Hey everyone!
GAH I'm so scared...geo finals are tomorrow D:
jefkvnkghejkbhvhasve. Kill me now :'(
Sigh.
The chapters we are going to focus on for this test are:
-The poverty, economics, and globalization chapter
-Economic terms and examples from the movie Life and Debt
-Notes, economics crash course, interpreting graphs and charts (GAH!)
Yea...no.
I DONT LIKE ECONOMICS SAVE ME D:.
Okay I'm off to studying ==. Enjoy my mini rant, and GOOD LUCK!
You'll need it. Trust me :)
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Haitian IMF Loan Summit
Hey everyone!
So I filmed part of our conference yesterday! Hope you enjoy :) I might be posting more pictures, so stay tuned!
I hope you guys like it!
So I filmed part of our conference yesterday! Hope you enjoy :) I might be posting more pictures, so stay tuned!
I hope you guys like it!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Economics and the IMF
Hey everyone!
Lately in geo class we have been talking about the economy (I mentioned this in my previous post). The IMF stands the International Monetary Fund, and what it does is it gives out loans to countries in debt. However, there is always a catch--the IMF will only issue a loan is certain conditions are met. Which means that the IMF has quite a large influence on the fate of the economy of a country with a lot of debt. It is also overseen by the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, the WTO is "corrupt;" countries with a larger economy have higher voting power, meaning they call the shots. Countries in debt have no choice but to follow the conditions set by stronger nations.
Tomorrow we will be having a debate/summit about whether or not Haiti should get the loan they they desperately need from the IMF. Chistenne, Lily and me are representing the Haitian government officials. I'll update you on our consensus if I can!
Thanks for reading!
Lately in geo class we have been talking about the economy (I mentioned this in my previous post). The IMF stands the International Monetary Fund, and what it does is it gives out loans to countries in debt. However, there is always a catch--the IMF will only issue a loan is certain conditions are met. Which means that the IMF has quite a large influence on the fate of the economy of a country with a lot of debt. It is also overseen by the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, the WTO is "corrupt;" countries with a larger economy have higher voting power, meaning they call the shots. Countries in debt have no choice but to follow the conditions set by stronger nations.
Tomorrow we will be having a debate/summit about whether or not Haiti should get the loan they they desperately need from the IMF. Chistenne, Lily and me are representing the Haitian government officials. I'll update you on our consensus if I can!
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Jamaica and Antigua: Behind the Beaches
Hellllllo everyone!
Recently in geo class we've been learning about poverty and the economy, and how that affects countries overall. Last week we watched a documentary called Life and Debt, which I thought was really cool. It essentially tells you the truth behind the finances and people of Jamaica. I was seriously shocked by the information, since I always thought the Caribbean as a group of small, rich islands. It turns out that those islands are the exact opposite of wealthy. The government and the IMF has promoted the tourist industry up to the point that all we think about when it come to the Caribbean is resorts, sandy beaches, and sun. The reason why these islands are so deep in debt is due to their past. Before they were liberated, many of the islands were colonized by the French, Spanish, British...you name it. During that time period, the ruling countries helped manage their finances. After they were freed, however, their economies just fell apart. Most colonized countries including Jamaica and Antigua didn;t have a strong enough economy to sustain themselves. That's when the IMF stepped in. The IMF gave countries in debt a lot of money and a lot of conditions. It was up to the point where the IMF controlled the economic decisions of the country. This caused the country to fall deeper in debt, for the budgeting was unwise. That was the start of their vicious debt cycle.
I hope you guys enjoyed the post! This is probably my favorite section in geo yet!
Recently in geo class we've been learning about poverty and the economy, and how that affects countries overall. Last week we watched a documentary called Life and Debt, which I thought was really cool. It essentially tells you the truth behind the finances and people of Jamaica. I was seriously shocked by the information, since I always thought the Caribbean as a group of small, rich islands. It turns out that those islands are the exact opposite of wealthy. The government and the IMF has promoted the tourist industry up to the point that all we think about when it come to the Caribbean is resorts, sandy beaches, and sun. The reason why these islands are so deep in debt is due to their past. Before they were liberated, many of the islands were colonized by the French, Spanish, British...you name it. During that time period, the ruling countries helped manage their finances. After they were freed, however, their economies just fell apart. Most colonized countries including Jamaica and Antigua didn;t have a strong enough economy to sustain themselves. That's when the IMF stepped in. The IMF gave countries in debt a lot of money and a lot of conditions. It was up to the point where the IMF controlled the economic decisions of the country. This caused the country to fall deeper in debt, for the budgeting was unwise. That was the start of their vicious debt cycle.
