Why is poverty so widespread?

A couple weeks ago my Issues in Development course was assigned to write, in under 1,000 words and based on our own opinions, an answer to the following question: Why, after millions of dollars of aid money has been invested in combatting poverty in developing nations each year, is poverty still so widespread? 

This is obviously a massive question that could easily take an entire course to answer, let alone one midterm assignment. At first, I had no idea how to even begin. Do you blame it all on capitalism? Racism? Neo-colonialism? Neo-liberalism? Climate change and the growing number of natural disasters? There are so many factors as to why poverty has continued to plague the global south, and it's extremely difficult to cram them all into a 1,000 paper. 

Below is an excerpt of the answer I came up with after a few days of brainstorming and narrowing down topics. It doesn't fully express my views - again, this is a huge problem with even bigger implications - but it does give a small snapshot of some of the reasons that poverty, in my opinion, is still so widespread. 

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Despite the millions of dollars worth of aid that is funnelled through developing countries every year, poverty still proves to be a large issue faced by many people living in the global south. According to a recent report by the UNDP, titled Humanity Divided: Confronting Inequality in Developing Countries the "richest one percent of the world population owns about 40 percent of the world's assets, while the bottom half owns no more than one percent." This statistic demonstrates how the global inequality gap remains substantial despite efforts to eradicate poverty and ensure all people are able to live healthy, secure and comfortable lives. In the examples that follow, it will become evident that widespread poverty is still prevalent worldwide due to the self-interest fostered by nations. 

Many developed countries, such as Canada, give millions of dollars of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to various developing countries every year. However, this money is primarily given to countries of interest. Canada, for example, lists countries such as Haiti, Vietnam, Ukraine and Ethiopia as countries of focus, meaning that the majority of money funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) goes towards development projects in these areas. In some instances, this money is being sent not only to help people in need, but also to benefit the interest of the Canadian government. As discussed in class, funding for Ukraine began during a Liberal election campaign, and has continued in order to keep the support of the Ukrainian population within Canada. This money is not filled with good hopes and intentions - it carries an attempt to keep Ukrainian-Canadians content with the actions of the Canadian government. It is clear that ODA funds have not always been intended as genuine aid for countries in need, not to mention regions where such money is needed, but rather, to help foster the political interests of the donor country. 

China, a newly developed country, is driven by the need to further develop itself at the cost os its own people. In order to compete with, and embrace, the rising tide of globalization, China turned to embracing illegal methods of production such as child workers and sweatshops. China's economic development has taken precedence over safe working conditions and concern for human rights. As the country continues to grow, many of its people remain in poverty. The vast amount of pollution throughout China, which results from their massive factories, also make everyday life almost unbearable for citizens, and greatly affect the agricultural production of farmers in rural areas. 

But projects at home are not enough to help boost its economy, so China also funds various infrastructure projects across the African continent. Many of these projects are established and managed by Chinese companies in order to bolster the Chinese economy externally, not from a humanitarian concern for the long-term prosperity of African economies and workers. As a result, China's continued economic expansion operates at the expense of its own people and those that it targets for external economic development. This once again demonstrates how international aid money can be the object of political self-interest. The self-interest of China to continue expanding its own economy greatly hinders both the capacities of its own people and those in developing nations it claims to be helping. 

The ways in which ODA are currently used has a great impact in ensuring that many people in developing nations continually rely on aid and relief, rather than gaining the capacities and knowledge to better their own lives. Large amounts of aid are used to supply 'band-aid' solutions to issues regarding poverty rather than providing a sustainable alternative. Rather than allowing aid money to be used to temporarily fix issues of poverty, donor countries should ensure that their ODA is being used for sustainable projects that will yield lifelong results. Due to the continuing pattern of 'band-aid' solutions, aid dependency has become rampant and allowed for a cycle of poverty to grow. Therefore, by holding donor countries accountable to implementing sustainable projects, this cycle has the potential to be broken, and poverty could be alleviated. 

All of these examples have shown the reality of growing poverty despite efforts of eradication. It has become extremely important for both developed and developing countries to set aside their own personal agendas and truly think about the future of the world as a whole. Systems of trade, governance and life itself are at risk when poverty expands, and self-interest will not protect our respected nations. In order to properly help those with the greatest needs, sustainable projects must be implemented with the sole intention of helping those whoa re suffering gain a better way of life, and not be based on prioritization or self-intertes. 

Remembering the realities of war

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month we remember all those who fought and died during both WWI and WWII, the Korean War, the war in Vietnam, and now those in Afghanistan.

For me, Remembrance Day has always been a struggle: who exactly are we remembering and for what reason?

As a kid, I always went to Remembrance Day ceremonies and participated because that's what everyone else did. We went and sat and listened to stories from veterans, were as quiet as possible for the two minutes of silence, and then went back to class not actually understanding what had happened. Even while participating in my town's ceremony with Girl Guides, I could tell this was a much more serious event than what was shown in school, but I still had no explanation. 

In high-school, after finding my academic niche in history classes, I slowly began to understand why Canada has a day of remembrance for veterans. The tens of thousands of both men and women who served and fought should be remembered. However, once I began university and continued studying history, I became more frustrated with ideas surrounding Remembrance Day. 

I am in no way saying that we should not remember, as that would be utterly disrespectful. What irks me is that many people draw the line and pay homage only to Canadian soldiers. Yes, I understand that we are in Canada, and yes, it is extremely important to respect those who share our Canadian heritage, but at the end of the day, war boils down to people fighting people. 

