Time to Chill

As I sat down to take my final exam for my Molecular Biology course today, I took a second to reflect on my past few days. I had spent a majority of those days at the library, sacrificing things like socialization, exercise, sleep, and even food. It was an experience that most students can relate to. In order to achieve our goals, we often put an inordinate amount of stress on ourselves. We believe that we can stomach these short-term discomforts for the long-term pleasures that academic success promises. But is this stress worth it?

I recently read an article about the dangers of chronic stress. When people are stressed, an enzyme that breaks down neurons in the prefrontal cortex floods their brains. Thus, long-term stress can damage the brain and “impair everything from emotion and impulse control to certain big-picture analytical thinking.” This enzyme goes away when people are relieved of stress, but continued periods of stress can lead to the deterioration of the prefrontal cortex.

In biology classes, we learn that genes continue to be passed down from generation to generation only if they are advantageous, as organisms with these traits will be able to reproduce. Those of us pursuing higher education put so much unhealthy pressure on ourselves because we must pass a similar test to natural selection to accomplish our goals. We often have ambitious dreams of pursuing law, medicine, finance, engineering, social work, research, etc, but to crack into such fields, we must pass a selection test. Because so many students are often vying for a limited amount of spots, employers and admission counselors have the luxury of choosing the most accomplished candidates. With such stiff from peers, we often feel the need to have excelled in almost every facet of life. We try to get good grades, join clubs, find internships, maintain social lives, and often pay for our education. It is easy to see how so many stress factors can be overwhelming, and ultimately, unhealthy enough to cause us to develop ulcers or degrade our prefrontal cortex.

I understand that stress is inevitable, and in some doses, even helpful. It is often stress that allows us to focus hard enough to learn a lot, pass tests, and develop innovative solutions to problems. To some extent, the high level of competition for certain positions in our country is a good thing. Our policy makers, doctors, lawyers, researchers, bankers, etc. should be capable of handling stressful situations and excelling. But we should mitigate damage people acquire while chasing their dreams. Rather than continuous high levels of stress and anxiety, people need to have periods of relaxation in which they can let their prefrontal cortexes avoid degradation and help them maintain high level of functioning ability.

When we join the workforce, we often have these periods of relaxation built into our schedules. Although we will likely have busy weeks, most of us will have weekends off to relax and unwind. In school, we often lack this luxury. There is always homework to be done, an exam to study for, or meeting to go to. So how can policy makers ensure that students give themselves breaks and excessively damage their brains?

The most effective way of reducing stress among students is to educate them of its dangers. I have heard stories about high school students, eager to get a leg up on their classmates, taking classes during lunch to raise their GPAs and help get accepted to their dream college. By allowing such behavior, high schools are allowing students to undergo unhealthy lifestyles. Instead of encouraging, and even rewarding, such ridiculous behavior, middle schools and high schools should do a better job of letting students develop their own ways of reliving their stress. One proposed solution could be to offer a diverse set of elective classes to students that require minimal amounts of work. If students are forced to take one elective throughout high school, they can develop a skill, hobby, or interest that they can rely on to relieve stress for the rest of their lives.

Many of us currently sacrifice short-term pleasure and relaxation for the promise of long-term benefits. But if we were all aware of the damage we could be doing to ourselves, maybe we would learn the importance of minimizing this risk. We could find skills and hobbies to help relieve us of the other pressures in our lives, and we could avoid doing long-term damage to ourselves.

Shaunak Varma is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focusing on mental health. To learn more about the SISGI Group visit www.sisgigroup.org.

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‘Daughters of the Sex Workers’ Seek Dignity and Respect

Yesterday I facilitated a webinar on Culture, Conflict and Violence against Women: A Focus Sex Trafficking.  I raised several issues regarding the vast differences experienced by victims of the sex trafficking industry, particularly as it pertains to culture, gender dynamics and power differentials.  I recommended that governmental bodies and non-profit agencies reevaluate motives, revise legislation and campaign initiatives, establish flexibility in programming and resource development, and understand the actual needs of trafficking victims from the victims’ own experiences and not by what is believed to be their needs based upon our own biases and perceptions.  Participants in the discussion brought up the idea of ‘partnering agencies’ to meet needs rather than sole providers attempting to do all the work.  As I reflected upon my presentation and the group discussion, I came across a great example of how culture influences the sex trade industry and how currently established NGO’s do not always meet the needs of those they are seeking to help and rehabilitate.  It begins with the story of a woman named Naseema, a daughter of a sex worker in Lalten Patti (Red Light District near Bihar, India), who is on a quest to achieve dignity and respect for herself, her family, and her community who are all connected to the sex industry.