I hope you guys enjoyed the post! This is probably my favorite section in geo yet!
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Globalization Essay Reflection
Hello everyone!
Last week Mr. Walker gave us our common assessment in which we needed to write a persuasive essay on whether or not globalization is positive or negative. The exact prompt is as below:
I chose to go negative on this prompt. Globalization as changed out world so much these last few years that it almost seems unbelievable. However, despite the many advantages globalization has brought us, the negative effects have backfired on the human race. Our unique cultures are slowly being eaten away by dominating ones.
As the title of this post states, I will be doing a reflection on my essay I wrote on Tuesday. Personally, I believe I could've done better. I had a miscalculation in my time distribution, and the last 2 body paragraphs were pretty rushed. I think I could've improved on the analysis as well as the topic sentences. If we end up writing another essay, I will remember to plan ahead, so I won't be so short of time/
That's it for today's post! Comment below and tell me what your view of the prompt is!
Last week Mr. Walker gave us our common assessment in which we needed to write a persuasive essay on whether or not globalization is positive or negative. The exact prompt is as below:
Prompt: Analyze the impact of globalization in the time period of 1950 to present. Has globalization been largely a positive or a negative in the development of our world?
As the title of this post states, I will be doing a reflection on my essay I wrote on Tuesday. Personally, I believe I could've done better. I had a miscalculation in my time distribution, and the last 2 body paragraphs were pretty rushed. I think I could've improved on the analysis as well as the topic sentences. If we end up writing another essay, I will remember to plan ahead, so I won't be so short of time/
That's it for today's post! Comment below and tell me what your view of the prompt is!
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Development vs. Globalization
Hey guys!
Today in class, while discussing the idea of development and what it means socially, economically, environmentally, politically, and culturally, a sudden realization struck me. In our previous unit, we talked about globalization and its impacts on the world. Globalization today has seemingly homogenized our world into one huge uniform system, slowly weaning out the unique traits of different cultures and places. When we were discussing the idea of development and advancement, I found a similar goal. If we follow the definitions we came up with as a class today, the end result would be a uniform system (globalization). Especially in terms of cultural advancement, how can we ensure that unique cultures will not be assimilated/appropriated during the process of development? Does this mean that globalization=development? If not, how do we differentiate the two?
Below are the definitions we came up with as a class. Do you guys agree that they all seem to be striving for the same endpoint (globalization)? If yes, is it a good thing or a bad thing? (Italicized words have to be defined)
Socially- The level of education and health within a society
Politically: The government of a country becomes stable and secure
Economically- Advancement in infrastructure that supports economic growth or stability
Environmentally- The use of resources in a sustainable manner/working towards sustainability
Culturally (not decided, but this is our group's definition [Chistenne, Christine, Cheryl and me])- A developed culture retains its own cultural traits while progressing without infringing human rights
So these are my questions about todays class. Tell me what you think below, maybe we can start up a discussion!
Today in class, while discussing the idea of development and what it means socially, economically, environmentally, politically, and culturally, a sudden realization struck me. In our previous unit, we talked about globalization and its impacts on the world. Globalization today has seemingly homogenized our world into one huge uniform system, slowly weaning out the unique traits of different cultures and places. When we were discussing the idea of development and advancement, I found a similar goal. If we follow the definitions we came up with as a class today, the end result would be a uniform system (globalization). Especially in terms of cultural advancement, how can we ensure that unique cultures will not be assimilated/appropriated during the process of development? Does this mean that globalization=development? If not, how do we differentiate the two?
