This past semester has helped me become a more organized student. At the being of the semester I started this blog and it was very tough form to try to keep up with the due dates at the end of each week but as the semester want on I improved on that. With the help of the blog due dates being every Friday every week I have become better at managing my time. By the end of the semester I feel that I organized and manged my time better. I also became better at asking for help early on before my assignments were do because I did not want to be behind.
On some of my blogs you can tell when I really took time to research something and on others you can tell when I didn't. I think this is because some of the readings for certain topics weren't as interesting as others. I think what still challenges me is the really heavy boring factual reading I really liked to stories from the victims. Even though the heavy reading is boring and hard for me I believe that I some what improved on what information I attain from the readings.
The information that will really stick with me is all the facts about who gets trafficked or how many people get trafficked. I think that I will try to inform more people about human trafficking. At the being of the semester I really didn't know a whole lot about human trafficking all I really knew was that it was bad and needs to be stop, but now i know how serious a problem it is and I understand that it really needs to be stop better. This semester has sort of opened my eyes to things that are outside the Roaring Fork Valley.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Book Review
Not for Sale---David Batstone
David Batstone's book Not for Sale is a non-fiction book about human trafficking. The book includes chapters about different types of human trafficking and the different parts of the world were these traffickings take place. The book also gives first had accounts from victims who were trafficked. Not for Sale has received great reviews. All of the reviews say that this is a must read book because "Batstone paints a picture of modern-day slavery..." (Dean R. Hirsch, president, World Vision International.)
The purpose of this book was to show the readers how bad human trafficking is and to show what people are doing to help stop it. Batstone did achieve this purpose because he showed the readers, with the stories by the victims, how bad human trafficking is. He was able to give the readers a visual of what victims go through. What also helped he achieve the purpose was the stories of the people who did or are doing something to help victims of human trafficking. Something else that helped him reach is purpose was the way Batstone arranged the book.
Within each chapter he put a story of a victim, a story of someone who is trying to help and facts about human trafficking in a certain area of the world. Each chapters of the book focuses on a different country and the type of human trafficking that is most common in that country. Another thing about how the book was arranged is that within the chapters Batstone broke up the stories of the victims with the stories of the helpers and the facts. So you read a little about the helper then a little part of the victim's story then back to the story of the reader and so on. Though it can get a little confusing it is an interesting way to put two stories together. In this book there are two different points a views. There is 1st person which is presented in the stories of the victims and when Batstone tells the stories of the helpers it is 3rd person.
What I liked about this book was the structure it. At first it was kind of confusing when the chapter jumped from the victim's story and the helper's story but then I started to like it. What I really liked about the book was the first hand account stories. I thought that they add a good element to the book. They really helped to get the point across about how bad human trafficking is. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the who, what, when, where and how of human trafficking. Not for Sale really helps put into perspective how wrong human trafficking is and it really helps you realized that this is a problem and it needs to be stopped.
David Batstone's book Not for Sale is a non-fiction book about human trafficking. The book includes chapters about different types of human trafficking and the different parts of the world were these traffickings take place. The book also gives first had accounts from victims who were trafficked. Not for Sale has received great reviews. All of the reviews say that this is a must read book because "Batstone paints a picture of modern-day slavery..." (Dean R. Hirsch, president, World Vision International.)
The purpose of this book was to show the readers how bad human trafficking is and to show what people are doing to help stop it. Batstone did achieve this purpose because he showed the readers, with the stories by the victims, how bad human trafficking is. He was able to give the readers a visual of what victims go through. What also helped he achieve the purpose was the stories of the people who did or are doing something to help victims of human trafficking. Something else that helped him reach is purpose was the way Batstone arranged the book.
Within each chapter he put a story of a victim, a story of someone who is trying to help and facts about human trafficking in a certain area of the world. Each chapters of the book focuses on a different country and the type of human trafficking that is most common in that country. Another thing about how the book was arranged is that within the chapters Batstone broke up the stories of the victims with the stories of the helpers and the facts. So you read a little about the helper then a little part of the victim's story then back to the story of the reader and so on. Though it can get a little confusing it is an interesting way to put two stories together. In this book there are two different points a views. There is 1st person which is presented in the stories of the victims and when Batstone tells the stories of the helpers it is 3rd person.
What I liked about this book was the structure it. At first it was kind of confusing when the chapter jumped from the victim's story and the helper's story but then I started to like it. What I really liked about the book was the first hand account stories. I thought that they add a good element to the book. They really helped to get the point across about how bad human trafficking is. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the who, what, when, where and how of human trafficking. Not for Sale really helps put into perspective how wrong human trafficking is and it really helps you realized that this is a problem and it needs to be stopped.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Poem
Tricked by men,
Stolen in the day,
Taken away from your home.