Naseema was raised by her “grandmother,” a prostitute in the Chaturbhuj-sthan brothel in Bihar, although she was not a sex worker herself.  Her grandmother sent Naseema to school, becoming the first from the brothel during that time to receive an education.  Naseema speaks of the stigmatization she experienced growing up and how she had to hide from others in her school, where she came from.  Naseema later started an NGO, Parcham, after a traumatizing experience stemming from a police raid.  She gathered a group of others who were daughters of sex workers and began advocating for human rights of sex workers.  In a recent video filmed about her life and work, Naseema stated that she wanted to start an organization because “NGO’s at the time were unable to understand the real issues” of the Red Light Districts in her area.  It was explained how the NGO’s would get prostitutes out of the brothels temporarily while the donors of the organizations visited, and then the sex workers would return to prostitution.  They were not understanding or addressing the true needs of those living in the communities they served.

Naseema and her colleagues have successfully made a positive impact on their communities, having first-hand experience of the culture and getting to know the needs of the sex workers.  The sex trade in the area is generational, and Naseema has broken the cycle for herself and helped others do the same.  She has helped many enslaved women free themselves from the sex industry.  Furthermore, she has assisted in blocking new recruits from becoming enslaved in the brothels who were trafficked across borders and helped with support such as reconnecting with their families (who often do not want anything to do with them for fear of their name being soiled) and safe shelter.  Before the NGO existed, children of the brothels did not attend school.  That all changed.  Almost every single child in the Red Light Districts served attend school.  Naseema even successfully negotiated with the largest Open University, Ignou, to establish a study center in the heart of the Red Light District.  Naseema stormed a meeting with the Chief Minister and demanded attention to the issues facing sex workers and the corruption of officials who seek to use force and harm to extinguish brothels and the people who live there—he was the first to listen to her and ask for solutions from the people experiencing the problems.  From that advocacy initiative, Naseema’s organization was partnered with the Chief Minister’s women’s development team to strategize.  Another great accomplishment coming from Parcham is the innovative magazine called Jugnu.  Jugnu is the first of its kind—it is written by sex workers for sex workers.  It is a 32-page, monthly distributed, handwritten collection of stories, dreams, aspirations, and questions that give sex workers a platform to speak of their lives and process solutions.  All articles are written by those living in Red Light Districts, and a section is even dedicated to the children living in brothels, providing encouragement to achieve their hopes and dreams.  I think the importance of Jugnu lies in the fact that it is all first-hand experience, needs, and questions outlined by the communities it serves—there is no alternative agenda or “spin” that is sometimes the case with mainstream magazines and news sources.  Parcham also puts on theater dramas around the world to raise awareness of the real issues experienced by those living in the Red Light Districts—another innovative approach to challenge assumptions of the masses and draw attention to what has been missing from past initiatives.

The work that Naseema started has become successful in many ways despite the challenges and opposition she faced.  Her journey has shown how outsiders often have misconceptions or false understandings of what people are truly experiencing, cultural implications involved, and what the needs of communities truly are.  As a result, poor strategies and harmful actions are carried out in order to eliminate problems—often becoming counterproductive.  Naseema has met funding difficulties for her program, yet other NGO’s and official bodies receive monies for operations and initiatives that are not sustainably effective.  Collaboration between community advocates and organizations, NGO’s, and governmental agencies will be most effective.  Shared resources and shared information will make for much more progress towards positive societal change.  If you are interested in seeing the documentary about Naseema and her journey, you can view it here.  I invite you all to share any further insight or questions rose as you read this post and/or watched the film.  Prepare to be touched!

Cynthia Castaldo-Walsh is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focused on gender-based conflict, non-violence and peacebuilding for conflict transformation, and sustainability for conflict resolution.
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The Benefits of Small Class Sizes

Recently, the quality of education in the United States has been under siege by numerous people including researchers, parents, and even educators themselves. It seems as though there are solutions to America’s education debate thrown around on an almost daily basis, but no outcome has been seen as of yet. However, there are some proven solutions to education issues, one of which is the reduction of class sizes. Prominent individuals at the helm of education reform like Bill Gates and the current education secretary, Arne Duncan, both attended private schools with small class sizes. Though studies have shown the success of small class sizes, and education reformers themselves have reaped the benefits of such a class structure, the economy and budget cuts are once again negatively affecting the quality of education.