Below are the definitions we came up with as a class. Do you guys agree that they all seem to be striving for the same endpoint (globalization)? If yes, is it a good thing or a bad thing? (Italicized words have to be defined)
Socially- The level of education and health within a society
Politically: The government of a country becomes stable and secure
Economically- Advancement in infrastructure that supports economic growth or stability
Environmentally- The use of resources in a sustainable manner/working towards sustainability
Culturally (not decided, but this is our group's definition [Chistenne, Christine, Cheryl and me])- A developed culture retains its own cultural traits while progressing without infringing human rights
So these are my questions about todays class. Tell me what you think below, maybe we can start up a discussion!
Concept Mapping
Hey peeps!
On Monday, Mr. Walker told us to draw out a concept map on development, the next unit in our curriculum. I worked with Chistenne and Cheryl for this particular activity. I thought it was pretty cool, so I wanted to share this with you all. Hope you enjoy!
EQ#1: What is development?
EQ#2: What is the state of the the world?
Today, we compared and contrasted the differences/similarities of the concept maps from 9A and 9B. We found out that we had varying views in terms of knowledge, but had similar organization. I thought that this was pretty awesome, because we can see the differences in ideas between both classes.
I hope my post was informative!
On Monday, Mr. Walker told us to draw out a concept map on development, the next unit in our curriculum. I worked with Chistenne and Cheryl for this particular activity. I thought it was pretty cool, so I wanted to share this with you all. Hope you enjoy!
EQ#1: What is development?
Our first concept map. A little messy, I know!
EQ#2: What is the state of the the world?
Our crazy globe-shaped concept map! I think we did better on the second try :D
Today, we compared and contrasted the differences/similarities of the concept maps from 9A and 9B. We found out that we had varying views in terms of knowledge, but had similar organization. I thought that this was pretty awesome, because we can see the differences in ideas between both classes.
I hope my post was informative!
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Gender Project: The Journey
Here are some pictures of the process, as well as the artists behind the beautiful artwork :)
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Kinah, a work in progress
Priya, a girl from Bangladesh, made by Nicole and Lily.
Ahadi, a girl from Kenya, made by Claire.
Here are some of the reactions people had after looking through our exhibition.
Thanks for stopping by!
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Kinah Visualization Pictures
Here is our project! Hope you like it :)
The graffiti on the wall represents chaos and adversity.
Kinah shielding her eyes from the world around her.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Project Analysis
1. What was the statistic for your piece? Describe how you visualized it.
My statistic was "50% of all the sexual assaults in the world are on girls under the age of 15." Initially, our (Maddy and I) visualization of this statistic was a girl crouched in front of a brothel, hands covering herself while in a fetal position. On the wall behind her, we pictured a graffitied wall, and silhouettes of men lurking in the shadows behind her. However, when we started to draw the project out, we opted for a standing position--it embodies a quiet strength within her which we wished to portray.
2. What reality inspired you? Describe the location, the culture, and reality you included in your work.
Upon browsing youtube to find out more about Girl Rising, I came across the movie segment of Amina, the girl from Afghanistan. In the movie, she tells her story. I was really moved by her strength and courage despite the environment she lives in. Despite all the adversity around her, she it still passionate about learning. Our girl is called Kinah (meaning strong-willed), and she, like Amina, lives in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has one of the highest unreported sexual assaults in the world. The culture and customs in this country is very particular--men have almost absolute power over women, treating women like objects rather than human beings. Using Amina as our reference, we created Kinah as our representation of our statistic.
3. What artwork inspired you? Give the exact work(s) titles. Provide a visual. Explain how you incorporated this into your piece.
Artwork inspiration: National Geographic Cover April 2002
The National Geographic Cover inspired the drawing of our girl, Kinah. The magazine cover pictures a girl in Afghanistan during the civil war. Although her struggles were different, the girl’s haunting eyes inspired us to model Kinah after her. Kinah’s eyes will reflect courage and strong will in face of conflict and inequity. We wanted to express the power Kinah holds inside through her eyes, showing the world that even a women living under oppression still has her own thoughts.
http://muslima.imow.org/content/humanity-hope-destiny
http://www.pri.org/stories/2011-09-30/slideshow-graffiti-artists-kabul
Hassani, Shamsia. “Graffiti”. Photograph. PRI. Slideshow: Graffiti Artists of Kabul. 30 September, 2011. Web. April 1, 2014.
