Both Sides

Today's class was a bit interesting, both in nature and argument. In discussing the mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 2011, I was reminded of the terrible atrocities that often occur because of political beliefs, prejudice, and even mental illness. In addition, the shooting in Norway is a devastating example of how the distortion of religion and political beliefs can harm others.

What I found to be a bit disturbing about the presentation was its accusatory nature. While it is essential to point out threatening or harsh rhetoric and communication that may be related to these incidents, one must not simply look at and accuse one specific category of political or religious affiliation (ie; Republicans and Christians) for contributing to such incidents. In order to ethically and properly examine an act of ethnoviolence or crime, you must look at both sides of the argument. Therefore, before one says that Republican/right winged rhetoric is a major factor in contributing to violent acts, he must consider Democratic rhetoric as well.

Justice in Mississippi

Having grown up in Mississippi, I must admit that I tend to shrink in my chair a little when the topics of racism, discrimination, and civil rights are brought up. I grew up in a culture proud of the Confederate Flag, and never truly understood the negative connotations that it conjures up until I came to college.

Taking this class has opened my eyes even more to not only the hardships faced by African Americans in the rural South, but to the great triumph and justice that has slowly, but surely, trickled down to that area.

To delve a little deeper into a story that has greatly impacted the culture in which I grew up, I'd like to take a closer look at James Meredith, the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi... also known as Ole Miss, the land of Colonel Rebel.

Today, James Howard Meredith is known as a Civil Rights movement figure, a writer, and political advisor, but his journey had an exceptionally difficult beginning.

After hearing President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address, Meredith decided to exercise his constitutional rights and to apply for schooling at Ole Miss. His first attempts for enrollment were rejected, when finally legal action ruled that Meredith had every right to enroll in the university. Governor Ross Barnett made one last effort to prevent Meredith from admission, but his attempt proved futile, and Meredith became the first African American student at Ole Miss on October 1, 1962.

In his time at Ole Miss, Meredith faced harsh discrimination, was escorted to class by guards and through tunnels, endured alienation and harassment, and sparked continuous rioting on campus. Despite the aversive behavior against him, James Meredith successfully completed two semesters of school at Ole Miss, and graduated on August 18, 1963 with a political science degree.

I have multiple friends who are students at Ole Miss, and I have to wonder if they often consider the great stride for justice and equality that Meredith made 50 years ago. As a native of that culture, I am forever grateful for his bravery and determination, as it is individuals like him who have made the South a better place.

Speaking Out

Thinking back to a couple of years ago, I faintly remember hearing about a student who had gotten kidnapped and raped after attending an off-campus party. I remember thinking how horrible it must have been to experience such an atrocity, and how scared the victim must have felt on that terrifying night. What sticks out most in my memory, however, was the fact that this student had done everything right- she was walking with friends, was not reported to have been intoxicated, and was not leaving a party with a male. This information was especially troublesome to me, as I naively thought that one only gets raped if they choose not to take these precautionary measures. At that time, I had no name or face to put to the story. The news came and went, it seemed, after a week or so, and I finished my sophomore year.

Now, almost two and a half years later, the story I once heard has not only names, but a voice. A voice that is currently being heard around the world by a woman who has defied fear and chosen the courage and bravery needed to change the perception of rape in our world.

Monika Korra's story has now been told through newspapers, television, and will soon be published in a book. Her life threatening account is peppered throughout national news networks and ESPN, through a special that ran this week featuring Monika's story.

Words cannot express how thankful I am to Monika and how much I admire her strength and courage to give a voice to individuals who are victims of sexual assault, and to forgive a criminal who forever changed her life.

Monika Korra's willingness to share her story is an example of how communication is being used to change and reform the injustice and stereotypes that silence victims.