According to numerous research studies conducted in the United States, Hong Kong, England, and Switzerland, reduced class sizes benefit children from an early age. Adam Gamoran, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explained that young students tend to learn more in a smaller class because they have a closer connection to their teacher. Due to the fact that the teacher has fewer students competing for his or her attention, children are able to learn in a more hands-on and engaging environment. A small class size allows teachers, if they take advantage of the situation, to interact more with an individual child, and create more innovative and interesting learning experiences for students to take part in. The early exposure to small class sizes is particularly important for age groups starting from kindergarten through third grade because those same children will continue to perform well in high school. Such is the success and value of classes with a smaller number of children.

Though smaller class sizes are effective for children from all socioeconomic backgrounds, they are especially helpful for young students from lower income families. A Milwaukee study showed that first graders from low income backgrounds performed significantly better in math and reading than first graders from large classes. Furthermore, young African-American boys made huge gains in a smaller class setting by scoring 40 percent higher on tests compared to boys in bigger classes. A move to smaller class sizes has proven to also be successful in some of the nations poorest schools. Thirty of the poorest schools in San Diego decided to lower their class size from 30 to 17 after looking at data produced from the Tennessee STAR project. The research project, conducted in the 1980s, had produced the same results as the Milwaukee study; a small class size means better education for young children from all economic backgrounds.

Unfortunately, the condition of the economy has led to hefty budget cuts that have caused class sizes to increase. The Central Kitsap School District in Washington will be having larger class sizes in the upcoming year due to a budget cut that eradicated a class size reduction fund. Sadly, this is not a novel case because it will be happening to a myriad of school districts across the nation. Despite statistics and research that prove there are benefits to small class sizes, budget cuts continue to force schools to consolidate their classes. Larger class sizes may be the answer to the economic crisis the country seems to have found itself, but they negatively impact thousands of young children.

As many previous posts regarding the future of America have shown, the quality of education is quickly becoming a hot debate. It is sad to say that the United States, as a developed country, has not been putting enough funds and resources into its education system. Lately, much of the blame for education issues has been put on the shoulders of thousands of teachers, but it may not entirely be their fault. Teachers in low income areas are usually penalized for their low success rates, but the fact of the matter is that they lack resources. Limited funds cannot guarantee high test scores, extracurricular activities, or high performances from teachers. In today’s society, if the United States desires to properly prepare future generations for the world, education reform needs to be assessed from various angles; not just teacher evaluations.

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What the East Africa Drought Really Means

Currently, the Eastern part of Africa is experiencing one of the worst droughts on record. More than ten million people are affected in countries such as Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda. With increasing food prices, dry land, failing crops and dying livestock, many Africans in these countries simply don’t have access to food. Malnutrition rates are skyrocketing, disease is spreading, and people don’t know where to turn for help. And with rain not expected until October, this situation is unfortunately going to continue to get worse before it gets better.

Forced to leave their homes and desperate for relief, hundreds of thousands are fleeing to refugee camps. Dadaab, which is located in Kenya, is the world’s largest refugee camp. It is built to accommodate about 90,000 people, but it is currently trying to house and serve more than 350,000 refugees – about four times the capacity. Not surprisingly, this has led to overcrowding and increasingly limited resources, which is something these individuals already understand far too well.

My first thought: where are the relief agencies? The U.N. has reportedly requested hundreds of millions of dollars in relief for Somalia, Kenya, and Djibouti, but only about half has been received by Somalia and Kenya, and about one-third by Djibouti. With increasing food prices and already limited resources, these refugee camps – which are basically a last chance for survival for hundreds of thousands of people – are going to run out of food, space, money, and medical supplies.

It’s not like the African continent is unfamiliar with droughts. Though in the past, they’ve typically occurred about once every decade. Recently, however, droughts have not only become more common, but also much more severe. The most likely culprit of these devastating droughts? Climate change. This drought is yet one more demonstration of how climate change is coming faster and stronger than the world can handle.

Unfortunately for East Africans, the already complex issue of climate change coupled with poverty and limited resources makes for an extremely difficult situation to resolve. The plan of attack must be multidimensional. First and foremost, food prices need to drop, relief agencies need to step it up, and there needs to be a plan for when the next drought strikes. The short-term problems of providing enough food and supplies to survive the drought must be addressed as soon as possible so living conditions, disease, and malnutrition don’t get worse. Additionally, the long-term challenges of climate change and creating sustainable ways to handle future droughts must be considered. Unfortunately, the assumption must be that droughts will continue, and that they will most likely become even more regular and severe. So the only way that African citizens will be able to survive upcoming droughts is to develop preparation strategies that will make living conditions bearable until the rain finally comes.