The visualization of the statistic was in graffiti, which symbolized chaos and lack of a strong system. The bold colors also make it stand out more, making it more apparent to the viewer.
4. What are personal and structural influences to your statistic?
Structural:
Afghanistan is a country full of conflict, causing the government to be all over the place. As a result, laws that regulate sexual offenders are never enforced. This is a major contributor to the rising crime rate in Afghanistan. The other reason there is high unreported sexual assault cases in Afghanistan is because of their society. Afghanistan is a patriarchal society, meaning men hold more authority. This causes women to be treated as objects. In addition, their culture is really big on honor and prestige. So, if a girl is raped or sexually assaulted, honor killings may occur to keep the family name "pure." Also, women have close to no rights (they don't get to express their opinions).
Personal:
Poverty within Afghan households is one of the reasons why the "sell off" their daughters to suitors. Poor families cannot afford to have another mouth to feed, so they offer their daughters' hand in marriage in order to acquire a few extra bucks. In the case of Amina (from girl rising), the money her family earned from her marriage to her cousin was used to buy her brother a truck. Within an Afghanistan household, sons are viewed as superior to daughters, so if their income permits education, typically only the boys attend it. This then turns into a vicious cycle, where girls do not have proper education, and hence have less knowledge to stand up for themselves.
5. What are probably personal and structural solutions to your statistic?
There are many methods in which this can be solved. Structurally, a more stable government will benefit the most, because it can solve the problem from the root. A stable government can also offer better enforcement of laws regulating sexual violence that occurs within the country. Other methods to solve the problem is to aid NGO's such as Stop Violence Against Women. Such NGO's can relieve women who have been oppressed or sexually assaulted and are afraid to speak out. On a more personal level, by allowing both girls and boys to have equal education will produce a higher GDP in the long run, as well as less conflict. Educating the public about the importance of gender equity is also equally important. People have to know why equity is important.
6. Relation to prior class learning-how does the story of this girl-this statistic relate to something we’ve learned about this year?
Gender equity is a major issue in the world today. In most countries, males have an overwhelmingly large amount of power over women, causing women to be less privileged. The fact that 50% of sexual assaults are on GIRLS under the age of 15 proves that women are the ones with less authority and power. In class, we have talked about inequality and how it occurs between genders, often times relating to women being the less empowered. This project centers around the idea of a male dominant world. Also, this is linked to the concept of culture as well as culture migration (at least of our project). The religion in Afghanistan is what allows such horrific things to happen to girls without being reported. Their culture allows acs such as honor killings solely because of their belief in honor. Mindsets and cultures also shape or cause some of the statistics.
My statistic was "50% of all the sexual assaults in the world are on girls under the age of 15." Initially, our (Maddy and I) visualization of this statistic was a girl crouched in front of a brothel, hands covering herself while in a fetal position. On the wall behind her, we pictured a graffitied wall, and silhouettes of men lurking in the shadows behind her. However, when we started to draw the project out, we opted for a standing position--it embodies a quiet strength within her which we wished to portray.
2. What reality inspired you? Describe the location, the culture, and reality you included in your work.
Upon browsing youtube to find out more about Girl Rising, I came across the movie segment of Amina, the girl from Afghanistan. In the movie, she tells her story. I was really moved by her strength and courage despite the environment she lives in. Despite all the adversity around her, she it still passionate about learning. Our girl is called Kinah (meaning strong-willed), and she, like Amina, lives in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has one of the highest unreported sexual assaults in the world. The culture and customs in this country is very particular--men have almost absolute power over women, treating women like objects rather than human beings. Using Amina as our reference, we created Kinah as our representation of our statistic.
3. What artwork inspired you? Give the exact work(s) titles. Provide a visual. Explain how you incorporated this into your piece.
Artwork inspiration: National Geographic Cover April 2002
The National Geographic Cover inspired the drawing of our girl, Kinah. The magazine cover pictures a girl in Afghanistan during the civil war. Although her struggles were different, the girl’s haunting eyes inspired us to model Kinah after her. Kinah’s eyes will reflect courage and strong will in face of conflict and inequity. We wanted to express the power Kinah holds inside through her eyes, showing the world that even a women living under oppression still has her own thoughts.
http://muslima.imow.org/content/humanity-hope-destiny
Noor, Maaida. “Overpowered: “Ala Bi Dhikrillah”. Painting. Muslima. Humanity, Hope, Destiny, 2012. Web. April 1, 2014.