Soldiers, whether fighting at home or overseas, all experience very similar things. They are away from their family and friends, they are forced into extreme, inhospitable conditions and contexts, and many must deal with the overwhelming emotions of taking another human's life.

At the end of the day, there are no "good" or "bad" guys. There are only those with the courage to fight for whatever it is they believe in. This level of devotion and sacrifice deserves nothing more than respect.

Who is to say that a German soldier, stuck down in the trenches, covered in filth, doesn't deserve any form of remembrance? Did he not also leave his family behind to go and fight? Whether by choice or conscription both loyalty and courage was displayed, both of which warrant respect.

At the end of the day, everyone involved in war is human, and these people all suffered horrible experiences that should be both recognized and remembered.

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There are also a number of articles that I would like to share without necessarily commenting on them.

This article by Dough Saunders touches on common characterizations of veterans, and whether or not this language should be continually used.

Some veterans across the country silently protested during ceremonies today due to poor policies implemented under the Harper government.

If you want to read more about veterans not being compensated by Veteran's Affairs, Bruce Moncur wrote about his experience serving in Afghanistan.

Harry Leslie Smith also shared his reasoning for choosing to pay respects in private, as the public has begun to skew the meanings of remembrance.

These are all important pieces of the puzzle that Remembrance Day has become. How we choose to pay our respects should be on a more personal level given the different contexts that everyone experiences. However, despite how you choose to pay homage, one thing should remain the same: only the utmost respect is given to all veterans. 

the gunpowder treason will never be forgot

Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason, the gunpowder treason, should ever, be, forgot!

Today the United Kingdom is celebrating Guy Fawkes Night, also know as Bonfire Night. In North America, you may hear people reciting the rhyming lines above and talking about how they're going home to watch V for Vendetta.*

However, Guy Fawkes Night isn't celebrated because of a comic book. It's celebrated because Guy Fawkes, along with 12 other men, attempted to blow up the House of Lords and kill King James I. 

Their plan was dubbed the Gunpowder Plot, and Guy Fawkes Night is actually celebrating the plot's failure. 

A group of English Catholics - led by a man named Robert Catesby, and also including Fawkes - began meeting in 1604 to devise this plan. They decided to assassinate King James I on November 5, 1605, as that was the date when the State Opening of Parliament was to take place. (The State Opening of Parliament is a yearly event that marks the commencement of a session of Parliament and includes a Throne speech.) 

The main reason for wanting to kill James I was simply because he was a Protestant king. England, much like the majority of Europe during this period, was dealing with the repercussions of religious reformations. As a result, there were extremely high tensions between people of different faiths, and violence was not uncommon. While James I was tolerant of Catholics within his country, many were still wary of his Protestant faith, and preferred to see a Catholic sit on the throne. 

While the main goal was to kill James I, other notables of the royal family and parliament were also expected to be present and therefore killed, which made November 5 the most ideal date for their plan to unfold. After killing James I the Catholics planned on making his daughter, Princess Elizabeth, a Catholic, queen. 

All of the conspirators took an oath of secrecy so that their plot would not be discovered, and they began planning almost a year in advance. 

Fawkes, who had many years of military experience, was elected to take charge of the gunpowder. He began storing it in a cellar underneath the House of Lords, which was easy to do because the parliament buildings were usually full of merchants and workers who hauled around food and various other supplies. 

It was decided that Fawkes would be the one to light the gunpowder, and then quickly escape before getting caught. The explosives were wired to continue going off throughout the designated area. At the same time, a revolt in the Midlands was to begin to ensure that Princess Elizabeth was captured and could be put on the throne afterwards. 

However, an anonymous letter was sent to some men close to the king, and soon enough, James I discovered that there was a plot against him. It was decided that the Parliament buildings had to be searched in order to ensure safety, and this was when Fawkes was caught.

The piles of gunpowder were also discovered when Fawkes was arrested, which confirmed the details of the anonymous letter. On November 5, Fawkes was taken before the king and court. He had immediately used an alias, John Johnson, and upon questioning insisted that he had devised the plan himself and was working alone the entire time. 

However, James I suspected that this was a lie, and ordered for Fawkes to be taken to the Tower of London and tortured. He was subjected to torture on both November 6 and 7, and, according to records, by the end of November 7 had cracked and confessed everything. During these events, other members of the group were also being arrested and brought in for questioning. 

After the accused were revealed to the public, they were branded as Catholic heretics, charged with high treason, and sentenced to death. Fawkes, along with three others, were sentenced to be hanged as well as drawn and quartered. Their bodies, after being put in a noose, were quickly cut down before dying so they would still experience the physical pain of being quartered. However, many accounts state that Fawkes jumped off the scaffold in order to snap his neck and die immediately so he would not experience any further suffering. 

It was one year later, on November 5, 1606, that the "Observance of the 5th of November" was passed, allowing for official celebrations commemorating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot. This tradition has carried on to today, and is now more commonly referred to as Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night. It is also common for effigies of Fawkes to be burned on the fires as a form of protest against him and the Gunpowder Plot as a whole. 

Lighting fires and setting off fireworks on November 5 is rooted in celebrating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot, Robert Catesby, Guy Fawkes and the rest of the group; the celebrations are for the survival of King James I and a Protestant rule over England. So if you plan on celebrating today, please give some thought towards the history of this date, and don't just give in to the popular culture and practices that are far removed from the traditions. 

* V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore, is only very loosely tied to the story of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. Without giving too much of this fantastic plot away, the main character, V, who dawns a Guy Fawkes mask, is basically planning on overthrowing the repressive, totalitarian government that has developed in a futuristic, dystopian Britain. 

