Jan 18
Honor killings are generally associated with cultures that treat women with contempt. These cultures see females as objects that can be owned, sold, and handled in whatever way is deemed appropriate by a male. When a woman commits an act that traditionally “brings shame” to a family or community, she is killed. More often than …
Jan 17
If I asked you what your idea of a perfect world would be you may say something like “I want to see the end of poverty”, or “I would like to see the end of war and destruction.” For me, I want to see the end of human trafficking. Human trafficking is the forced service …
Jan 16
Have you ever seen the MTV show Skins? Wait, it’s okay, I won’t subject you to the embarrassment of admitting to it; I’ll fill you in. The show (a replica of a British hit) fictionally illustrates the lives of a group of American teenagers. These teenagers participate in pretty much every morally questionable activity imaginable …
Jan 16
In dictionary terms, the word “faggot” refers to a bundle of sticks used for kindling. While this might be common knowledge for some, one believed origin of the term probably isn’t. Faggots were used to stimulate fires during Europe’s Inquisition period. These fires are generally associated with the burning of heretics, but among them were …
Jan 13
With U.S troops withdrawing from Iraq and the fall of Osama bin Laden in 2011, all eyes are now on Eritrea. Eritrea, which means red land or soil, is a small country in the eastern part of the African continent. Before the creation of South Sudan last year, Eritrea was the youngest nation in Africa. …
Jan 12
Last week I was on my way to a meeting while listening to my favorite show on public radio. I arrived at my location, parked and just as I was going to get out of the car, I heard the commentator discuss how economic inequality was making the world sick. I didn’t have time to …
Dec 23
Every winter millions of people around the world tune in to watch Americas biggest sporting event, the National Football League’s Super Bowl Sunday game. Whether it’s to support that year’s two tops teams, watch the much anticipated half-time show, or comment on which of the different commercials shown took 1st place for creativity, there is …
Dec 22
In time for the holiday season, Google, the global internet giant, announced that they would donate millions to anti-human trafficking groups working to eradicate slavery around the world. “Our areas of focus change from year to year,” Google org spokeswoman Kate Hurowitz said in an interview about the grants. “We look for proven impact and …
Dec 22
After reading parts one and two of this series on the Arab Spring, you hopefully have a better grasp on what some of the major moments of the movements were, how the revolutionaries in various countries drew inspiration from each other, and the difficulties of transitioning to a democracy. So, for this post, I thought …
Dec 16
A few months ago, I wrote an article about China’s effort to make the city of Shenyang more environmentally friendly. In recent days with the Durban Climate Change Conference having just finished in South Africa, environmental issues have garnered a little more focus in the last few weeks. While I am typically a quick skeptic …
