the families. Many of the families evacuated have already been welcomed into other countries as their final destinations, including Australia, Germany, the United States, Ireland, Iceland and the United Kingdom. The effort was led by Baroness Kennedy of the UK. The first flight that evacuated the judges and activists departed in early October, carrying 26 people. The following two flights to Greece carried the 370 total evacuated judges, journalists and activists along with their families.

Kabul the capital of Afghanistan. Jorr81. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The fear for women’s safety not only comes from their occupations and judges, journalists and activists, but when the Taliban previously had power in Afghanistan women had very few rights. They were unable to work, receive an education, or leave the house without a male relative escorting them. Women working as judges was seen as a major step in elevating women’s rights in Afghanistan after the occupation of the Taliban. Female judges now forced to flee or go into hiding for fear of retaliation for their work is a devastating regression from the progress made.

The Fight to Eradicate Female Genital Mutilation

November 19, 2021

Fueled by her personal experience, Ifrah Ahmed is a grassroots activist dedicated to ending the brutal practice.

Ifrah Ahmed speaking at a symposium on Safe Cities Campaign in Mogadishu, Somalia on December 26, 2016, .AMISOM Public Information. CC0 1.0

Female genital mutilation (FGM) of women and girls is a brutal practice that persists in communities to this day. The practice, which has no health benefits for women, consists of removing exterior female genitalia. Additionally, this mutilation is extremely painful and poses significant health risks, including severe bleeding, infections and complications during childbirth. 200 million girls have experienced FGM across 30 countries. The practice is most prominent in Eastern, Western, and Northeastern regions of Africa, but cutting has a global presence including significantly in the Middle East and some parts of Asia. The practice is also present in parts of Europe and the United States. The CDC estimates that more than 500,000 women and girls were cut or at risk in the United States. In Europe, 600,000 women and girls have been subjected to the practice and another 180,000 are at risk. Many major organizations strictly oppose female gential mutilation, including the United Nations, the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

FGM is practiced for many different cultural reasons, which includeviewing it as a rite of passage into adulthood, making women fit for marriage, fitting cultural conceptions around purity and even catering to men’s sexual preferences. The practice is primarily done to young girls, and can be extremely psychologically and emotionally scarring as well as physically dangerous.

While many countries that practice FGM have made it illegal, and major organizations campaign against it, grassroots activists also have a largeimpact in working towards ending this violence against women.

One of the more prominent grassroots activists leading the movement is Ifrah Ahmed, a victim of FGM herself as a young girl in Somalia. Ahmed founded the Ifrah Foundation, an organization with the goal to end FGM in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. In Somalia, Ahmed’s childhood home, it is estimated that 98 percent of women have undergone FGM. Ahmed was instrumental in Ireland’s official ban of FGM in 2012. Recounting her personal experience, Ahmed doesn’t want to be seen as a victim. “I want people to see me empowering other women,” said Ahmed.

FGM has a long history in Somalia, making its practice deeply rooted in Somalian culture. The Ifrah Foundation’s most recent approach to ending the practice is called the Dear Daughter Campaign. The campaign is focused on reaching individuals and having people pledge to shield their daughters from the practice in the future. The campaign also aims to provide education and information around the issue, relying on individuals to help communicate the information to their communities through different methods of outreach. The foundation’s work has the full support of the Somalian government. The foundation hopes to help completely end the practice of FGM by 2030, a goal set by the United Nations.

In the past, the Ifrah Foundation has utlized grassroots activists by training people to speak on FGM and fight any misconceptions about the practice. Many of these activists will use their own experiences with cutting when discussing the dangers of the FGM. Activists like Ifrah Ahmed are key to fight female genital mutilation because they can approach the issue within context of the many cultures that practice it. Ahmed’s foundation is focused on systematic change, making their approach to FGM specified to the culture of each unqiue region. Despite the prevalence and persistance of FGM, Ahmed remains focused on a positive future, telling the Thomson Reuters Foundation “I can’t change what happened to me, but I don’t want any other girl to go through it.”