Sustainable Aid

What would happen if North America and Europe called up Africa and told them that in just five years they would stop sending aid money to help fuel development projects and the economy?

This is the main question that Dambisa Moyo poses in her book Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working And How There Is A Better Way For Africa. Her thesis is simple: millions of dollars worth of aid money being pumped into the African continent is actually doing more harm than good.

I'll admit that when I first began reading this book for class I was a little shocked. How could Moyo possibly say that aid money was slowing development in Africa? However, once I kept reading, and began to understand the fundamentals of her argument, it all came crashing down and made complete sense.

It's important to first understand the exact type of aid money that Moyo is lamenting against.

For instance, in her opinion, aid money given in lieu of a natural disaster, such as an earthquake or flood, is acceptable. In this case, I have to agree. When a catastrophic event of this nature takes place it is absolutely necessary to help fellow humans that are experiencing life-threatening danger. To just sit back and do nothing would be irresponsible. Now, I'm not saying that everyone should hop on a plane and rush over to wherever such an event occurs, but giving even the smallest amount can go a long way to ensure that a child has clean drinking water for a day.

However, with emergency aid and charity aid, Moyo advises people to be wary of where exactly money is going, because charities may not be spending money where they say they are.

While I understand that this is something to be skeptical about, I also understand that there are many overhead costs to running a charity, and not every dollar raised can necessarily go directly towards a development project or program. There are transportation costs involved, salaries, insurance payments, accommodations for staff and so on. To any respectful charity or NGO, these are realistic costs that must also be met.

However, charities or NGOs that simply hoard their money or find alternative and inappropriate ways to spend their fundraising dollars have no excuse. Moyo is absolutely correct in stating that these ventures should be avoided, because they are indeed helping no one.

The same argument, she argues, can be said about African governments that receive large monetary loans or transfers from rich, developed countries. Billions of dollars have been given to a number of different African countries, but issues regarding poverty, food and water supplies, education and numerous other basic human rights still loom over many people's lives. Mass corruption and civil wars are also present, and only make matters worse.

So why is it that Africa has been stuck in a cycle of dysfunction? If countries are receiving millions of direct dollars each year, why are so many life-threatening problems still present?

After completing Moyo's book, paired with my own knowledge and opinions, I believe that a severe lack of sustainable projects, couple with irresponsible governments.

For example, if a country receives, let's say, five thousand dollars to help alleviate hunger, and rations are given out to families, only a bandaid solution is provided. While those families may be fed for a week, what happens afterwards? Would it not be more sustainable to invest that money in agriculture tools and educational workshops to teach the families how to farm and feed themselves for a prolonged period of time? Then, not only would they be able to feed themselves, they would also be able to sell portions of their yields and create a small income for themselves.

By simply continuing the pattern of bandaid solutions, in various circumstances, people are becoming dependent on aid money. This is not a solution, but rather a corrupt system that forces people to live off of reliance. Systems such as these are not helping anyone.

Many governments, rather than helping their people, are also responsible for only making matters worse. Instead of using aid money to better their country and their people, some African leaders simply mismanage their country's economy, and take large sums of money for themselves and immediate family members, friends and close supporters.

Robert Mugabe, the leader of Zimbabwe, has been criticized both nationally and internationally for mismanaging monetary funds and running his country's economy into the ground. While he has a lavish lifestyle, his people are suffering.

This is not uncommon in many African countries. There are multiple leaders that take money and invest it only in themselves rather than bettering their country as a whole. While many Western countries and donors actively avoid proving aid to these leaders, it is difficult to completely avoid corruption.

This has become a sad reality when attempting to help people in developing countries. As a result, it has become extremely important to recognize where your aid money is going, and what exactly it is funding.

In order to properly help those in need, sustainable projects must be funded that target basic human needs. That is the first step developing countries need to take in order to become self-sustainable.

Should you really celebrate Columbus Day?

Today is Columbus Day, where many Americans celebrate Christopher Columbus arriving in the New World way back in 1492. Some even like to celebrate it as a day of Italian-American culture and heritage, but if you want to get technical, Italy wasn't a country until 1861, and Columbus was actually Genoese.

Columbus also didn't discover the New World, as many people celebrating today probably believe. There are records indicating that Norsemen (Leif Ericson) travelled to present-day Newfoundland around the tenth century, which was before Columbus sailed his Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria across the Atlantic.

In 1947, Thor Heyerdahl also embarked on his Kon-Tiki expedition, where he sailed on a raft across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands to prove that ancient peoples, pre-dating Columbus, had the ability to travel across waters and inhabit new lands.

I'm also just going to point out that Columbus never stepped foot on the mainland of North America. His travels were focused more on the Caribbean islands and the coastline of South America -- no where near present-day America.

You can argue, as many have, that Columbus didn't discover the New World because, you know, there were already people living there before he arrived. And it's because of his interactions with these indigenous populations that so many different groups have begun movements against Columbus Day.

Why?

Well, I like to refer to it as "a horrible excuse to hide history and ignore all the genocide that was unleashed against indigenous populations." Because that's basically what happened. You just never hear about it because people don't want to admit to the atrocities that happened in the past, or they're too ignorant to attempt to understand why this disgusting holiday is still celebrated.

One of the largest movements against Columbus Day in the USA is lead by the American Indian Movement (AIM) who argue that his arrival brought absolutely nothing good to indigenous people that were already present on the land he supposedly discovered.

