Global Socioeconomic Perspectives: Sustainable Development

 The following is my intro & thesis for the class research paper in Global Socioeconomic Perspectives (International Relations, LIB 320). I am really proud of it, because it took me forever to say just what I wanted to say! If you have any grammar corrections, feel free to tell me before 2am EST.

As Americans, we tend to be focused on our own security, comfort, and happiness. Considering, what lies beyond our borders tends not to be our concern unless it profits one of the above American values.  On occasion, there actually is awareness of the poverty and the issues associated with this poverty, which governs large portions of our globe. Often this awareness is created because of crises which peak our compassion, such as the Tsunami of 2004, or the recent earthquake in Haiti. Its not that we forget that there are still people living in hunger, after all, we tell our children to eat their food because those poor kids in Africa are still starving. Yet, this is just vaguely understood common knowledge, so far removed from our reality that we rarely actually feel any obligation to help. Instead we often work against humanity’s plight by increasing our own riches, even if unintentionally. Yet, on those valiant occasions where we do help, it often comes in the form of quick relief aid, which does not always foster sustainable development. Moving beyond indifference or brief compassion which our charity is typically guided by, rich nations need to have an awareness of and opportunities to invest in types of aid which does foster sustainable development, as to not create unnecessary dependence on foreign assistance.

Global Prayer Day for Burma

I believe I might have written about Burma, before. Although my rumpled Spanish might seem like a clue that I have a thing for South & Central America, my heart is full for Asia. Considering Burma, (politically referred to as Myanmar, though not international recognized as such), there are a lot of human rights abuses and other issues to keep in prayer this day. We are not just talking "Boy would it be nice if they were democratic, like us." We are talking about an authoritative military regime trying to drive out or kill anyone who is a minority group, a Christian, or overtly an advocate for democracy. Let's just say that I would not be welcomed there, and neither would you. I mean, they aren't that terrible. In the recent protest led by myriads of peaceful Buddhist monks (The Saffron Revolution of 2007) only a hundred people were killed, a few thousand were jailed, and a few hundred were beaten/shot. Of course know one knows for sure, as the official toll from the military government is undoubtedly very understated, and its not too agree on other estimates.  Sadly, the attempted revolution didn't change anything. 

This link gives a lot more information on the current state of things: http://prayforburma.org/
This video actually somehow makes understanding a little more about Burma entertaining, if you want to check it out:

Adventure Day

Did I tell you that I am starting a new blog? I was thinking, if I am doing all the work to drag my kids around D.C., anyway, I might as well write about it to help other moms out. Deep down, I want to be the travel guru for every local mom of young kids. In reality, I am trying to set something up so that I can help at least a few people like me. It is far from done yet, but your welcome to check it out Adventure Day Blog. Feel free to give me any feedback! Maybe I'll change the name, maybe I'll change the format, who knows. But, this is something new and exciting for me. I'm learning the new skill of basic web design, too, which is different.

Child Protection Compact Act

I was reading this blog the other day, its a good reminder how blatant human trafficking or sexual slavery can be in other parts of the world. Eastern Europe, is, sadly infamous for human trafficking:

http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/learn/advocacy-newsletter-201003-journal-romania?Open&et_cid=14124531&et_rid=76514601&campaign=11390512&ppi=76514601

Of course, as he notes, obviously some women choose to go into prostitution willingly. Yet, many don't, which is heart breaking. At the end of 1 Corinthians 6, the Bible says sexual acts with a prositute make you "one" with her. I don't think we want to imagine how many people a sex-slave "becomes one with" without a choice. So not only are there physical effects, but there are emotional and spiritual bondages that sex slaves endure. Now, to make this worse, many of those forced into prostitution are children.  Its easy for us to choose not to help free someone from oppression, simply because we are comfortable. Maybe we should think twice about that. The Bible doesn't teach us to be activists, but we are challenged to love others, second in importance to loving God. Here is a small oppurtunity to love someone else this week, even if these children seem just like numbers to us...........

Here is an easy way to help end child trafficking, for sexual or other purposes:

https://secure2.convio.net/wv/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=285

(Be sure to refresh this page with your information, as its vital that your representatives know you are one of their constituents.)

International Women's Day

Okay, I am far from a feminist. In fact, in looking at the International Women's Day Website (http://www.internationalwomensday.com/default.asp) I realized I really, personally care less about many of the issues. Maybe this is only because, generally, I am treated equally. Yes, there are thousands of arguments: I might get less pay, I do more housework, I can't rule the world. But feminism is not my thing.

First of all, to be clear, the Bible does say that the woman is under the authority of man. Yet from this we can easily tangent into a discussion about the verses in the Bible that seem to downgrade women. There are a lot of views on those scriptures, and no matter what your opinion is and whether we'd even agree, there is no way this could ever be used to support oppression towards women. Personally, I think its a good thing for women to be under man's authority, when fathers, husbands, and church leaders guide in love, laying their lives down. Its one more load of stress taken off my back. 