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Power Lines Are Killing Endangered Wildlife in Costa Rica

November 19, 2021

The abundant wildlife Costa Rica is known for is at risk as uninsulated power lines threaten to exterminate tree-dependent species, many of whom are already endangered.

Native Costa Rican Primate, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Costa Rica is known for its extraordinary wildlife, lush rainforests, and picturesque beaches. The country is often commended for its environmental practices, setting the record in 2017 for lasting 300 consecutive days entirely on renewable energy. The small Central American country is home to more than 500,000 animal species, encompassing 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity. Its biological richness and eco-friendly reputation are what drive eco-tourism, a significant source of the country’s income that has come to be a double-edged sword.

Over the past decade, tourism and economic growth in Costa Rica have surged, generating a need for development to support it. The construction happened rapidly, without planning and, in most cases, on a budget. Where the country saved using bare aluminum wiring for power lines, their beloved wildlife is paying the price. Not only do the above-ground power lines contribute to habitat loss and fragmentation, but they’re electrocuting the area’s tree-dependent animals.

Even though Costa Rica has laws in place to protect its wildlife, campaigners say they aren’t enforced. Gavin Bruce, the project manager at International Animal Rescue, told Unearthed that, “The country has a very ‘green’ image, and tourists from all over the world visit to see the amazing wildlife. But if you’re on holiday and wake up to the sound of a screaming monkey being electrocuted outside your window, it’s extremely upsetting, and people ask ‘how can they let this happen in Costa Rica?’ It’s difficult to answer.”

Nearly all of the power lines in Costa Rica are aerial, meaning they run above the ground along the sides of the roads. When animals confront the roads that divide the forests of trees they’re accustomed to, their only alternative to cross is to use the power lines as a bridge. When they make their way over, their bodies can form a connection between the un-insulated wires, sending up to 34,000 volts through them.

Each year, thousands of animals, including endangered monkeys and families of sloths, are being electrocuted on the un-insulated power lines. The mortality rate following electrocution is about 70 percent, mostly due to multi-organ failure after the animal’s body temperature surpasses 109°F. If the animal survives, the rehabilitation process usually involves limb amputation, leaving the victim unable to return to the wild. As a result, it’s thought that approximately 50 percent of Costa Rica’s arboreal mammal population has been lost.

In 2018, The Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Ricapublished a guide to address the issue, urging electricity providers to use insulated cables, practice preventative measures and provide data on animal electrocutions. Environmental engineer at the Costa Rican Electricity Institute Rafael Quesada was not optimistic about the effectiveness of the guide. Quesada told Unearthed that the guide “only recommends environmental actions, but doesn’t oblige any company to execute them.”

In the years following the MINAE report, campaigns like Refuge for Wildlife’s ‘Stop The Shocks’ and The Jaguar Rescue Centre’s ‘Shock-Free Zone’ were launched countrywide, aiming to spread awareness and lobby for change. Over time, community members in Heredia came together to start their own initiative. After calling their electricity company, ESPH, and voicing their concerns for the animals on their properties, the company partnered with Toucan Rescue Ranch and The Environmental Ministry to construct wildlife bridges — a safe alternative for animals to get from one side of a road to the other.

Wildlife electrocution isn’t limited to Costa Rica. As development is increasing across the globe, high voltage power lines are appearing in more sensitive habitats. Elephants in India, falcons in Mongolia and gibbons in Myanmar are only a few of the reported victims. Costa Rica has an opportunity to adhere to its ‘green’ reputation and act as a leader for other countries to follow. The country must take steps to insulate the existing lines, establish reactive programs and work with wildlife experts to change pole designs. Doing so will conserve the country’s environment, add biodiversity and provide a better future for the magnificent wildlife Costa Rica is known for.

To Get Involved

The Sloth Conservation Foundation has developed a range of strategies for sloths and humans to coexist in Costa Rica. Their work building sloth crossings, educating the community and collaborating with ICE to insulate power lines has engaged and empowered the local community. To support SloCo, you can volunteer, give a donation or contact their team.