In this picture, the girl is shown covering her eyes in a defensive and protective manner, almost as if she were shielding herself from harm. By incorporating this element into our artwork expresses the vulnerability and the amount of power the men have over women. The act of covering your eyes is something that is associated with fear, an emotion that will most definitely be felt by a young girl being sexually assaulted.
http://www.american.edu/uploads/standard/large/MES%20Oman%20HR.jpg
Middle East Studies. “Silhouettes of men at dusk”. Photograph. American University, Washington DC. Middle East Studies. Web. April 1, 2014.
http://www.american.edu/uploads/standard/large/MES%20Oman%20HR.jpg
Middle East Studies. “Silhouettes of men at dusk”. Photograph. American University, Washington DC. Middle East Studies. Web. April 1, 2014.
The idea of having silhouettes came after we were doing the final edits to our rough draft. The portrayal of men in the picture gives a sense of fear. Often times, after one is sexually assaulted, there are "after effects," scarring the victim forever. These silhouettes represent both the powerful presence of oppression, as well as the scarring effects sexual assaults can have.
http://www.pri.org/stories/2011-09-30/slideshow-graffiti-artists-kabul
Hassani, Shamsia. “Graffiti”. Photograph. PRI. Slideshow: Graffiti Artists of Kabul. 30 September, 2011. Web. April 1, 2014.
The visualization of the statistic was in graffiti, which symbolized chaos and lack of a strong system. The bold colors also make it stand out more, making it more apparent to the viewer.
4. What are personal and structural influences to your statistic?
Structural:
Afghanistan is a country full of conflict, causing the government to be all over the place. As a result, laws that regulate sexual offenders are never enforced. This is a major contributor to the rising crime rate in Afghanistan. The other reason there is high unreported sexual assault cases in Afghanistan is because of their society. Afghanistan is a patriarchal society, meaning men hold more authority. This causes women to be treated as objects. In addition, their culture is really big on honor and prestige. So, if a girl is raped or sexually assaulted, honor killings may occur to keep the family name "pure." Also, women have close to no rights (they don't get to express their opinions).
Personal:
Poverty within Afghan households is one of the reasons why the "sell off" their daughters to suitors. Poor families cannot afford to have another mouth to feed, so they offer their daughters' hand in marriage in order to acquire a few extra bucks. In the case of Amina (from girl rising), the money her family earned from her marriage to her cousin was used to buy her brother a truck. Within an Afghanistan household, sons are viewed as superior to daughters, so if their income permits education, typically only the boys attend it. This then turns into a vicious cycle, where girls do not have proper education, and hence have less knowledge to stand up for themselves.
5. What are probably personal and structural solutions to your statistic?
There are many methods in which this can be solved. Structurally, a more stable government will benefit the most, because it can solve the problem from the root. A stable government can also offer better enforcement of laws regulating sexual violence that occurs within the country. Other methods to solve the problem is to aid NGO's such as Stop Violence Against Women. Such NGO's can relieve women who have been oppressed or sexually assaulted and are afraid to speak out. On a more personal level, by allowing both girls and boys to have equal education will produce a higher GDP in the long run, as well as less conflict. Educating the public about the importance of gender equity is also equally important. People have to know why equity is important.
6. Relation to prior class learning-how does the story of this girl-this statistic relate to something we’ve learned about this year?
Gender equity is a major issue in the world today. In most countries, males have an overwhelmingly large amount of power over women, causing women to be less privileged. The fact that 50% of sexual assaults are on GIRLS under the age of 15 proves that women are the ones with less authority and power. In class, we have talked about inequality and how it occurs between genders, often times relating to women being the less empowered. This project centers around the idea of a male dominant world. Also, this is linked to the concept of culture as well as culture migration (at least of our project). The religion in Afghanistan is what allows such horrific things to happen to girls without being reported. Their culture allows acs such as honor killings solely because of their belief in honor. Mindsets and cultures also shape or cause some of the statistics.
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