Strange language,
Scary place.
Forced to work.
No pay.
No freedom.
Never ending,
Day in and day out.
Hope at last,
Home again,
Safe for now,
Until they come again.
This must be stopped!
Stolen in the day,
Taken away from your home.
Strange language,
Scary place.
Forced to work.
No pay.
No freedom.
Never ending,
Day in and day out.
Hope at last,
Home again,
Safe for now,
Until they come again.
This must be stopped!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Carpet Slaves
When you think about human trafficking, you might think about prostitution, forced labor in restaurants and in homes but, you might not think that the carpet industry would have forced labor, but it does. Many of the oriental rugs and carpets that are made are made by children who have been forced to make rugs for free or to make them for little pay. Some companies such as RugMark are trying to stop this exploitation. The U.S. trade companies should stop buying and selling rugs and carpets without the RugMark tag because U.S. consumers are uninformed about how the rugs and carpets are made and by whom.
The carpet export industry is one of the largest earners in exports for Pakistan, India, Morocco and Nepal. According to the South Asian Coalition on Children Servitude, between 200,000 and 300,000 children are involved in the carpet industry. (Anti-Slavery Society) But, for many years the carpet industry has claimed that "nimble fingers of the children are essential to form the intricate designs used in the carpets."(Anti-Slavery Society) Although the carpet industry has made this claim it has been discredited, the low to middle grade carpets are made by children and the more expensive ones are made by adults. In the carpet industry the rugs and carpets aren't always made in a big factories, they are made in small villages by people who own their own looms and the children who make the carpets are often the loom owner's own children. Children are also secured by human traffickers from poor regions of the countries. The carpet industry says that the two main advantages to using children is that they have good sight which helps them see the intricate designs in the poor lights and that they adapt to the poor working conditions along with poor wages. Although these may be seen by the companies as advantages, they are in reality disadvantages because the children's eyesight is damaged, and they can develop lung diseases from breathing in all the wool used for making the rugs. The children who make these carpets are either forced to or are paid little wages. They are separated from their families to be beaten or locked up. They are paid little wages which are made less by the factory owners for "food and boarding" or whatever the loom masters believe the children have to pay (Anti-Slavery Society). This is no way for a child to live. These children should be going to school and playing outside with their friends, and as longs as consumers are unaware of this situation, it will keep going. But, there is one company that is trying to stop carpet slavery, RugMark.
The RugMark Foundation was founded in 1994 by many non-government businesses, organizations, government entities and multilateral groups such as UNICEF (RugMark). The idea for RugMark was started by Kailash Satyarthi in 1980. Satyarthi had been liberating children from carpet factories. Although he was saving some, more would eventually end up at the factories to replace the ones who were gone. RugMark is a company that gives certified looms to other rug and carpet companies. These companies have to sign a legally binding contract. This contract states that manufactures have to "produce carpets without illegal child labor, register all loom with the RugMark Foundation, allow access to looms for unannounced inspections and pay associated license fees" (RugMark). RugMark Foundation not only makes rugs and carpets but they help the rescued children. They have educational programs that are funded by the sales of RugMark rugs and by donations. These educational programs help rehabilitate children, they also provide daycare, literacy, formal schooling and vocational training. RugMark also tries to help the children find their families. The children have some choices for the schooling, they can go to a RugMark boarding school or can live at home and go to a public or private school with support from RugMark. These educational programs are designed to help the children receive numeracy and literacy training, and prepares them for a formal education (RugMark). RugMark is working hard to change the carpet industry, and it is working.
No one wants to know that children are making the things they are walking on but many of them don't know that children are. RugMark is helping consumers become more aware. As people become more aware of the carpet industry situation more and more consumers are wanting RugMark rugs and carpets. Up to 23% of U.S. consumers are wanting socially responsible products (RugMark). In other words more adults are asking where products come from and who they are made before they buy them. Because the consumers are wanting socially responsible products, isn't in the best interest of the companies to make products that consumers want? By meeting the demands of the consumers the companies are showing that they care not just about their business but the life of others.
"Children in the Carpet Industry." Fighting Slavery Today. Anti-Slavery Society. 12 Dec. 2008 http://www.anti-slaverysociety.addr.com/carpets.htm.
RugMark Foundation. 12 Dec. 2008 http://www.rugmark.org/home.php.