Toucan Rescue Ranch

Toucan Rescue Ranch rescues, rehabilitates and releases sick and injured Costa Rican wildlife. The ranch works closely with MINAE, which brings injured and displaced wildlife to their center. They work closely with The Sloth Institute of Costa Rica and other species-specific release programs to ensure success for the animals. To get involved at TRR you can volunteer, donate and even “adopt” an animal. Get in contact with them to learn about other opportunities and internships.

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Spanish Statue Prompts International Discussion about Climate Equity

November 11, 2021

Mexican artist Rubén Orozco Loza’s latest installation of a drowning woman in Bilbao, Spain, incites international discussions of intergenerational equity in climate litigation.

Since appearing in the water of Bilbao’s River Nervión unannounced, an eerie statue of a drowning girl has mystified the people of the Spanish city. The figure was taken by boat in the middle of the night on Sept. 23 and placed quietly in the water. When residents awoke the following day, they were startled to see a young woman’s face partially submerged with her eyes and mouth tilted up, reaching for air. The piece has inspired international discussions about intergenerational equity and climate change. This issue is a big topic among European youth who, in recent years, organized school walkouts and protests.

Despite her passive expression, viewers have described the image to invoke different feelings as the tides rise and fall. A visitor viewing the statue, Triana Gil, told Reuters that “At first it gave me a feeling of stress when more of the face was out of the water, but now to me she communicates sadness, a lot of sadness … She doesn't even look worried, it’s as if she is letting herself drown.”

Rubén Orozco Loza, a hyperrealist artist from Mexico, created the sculpture. The installation, commissioned by the BBK Foundation, is titled “Bihar: Choosing Tomorrow.” In an email to Insider, Loza described the piece as “a reflection on the decisions we make for future generations.” The artist told the Spanish news site, Nius, that the goal of his work is for people to consider that “their actions can sink us or keep us afloat.”

With the help of his wife, Loza spent three months completing the piece in Mexico. The artwork is over 6.5 feet tall and weighs around 3.5 tons. It had to be flown to Spain in eight separate pieces and re-assembled there before it was brought to the river by boat.

The young girl stands still as tides rise past her ears and over her head, then slowly back down, unveiling her upward staring eyes and calm expression. This cycle repeats over and over, day after day. Her presence isn’t just unsettling residents but inspiring discussions around an uneasy topic that affects the global population: climate change.

A few days before the statue’s grand appearance in the river, the Science Journal published a report about intergenerational inequalities in exposure to extreme climate events. The paper found that children born in 2020 will experience up to seven times more extreme climate events like heat waves, wildfires, droughts, floods, hurricanes and tsunamis than someone born 40 years ago. This raises the important issue of intergenerational equity in climate litigation, which has fueled recent climate protests led by millions of young people in at least 110 countries in the last few years.

Loza told Insider that “‘Bihar: Choosing Tomorrow’ is an exercise in pausing, looking at what's changing, and above all, a future reflection of what can happen if we continue to bet on unsustainable models.” His artwork serves as a medium to contemplate the question of how future generations will experience a world impacted by the actions of people today. Loza added, “I hope that this piece helps people reflect and see how, like the sculpture, we can get to a point where we are no longer afloat.”

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The World’s Electronic Waste is Ending Up in Ghana’s Landfill

November 10, 2021

While new tech gadgets launch every few months, the buildup of electronic waste is being sent to Ghana and damaging the citizens’ health.

Location, Ghana. Fairphone. CC BY-NC 2.0

The capital city of Accra in Ghana is home to the largest e-waste landfill, Agbogbloshie. Electronic waste or e-waste is waste material with any battery or power cable. It ranges from everyday appliances to laptops, circuit boards, lamps, phones, etc. If these items are not disposed of properly, they can become harmful to the environment and people. An estimated 250,000 tons of electronics are sent every year to the dumpsite. The site not only houses e-waste, but about 40,000 Ghanaians inhabit the area alongside livestock.