Europeans that came along with Columbus not only brought infectious diseases that killed off countless natives, but they also carried out acts of warfare, enslaved their populations, attempted to assimilate them, and if there was any opposition, the native populations were tortured and/or killed.

To put it simply, Columbus and his fellow Europeans brought a genocide onto the native populations that they stumbled upon.

On Columbus Day people are celebrating a history of colonialism and enslavement that ravished indigenous populations. So before you go out celebrating today, maybe you should stop and think about the history behind this so-called holiday.

Is this really something you want to be joining?

Maybe you could instead opt to celebrate one of the many alternative holidays that are emerging into the mainstream American culture. For example, in Berkeley, California, today is known as "Indigenous Peoples Day" and commemorates those that were living before Columbus arrived.

Instead of celebrating a part of the past ripe with imperialism, slavery and mass murder, stop to think about the reality of the situation.

Fun (Canadian) Thanksgiving Day Facts

You guys, I'm really sorry to have to say this, but in my last post I lied to you!

I credited Americans with hosting the first "official" Thanksgiving at Plymouth in the early 1600's (1621, according to Wikipedia), when in fact, Martin Frobisher celebratory "three cheers for not dying while looking for the Northwest Passage" Thanksgiving was held in present-day Newfoundland in 1578. That's a 43 year difference in "first" Thanksgivings.

As an apology, here are some Thanksgiving-themed fun facts that you may or may not have already known!

1. Thanksgiving in Canada is always celebrated on the second Monday in October. 
2. Thanksgiving isn't a statutory in the eastern provinces (Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, and New Brunswick). 
3. According to the Turkey Farmers of Canada, 3 million turkeys were purchased by Canadians for Thanksgiving weekend in 2011. 
4. Apparently the Etruscans began the tradition of breaking the wishbone in 322 BC, and carried it throughout Europe as they went along conquering. The tradition struck and was passed along to other Europeans, who then brought it over to North America when they conquered the New World. 
5. During the 1920's, Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving during the week of November 11th, but after Remembrance Day became a nationally recognized date, Thanksgiving was pushed back to October so the dates would not coincide. 
6. According to the Turkey Farmers of Canada, there are only 548 official turkey farmers throughout the entire country. 
7. In Canada, we don't have Black Friday sales the day after Thanksgiving. It's just more of a normal Tuesday, except the majority of people are suffering from serious turkey comas. 

Why do we celebrate being thankful?

If you're Canadian, this weekend you probably travelled home to be with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving. You're probably going to eat a giant turkey or ham, potatoes, squash, corn gravy, pumpkin pie and whatever else your mother makes for your annual Thanksgiving feast.

You'll probably all share what you're thankful for too. Common themes refer to family, friends and good health.

But let me ask you this: Why do Canadians even celebrate Thanksgiving? This weekend I've been asking a bunch of my friends, and they all basically have the same answer: "I don't actually know ... because we're so close to America?"

Thanksgiving is a big deal in America, because AMERICA! Why not celebrate how wonderful it is to be the largest country that oozes capitalism and chants of 'MERICA? Although the first reported "Thanksgiving" was held at Plymouth in the 1600's, which is much more likely why Americans are so adamant about celebrating every year.

For Canadians we celebrate thanks to the traditions of those wonderful Europeans that crossed the Atlantic Ocean and settled in North America. Or should I say Lower and Upper Canada?

One of the first "official" Thanksgivings in what is now present-day Canada was celebrated by Martin Frobisher for surviving the journey through northern waters in an attempt to find the Northwest Passage.

For many other European settlers, fall harvests happened in October or November, and they were thankful for the bountiful new land they had that gave them lots of delicious food, and the tradition stuck. While more settlers came over to North America, more celebrations occurred.

Today, some of the original traditions hold true, but for most Canadians, this weekend is just a good excuse to take Monday off and eat as much turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie as humanly possible.

To me, this seems a bit weird, but hey, it works.

News Briefs

Starfish vanish from West Vancouver waters 
Divers that frequent the waters off the shore of West Vancouver have recently alerted the Vancouver aquarium that starfish, or sea stars, have been rapidly disappearing. In the past few years, the population had been booming, but now, these sea creatures are dying in mass numbers with no explanation.

Researchers at the Vancouver aquarium have described this as an epidemic, and dubbed it the "Sea Star Wasting Syndrome," as they have yet to discover why the population has almost completely disappeared.

It's been difficult to identify the root of the problem because there are little to no specimens of starfish left in the water to collect. However, some experts are speculating that because of the previously large population, some sort of disease was developed and passed around, which has now almost completely decimated the population.

Researchers in other others -- Florida and California -- have reported similar incidents with their starfish populations, but it is too soon to tell is these events are in any way linked.

Source

Running of the bulls kills one, injures three
Earlier today, officials in Spain announced that a woman in her late 50's was killed during an annual festival in the small town of Ferez, in central Spain. She was participating in the running of the bull, a common Spanish tradition, when the bull gored her through the abdomen.

Three other people, including her daughter, were also injured by the bull.

While the running of the bull clearly poses many lethal dangers, it is still a very common traditional in various Spanish traditions, and is preformed multiple times throughout the year in towns and cities around Spain.

Source

Home Alone: Lost in Las Vegas 
Last week, a 9-year old boy from Minneapolis was able to board a plane and fly to Las Vegas without any parental supervision or a boarding pass. Before boarding the plane, he also got lunch at one of the airport restaurants, and then snuck away without paying by saying he needed to use the washroom.

While this may sound like a dream come true to many children and young adults, it is in reality a terrifying incident that shows the lack of attention staff at this airport had on that day.