Read more about Monika and watch her story here: http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/7811224/smu-cross-country-runner-monika-korra-survived-brutal-rape-tells-story

and here: http://www.smudailycampus.com/justice-brings-healing-monika-korra-s-journey-1.2844055

Fighting Human Injustice Through Video

In our class, Dr. Voth constantly stresses the importance of communication as a means to fight injustice int he world. On the first day of class, he quoted Eli Wiesel in saying, "What harms the victims most is not the cruelty of the oppressor but the silence of the bystander." Throughout this course, we have examined the way communication can shape society by looking at colonialism, the Civil Rights Movement, philanthropic organizations, podcasts, videos, case studies, massacres, and genocides (to name a few). In each of these analyses, we see the great impact that communication has on a society - either through its presence...or its absence. As good communicators, we should strive to promote high discursive complexity in our society, and as Americans or inhabitants of the United States, we are in the position to exercise such freedom. Check out the following videos of individuals who have exercised, and continue to exercise, high discursive complexity. See how their messages are equipped to inspire and challenge the world.

1. Musician and activist Peter Gabriel shares his very personal motivation for standing up for human rights with the watchdog group WITNESS -- and tells stories of citizen journalists in action.

Video: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/peter_gabriel_fights_injustice_with_video.html

2. In this provocative talk, journalist Andrew Mwenda asks us to reframe the "African question" -- to look beyond the media's stories of poverty, civil war and helplessness and see the opportunities for creating wealth and happiness throughout the continent.

Video: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/andrew_mwenda_takes_a_new_look_at_africa.html

3. In an engaging and personal talk -- with cameo appearances from his grandmother and Rosa Parks -- human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson shares some hard truths about America's justice system, starting with a massive imbalance along racial lines: a third of the country's black male population has been incarcerated at some point in their lives. These issues, which are wrapped up in America's unexamined history, are rarely talked about with this level of candor, insight and persuasiveness.

Video: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_about_an_injustice.html

Peru: a reflection

As I think of my trip to Peru just one month ago- I find myself wondering how the abandoned boys are doing. Most importantly, I wonder if any more have been dropped off at Kusi since I left.

To give you a bit of background, last month, 20 SMU students went to Yungay, Peru for a week to serve with Reformed University Fellowship (a campus organization) and Scripture Union (a ministry that has served the country of Peru for more than 20 years).

Before the trip, our team knew that we would be serving at a home for abandoned boys- but what we did not know was the reason for their abandonment.

The second day we were there, we sat in a crowded room on the Kusi site and listened to the stories of Billy, the President of Scripture Union. During this time we learned that the Peruvian boys at Kusi had been abandoned by their parents because they either couldn't afford them, were abusive, or kicked them out of their homes. You see, in Peru, the boys are thought to be able to survive best on their own, so they are the first to be released from the family....even as young as age 6.

After the boys leave home, they go straight to the streets. Here, the boys join gangs, are involved in theft, and many of them are left with no choice but to sell their bodies for sexual favors to earn money to buy food. What's even worse? The perception that the Peruvian culture holds of these boys. According to one individual that Billy mentioned, "All it takes to get rid of the street boys is to put one bullet in the skull." Billy also told us that the police were known to be cruel to the boys and often sexually and physically abuse them... "there are stories about Peruvian police using captured street boys as a soccer ball."

To say the least- I was shocked, horrified, and immediately felt sick to my stomach after hearing these stories. How could a culture hate children and youth who did nothing to deserve the type life that they were forced to live? How could these people not sympathize with their terrible predicament?

You see, these boys are victims of ethnoviolence. They are a group of individuals shunned by society for no reason other than their social status...which they did not choose.

While this realization is horribly saddening, I cannot express the deep encouragement that I felt in seeing the work of the staff at Kusi.

Kusi is a home in Yungay that houses these boys, gives them clean clothes, food, education, and most importantly, love and acceptance they may have never felt in their lives.

This organization currently serves 40 boys and fosters a love for Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

I will give a more vivid description of my time in Peru through pictures and video shown in my YouTube assignment... for now, know that the Lord is at Work.

Quite the Power

In this week's class, Dr. Voth spoke a bit about a woman named Samantha Power. I didn't recognize her name from any other context or area of study, but when he listed some of her work in the world of human rights academia, I was hooked.