One possibility is to create man-made ponds throughout the region. During times of sufficient rain, water can be collected in these ponds, and it can be reserved for times of drought. Of course, they’d have to be numerous and widespread enough to be capable of distributing water to the entire region, but it’s certainly feasible with a group effort. Another option is to plant more crops that can survive droughts, like cassava. If all of the other crops die, a supply of drought-tolerant crops could be what ultimately saves a community.

One thing is clear: individuals in this region can no longer expect to only experience one drought per decade, and there needs to be a plan for long-term survival. The current strategy of fleeing to refugee camps is no longer enough, as space and resources are simply insufficient to accommodate hundreds of thousands of people. Individual countries, regions, and communities need to develop their own sustainable tactics that will enable them to survive future droughts without leaving their homes. And, of course, there needs to be new ideas for how to combat climate change so these devastating environmental tragedies can eventually stop.

Rebecca Birnbaum is a Program and Research Intern for the SISGI Group focusing on nonviolent conflict resolution, nonprofit management, and sustainable development. She is a senior at the University of Michigan, where she studies Anthropology, Political Science, and Peace and Social Justice. To learn more about the SISGI Group, visit www.sisgigroup.org.

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Sudan’s Chinese Influence

President Hu Jintao’s pledge to continue investing heavily into Sudan raises a few cautionary flags

In my post on Sudan’s wildlife, I briefly mentioned how countries that rely on Sudan’s oil reserves will continue to be among the country’s strongest supporters. I cited China as a key example of this, seeing as how 2/3rds of Sudan’s oil exports end up in China. So it was hardly a surprise when yesterday, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir paid a visit to Chinese President Hu Jintao to sign a technological cooperation agreement that pledges support from China, including critical financial aid to both northern and southern Sudan.

This agreement sheds light on a variety of issues and raises a few questions. First, what is implied by technological cooperation? Most of the topics that President Jintao discussed in relation to this agreement were ambiguous, such as “deepening political links, boosting trade and economic cooperation, increasing exchanges and cooperating on international issues…” It’s hard to identify what any of that actually means when it isn’t accompanied by a tangible plan of action – which it wasn’t. The only concrete step outlined was China’s pledge to help build a bridge in eastern Sudan. Undoubtedly, large amounts of money will be funneled into Sudan as a result of this agreement. Much of this will likely end up in Khartoum, the capital, and consequently land in the hands of President Bashir and his government. But simply pumping money into Sudan creates very little chance of leaving a lasting impact. If it goes to President Bashir, who is to say he won’t use it to continue attacking southern border regions? Based off his track record, chances are that this is exactly what he will do.

Second, what does this agreement mean for China’s relations with Sudan once southern Sudan secedes on July 9th? President Jintao was careful to pledge Chinese support on both sides of the soon-to-be official border. Once again, however, this was done in a remarkably ambiguous manner. China is being careful to maintain diplomatic ties with the north while building a relationship with the oil-rich south. I wonder what President Bashir thinks of this move – I can’t imagine he’s thrilled. By endorsing a peaceful transition to the creation of southern Sudan while offering loosely defined technical assistance to Sudan proper, Jintao has masterfully bound Bashir’s hands whilst shaking them. Since Bashir and his government rely so heavily on aid from China, a key supporter, they are practically forced to accept whatever it is President Jintao offers them.

Lastly, what does this agreement say about the legitimacy of the International Criminal Court (ICC)? President Bashir has repeatedly been accused of crimes against humanity and genocide since the ICC began their investigation in Sudan in 2005, but these accusations have never led to formal arrest or conviction. Bashir ordered the slaughter of thousands of southern Sudanese during the country’s latest civil war, but China, unsurprisingly, doesn’t seem to mind. Jintao’s unconditional support for Sudan is a slap in the face of the ICC. China is not a member of this court and therefore sees no reason to honor its accusations. In spite of recent successes of the ICC, such as the role it played in justifying NATO actions against Colonel Qaddafi in Libya, China’s refusal to abide by its findings showcases the ICC’s inherent weakness. If major world players refuse to honor ICC accusations, perhaps there isn’t much of a point to making them in the first place.

In 10 days, southern Sudan will be its own country. It’s hard to tell exactly what the impact of China’s pledge of support will be when this happens, considering the ambiguity of the pledge. The timing of Bashir’s visit was no coincidence; he clearly wants Sudan proper to maintain close ties with the Chinese leader in spite of the fact that he is about to lose his main oil reserves when the south separates. As for south Sudan, Chinese funds could help jumpstart updates to a creaking infrastructure. But no one knows exactly how China will wield its immense influence in Sudan. Jintao is promoting peace in the south while renewing support to a war criminal that fights for the other side. The recent agreement gave clues on how he plans to use China’s influence, but it remains to be seen how this twisted plan will unfold.