The e-waste arrives in Ghana through the Port of Tema, about 20 miles east of Agbogloshie. Most of the items in the container ships are from the United States or Western Europe. The electronics are secondhand and sent to Ghana with the idea of being refurbished then sold. The majority of the items cannot be fixed and become e-waste, which is then taken to Agbogbloshie. Once the electronics arrive at the dumpsite, there is an entire process the electronics go through. First, small collectors sell the items to scrap dealers known as “masters.” The scrap dealers then have their workers, known as “boys,” use their bare hands, hammers and other tools to break apart the valuable metals inside. At times insulated wires are bundled together and taken to the “burner boys” they’re in charge of burning the plastic off of the wires. In doing so, they’re able to retrieve valuable metals. The metals include copper, aluminum, zinc, silver and others. Once the metals are recovered, they are weighed and sold for instant cash.

PCBs Used to Extract Metals. Fairphone. CC BY-NC 2.0

The supply and demand is what fuels the toxic pollution in Agbogbloshie. As soon as the bulk of metals and wires are sold, they are exported out of Ghana and reused to produce new devices. The men and young boys who do this harmful labor are usually from rural northern cities searching for work to provide for their families back home. A “burner boy” will make about $40-50 Ghanaian cedis a day (US$6-8). Living in extreme poverty and barely making enough to move further up the chain, along with paying the ultimate price with their lives. They work arduously with no protective gear and no government regulations. At times, these young men and children have multiple health issues due to the toxic fumes and chemicals that leak from the electric waste. They face chronic nausea, debilitating headaches, skin diseases, burns, respiratory problems, infected wounds and cancer among others. All these issues are brought on by the toxic work environment, pollution and lack of regulations. Most people know that this line of work is debilitating to their health. However, the desperation for survival is the driving force.

The people who work and live in Agbogbloshie are not the only ones suffering; the livestock is, too. The toxins are entering the food chain as cattle roam and graze the dumpsite freely. This is concerning as the Agbogbloshie area is home to one of the largest food markets in Accra. Most of the cows and chickens are slaughtered and eaten by the residents, which then ingest the high-level toxins. In addition, the water is also being contaminated as Agbogbloshie is situated on the Korle Lagoon. This lagoon is filled with piled-up waste of all sorts and links to the Gulf of Guinea, the Northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean.

Goat Freely Roaming. Fairphone. CC BY-NC 2.0

Agbogbloshie is known to many of the locals as Sodom and Gomorrah. These biblical cities are synonymous with Agbogbloshie’s difficult living conditions. Although harsh, the people of this slum depend heavily on electrical waste in order to make a living. The Ghanian government has condemned the activity that’s taking place here. However, it has not lessened. As of now, change might be taking place in the near future. The German agency, GIZ, is in the middle of delivering a $5.5 million project for the people of Agbogbloshie. The plan is to build a sustainable recycling system and a health clinic and football pitch for workers. Much more will need to be done to keep the people’s health intact and away from this harmful environment. However, this is a start in bettering the status quo.

Jennifer Sung

***www.jennwanders.com***

Climate Activists protest UN Conference in Glasgow

November 8, 2021

At the 26th United Nations conference, hundreds of protesters demonstrate their dissatisfaction with world leaders’ actions on climate change.

**Previous** **Extinction Rebellion protest** **2019.** **ici et ailleurs**. **CC BY-NC-ND 2.0**

For 26 years, the United Nations Climate Conference has gathered the world’s leaders to discuss climate change as a global issue. The 2021 climate conference (COP26) was held in Glasgow, Scotland. The United Nations conference in 2015 signed the pivotal Paris Climate agreement. The Paris Agreement was supposed to be a monumental step toward global action on climate change. In reality, it was the first time all countries in the UN acknowledged and agreed to limit global warming. In accordance with the Paris Agreement, each signed country was to bring its own plan to lower emissions and secure its own funds to do so.

The Paris Agreement and the United Nations conference as a whole had maintained global status leading up to the 2021 conference when fears about climate change were mounting among their citizens. Among the world leaders present, 25,000 delegates from 200 countries present at the conference to represent their respective countries.