Since we didn't have time to delve into her background, I thought I'd do a bit of research myself.

Samantha Power is an Irish-American. She is an academic, government official, and writer. She serves on the National Security Council staff, was a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, is a Pulitzer Prize winner, and is a special assistant to President Barack Obama.

Needless to say- she has quite the impressive resume.

But, perhaps what is more impressive is her work to make the world aware of the atrocities of genocide, ethnoviolence, and violations of human rights. In her 2003 book "A Problem From Hell: America & the Age of Genocide," Powers examines the origins of genocide and analyzes government's consistent failure to identify and act upon genocide around the world. This award winning book is said to challenge American government in it's international affairs, and to point out that the powerful and influential countries of the world has quite a ways to go before resting with a clean conscious.

Power's work centralizes on public awareness of all genocides (especially in Darfur and Armenia) and she ceaselessly calls for armed intervention into humanitarian crisis situations.

That being said, it is not surprising that Power advocates U.S. military involvement in the tumultuous country of Libya.

To Power, America has a "moral obligation to intervene" in preventing genocides.

The amazing part? When she is praised for her work and passionate efforts, she notoriously states that "you don't get extra credit for doing the right thing."

To read more on Samantha Power, click here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/samantha-power/gIQATW3s6O_topic.html#path-to-power

An Injustice Worth Talking About

In lue of the constant coverage of the Trayvon Martin case in the media, this "TED Talk" sparked my interest. In this 20 minute lecture, Bryan Stevenson discusses some unsettling facts about the American Justice System and our country's pending identity crisis.

This will definitely give you something to think about.

As you watch- be sure to catch Bryan’s stress on America’s criminal justice system. The US now has the highest rate of incarceration of any nation in the world, and there is no doubt that despair and hopelessness are shaped by these outcomes.

In addition, Bryan asks the question of the death penalty, not “do people deserve to be killed for the crimes that they commit,” but “do we reserve the right to kill them?”

As the shadow of racism and discrimination loom above this case, think about how the accusation, ruling, and outcomes of this incident have the potential to further shape the justice system and identity of America.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_about_an_injustice.html

Self Defense or Ethnoviolence?

Since the night of February 26th 2012, thousands of people in our country have been in a deep state of unrest.

On that Sunday night, Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by Zimmerman, a security patrolman on duty in a Sanford, Florida neighborhood. While rumors, allegations, and suspicions continue to fly in the wake of the terrible incident, the question is whether or not Treyvon was killed out of self defense or because of a racial profile that Zimmerman felt threatened by. Treyvon's family claims that this was a definite act of racism both in the act of shooting and in the lack of prosecution. Family members (and thousands of others) believe that Treyvon was killed because the patrolman felt threatened by his race, and that had Treyvon been a caucasian, Zimmerman would have been prosecuted for the shooting.

While we cannot draw conclusions on the definite motive of Zimmerman, this incident sheds light on very real possibility of ethnoviolence. Though the prevalence of discrimination and prejudice has been drastically decreasing since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, dozens of psychological studies tell us that racial profiling is a very real phenomenon.

Further comments on the Trayvon Martin case are pending on the investigation. For now, read more about police and racial profiling here: http://www.international.ucla.edu/cms/files/antonovics_knight.pdf

To Change the World?

Last week, I was deeply inspired when Brittany Merrill came to our Ethnoviolence class. For years I have been told, "you can do something that can change the world," yet, aside from reading about individuals like Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. I had never come across a "real life" example of someone who had done just that on a global scale.

Perhaps what is so unique about Brittany's story is how it all started. She was an admittedly "selfish" college student who grew up in a wealthy neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia. She had no innate passion for the African country or its people. The Summer before her junior year, she and a few friends traveled to Uganda to teach in a school for a few weeks. While she was there, Brittany met an impoverished woman who housed several orphan children. Little did she know, this woman would forever change her life.