If you’d like to learn more about Chinese influence in African countries such as Sudan, I strongly urge you to check out the webinar presentation of my fellow intern, Yvonne Chen, on July 12th. She will discuss the positive and negative impacts of foreign aid from China into countries such as Sudan. Hope to see you there!

Ryan Pavel is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focusing on foreign military involvement, policy and strategy into conflicts and motivations behind and impact of foreign aid. To learn more about the SISGI Group visit www.sisgigroup.org
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Attempts Toward Sustainable Fishing: Part III

A Carp by Any Other Name Would Taste So Delicious

Asian carp, originally brought to America in the 1970s to clean ponds, has since escaped to major waterways, reproduced at lightening speed, and has now become an invasive species.  Able to grow up to 100 pounds, these carp eat so much that they threaten other species of fish and disturb the balance of ecosystems.  They also like jumping out of the water while swimming and have the unfortunately powerful ability to damage boats and fishing equipment.  Managing this ever-expanding population of Asian carp has proven to be tricky, as none of the projects – including poison, electric barriers, management committees, and even the White House naming an Asian carp czar – have been able to slow down their growth.  Recently, some creative chefs and wildlife agencies have developed what looks to be a promising solution: promoting people to eat the carp.

While this approach may sound new-fangled and ingenious, it is actually not such a new solution.  Promoting the consumption of invasive, problematic, or overabundant fish has been done a handful of times in the past.  The normal person is simply unaware this promotion is being done, for secrecy is all part of the marketing strategy.  After all, have you ever heard of Patagonian Toothfish?  No?  I’m sure you’ve at least heard of the coveted, and very expensive Chilean Sea Bass.  Well, the truth is that Patagonian Toothfish and Chilean Sea Bass are the same fish!  Years ago, the Patagonian Toothfish was renamed to sound more appetizing in order to get more people to eat it.  What’s ironic is that this fish that was once overly abundant (and the entire reason it was renamed and promoted), is currently in danger of being overfished, with environmental groups advocating that consumers avoid eating it.  However, this problem of fish being endangered due to overfishing and high demand is a completely different issue; the point is that this renaming of fish has already been applied to numerous species, so why not also rename Asian carp?  This would be a smart and influential move to rename the carp and start a PR campaign for it.  Asian carp is usually not incorporated into diets because it has a stigma to it.  People associate these fish as muddy bottom-feeders.  For such a dirty looking fish, the majority of the public tends to assume carp won’t taste good.

As a freshwater fish that is taking over the Great Lakes and Mississippi River, most chefs in the areas surrounding these waterways have jumped at the chance to help eradicate the overpopulation of Asian carp.  Ambitious chefs have already begun serving Asian carp with a new moniker.  Some have paid homage to its Asian origins by dubbing it Shanghai Bass in their restaurants, and Louisiana has even gone so far as to create an official Silverfin Promotion Campaign.  Carp dishes in these restaurants have already become wildly popular with chefs, critics, and consumers all pleasantly surprised by how tasty Asian carp is.

Renaming and promoting the edibility of this fish is a great method that’s sustainable.  We’ll be safely and easily solving a problem of an invasive species, because we won’t be resorting to poison that’s not only unsafe to other fish, but to people who are eating fish.  This approach is also inexpensive in comparison to the multi-million dollar project that erected electric barriers to prevent more carp from further invading the Great Lakes.  Since past experiences have proven that it’s impossible to fully eradicate the Asian carp population, we should then turn to the alternative solution of creating demand for what Asian carp can offer.  Now that the cat’s out of the bag (or I guess I should say “the fish is out of the net?”) on the tastiness of Asian carp, it remains to be seen whether it’ll will be more widely introduced and accepted as a part of our meals.  If you’re interested in more information on what types of fish to eat or avoid in a bid to be environmentally conscious, please check out these handy safe seafood lists!

 

 

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Assessing the Trafficking in Persons 2011 Report

Yesterday was an anxiously awaited day for all of those who are in the fight to end modern day slavery.  Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, formally announced the release of the highly anticipated Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 2011 report.  The annual report consists of victim narratives, governmental responsibilities, progress made, and recommendations for improvement.  Additionally, it outlines a tier rating system that ranks 184 countries based on their commitment to anti-trafficking policy and initiatives.  Among the 184 countries being ranked is the United States itself.  You can be sure that pioneers of the anti-trafficking movement have already gone through the report with a fine comb, assessing the pros and cons.