On Wednesday, November 3, protesters gathered outside the SSE energy building in Glasgow. The protesters were organized by a group called Extinction Rebellion. The climate activist group is an international organization that aims to push governments toward immediate action against climate change. The November 3rd protest was a march against ‘greenwashing,’ when companies and major organizations claim to be eco-friendly but are failing to take tangible action. Five protesters were arrested; two of the arrests took place after police officers were sprayed with paint. However, aside from the few arrests, the majority of the protesters were peaceful and compliant with the police’s requests.

The greenwashing protest took place on the third day of the climate summit when world leaders were gathered to discuss the finances to address global action regarding climate change. A group of investors pledged to commit 130 trillion in private capital to reach the looming net-zero goal. Despite this pledge, activists remained skeptical, as evident by the hundreds that took to the streets.

The United Kingdom hosts the 2021 conference, and the country brings the goal of having the participants commit to net zero emissions by 2050, as first stated in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Notably, this goal falls 25 years short of Extinction Rebellion’s stated demands that greenhouse gas emissions reach net zero by 2025. Extinction Rebellion’s protests respond to the 25 previous conferences failing to deliver on their initiatives, stating via their website that “XR will continue demanding immediate action to tackle the climate and ecological emergency in the run up to, during and beyond COP26.”

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Dana Flynn is a recent graduate from Tufts University with a degree in English. While at Tufts she enjoyed working on a campus literary magazine and reading as much as possible. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she loves to explore and learn new things.

Nepal Requires Yoga Education For School Children

October 29, 2021

Nepal is the first nation to make yoga a requirement in schools. The government claims the courses will promote a healthy lifestyle yet the Muslim community is worried the policy will promote Hinduism.

Nepali children in a classroom. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. CC BY 2.0.

Last year, Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology completed designing their compulsory yoga courses for students in grades four through eight. The small Himalayan country is the first in the world to make it a required subject nationwide. Officials say the course is intended to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle, but the Nepali Muslim community is doubtful. They fear the new courses will attach religion to health and reinforce Hindu nationalism in the country.

Yoga was once a general elective course, but as of this school year, the Nepali curriculum requires students to participate in a weekly yoga course. Alongside math and science, students will have a “choice between yoga, Ayurveda, and natural medicine,” says Krishna Nasad Kapri, the joint secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. Certain yoga topics will also be integrated into English and Nepali language courses.

Officials in Nepal specified that it was the Nepal Communist Party which decided to change the curriculum, not Hindus. They pointed out that the yoga course is only required for students in grades four through eight and that older students can choose to take the course as an elective. Giriraj Mani Pokhrel, Nepal’s education minister, told The New York Times that “yoga is our ancient science. We want students to learn it, and we think this is the right time.”

The Muslim community in Nepal is not sold on the government’s intentions to promote healthy lifestyles through yoga courses. Some fear that the exercises will include religious and ideological contexts that could underline a rise in Hindu nationalism. Muslim activist groups have said they would oppose the mandatory yoga lessons if the students were expected to do poses such as the sun salutation, a series of 12 moves devoted to the Hindu god, Surya. Groups have also resisted chanting the sacred Hindu sound of “om.”

Nazrul Hussein, the former president of the Nepal Muslim Federation, expressed his stance on the mandate in an article for The New York Times, proclaiming that “Making anything mandatory that relates to one particular religion is against the spirit of the Constitution. We cannot do the sun salutation, and they should not link religion with health."

The director of Nepal’s Curriculum Development Center, the organization responsible for designing the course, denied any favor to a particular religion. He furthered his defense, telling The New York Times that “This course is for mass education,” he said. “Content against any religion is edited out.” According to reports from officials, sun salutations are a part of the class.

In the U.S., hundreds of public schools designate time for students to practice breathing exercises and stress reduction techniques. Some curriculums that offer yoga, and some colleges and primary schools require them even though national policies do not enforce it. Alabama Governor, Kay Ivey, signed a bill in May that undid a 1993 ban on yoga practice in public schools.