Several months later, Brittany felt an urgent twinge in her heart to send money to the women she had met in her summer in Africa. As it turned out, her inquiry about helping was an answer to desperate prayer, as the woman and her many children were in dire need of assistance...but not just monetary assistance. Before she knew it, Brittany had bought land in northern Uganda and was set to start an orphanage for the woman and her children... and more children... and more.

Today, the UAPO supports 2 orphanages, is involved in water well initiatives, and employs dozens of women through the Akola project, where the women sell jewelry to make money for their families. You can read more about this amazing ministry and operation here: http://www.theuapo.org/projects/

Back to being encouraged.... though I haven't started a nonprofit organization in Africa (or the U.S. for that matter), it is my hope that the 3 mission trips that I have served on over the past year have made the countries of Haiti and Peru more open to the gospel of Jesus Christ. With every rock I've carried up a hill, every head of hair I've braided, and every tree I've planted, people's lives have in some way been touched and I am confident that this work is all part of a bigger plan to change the world as we know it... for the better.

Who Is James Farmer Jr.?

When I think about the Civil Rights movement in America, I picture divided buses, schools, and restaurants, signs prohibiting "negros" from entering buildings, riots in the street, and, of course, Martin Luther King Jr. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial delivering his "I Have a Dream" speech. One man I had never heard of before this ethnoviolence class was James Farmer Jr., one of the "Big 4" of the Civil Rights Movement. So, who is Mr. Farmer?

James was born in Marshall, Texas in January of 1920. He was the son of James Farmer Sr., a professor at Wiley College who also held a Ph.D. in Theology.

James Farmer Jr. was first introduced to the reality of segregation at a young age, when he was forbidden by his mother to buy a soda at a local store because of his race. It was, perhaps, this moment that sparked an unending fire of James to fight against segregation for the rest of his life. At the young age of 14, James Jr. enrolled in Wiley College and soon became the captain??? of the debate team. It was while participating in debate that James learned to effectively articulate his arguments against the rampant Jim Crow laws, which at that time invaded the South.

After his successful years at Wiley, in which he and his debate team defeated the Harvard University, Farmer moved on to further his work in the Civil Rights initiative. In 1942, Farmer co-founded the Committee of Racial Equality (C.O.R.E.), which sought to bring an end to racial segregation in America nonviolently.

Another initiative came in 1961, when Farmer began his involvement in the Freedom Rides, a plan for mixed races to test segregation (which, at that time, was ruled against) on interstate buses. The group, who traveled half by Trailways and the other half on Greyhound passed through Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, and eventually ended in New Orleans. Though the riders faced harsh cruelty, violence, and discrimination in Alabama especially, their momentous journey raised awareness and inspired African Americans across the country to fight for their rights in times of deep despair.

After a long life of courage, trials, and triumph, James Farmer Jr. died in July of 1999 from diabetes complications.

In learning about the efforts of James Farmer Jr., I am deeply encouraged by a man who endured violence, hatred, and brutality for fighting for his rights as an American. Because I wasn't alive during the Civil Rights Movement, I often forget about the hardship that so many endured to be seen and treated as equals in our country. While Martin Luther King Jr. was definitely one of the most influential Civil Rights Activists of the 1960s, we must not forget the efforts of men like James Farmer Jr., who helped make the United States society what it is today.

To see a clip from The Great Debaters, featuring the young James Farmer Jr. at Wiley College, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-ORiYP3O9g

The Truth About Africa

For as long as I can remember, I have associated Africa with images of starving children, internal warfare, and sadness. The mass media's images, stories, and statistics of heartbreak leave individuals thinking that Africa's problems are seemingly too difficult for even America to tackle. However, in recent days, I have adapted a new outlook on this land of 22.4 million people. According to recent statistics from the World Bank, many African countries weathered the recent brutal economy better than in years past, and Africa is considered one of the fastest-growing developing regions in the world. In addition, maternal mortality decreased by 26% between 1990 and 2009, and HIV and AIDS numbers have drastically declined in some places, while stabilizing in most. Other promising facts are:

-primary school completion rates are the fastest growing worldwide

-the percentage of individuals living in extreme poverty is declining (though about 1/2 of the population still lives on $1.25 a day)

-direct investments in the African economy are increasing

-Ethiopia, Gambia, Malawi, and Rwanda reduced child mortality rate by 25% in the past 10 years

-malaria infection is decreasing

Reading these statistics not only encouraged me, but made me realize how biased our media are and how misinformed I am about third world civilization. I am now more motivated to make a conscious effort to seek information and news from world organizations, not those who seek to saturate television with images and sound bytes to create drama and high ratings.