Christians sometimes forget to protect the value of women in fear of getting too liberal-feministic. That's a shame. When Christians shy away from women's issues, and no men step up to the plate on our behalf, the Church does not represent God. It also looks pretty crappy to the rest of the world and is used as justification to oppress women more, even if subtly. Here are two Bible verses to give us some godly perspective:

In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
1 Corinthians 11:11-12

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galations 3:28

So, from the perspective that we all come from God, are eqaul with one another, and are NOT independent of eachother, Happy International Women's Day! Let's move forward, valuing and protecting women! As even though feminism isn't' my thing, there are a couple of things that are- oppression and poverty both are some things that really need to be fought against. And women have a hard time in this world in both regards. Check out the following statistics:

Global Issues

• Females in developing countries on average carry 20 litres of water per day over 6 km

• Globally women account for the majority of people aged over 60 and over 80

• Pregnant women in Africa are 180 times more likely to die than in Western Europe

• 530,000 women die in pregnancy or childbirth each year

• World population hit 6,872,741,131 on 1 January 2009

• Of 1.2 billion people living in poverty worldwide, 70% are women

• 80% of the world's 27 million refugees are women

• Women own around only 1% of the world's land

• AIDS sees women's life expectancy of 43 in Uganda and Zambia

• 5 people are added to the world's population every 2 seconds 

• Women are 2/3 of the 1 billion+ illiterate adults who have no access to basic education

International Women's Day. (2010). "Gender Facts." Retrieved March 7, 2010 from http://www.internationalwomensday.com/facts.asp

Women in the Third World

•    An estimated 500,000 women die of pregnancy-related causes each year, more than 90 percent of them in the Third World.

•    100,000 women die each year from unsafe abortions, almost all in the Third World.

•    The World Health Organization estimates that seventy million women, most of them Africans, have undergone some form of female circumcision.

•    In 1991 bridal dowry disputes led husbands and in-laws to kill more than 5,000 wives in India.

•    Approximately 855 million people in the world are illiterate (almost one-sixth of humanity); two-thirds of them are women.

•    Of the 1.3 billion persons living in absolute poverty, 70 percent are women.

IN SOUTH ASIA

•    One of every eighteen women dies of a pregnancy-related cause.

•    More than one of every ten babies dies during delivery.

IN NEPAL AND BANGLADESH

•    One in every five girls dies before age five.

IN INDIA

•    Approximately 25 percent of the twelve million girls born each year die by age fifteen.

Point: As difficult as life may be for the vast majority of humanity, it is even more trying for females.

Note, this last set of facts is dated 2006. Source: www.undp.org, UNDP 2006 Annual Report.
(Viotti. 2009. International Relations and World Politics, 4th Edition. Pearson Custom Publishing p. 18.2.1).

Psalm 119

To increase your appreciation of random details & knowledge of the Bible, or if you like worshipping God, I thought I would share this like bit with you. I would have never guessed that this psalm was so intricately revolved around the alphabet. I read some other person's commentary on all the specific phraseology and traits in the psalm that make him believe it was written by King David (Who wrote Psalm 119?
http://vesomsechel.blogspot.com/2006/11/who-wrote-psalm-119.html). Its amazing how much of a literary science there is to study the psalms. Although this one might be distinctively analyzed, it helps me appreciate God's word a little more. May you be reminded with me to worship God for who He is and how He has blessed us with the Bible today!

____________________________________
TEACHING THE PSALMS: PSALM 119

"Psalm 119, both formal and elaborate, is the longest of all the Psalms as well as the longest chapter in the Bible. The poem is structured around the Hebrew alphabet, which contains twenty-two letters. Correspondingly, the Psalm is organized into twenty-two sections of eight verses each. In the first section, each line of the eight verses begins with Aleph, the first letter of the alphabet; in the second section, each line begins with Beth, and so forth through all the sections until all twenty-two letters have been represented. This acrostic-style structure was designed to help worshippers focus on the law of God and remember God’s teaching. Some speculate this disciplined and complex poetic form was the work of Ezra, the priest, after the temple was rebuilt, to be used as a repetitive meditation on the beauty of God’s Word.

Every one of the 176 verses of Psalm 119 except verses 84, 90, 121, 122, 132, 149, and 156 mentions the word of God using one of ten synonymous terms that refer to God’s law (teachings), testimonies (instruction), precepts, statutes, commandments, ordinances (decrees), word, ways (paths), promises, and judgments (rulings). The effect is a litany of praise for God’s Word that provides the worshipper with a structure to focus prayerful thoughts and a guide for living that leads to a life of confidence and peace."
 

July 31, 2005 10:04 PM

(C) 2005, Phyllis Wezeman & Ann Liechty

Retrieved on February 25, 2010 from:
http://rotation.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6216088121/m/1481031001

Love Haiti. Love the World.

Please Love Haiti. But PLEASE only do so with the understanding that your love cannot begin & end there:

"Esther Duflo, a professor in MIT's economics department, said, that every day, 25,000 children die of preventable causes, adding up every eight days to the approximate death toll of the Haiti earthquake. Though $2 billion has been pledged for the Haiti earthquake, Duflo asks why we don't make the same level of commitment to prevent the daily death toll of children" (Galant & Sutter, 2010).

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Luke 12:32-34

"Some 27 million people are enslaved today; and a person in some parts of India can be sold into slavery for about $5, he said. But awareness and action could abolish slavery for good in 25 years, he says" (Galant & Sutter, 2010).

"Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
so mere people can no longer terrify them."
Psalm 10:17-18

Would refugee orphans in the United States foster care system = pure religion?
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1966998,00.html

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27

http://www.starbucksloveproject.com/#/love/create/

Reference:
Galant, R., & Sutter, J. D. (2010, February 12). Ten big ideas from ted. CNN, Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/11/ted.big.ideas/index.html?hpt=C1