Source

Homelessness criminalized in Hungary

Nearly 30,000 homeless people living in Hungary are about to become susceptible to a new law passed by the Hungarian government enforcing homelessness as a criminal offence.

This new law, according to Human Rights Watch, was passed with a majority vote of 245 for and only 45 against.

Homeless citizens will no longer be allowed to sleep in public areas or dumpster dive. If caught, authorities are legally allowed to force these "criminals" into homeless shelters, give out fines and even arrest them for sentenced jail time if they're convicted twice within six months -- which will likely be the case for many.

According to an article published in the International Business Times, the Hungarian government is defending this new law by stating that it aims to "protect public order, security, health and cultural value." Government officials have also stated that homeless peoples in major cities should have no problem finding appropriate places to sleep, as there are homeless shelters available.

However, advocate groups are dismissing this claim, explaining that the amount of available space in shelters is far below the amount of homeless people. Without government support and funding for more adequate shelters, many people will have no where to go, and will ultimately be charged, and possibly jailed, due to these new laws.

These new laws are extremely unsettling. Governments should be passing laws that protect their citizens rather than put them in more danger. In order to properly, and professionally, solve the problem of homelessness, resources should be invested in public programs that will help eradicate the problem.

Criminalizing homelessness is not an answer. Now, numerous innocent people will be thrown into jails for reasons that may be beyond their control. Some of these people did not choose to be homeless, and do not deserve such harsh consequences. And for those who are homeless and refuse to utilize shelters, that is their freedom of choice.

Advocacy groups need to step up and challenge the Hungarian government on these new laws. There are more decent forms of "cleaning up the streets," and more effective ways of helping eradicate homelessness and give sincere help to those in need.

March for elephants

Earlier today, new, gruesome information regrading the cyanide poisoning on elephants in western Zimbabwe was released. As of this morning, a recorded 91 elephants have been found dead, with more potential carcasses yet to be found. A number of other animals, including lions and vultures, have also been found dead in both the immediate and surrounding areas of the elephants and their waterholes. This is by far the most severe ecological attack constructed by poachers that the area has ever seen.

According to an article by Tendai Musiya, which has was published today in both The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star, nine suspected poachers have been formally arrested, with three men already being sentenced to 16 years in jail. While justice is being served to those guilty of these unforgivable crimes, the repercussions are still being felt by wildlife, and will continue to be an issue for some time.

Two of the main waterholes are going to be completely sealed off so that animals will not be able to access the contaminated water, and two new wells will be drilled out. The animal carcasses will be burnt in order to stop bacteria from spreading, and the top layers of soil around both the dead animals and contaminated waterholes will also be removed.

While these efforts are being carried out, protection for wildlife in the park will still be very strained due to a severe lack of funding, which results in fewer staff members, as well as other resources.

This event, which has been garnering global attention, is also occurring within days of an event called the "International March for Elephants," which will occur this Friday, October 4. This event, which is spread over three continents, is being done in order to raise awareness for elephant rights in both Africa and Asia. Elephants are being poached into extinction, and this event aims to encourage people to stand up for elephants and stop the mass slaughter that happens every day of ever year.

According to the website www.iworry.org, an elephant is killed every 15 minutes, and at this rate, they will become extinct by 2025. The website has an electronic petition that can be signed, but encourages all supporters to physically attend marches in order to spread awareness amongst the general public. If people don't speak up for elephants, they will soon be gone.

While there is absolutely nothing good about the cyanide attacks that occurred in Zimbabwe, I sincerely hope that, at the very least, people following the event will be lead to the "The International March for Elephants" and become more educated on elephant rights. Elephants need our help more than ever in order to survive, and the first step is spreading awareness. Only then can more demand be put on creating stricter laws, and ensuring that national parks receive the appropriate resources they need to protect what precious wildlife is left on this planet.

Severe infrastructure problems not new for India

Yesterday, after three long days, a search and rescue operation in Mumbai, India, was called off after a residential building had collapsed. Thirty-three people were rescued, still alive, but injured, while the death toll reached sixty before all missing peoples were accounted for. Depending on the severity of some injuries, the death toll may rise depending on whether or not some people are able to heal. 

Incidents such as this are becoming increasingly common in India. According to a BBC article, upwards of 100 people in Mumbai alone died due to building collapses between April and June alone. 

According to an Aljazeera article, in 2012 alone 2,651 people were killed across the country due to building collapses. 

The amount of shoddy buildings in Mumbai, and across India, is due to the extremely large population battling for limited living spaces. The population of India, according to the World Bank is over 1.2 billion. It is the world's most populated country, but no where close to the largest in terms of geographical size. As a result, people are literally squished together in residential areas, with a large majority being in ghettos. 

Many buildings, such as the one that collapsed on Friday morning, are not built up to government standards. Because there are so many people vying for places to live, many buildings are put up quickly and do not pass certain inspections; families rush in and no questions are asked. 

The building in question was said to have collapsed because of unauthorized renovations being conducted on a lower level, which went terribly wrong. However, an argument is being made that the building needed repairs that weren't being conducted legally. Either way, building codes were not followed, and the events that followed were extremely terrible. 

Many groups throughout India have started to fight against building codes -- they want to ensure that homes are safe to live in, and rightfully so. However, with a teeming population in such small boundaries, the reality is quickly-built, multi-story homes. Apartment complexes have to be higher than ever in order to accommodate the millions of families, but strong bases are not commonly found. This is also contributing to more and more families moving into slums. 