Though much of Africa, no doubt, has a long way to go before reaching first world status, the numbers and statistics are encouraging and need to be distributed around the world to recognize the great efforts that have been made to improve life in these countries.

Last semester, I had the pleasure of working with a nonprofit organization called Empower African Children, who seeks to empower children and teenagers in Uganda through schooling and scholarship programs. EAC also works to provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical care for those in need, while providing psychological care for those who need it. Recently, EAC launched a for-profit initiative called UWEZO brands, which promotes sales of shoes made by Africans to support EAC's efforts.

Check out Empower African Children's website here to learn more: www.empowerafricanchildren.org and for more information on UWEZO: www.uwezobrands.com

For more encouraging information on the continent of Africa, read here: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,menuPK:258652~pagePK:146732~piPK:146828~theSitePK:258644,00.html

"What To Do With A Nation of Amputees?"

For months after the catastrophic earthquake that shook Haiti to its core on January 13, 2009, this was a headline that pervaded newspapers worldwide. Of the 250,000 individuals who were injured that day, over 100,000 of them were amputee victims.

Now, let's take a break for a minute and consider the thoughts that immediately come to mind when an American thinks "amputee." Perhaps one thinks of faithful soldiers injured in battle, small children learning to walk on their new limb that resulted from cancer, or images of strong men and women finishing track races faster than those with two legs. Thankfully, these are common situations in our country for those who have lost limbs.

The Haitian culture, however, has an entirely different view of those who have lost limbs. "You don't exist in Haiti if you are an amputee," said one Haitian man a few days after the quake. This man was not the only one to struggle with the effects of his injury. "People are going to think I'm a freak. I wanted to be an electrical engineer. How will I ever get a job now," were the words of another amputee.

Though the predicament of these thousands of Haitians isn't a seemingly potent case of ethnoviolence, these amputees do face ridicule, embarrassment, and often abuse or neglect because of their condition. So, my questions are 'what is the root of the negative view of amputees in Haiti?' 'Has the government taken any action on behalf of amputees?' 'Does the government or culture instill in its people that you are only useful in society if you are considered a "whole" and healthy person?'

While the issue of the Haitian government is an entirely different can of worms (of which I am not fully qualified to discuss), after two visits to Haiti last year I know that government does nothing to ensure the betterment of these individuals. Though it is not the sole responsibility of the government to change the view of its citizens, it should promote and protect well being of and a positive outlook on the condition of more than 2% of it's nation's population.

As an amputee myself, I couldn't believe the shame that amputees in Haiti often feel. When I went to Haiti last year, I was introduced to a ministry called 3 Cords- a small business initiative started by Mission of Hope, a Christian nonprofit organization. Since the earthquake, 3 Cords has employed Haitian amputee women who make sewn goods to sell for the mission trip groups that come to Mission of Hope. This business has now expanded to the U.S. and through it, amputee women are empowered in society and are able to make money for their families- something that amputees never experienced in Haiti before the earthquake's devastation.

Though the 3 Cords ministry is rapidly expanding and slowly (but surely) changing the outlook many Haitians have on amputees, there is much work to be done. It is my hope that soon, the heart warming amputee images that we as Americans often think of will be shared by the men, women, and children in Haiti, and that Haitians will share a perception of hope and a future for these individuals.

For more information on Haiti and amputees after the earthquake click here: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1964441,00.html

To see the 3 Cords ministry and the inspiring work that these women are now doing visit: http://www.3cordshaiti.com/