While the bill abolished a 30-year ban, it also established restrictions on how yoga can be taught. The bill states that students won’t be allowed to meditate, say “namaste,” chant, use mantras, mudras or mandalas. In addition, Hindu names cannot be used for poses. Instead, they must be replaced with their English versions.

Krishna Nasad Kapri told The Times of India that,“Besides being helpful in the treatment of various ailments, yoga, Ayurveda and naturopathy will also be helpful for further research.” According to the National Institute of Health, a 2016 report by the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded that yoga seemed to be a promising stress management tool for children, and that yoga “may have positive effects on psychological functioning in children coping with emotional, mental, and behavioral health problems.” However, the report also notes that studies on yoga for children have limited sample sizes. The introduction of yoga in schools has the possibility to make a positive impact on childrens’ lives, and allow scientists to research the benefits on a larger scale. Despite the religious controversies, Nepali schools are one step closer towards adapting stress management courses like yoga for public education.

Rising Tides of Trouble: Piracy Amidst a Pandemic

October 29, 2021

As the pandemic threatens lives globally, it has allowed for unseen tragedies to take hold: Naval vessels are increasingly vulnerable to piracy.

Royal Marines on Counter Piracy Operations Near Somalia. Defense Images. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Many adverse effects result from the pandemic lasting for nearly two years, including one that landlubbers are likely unaware of. For over a year, COVID-19 has exacerbated a problem that has permeated the seas for centuries: piracy.

In the first six months of 2020, fifty armed attacks at sea were recorded throughout Asia, twice as many than the year prior. Though the attacks spanned from the South China Sea to Bangladeshi coasts, Maritime Southeast Asia is the true threat for commercial naval traffic as most Asian naval attacks are concentrated within the Malacca and Singapore Straits. The region’s island geography is responsible for such prevalence of piracy, featuring dense clusters of three archipelagos whose waters are treacherous and often unsupervised.

Beginning in April 2021, naval hijackings in Central America increased significantly. Mexico’s opening of its oil industry to international investments is suspected to be the cause. As Central American pirates target shipping containers and oil platforms within the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. In addition, transnational criminal networks are lured by prospects of lucrative loot, such as technical equipment sold on the black market and inadequate security in Latin American countries.

Maritime security experts are most concerned about the naval violence surging off of West Africa coastlines. Whereas Asia experiences the highest frequency of piracy, West African waters, specifically within the Gulf of Guinea, suffer from the most severe crimes spanning from armed robbery to crew kidnappings. It’s also challenging to quantify the scale of piracy. Shipping companies may resist reporting pirate-related incidents to insurers. Up to 60% of all naval attacks on merchant vessels, fishing boats or passenger vessels occurring within the Gulf of guinea are unaccounted for. Many incidents of West African piracy take place as far as 100 nautical miles from coastlines, in areas unprotected by coast guards or naval forces.

Worsening Factors

The pandemic’s devastating effect on the global economy has increased poverty and unemployment, incentivizing individuals towards pursuing criminal activities. A decline in international trade has prompted shipping companies to decrease crew sizes and armed guard escorts, normally mitigating naval hijackings. Travel restrictions and border closures forced many vessels to be stranded at sea or port for months, yielding such ships as static quarries for premeditated piracy. Lastly, most nation-states prioritized public safety programs to contain the outbreak of COVID-19 among their land-based populations. Government focus has been redirected from possible threats at sea to definite ones on land. Resources and staffing have been shifted away from the security of bulk carriers, product tankers and container vessels—the types of ships most commonly preyed upon by pirates. Quarantines, fragile port security, and inadequate responses to the virus’s spread have enabled a global rise in piracy.

Rohan is an engineering graduate from Brown University. He is passionate about both writing and travel, and strives to blend critical thinking with creative communication to better understand the places, problems, and people living throughout the world. Ultimately, he hopes to apply his love for learning and story-sharing skills to resolve challenges affecting justice, equity, and humanity.