The carpet export industry is one of the largest earners in exports for Pakistan, India, Morocco and Nepal. According to the South Asian Coalition on Children Servitude, between 200,000 and 300,000 children are involved in the carpet industry. (Anti-Slavery Society) But, for many years the carpet industry has claimed that "nimble fingers of the children are essential to form the intricate designs used in the carpets."(Anti-Slavery Society) Although the carpet industry has made this claim it has been discredited, the low to middle grade carpets are made by children and the more expensive ones are made by adults. In the carpet industry the rugs and carpets aren't always made in a big factories, they are made in small villages by people who own their own looms and the children who make the carpets are often the loom owner's own children. Children are also secured by human traffickers from poor regions of the countries. The carpet industry says that the two main advantages to using children is that they have good sight which helps them see the intricate designs in the poor lights and that they adapt to the poor working conditions along with poor wages. Although these may be seen by the companies as advantages, they are in reality disadvantages because the children's eyesight is damaged, and they can develop lung diseases from breathing in all the wool used for making the rugs. The children who make these carpets are either forced to or are paid little wages. They are separated from their families to be beaten or locked up. They are paid little wages which are made less by the factory owners for "food and boarding" or whatever the loom masters believe the children have to pay (Anti-Slavery Society). This is no way for a child to live. These children should be going to school and playing outside with their friends, and as longs as consumers are unaware of this situation, it will keep going. But, there is one company that is trying to stop carpet slavery, RugMark.
The RugMark Foundation was founded in 1994 by many non-government businesses, organizations, government entities and multilateral groups such as UNICEF (RugMark). The idea for RugMark was started by Kailash Satyarthi in 1980. Satyarthi had been liberating children from carpet factories. Although he was saving some, more would eventually end up at the factories to replace the ones who were gone. RugMark is a company that gives certified looms to other rug and carpet companies. These companies have to sign a legally binding contract. This contract states that manufactures have to "produce carpets without illegal child labor, register all loom with the RugMark Foundation, allow access to looms for unannounced inspections and pay associated license fees" (RugMark). RugMark Foundation not only makes rugs and carpets but they help the rescued children. They have educational programs that are funded by the sales of RugMark rugs and by donations. These educational programs help rehabilitate children, they also provide daycare, literacy, formal schooling and vocational training. RugMark also tries to help the children find their families. The children have some choices for the schooling, they can go to a RugMark boarding school or can live at home and go to a public or private school with support from RugMark. These educational programs are designed to help the children receive numeracy and literacy training, and prepares them for a formal education (RugMark). RugMark is working hard to change the carpet industry, and it is working.
No one wants to know that children are making the things they are walking on but many of them don't know that children are. RugMark is helping consumers become more aware. As people become more aware of the carpet industry situation more and more consumers are wanting RugMark rugs and carpets. Up to 23% of U.S. consumers are wanting socially responsible products (RugMark). In other words more adults are asking where products come from and who they are made before they buy them. Because the consumers are wanting socially responsible products, isn't in the best interest of the companies to make products that consumers want? By meeting the demands of the consumers the companies are showing that they care not just about their business but the life of others.
"Children in the Carpet Industry." Fighting Slavery Today. Anti-Slavery Society. 12 Dec. 2008 http://www.anti-slaverysociety.addr.com/carpets.htm.
RugMark Foundation. 12 Dec. 2008 http://www.rugmark.org/home.php.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Annotated Bibliographies
1. Love146. 2008. Love146. 17 October 2008.
This website is dedicated to helping those who have been trafficked and those who have been forced into sex. They are trying to set up sanctuaries or safe houses for women and child who have been forced into prostitution are forced into labor.
Love146 is a very useful source because they are a very well know organization.
This source is great for someone who wants to help people who have been trafficked. It was also useful because it is very relevant to my topic of Human trafficking. Love146 is a great site to visit if your want to find out more about forced prostitution.
2.Eaton-Robb, Pat. "Craigslist to crack down on prostitution ads." The Washington Post 7 Nov. 2008.
This source was an article in the Washington Post that talked about how on Craigslist (an Internet site used for personal and business advertising) was brought to court because there were many ads for "erotic services" that turned out to be illegal. eventually Craigslist agreed to ask for legitimate credit cards and working phone numbers.
This source is very reliable because it was in the Washington Post. This is a different kind of source from the other ones in my blog because it takes place today and it also shows us that there are many different ways to advertise prostitution.
The article really shows me that human trafficking is everywhere even in plan site. But it also shows that there are people how are really trying to fix or help stop human trafficking.