The Alliance to End Slavery & Trafficking (ATEST) is a partnership made up of some of the top anti-trafficking and anti-slavery organizations in the U.S.  The cooperating human rights organizations include the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), ECPAT-USA, Free the Slaves, Humanity United, Not for Sale Campaign, Polaris Project, Safe Horizon, Solidarity Center, Vital Voices, Verité, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), International Justice Mission, World Vision, and Julia Ormond, a former U.N. Goodwill Ambassador.  ATEST got together to critique the TIP 2011 report and offer valuable insight into what is and is not working.

The first major criticism is the lack of adherence to policy regarding sanctions for countries that do not make anti-trafficking progress within an allotted timeframe.  The tier rating system that has been developed by the U.S. includes four levels: Tier 1 (highest); Tier 2; Tier 2 Watch List; Tier 3 (lowest).  ATEST suggests that several countries were not provided sanctions for their continued lack of progress in meeting anti-trafficking standards—Uzbekistan, China, Russia, and India.  While I agree that sanctions do not appear to be applied as outlined, the tier rating system in itself is flawed.  I think one of the problems with the system in general may be the fact that the U.S. uses one set of standards to judge all countries—one that is conducive and effective in the U.S., but may not be feasible in other parts of the world.  Should every country be putting forth efforts to end modern day slavery—YES!  Is it possible for all countries to successfully implement the same exact policies and procedures to do so—maybe, but probably not.

Secondly, I am a bit concerned that the tier rating system may somewhat be based upon politics—who is friends or allies with who.  Have the countries (Uzbekistan, China, Russia, India) that were supposed to be demoted to Tier 3 remained at Tier 2 because they are making effort or because the U.S. does not want to sanction them (or us) with non-trade agreements and so forth?  Reevaluating motives is necessary in making worldwide progress.

Finally, the U.S. ranked itself in the Tier 1 category—yet reduced anti-trafficking funding in the upcoming year by 17%.  Furthermore, while the U.S. is making great progress, there are written standards that have not yet been achieved.  One such standard is treating victims as victims and not as criminals.  Across the country, trafficking victims are detained and arrested as if they are crooked and corrupt.  Better efforts need to be made to ensure victims are protected and traffickers are the ones prosecuted.  The U.S. is supposed to be a role model, a pioneer in the anti-trafficking movement, yet is not doing all it can to protect victims, prosecute traffickers, and prevent future slavery.  We have taken so many steps forward, why go backwards now?

Cynthia Castaldo-Walsh is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focused on gender-based conflict, non-violence and peacebuilding for conflict transformation, and sustainability for conflict resolution.
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Conservation and development

Beyond the tragedy of the commons

Very often the countries with abundant resources are the poorest and the least developed. Common wisdom assumes that development requires exploitation of these resources. But is there an alternative? In recent years, there has been an increase in sustainable and eco-friendly businesses that challenge this assumption. Eco-tourism is one of them, but there are also many other businesses that have proved to be successful. Some examples are COMACO and Cosmeticos Mazunte.

COMACO is a company that produces and sells food products in Zambia. Before COMACO, farmers in Zambia hunted elephants, leopards and lions illegally to sell it to the highest bidder. Because of the COMACO initiative, food production increased and the community can now manufacture their own products and sell them at local markets. The benefits that they get from selling their products has empowered the community by increasing their food security and it has also prevented the degradation of their ecosystem.

Cosmeticos Mazunte is a local enterprise based in Mexico. It started after the government banned sea turtle hunting, therefore leaving nearby communities to find

Cosmeticos Mazunte

other ways to sustain themselves. With help of the Body Shop and an NGO, the community created a small industry that sells beauty products. Additionally, Mazunte has created an eco-tourism industry and has even built a sea-turtle museum. This business has proven to be successful for both the community and the environment. The company is a co-op and is run by the people who produce the products.

Cosmeticos Mazunte is an example of a Non-timber Forest Products (NTFPs) enterprise. NFTPs are harvested from forests but they are not timber based. NTFPs can be any product with commercial value that originates from a forest’s fauna and flora. It can be as simple as the root of a plant-to be used as a herbal medicine, or a bird nest or egg-to be cooked and sold as a culinary delicacy.

The products from such sustainable businesses have an economic use, either as raw products (like most NTFPs) or processed (like COMACO). As COMACO and Cosmeticos Mazunte have proven, small sustainable businesses add value to the local traditions, the environment and the local economy.

But to have both economic development and conservation is not an easy target. How can products be commercialized to sustain biodiversity and the environment while creating economic profits, particularly for local communities? Many challenges are faced when trying to obtain both objectives. To have succes, it is necessary to assist  governments so that they realize the importance of those businesses and to link the communities to their resources and their commercial partners.There is also a need to evaluate the natural resources in order to exploit and manage them in a sustainable way.