The housing crisis in India has no simple solution. There are simply far too many people to properly house, which is a very sad and harsh reality. Different development agencies should try to push for more low-income housing projects, although the logistics would most definitely prove to be extremely difficult. Still, efforts need to be made in order to ensure that people's lives aren't in danger because of poor, illegally built homes. 

Cyanide & Elephants

Elephants, or loxodonta africana, are quickly becoming endangered -- there are only roughly half a million of them left in the world. The World Wildlife Fund has all sorts of fun facts on elephants.

Way back when it was totally acceptable to hunt animals on mass scales, elephants were prized predominately for their ivory tusks, which were used to make slick looking pianos, among other things. However, since their populations have been dwindling, there are strict laws against poaching these beautiful beasts that have been put in place by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, as well as various African and Asian countries.

But that's not stopping poachers in the Hwange National Park located in Harare, Zimbabwe. Last week, it was reported that up to 64 elephants had been found dead due to cyanide being placed in waterholes. Yesterday, this number had risen to at least 81.

It's been discovered that a South African businessman was behind the poisonings. He wanted the elephants dead so that their ivory could be harvested. A total of nine poachers have since been arrested.

The cyanide in the waterholes, however, it not just affecting elephants -- anything, or anyone, that comes in contact with this water will be at a very high risk of intense sickness and death, depending on the levels of poison consumed. Many predators, such as lions, have also been found dead after eating the elephant carcasses. As a result, the Zimbabwean has issued an ecological disaster.

This incident is troubling on many levels. The first, and most obvious, being the destruction of so much innocent wildlife. The fact that such a powerful poison was placed in an open water supply is extremely haunting. These poachers were so determined to get elephant tusks that they placed additional animals, as well as potential humans, at risk for their lives. There is no excuse for such outlandish behaviour. The ecological effects of this event will be long-lasting; the water will sink into the ground and have negative effects on future crops, as well as a direct effect on animals and humans alike in the surrounding area.

Additional strain is also now on the government to not only crack down on poaching laws, but also establish new regulations to stop such a devastating event from occurring again. Environmentalists and animal rights activists have already began lobbying for stricter laws, and the government has said they will act as soon as they can, and within reason.

Poaching, however, has been a severe issue for generations, and not one that is easily combatted. Poachers often work within illegal networks that are not easily detected, and therefore not easily stopped. The necessarily supplies and time needed to combat this issue will be costly.

Needless to say, this extreme violation of poaching laws, and unnecessary slaughter of wildlife, is heartbreaking. One can only hope that a resolution will quickly be put in place, and that all necessary actions will be carried out to preserve the elephants, and other wildlife, that are still struggling.

Return of the blogger

So it appears that I have not posted on this blog in well over a year, which is quite unfortunate. However, that's not to say that I haven't been writing! In fact, this past year I wrote more than ever. 

I was lucky enough to have been hired by Laurier's student newspaper and work as the Campus News editor for the past year. I covered a lot of pretty interesting beats, including, but not limited to, the controversial, revamped dining hall, residence break-ins, racist posters on campus, and more, including an editorial that won an award. 

That, combined with my other part-time job, courses, and various volunteer positions kept me pretty busy and distracted from posting anything on here. I know, bad excuses. But, despite being back in school for a graduate program now, I am going to do my absolute best to post weekly pieces! 

One of my classes requires us to do multiple weekly readings on current news worldwide, focusing on issues regarding international development. The majority of my posts will, for now, reflect those topics, but I'll make sure to throw in some other stuff as well to keep things interesting and not overly depressing.

The more you read, the more I'll post. Let's make this a win-win for everyone. 

WILD animals

Animals live outside, in the wilderness. They are 100% independent. They feed themselves, they protect themselves, and they've been doing it for years.

Humans live indoors, and have long abandoned the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. We have, in many ways, isolated ourselves from nature and the environment as a whole. For many of us, the 'outside world' is not only exotic, but a place to fear.

Remember going out into the forest as a kid and playing? No. If you even had the privilege to near a wooded area, you probably didn't go frolicking around in it out of fear that a bear would eat you (or some other type of creature). You're always careful at beaches too, just in case a shark decides to pay a visit.

And if a wild animal came prancing through your front door, you'd probably either chase it out, or, if it was small enough, kill it. We don't like outsiders, especially wild ones, invading our homes. As humans, we protect our territory.

So why is it that when humans go into the homes of animals they are utterly shocked and surprised when they are attacked?

A few days ago, a young boy was killed in British Columbia while camping with his family. He was attacked by a hungry cougar and died.

Yes, this a terrible, awful thing to have happened. No one should come to such a fate while vacationing with their family, and especially not at a young age.

To me, though, an attack on a human by a wild animal, while in such a setting, does not seem obscene. You are entering THEIR home and THEIR territory. Do you really expect to go unnoticed? Because you won't.

A young cougar such as this was doing the only thing it knew how to do: fend for itself in order to stay alive. If it couldn't find any smaller game to eat, I can completely understand why it attacked a human. Again, I cannot stress enough that this attack is extremely unfortunate, but it's also certainly not abnormal.

People need to stop freaking out about animals acting like animals. They aren't going to be civilized snobs like humans are. They don't understand our views on life and behaviour, they only understand their natural instincts. It's time society took a step back and thought about this.

War & Memory

You know that awkward moment when the media attempts to address History and make it comprehensible for the general public, but instead they just end up being disgustingly patriotic and twisting facts?