3.http://web.mac.com/thefreedomproject/The_Freedom_Project/Stats.html
This site was used for its Statistics. It has really great graphs that show many different things. For example it shows who gets trafficked the most and from where and it also shows what the victims are trafficked for. This site also has a graph on what nationality the traffickers are.
The graphs offer great data for those who don't know a whole lot about who gets trafficked or why. This was a great source because it gives you a visual look at the statistics instead of just reading about them. You can actually see the difference in who gets trafficked and for what.
This was a very helpful source because it really put into prospective for me how many people get trafficked. It really didn't change how I think about my topic, it more really helped prove that Human trafficking is a major problem.
4.iAbolish. American Anti-Slavery Group. 19 Sept. 2008 http://www.iabolish.org/.
iAbolish is all about stopping human trafficking and modern day slavery. They want people to be aware of human trafficking. On the site they have news and events. They also have definitions of what human trafficking and slavery are.
This is a great site to visit if you don't really know what human trafficking and slavery are. It is also great if you what to help or if you want to donate money or you services.
This was a good source for me because it helped me really understand what human trafficking was and how badly it effects people. I was also good because it is really focused on stopping it and getting people aware.
5.Humantrafficking.org. 2001-2006. Academy for Education Development. 17 October 2008
This site is a little different from the others because it tells you the human trafficking situation in different countries in East Asia and the Pacific. Under each country there are different things. They talk about the government of each country and what that government is doing about human trafficking. It also talks about how each country protects the victims and the punishment to the traffickers.
The goal of this source it to show individually how each country handles human trafficking. This was a useful source because it can you information on a specific country.
This site was really good to my topic because I could compare the different countries and see how if how the way the handle human trafficking was different or the same. And by comparing the countries one can see who needs more help in helping victims of human trafficking.
6.Unknown. "Human Trafficking." Issues and Controversies (2004): 297-304.
This article talks about how the United States is helping in stopping human trafficking. It also has a section of little stories of victims and how they got fooled and then were trafficked. It also has a section on the history of Anti trafficking efforts.
This was useful source because it was from 2004 and it helped me compare more recent source to it to see if efforts to stop human trafficking have grown or if the degenerated.
Because it was my first source of this blog it helped me grasp the idea of human trafficking. It also helped me in deciding on how my topic should go.
This website is dedicated to helping those who have been trafficked and those who have been forced into sex. They are trying to set up sanctuaries or safe houses for women and child who have been forced into prostitution are forced into labor.
Love146 is a very useful source because they are a very well know organization.
This source is great for someone who wants to help people who have been trafficked. It was also useful because it is very relevant to my topic of Human trafficking. Love146 is a great site to visit if your want to find out more about forced prostitution.
2.Eaton-Robb, Pat. "Craigslist to crack down on prostitution ads." The Washington Post 7 Nov. 2008.
This source was an article in the Washington Post that talked about how on Craigslist (an Internet site used for personal and business advertising) was brought to court because there were many ads for "erotic services" that turned out to be illegal. eventually Craigslist agreed to ask for legitimate credit cards and working phone numbers.
This source is very reliable because it was in the Washington Post. This is a different kind of source from the other ones in my blog because it takes place today and it also shows us that there are many different ways to advertise prostitution.
The article really shows me that human trafficking is everywhere even in plan site. But it also shows that there are people how are really trying to fix or help stop human trafficking.
3.http://web.mac.com/thefreedomproject/The_Freedom_Project/Stats.html
This site was used for its Statistics. It has really great graphs that show many different things. For example it shows who gets trafficked the most and from where and it also shows what the victims are trafficked for. This site also has a graph on what nationality the traffickers are.
The graphs offer great data for those who don't know a whole lot about who gets trafficked or why. This was a great source because it gives you a visual look at the statistics instead of just reading about them. You can actually see the difference in who gets trafficked and for what.
This was a very helpful source because it really put into prospective for me how many people get trafficked. It really didn't change how I think about my topic, it more really helped prove that Human trafficking is a major problem.
4.iAbolish. American Anti-Slavery Group. 19 Sept. 2008 http://www.iabolish.org/.
iAbolish is all about stopping human trafficking and modern day slavery. They want people to be aware of human trafficking. On the site they have news and events. They also have definitions of what human trafficking and slavery are.
This is a great site to visit if you don't really know what human trafficking and slavery are. It is also great if you what to help or if you want to donate money or you services.
This was a good source for me because it helped me really understand what human trafficking was and how badly it effects people. I was also good because it is really focused on stopping it and getting people aware.