In many developing nations, people are gainfully employed each season to harvest the resources, which they generally sell to middlemen. By middlemen I mean people who are not the direct users of the products. For example, a middle man will buy fish from a small fisherman but then package it and sell it to a big corporation. In those cases, there is small or even no direct connection between the ultimate buyer and the seller. Furthermore, the local fisherman has very little to no power in the overall market, even if he is the sole supplier.

This situation in many developing countries raises two major risks. On the one hand it gives powerful incentives to harvesters to gather as much as they can, as quickly as they can, and before anyone else, so that they can accumulate the largest sum of money. In economics, this type of problem is referred to as “the tragedy of the commons“. It happens when everyone seeks to maximize short term profits without thinking about the possible disapearance of the resources. Harvesting this way degrades the environment and exhausts the resources, making the whole business unsustainable.

Another risk is that the gathering often involves dangerous activities that expose harvesters to unsafe conditions (fisherman with unsafe boats, miners with no oxygen masks, etc).

A possible solution to the risks of the tragedy of the commons is to give common ownership of the resource to the exploiting community. Common ownership would make the community become aware of their dependence to the natural resource they gather and it would provide incentives to preserve it. According to research by Elinor Ostrom, stable local common resource management would have to imply:

  • Clearly defined boundaries
  • Clear rules of the appropriation of the common resources by the individuals
  • Effective monitoring
  • Collective participation and self-determination of the community
  • Existence of conflict resolution mechanisms

Meeting all of these conditions is not easy. Countries that seek to develop sustainable businesses would therefore need to have integral approaches that would require the engagement of economists, biologists, politicians and most importantly local people. But as complicated as this may be, the integral approach is an incredible opportunity to have both development and conservation in resource abundant countries. COMACO and Cosmeticos Mazunte are a proof that this is possible.

Julia Naime is a research intern at the Sisgi Group. Her research focus areas are International Economics and Environmental Issues. She is majoring at Economics in New York University . To learn more about the sisgi group visit www.sisgigroup.com
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School Ecotourism Police Force: Cute or Creepy?

Every now and then I read an article that I simply have to share with someone; so, today I share it with you!  The article in this case is about Lapu-Lapu, a city in the Philippines which has taken an interesting route to promote ecotourism: recruiting students to act as ‘ecotourism police’ who report people they see breaking ecotourism laws.  The “School Eco-tourism Police” force is made up of 3,000 top 20 students from local high schools as well as students from grades 4 through 6. They were sworn in and given badges by the Lapu-Lapu city Mayor Paz Radaza over the weekend.  The program was organized by the city government and the University of San Jose-Recoletos. The intention is for the students to encourage respect for environmental laws and protect the environment.  The student police force will work with the local police office to provide information about illegal activities that destroy natural resources. Since the city is largely dependent on natural resources as its source of income, the student police force will be helping the economy as well as the environment.

I find the “School Eco-tourism Police” idea interesting because it has two distinct sides.  On one hand it seems like an excellent way to promote ecotourism, since it provides a firsthand look at ecotourism and the environment and how such issues affect the local community, which is something the students will likely carry with them for the rest of their lives.  Further, by helping to stop the destruction of natural resources the students will be benefitting their local community and economy.  For example, many of the students helped plant over 10,000 mangroves in a local wildlife sanctuary. Mangroves are hardy trees that protect coastal areas and communities from storms, waves, and typhoons, and so the new grove will help protect the city from environment-related disaster.  The students also helped with coastal cleanup and encouraged their friends and family not to throw trash on the beaches, which are major tourist destinations.  By cleaning up and preserving the local beaches and natural resources that draw tourists, the students are helping boost the local economy.

On the other hand, however, the “School Eco-tourism Police” force also has a distinctly Orwellian twist to it, only with people being reported for ‘doubleplus naturedestroy’ instead of being reported for ‘doubleplus crimethink.’  After all, the students are encouraged to report their family members and neighbors who break the city’s ecotourism laws, which seems to be a perfect parallel to the children in 1984 who were encouraged to spy on their parents—though of course those who break ecotourism laws in Lapu-Lapu are certainly not “vanished” like those who are accused of thoughtcrime in 1984.  The idea of giving students badges and encouraging them to report their own friends and families to the police for violating ecotourism laws seems somewhat sinister, even if the program was designed from completely innocent motives.

