I did my first infographic about one of the Canadian Rangers’ patrol: 1st CRPG for work. Picture This Productions is producing a series about the lives of the Canadian Rangers up in the North of Nunavut.
To learn more about the series, check out the blog updated by my great co-worker Jessie Mathieson: http://watchersofthenorthblog.com
Democracy is a beautiful idea, a grand concept.
When the Arab Spring started spreading across the world, citizens of western countries rejoiced. Soon, the oppressed people would win over the elite and dictators. Power would go to the people.
Gaddafi, Mubarak, Ben Ali fell. We thought they were the losers. The cruel and heartless ruling class had finally crumbled. Prosperity, happiness and mostly freedom was therefore accessible to everyone. As we watched these changes unfold, political experts still warned against precipitated celebration.
A bit more than one year after I wrote my first post about Women’s Day in Egypt, the situation is bitter.
“Mob attacks march against sexual harassment in Egypt, with attackers groping women” reported the Washington Post .
Nothing has changed and it seems like it almost got worse. Isn’t democracy for everyone? Aren’t women part of the oppressed group of people entitled to freedom?
Funnily enough, western nations always appear more preoccupied to know whether the next head of states will collaborate with their countries. Worrying about women is obviously a secondary concern. After incurring many losses in Afghanistan, it is way more important to deal with the Taliban to get out of there within the briefest delays than to think about the potential consequences on women.
Women are the losers in the Arab Spring. Even though they make a half of the world population, they are always forgotten for the sake of supposedly higher ideals.
People have pretty much always said i was a feminist. As far as i can remember, i have always been particularly drawn to women’s issues probably because i could relate more.
When I was interning in DC , Rosemary Reed, my boss was asked to do a speech about women and leadership at a university. I researched the topic and found some statistics, reports and quotes. But, i wasn’t fully prepared to what the research said. Most of the literature emphasized on the problems women still faced in the workplace. Moreover, at the same time, I was attending panels at the Washington Center, with women telling us they hid their pregnancies fearing they would get fired.
I was shocked and outraged and that’s how it all started.
The idea first grew in my mind. The hardest part was definitely to start writing the script, figure out the axis and main…
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Obviously! People used to say that boys played and knew about soccer when girls just watched, not understanding anything.
It’s not completely changed apparently. On Virgin Radio, yesterday, to win a ticket for the Galaxy vs Impact soccer game, girls had to answer questions about Victoria Beckham’s closet whereas boys had questions about David Beckham’s soccer performances.
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Bien sur! Avant, c’etait commun de dire que les garcons jouaient et savaient beaucoup sur le soccer alors que les filles regardaient en ne comprenant rien.
Tout n’a pas change apparemment. Sur Virgin Radio hier, pour gagner un ticket pour la game de soccer Galaxy vs Impact, les filles devaient repondre a des questions sur les vetements de Victoria Beckham quand les garcons avaient des questions sur les perfomances sportives de David Beckham.
When the Kony video first started to spread on Facebook, it was impressive to see how fast people were joining the movement. Friends that i would usually see posting comments about their nights or about funnier topics were suddenly enjoining people to watch the video. Progressively, some were asking: ” Who is Kony?” and the next day had barely started, the number of people sharing the video was increasingly growing. I had never seen such a viral video!
On one hand, those people spreading the word were trying to convince their friends a solution had to be found. On the other, some dubious people were already criticizing the movement and video.
Obviously, i was not surprised. There are always some people constantly seeing the bad side of things, complaining that everyone had never heard about Kony before and were just sheep, part of a new global trend. It was like they needed to show that they wanted to be differentiated from the international community behind the Kony video because they were too smart to agree with the campaign.
And although the Kony video does have its faults, those people reminded me why so many people don’t know about concerning worldwide issues. International politics and relations are seen as the ultimate prestigious and superior field. African geopolitics for instance is so complicated, people just give up on trying to understand.
The Kony video impressed me because suddenly, people were interested in international relations. Suddenly, i was discussing Kony with random strangers at parties or just casually chatting about it with friends. And that’s the first step towards creating a more integrated world in which people are connected and care about transnational issues.
Watching the Republican debates is always so interesting! I’m always trying to understand more about Americans and the US in general..
But, the all birth-control debate? Seriously?
Listening to those old white rich men discussing about stuff they don’t even know is shocking and depressing.
Abstinence? They need to get real:
Instead of denying a hard reality, they should find real solutions. It’s good to deplore the hardships of being a single mom but if you don’t give women options to choose what they want to do, then don’t say anything. They say Obama is imposing them his birth control policies but what about their policies and Santorum’s idea to remove all funds from Planned Parenthood? Santorum who by the way thinks aborting after rape is shocking !
I was discussing that with Erica with whom i was watching the debate and she was right in saying, they are trying to promote abstinence in a country and a time when everything around us is hypersexualized. Just think about Superbowl, one of the most viewed events in the US, some ads were not only sexists and insulting but also completely sexual:
It’s funny though because i’m not even American and i get so caught up in these debates! Anyways, all that to say: Republican debates prove me once again American politics are clearly not boring !
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Listening to the radio this morning, i was literally shocked to hear announced on NRJ Pitbull and Chris Brown’s new song “International Love”. First of all, the song was terrible ( but that only concerns me). But most importantly, it was so laughable and outrageous at the same time.
I had written about Snoop Dog’s song ” I want to make you sweat” a while ago and “International Love” is definitely going in my Top 20! Some people say that i am a feminist and that i should take it easy .But, honestly do you find it normal that some guys sing : “En Cuba […] the women get down you know what i mean” and manage to make it a Top 20 song? How can you not be outraged?!
As globalization is spreading even faster, competition is getting tougher between countries. Because of the rapid development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the digital divide is growing and thus some people are left behind. Young people in rural areas in Africa barely have electricity or education so the question of the Internet is not discussed.
However, Samsung has developed an initiative to address all of those issues and even more.As a part of its social innovation, Samsung has developed some mobile solar powered schools. For the past few years, people have started using containers as apartments but the concept is now taken to the next level. Up to 21 students can use the classroom during the day. The container comprises laptops, ventilation system, 3G wireless routers, electronic blackboard and a mini fridge. This sounds like a perfect environment for learning! After the school day, adults can organize meetings and use the laptops to have access to the Internet.
All of this is possible thanks to solar panel installed on the roof of the school that can generate nine hours of electricity per day.
If this pilot school works, Samsung is planning to expand to Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan to give 2.5 million students access to education and Internet. It is not the only company who wants to make a lasting impact in Africa. Apple has also entered a joint venture with the Zimbabwean government to provide rural schools with solar powered Ipads to reduce the digital divide.
If these initiatives really work it is likely that it will really make a difference in the coming years. Education is the stepping stone for a healthy and vibrant society. Both the short and long term prospects of these initiatives are encouraging. The best is yet to come!
You love junk food and hate vegetables? Then it’s very likely that your mother was eating fatty food when she was expecting you!
A recent study has shown that the food a pregnant woman eats will influence her child’s food taste. The research further develops the concept of prenatal flavor learning. Basically, a pregnant woman who eats a lot of broccoli, tomatoes and salad will certainly have a child who likes healthy food. The impact on the study of obesity is particularly significant.
The reasons that explain prenatal flavor learning are that the flavors and odors of the food the mother eats are present in her amniotic fluid and her breast milk. However, other factors intervene later in the development of personal taste.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-mothers-food-choice-can-shape-babys-palate-research-shows/2011/11/17/gIQAqcYooN_story.html?tid=sm_twitter_washingtonpost
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