5.Humantrafficking.org. 2001-2006. Academy for Education Development. 17 October 2008
This site is a little different from the others because it tells you the human trafficking situation in different countries in East Asia and the Pacific. Under each country there are different things. They talk about the government of each country and what that government is doing about human trafficking. It also talks about how each country protects the victims and the punishment to the traffickers.
The goal of this source it to show individually how each country handles human trafficking. This was a useful source because it can you information on a specific country.
This site was really good to my topic because I could compare the different countries and see how if how the way the handle human trafficking was different or the same. And by comparing the countries one can see who needs more help in helping victims of human trafficking.
6.Unknown. "Human Trafficking." Issues and Controversies (2004): 297-304.
This article talks about how the United States is helping in stopping human trafficking. It also has a section of little stories of victims and how they got fooled and then were trafficked. It also has a section on the history of Anti trafficking efforts.
This was useful source because it was from 2004 and it helped me compare more recent source to it to see if efforts to stop human trafficking have grown or if the degenerated.
Because it was my first source of this blog it helped me grasp the idea of human trafficking. It also helped me in deciding on how my topic should go.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Letter to a Leader
November 21, 2008
West Slope Office
291 Main St.
P.O. Box 325
Minturn, CO 81645
Dear Congressmen Udall,
The Human Trafficking industry is the third largest illegal trade in the world today after guns and narcotics. Over 80% of women and children are trafficked each year. I have been researching the topic of Human Trafficking in my English Class over the past couple of months, and I was wondering if you know that this is a major problem. Yes, there have been things that the United States has done like the Trafficked Victims Protection act, but I believe that there is more that we can do. The human trafficking problem is degenerating.
As a congressman, you hold power to help those in need. You might ask yourself what can you do to help. I think that when you are in Congress you can suggest ideas to help those in need or to help crack down on smuggling. You can propose an act that can help these people in need. Women are being forced into prostitution and little girls are being forced to have sex. Also, you can help make people be aware and get them involved. People need to know that this is a big problem in our world today. By getting more people involved in helping victims or by helping build sanctuaries around the world we are helping those who need help the most.
All I ask is that you consider what I have said here in this letter and that you help out a little. I know that you are busy, but are you too busy to help those who need our help the most? I know that it is hard to stop something that is so big and that is everywhere, but if we don't try then how do we know that it can't be stopped. By doing a little, we are doing a lot in preventing human trafficking and protecting victims who have been trafficked. All I'm asking is that you try, and we try to stop human trafficking.
Sincerely Yours,
Rosie Sweeney
West Slope Office
291 Main St.
P.O. Box 325
Minturn, CO 81645
Dear Congressmen Udall,
The Human Trafficking industry is the third largest illegal trade in the world today after guns and narcotics. Over 80% of women and children are trafficked each year. I have been researching the topic of Human Trafficking in my English Class over the past couple of months, and I was wondering if you know that this is a major problem. Yes, there have been things that the United States has done like the Trafficked Victims Protection act, but I believe that there is more that we can do. The human trafficking problem is degenerating.
As a congressman, you hold power to help those in need. You might ask yourself what can you do to help. I think that when you are in Congress you can suggest ideas to help those in need or to help crack down on smuggling. You can propose an act that can help these people in need. Women are being forced into prostitution and little girls are being forced to have sex. Also, you can help make people be aware and get them involved. People need to know that this is a big problem in our world today. By getting more people involved in helping victims or by helping build sanctuaries around the world we are helping those who need help the most.
All I ask is that you consider what I have said here in this letter and that you help out a little. I know that you are busy, but are you too busy to help those who need our help the most? I know that it is hard to stop something that is so big and that is everywhere, but if we don't try then how do we know that it can't be stopped. By doing a little, we are doing a lot in preventing human trafficking and protecting victims who have been trafficked. All I'm asking is that you try, and we try to stop human trafficking.
Sincerely Yours,
Rosie Sweeney
Friday, November 14, 2008
Statistics
I looked at a qraph that compares the Ratio of Human Trafficking Victims. In the graph there are five catagories: Men, Women, Children, Boys and Girls. Then there are six different bars representing a country for each catagory: Africa, Asia, Europe, Eastern Europe/Russia, Latin America and North America. This graph shows us who gets traffciked the most and from what country they are from. The Men and Boys catagory are the smallest of the five and the women and girls are the highest. This graph also shows us that most human trafficking victims come from Asia. One of the lowest bars is the Africa Bar in each catagory. This graph sort of proves that women and girls are the main victims of human trafficking.
http://web.mac.com/thefreedomproject/The_Freedom_Project/Stats.html
http://web.mac.com/thefreedomproject/The_Freedom_Project/Stats.html
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