If you live in Canada and watch television you've probably seen one of those bullshit propaganda commercials glorifying the Canadian victory over the Americans in the War of 1812. If you haven't seen it, you can watch it here. But don't say I didn't warn you about the blatant inaccuracies presented.

Now, before I begin explaining why I despise this video so much, you will need some background information. Last October I wrote this article for my school's newspaper.

Basically, I attended a lecture by Professor Terry Copp who stated that until this year (2012) no one in Canada even cared about the War of 1812, but since it's now the bicentennial, everyone all of a sudden does. However, they are caring about all the wrong things. The Canadian government has pin-pointed certain 'war heros' and latched onto their 'stories' to show Canadians how great we were: how we stood up and valiantly defended our lands (despite invading America, killing their people, and burning down the White House, because, you know, violent actions such as those are totally acceptable when you're doing it for a just cause) and how we allied with our Native neighbours (and then pushed them all onto reserves afterwards and took away virtually all their rights).

As Copp pointed out in his lecture, and as this video illustrates, society latches onto idealized versions of supposed war heros, and in doing so, forgets about the common women and men who fought and died for our country. No one is remembering the people who were slaughtered and left to die in the mud. We only remember people who acted like 'heros' in the face of danger.

We allow ourselves to give into myths about war because we are unable to comprehend the violently brutal truth about reality. No one wants to remember how their grandfather was slain in battle and left to die, so instead of remembering the truth surrounding his actions and story, they latch on to the idea that he was only fighting for the good of his people - that he was helping combat against an external force that was hell-bent on destroying the pure society we live in.

Now, I'm not saying that soldiers didn't/don't have good intentions, because they do. I know plenty of people currently serving in the armed forces, and the love they have for their country is unbelievable. What I'm saying is that we glorify them so much that it obstructs the truth.

In the War of 1812, as in any war, we do not go and fight against barbarians that are trying to destroy our society. We are fighting against other humans who are also trying to protect their own people. Think about it.

If you don't think we glorify war stories, please read the first sentence of this article.

"The men who helped save the world from Nazi terror." Oh really?

Yes, we now know that Hitler wanted to take over the world, and he also wanted to exterminate all Jewish peoples, gypsies, the disabled, and anyone who generally disagreed with his plans. But guess what? Not every single Nazi in Germany knew this. Only a select few of his men knew about his Final Solution - the rest were just out there fighting to protect their country (Germany) because, to the best of their knowledge, the rest of the world was out to get them.

Yes, it's a good thing Hitler stopped slaughtering millions of innocent people, but we didn't save the entire world. (And side note: there are other dictators who did worse actions, and killed thousands more people than Hitler, but no one ever talks about them.)

And the Second World War wasn't actually the glorified battle society wants it to be. Thousands upon thousands of people died extremely brutal deaths and experienced things the average person could not even begin to understand. But that doesn't mean we should ignore these stories.

In this article, the veteran's daughter states that she has never, nor will ever, want to see photographs or experience in any way what her father went through because it contained "some of the worst evils of the murderous Nazi regime."

First off, you can't only identify the Nazis as murderers. Were Canadian, American, British (etc.) soldiers not also murders? They killed people too, but no one wants to recognize that because it makes us look bad. No. We were doing 'what was right.'

Secondly, by not recognizing what veterans did, we are only giving into the stereotypical, idealized stories of warfare. By ignoring the truth we are accepting a version of war that was created for us. Instead of educating ourselves about factual events, we are accepting a lie. Why? Because it's easier to cope with? Or because we are extremely biased and have been bred to only see the good in our country?

Well sorry to be the one to tell you, but Canada is not any better off than any other country. We have gone to war overseas and murdered people there, as well as isolating and murdering our own indigenous peoples here. We really have nothing to boast about, and it agitates me to see the media, and our society as a whole, twisting facts.

It's time we face the truth and understand our history for what it really is.

Parallel Youths

Kids can be hilarious. No really, they can. At work we got in a new shipment of stuffed dinosaur toys. Adorable T-Rex and Triceratops stuffies have invaded the gift shop. So this kid, he couldn't have been over 10, came in today for his birthday, and his mum said he could get ONE toy. He then proceeded to take both a T-Rex and Triceratops, which clearly wasn't allowed, so he stood by my desk for a solid 15 minutes and weighed the pros and cons of each toy. 

"The T-Rex is brown, but the Triceratops is blue!"

"This one eats vegetables, which are good, but this one eats meat, which is better!"

"He has tiny arms that are funny, but this one has four legs!!"

Seriously, he had the most brilliant reasoning I have heard in a while, and I read Voltaire for fun. After some intense real-life decision making, he finally picked his toy and went on his way. Perfect example of a hilarious, adorable child. 

Too bad not all kids are like this. The rest are just like me when I was younger: bratty to the core. I'm talking flailing around on the ground, temper tantrum to the max, screaming until their parent's ears bleed crazy. Yep, that was me. 

I hate these kids. I want to shake them and tell them to shut up. 

No, you can't have that candy. No, you can't run around with no shoes on. No, you can't throw toys at that other kid you don't know, and you can't try to steal them either. 

Yes, you can call me a hypocrite for acting like this as a child, but you know what? I don't act like that anymore, because I had what many children refer to as "the meanest mum in the world!" She had so many rules, and I never had any fun. And you know what else? It made me a better person. 

I may have hated my parents growing up, but man, do I ever appreciate them for it now. I can't tell you how happy I am that I didn't turn out to be some spoiled rotten bratty 20-something-year old. I hate those kids too. No, having mean parents was awesome. So for all those new parents out there with bratty kids, be mean to them! Restrict their sugar intake, make them watch age appropriate shows and don't let them out of your sight. You will thank yourself now, and they will thank you one day. 