So the “School Eco-tourism Police,” while it does have its pros, maybe needs to be thought out a bit more before other communities adopt similar strategies to promote ecotourism and reap the economic benefits that increased tourism provides.  Maybe by creating a sort of environmental boy scout or girl scout troop that does not report people for violating the ecotourism laws, but simply promotes education and awareness of how the laws help the community.  Or perhaps something as simple as educating students on ecotourism and environmental awareness, so that they still carry the information with them from a young age even though they are not actively searching out lawbreakers.  The “School Eco-tourism Police” seems to be one of those ideas that is good in theory (what could be better than getting a bunch of cute kids involved in ecotourism?) but poor in practice (Orwellian implications of having children with badges reporting family and neighbors). So while I agree that it’s important to get everyone in the community involved in ecotourism—especially when that ecotourism brings much needed tourist dollars—there must be a better way.

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Attempts Toward Sustainable Fishing: Part II

Dolphin Fishing in Japan

In the historic fishing village of Taiji, there is an annual dolphin hunt that takes place for sport.  This culling (or selective slaughter to reduce the dolphin population) in Taiji is a tradition that is mostly unknown to Japanese outside this town because the fishermen hide it from view.  Dolphin hunting differs from my aforementioned shark fin hunting because the entire dolphin is actually used and eaten, but the fact that many dolphins are hunted just for sport makes it an unsustainable practice.  Although dolphin hunting throughout Japan has largely been hidden from then public due to its unorthodox methods, what happens in Taiji is especially cruel.  Local fishermen bang metal poles on the sides of the boats to disorient the dolphins, herding them with boats and nets into a closed off portion of shallow water. Fishermen take advantage of the moment dolphins near the boats by stabbing them with knives and spears to incapacitate them.  Once too weak to struggle, they are brought onto shore to be finished off.

This overload of dolphin hunting has led to a few thousand tons of dolphin meat being stored in stockpiles, because fishermen continue to bring more dolphins to shore even as demand for dolphin meat in Japan has hit an all-time low.  This can hardly be considered sustainable. Aside from the inhumanity of these killings causing Japan to come under fire from the international community (and some of it’s local community), it has also been discovered that dolphin meat causes health problems with its dangerous levels of mercury.  Just two years ago, mercury tests were finally conducted among the Japanese population.  The results showed that mercury levels in populations residing in Japanese port cities are 18 times higher than the government mandated level of mercury that’s considered safe, and also much higher than mercury levels in the rest of the population.  This has led to a recent decrease in the demand of dolphin meat, but fishermen are still continuing to slaughter dolphins for the sake of tradition.  The dolphins that make it to market are often falsely advertised as other types of meat or fish as another way of getting rid of the oversupply.

What Japanese fishermen and officials are calling a part of their culture, is part tradition and part pest-control.  It might be argued that while tradition does continue to play a role in Taiji’s dolphin hunting, other fishermen are killing dolphins as a way of wiping out the competition for fish.  Surrounded by water, Japan is very dependent on its fishing industry.  Overfishing is already a huge problem that has decreased the stock of fish, and fishermen feel they are competing with dolphins for the fish that are left in the sea.  What some consider inhumane slaughter, the Japanese government views as a legitimate form of pest control.  Many in the older generation in Japan also doesn’t understand the international outrage over their dolphin fishing practices.  They believe that it is part of their culture and simply a way of life that shouldn’t be regarded as so different from killing cows or pigs.  On the other hand, the younger generation has a tendency to move away from such traditional practices and has no strong ties to dolphin hunting.  I am hoping that the younger generation can thus help change the fishing industry in Japan, as well as by helping the older generation change their views on dolphin hunting as a cultural necessity.  I hope they will see that hunting dolphins is not entertainment and that it’s not only unnecessary but also dangerous if kept in their diet.

This means general fishing practices in Japan should be altered so that there will be no overfishing, and dolphins will consequently not be viewed as competition for fish.  NGO and environmental group protests are a method to bring awareness and disrupt dolphin hunting, but I’m unsure of whether this is the best solution.  I believe that while it’s important for the world to know this is a problem that needs to be dealt with, the Japanese population is also the only one that can effect long-term change.  In recent years, some Japanese citizens have begun to question dolphin hunting and decided to no longer eat dolphin meat.  When international groups interfere with dolphin hunting, many Japanese fishermen and government officials view it as a personal attack on their culture and people, causing them to close off and become angry, at interference from other parts of the world.  To me, a paramount goal is to disseminate information and spread awareness among the Japanese population who previously knew nothing about the inhumane killing of dolphins and impact on mercury levels caused by dolphin meat, without coming across as judgmental or authoritarian.

 

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