Aug 26
“I call upon the people of the United States to celebrate the achievements of women and recommit ourselves to the goal of gender equality in this country.” – President Barack Obama Today has officially been declared Women’s Equality Day in the United States—yet it is widely unheard of by most Americans. On August 26, 1920, …
Aug 25
Microfinance has become something of a buzzword in recent years (depending on which circles you run in), and the industry’s increase in popularity has also lead to an increase in criticism. You may remember my last post about microfinance, as well as the posts written by my colleagues, but for those of you who don’t, …
Aug 24
Members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, also known as PETA, have gone to extreme measures to get their animal rights messages across to the public in the past. As the largest animal rights organization in the world, with millions of members and supporters, PETA has managed to attain many successful and high-profile …
Aug 22
A few weeks ago Tourism Concern, a UK-based non-profit focused on ethical tourism and travel, announced that they will soon be launching Gap Year and International Volunteering Standard (GIVS). GIVS is a voluntourism standardization program that will ensure that voluntourism companies are regulated and are a benefit to the destination communities. As you may recall …
Aug 22
Last spring, I took an ethics class called Policy Choice as Value Conflict. Throughout the semester, we students debated the merits of riveting topics, ranging from pros and cons of moral philosophies such as utilitarianism and deontology to the legality of controversial issues such as capital punishment, euthanasia, prostitution, gay marriage, and even bestiality. Our …
Aug 19
Though most of us would like to be part of a utopia, unfortunate circumstances often fall beyond the grasp of our control. Regardless of how much we manage to improve the world, trauma is an inherent part of life. After all, the probability of us completely eliminating the prevalence of rape, murder, war, tragedy, and …
Aug 17
Do you know who is picking your fruits and vegetables? I bet you wouldn’t think that children as young as 5 are working the farms and fields that supply your grocery stores. I bet even more that you wouldn’t think the farms and fields I am referring to are in the United States. The truth …
Aug 17
Vivimos en un mundo con desigualdades económicas, divididos entre los países “desarrollados” y los en vía de desarrollo, el Norte y el Sur. Como ciudadanos del mundo, reaccionamos con estás desigualdades económicas de diferente manera. Naciones desarrolladas y sus ciudadanos muchas veces sienten “la responsabilidad del hombre blanco” (para citar el poema de Kipling). Para …
Aug 12
I am all for freedom of speech but not when it becomes abusive and offensive. On Wednesday, the New York Post released their daily newspaper displaying a controversial image and relaying what many are calling a highly absurd and unreasonable message to the public. The Post, in their attempt to metaphorically compare the recent highs …
Aug 12
Chile, one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America, has been going through its own array of protests and demonstrations these past few months. In the past, students did not take a great degree of interest in their country’s political decisions, but the tide appears to be changing. Though the student population of Chile has …