Mexico Decriminalizes Abortion, Work Remains to Be Done

October 26, 2021

The Supreme Court of Mexico determined the criminalization of abortion to be unconstitutional. Yet, economic inequities pose challenging barriers to reproductive rights for many Mexican women.

March for the decriminalization of abortion in Mexico City. Diana Caballero. CC BY 2.0.

On September 7 the Supreme Court of Mexico ruled the criminalization of women seeking abortion unconstitutional and established women with a legal right to exercise personal agency regarding their pregnancy.

In striking Article 196 of Coahuila’s Penal Code, the Supreme Court of Mexico determined penalizing women undergoing abortion violates their reproductive freedoms. Additionally, certain sections of Article 198, Article 199 and Article 244 were similarly struck for discriminating against women.

Two days later, the Supreme Court of Mexico invalidated a portion of Sinaloa’s state constitution which recognized a ‘right to life from conception.’ The nation’s highest court declared that federative entities, such as state constitutions, are not able to define the legal conception of personhood. As a result, neither an embryo nor a fetus may claim legal protections which ignore a woman’s rights, including her right to abort.

Reproductive policies in Mexico principally depend upon geography.

After Mexico’s shift toward decentralized governance, the issue of reproductive rights elicited contrasting subnational policy. Certain Mexican states permitted abortion and operated government clinics offering free abortions. Others prosecuted women seeking abortion for manslaughter.

But legal prohibitions of abortion do not discourage women from abortion – they merely endanger them. Dozens of women have been incarcerated for undertaking abortion, alongside doctors forced to renounce medical licenses. Women often risk secret and dangerous abortions, to evade incarceration: these abortions are Mexico’s fourth leading cause of maternal death. Each year 300,000 abortions conducted clandestinely yield serious health problems.

Now, these harms may no longer be legitimized. In its landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Mexico unanimously admitted the “unimaginable human suffering” experienced by women seeking to abort amidst criminalization. Rural and low-income women particularly bear the brunt of the pains incurred by penalization. The women prosecuted for abortion are disproportionately poor because poor women are most likely to end up at public hospitals due to improper abortions. As Supreme Court President Arturo Zaldivar succinctly explains, “Rich girls … have always had abortions and never gone to prison.” Mexico’s punative judgment of women undertaking abortion has been “a crime that punishes poverty.”

It may be a decade until Mexico adopts legalization at the national scope.

Policy changes will immediately occur within only Coahuila and Sinaloa, the two Mexican states the Supreme Court ruled against. Therefore, for decriminalization to spread via the federal judiciary amparo lawsuits, appeals to state abuses grounded in constitutional protections must be filed against each Mexican state opposing abortion from within. The Supreme Court’s rulings may then be cited as precedent to bind the specific state.

Dr. Caroline Beer, an expert in Mexican politics at the University of Vermont, expects national decriminalization to play out in a process similar to that of same-sex marriage. Some states will voluntarily decriminalize; others will have to be forced. Of Mexico’s thirty-two states, four have decriminalized already, and ten are anticipated to voluntarily decriminalize in the near future. It’s a matter of time and money before sufficient amparos are filed in the eighteen conservative states resisting decriminalization.

Class disparities delineate access to abortion albeit decriminalization.

Concerns remain that a Mexican woman’s ability to exercise her reproductive rights will depend upon her economic means. Mexico could enforce health standards mandating patient access to reproductive services, but without government clinics offering free procedures, it is unlikely lower-class women will have reliable access to safe abortion.

Middle-class and upper-class women either ‘know a doctor’ (who will conduct the abortion competently and confidentially) or fly abroad. “The important thing to understand,” stresses Dr. Beer, “is that legalization of abortion is more an issue of class than an issue of gender.” Poor women publicly suffer criminalization while rich women privately escape it.

Mexico’s decriminalization may have a modest international impact.

Dr. Beer, who also directs Latin American Studies at UVM, considers Mexico’s decriminalization a sign of the region’s willingness to liberalize attitudes regarding reproductive rights, if not legalize them.