Dinos Destroyed

So I'm really into dinosaurs right now. The museum that I work at has an animatronic dinosaur exhibit right now, and everyday when I go into work I feel like I'm in Jurassic Park. No joke, it's awesome. Most people who come in, however, comment on how much cooler it would be if there were actual skeletal displays to go along with our robotic pals. I agree it would be awesome, but also understand how much difficult and expensive that would be.

And now I'm also starting to understand just how difficult it is to even discover prehistoric fossils. The Globe & Mail recently published this article which explains various acts of vandalism towards fossil sites. While this team of paleontologists was out digging in the middle of nowhere (Alberta) they were lucky enough to come across a perfectly preserved skeleton of a Hadrosaur (think Ducky from The Land Before Time; they're similar). So they got all excited - naturally - went home for the night, and when they got back the next day they found that someone actually went to their dig site and smashed the skeleton to pieces!

Words cannot explain how confounded I am that someone would do this.

How did anyone find out about their discovery when it hadn't even been officially announced? What made them think it would be a good idea to go smash it to bits? Why are they stopping people from being able to properly preserve fossils for future generations to enjoy them?

The skeleton was supposed to be the centre-piece of a newly opening museum, but nope, some jerk had to go smash it to pieces. Seriously, who does that?! Were they insanely religious and didn't want people knowing the earth is millions of years old? Were they an employee of another museum that wanted to see their competition fail? Were they a fellow paleontologist who was jealous of their friend's discovery? It doesn't even matter who they were, what they did was disgusting and wrong.

The past is just as important as the present, but if people keep destroying valuable objects such as this, there will be nothing left for us to learn about. Paleontology is already under-valued and under-funded, and actions such as this only make the situation worse. People need to stop being so stupidly inconsiderate and allow the past to prosper throughout the present.

Plus, dinosaurs are just plain awesome, and everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy them.

Violent Society

Everyone hails that we live in a modern, civilized society; but do we? Earlier this morning, reports began to trickle in regarding a mass shooting late last night that occurred during the premiere of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado. So far, 12 victims have been declared dead, and up to 40 injured. The youngest victim was only 3 months old. The gunman has been identified and arrested, and while he is being held, police are continuing to search his apartment, where various explosives are believed to be held.

More information can be read here, here and here.

No one understand why such an atrocity was able to occur, and apparently no one remembers other mass shootings that have been able to occur due to the gun laws in America. Remember watching Bowling for Columbine? Remember when Michael Moore walked into all those gun stores and was told he could make a purchase right there? Yes, that was years ago, but things haven't really changed much. The gunman this morning actually purchased all of his weapons legally from sport stores (article above). If you want, you read can American firearm legislation here.

Compared to other countries, America's gun laws are quite passive. In Australia, for example, citizens are prohibited to own any form of firearm, with the exception of licensed hunting and employment. Chinese citizens can face the death penalty for owning a firearm without a proper (and extremely difficult to acquire) licence.

So, as terrible as the shooting this morning was, and as terrible as this sounds, I'm not completely flabbergasted that this unfortunate event occurred. In fact, the only reason it is getting so much attention is because it was a mass shooting. If 12 people were killed over a series of multiple days, I highly doubt it would be getting as much attention. Don't believe me? Let's take a look at Chicago.

You can view how many homicides occur in Chicago by simply going onto Redeye's website. July 17, homicide via gunshot. July 15, homicide via gunshot. July 14, homicide via gunshot. The list goes on. It also includes homicides via stabbing. According to the article, July has seen more than half the amount of homicides than what occurred altogether in 2011. But no one is paying attention to these. Chicago has seen fifteen more murders this month than what occurred late last night.

I'm not trying to say that the shooting last night wasn't a big deal, because it was. None of those lives should have been taken, and it was horrendous. I'm only trying to make people aware of atrocities that are occurring across America as a whole. People need to stop and realize that terrible things don't just happen all at once in one isolated area. Innocent people are losing their lives every day, and if these problems are going to get fixed, they all need to receive equal attention. So continue to mourn the events of last night, but don't ignore other issues. And don't think this is a problem only in America, because it is affecting countries all around the world, including Canada.

Excuses

I have a lot of excuses as to why I haven't been writing about enlightening subjects as I initially promised to. Truth is, I've just been really lazy lately. I do plan on pursuing my goals with this blog, and hope some of you stick around to see what I have to offer. For now, though, here are some (maybe hilarious?) excuses as to why I've been slacking:

"A goddamn pteranadon flew into my room!"

"My socks don't match and the different colours are disorienting my eyesight!"

"I have a q-tip in my ear!"

"Because when I woke up this morning I felt like a blobfish!"

"A vampire bat got a hold of my big toe and just wouldn't let go!"


FYI: I actually said all of these to people this past weekend.

Preggo Eggo

I could care less that Adele is pregnant. People get pregnant every day, and I don't care about any of them. In fact, I'm terrified of them. Whenever I see a pregnant woman all I can think of is that scene from Alien when the alien rips its way out of that person's stomach and kills them. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe not. Either way, that is the only image in my head whenever I see a pregnant woman.

So not only do I not care that that Adele is pregnant, I'm also now even more terrified of her than before, when all I had to cope with was her horrible music.

Now I hope you will all suffer along with me when you see all your news feeds flooded with this apparent joyous news, and picture baby aliens clawing their way out of her body while she rolls around through the deep.