Mexico and Argentina, which legalized abortion in December 2020, are two economic engines with international influence. Their decriminalization will be referenced by neighboring powers such as Brazil, Chile, and Colombia.

However, not all Latin American countries are moving forward. However, Nicaragua and El Salvador, whose politics operate on strong men authoritarianism, have actually heightened measures to limit women’s rights activism.

Feminist political groups spearheaded Mexico’s decriminalization.

Notably, Mexican President Obrador did not explicitly support women seeking an abortion after the Supreme Court’s rulings. President Obrador leans conservative but has allowed his women’s rights allies to promote reproductive rights themselves. Even though President Obrador may not personally approve of decriminalization, he acknowledges women’s rights organizations and feminists as significant political constituencies.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court’s rulings incorporate a sensitivity to women’s realities in their jurisprudence. Mexico’s strides to protect women’s rights via decriminalization of abortion stand out among nations regressing backwards, not the least being their immediate northern neighbor.

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Latin America is the Most Dangerous Region for Environmentalists

October 18, 2021

In 2019, 212 land and environmental defenders were killed worldwide. Over two-thirds of these killings took place in Latin America.

The grave of Berta Caceres, a human rights defender and environmentalist in Honduras who was murdered after speaking out against a hydroelectric project. Trocaire. CC BY 2.0

Since the adoption of the Paris climate accord in December 2015, an average of four environmentalists have been killed each week. Each year, around 60% of these murders take place in Latin America. These killings span different economic and environmental sectors, from agribusiness to oil and gas, and are traced to different perpetrators, including organized crime groups, paramilitary groups, police and contract killers linked to businesses. Latin America has so far seen little government crackdown on unauthorized practices that harm the environment, like logging and deforestation, and governments have been unsuccessful in preventing these illegal businesses from coming into conflict with environmentalists.

Global Witness, an organization dedicated to exposing the connections between natural resources, conflict and corruption, releases an annual report on the killings of land and environmental defenders worldwide. Since Global Witness began this report in 2012, Latin America has consistently ranked as the most dangerous region for environmentalists.

In 2019, the number of murdered environmental defenders reached a new high of 212. Sixty-four of these deaths were in Colombia, making it the country with the most environmental defenders killed. Brazil, Mexico and Honduras ranked third, fourth and fifth for number of environmental defender deaths. According to the report, mining, agribusiness and logging were the deadliest sectors for environmental activists. All three are sectors that contribute heavily to industrial emissions and thus face strong criticism for their impact on the ever-worsening climate crisis.

The 2019 Global Witness report also found that, as in previous years, Indigenous activists face disproportionate risk. Forty percent of murdered environmentalists around the globe belong to Indigenous populations, despite these groups making up less than 5% of the world’s population. The risk to Indigenous environmental activists in Latin America is no different; many of Latin America’s environmental activists are members of the Indigenous population, like Berta Caceres, whose 2016 murder following her vocal opposition to a hydroelectric project sparked international outrage. In the first two months of 2020, at least 11 Indigenous activists were killed in Latin America.

The 2020 Global Witness report on environmental defender killings has not yet been released, but the Council on Foreign Relations reported in April 2020 that high-profile killings of environmentalists in Latin America had accelerated during the first half of the year. It is likely that the number of environmentalists killed in Latin America increased, and will continue to increase unless preventive actions are taken.

Recently, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean took steps toward protecting the rights of environmental activists through the Escazu Agreement, which entered into force on April 22, 2021. The agreement, which was first adopted in 2018, introduces specific provisions to defend the human rights of environmentalists. The agreement has now been adopted by 24 countries and ratified by 12, officially putting its new provisions into effect. The Escazu Agreement is only the start of a solution, however. Governments need to not only protect environmentalists, but to support their mission of defending ecosystems while preventing environmentally destructive projects.

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Rachel is a student at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY currently taking a semester off. She plans to study Writing and Child Development. Rachel loves to travel and is inspired by the places she’s been and everywhere she wants to go. She hopes to educate people on social justice issues and the history and culture of travel destinations through her writing.