(0 - Set-up) Some might say that human rights have done little for these children. (1 - Reason) Even though the human rights agreements may seem to have little immediate effect in the short term, they may still have value in the case of child labour.( 2 - Missing signal phrase) Jack Donnelly, author of International Human Rights writes, (3 - Evidence, missing quotation marks and correct MLA format of citing evidence source) “Human rights initiatives that bring no direct change in a government’s practices may nonetheless have positive effects by supporting local human rights advocates or delegitimizing repressive regimes” (143). (4- missing paraphrase) In this quote Donnelly explains that although human rights initiatives may not directly change a governments practices, it is still helpful in that by bringing awareness to these issues it begins to delegitimize the state. A form of public shaming. ( 5 - missing analysis of quote) This idea is crucial in the discussion of advocating for the rights of children in Calcutta. Change may not be immediate but it is still a step in the right direction. (6 - clincher) In this case the advocates in Calcutta benefit in a more subtle way.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Lab Exercise 6/13/14
(0 - Set-up) Some might say that human rights have done little for these children. (1 - Reason) Even though the human rights agreements may seem to have little immediate effect in the short term, they may still have value in the case of child labour.( 2 - Missing signal phrase) Jack Donnelly, author of International Human Rights writes, (3 - Evidence, missing quotation marks and correct MLA format of citing evidence source) “Human rights initiatives that bring no direct change in a government’s practices may nonetheless have positive effects by supporting local human rights advocates or delegitimizing repressive regimes” (143). (4- missing paraphrase) In this quote Donnelly explains that although human rights initiatives may not directly change a governments practices, it is still helpful in that by bringing awareness to these issues it begins to delegitimize the state. A form of public shaming. ( 5 - missing analysis of quote) This idea is crucial in the discussion of advocating for the rights of children in Calcutta. Change may not be immediate but it is still a step in the right direction. (6 - clincher) In this case the advocates in Calcutta benefit in a more subtle way.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Annotated Bibliography
"Country Watch: Israel (West Bank and Gaza Strip)." Foothill College Library, Remote Access to
Databases. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2014.
Summary: Gives background information on the region such as culture, history, and etc.
Annotation: This Country Watch article will be helpful by providing background information on the region. This is important because this information enables me as a writer to have an understanding on the history between the two cultures residing in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The article also discusses the attempts and obstacles in trying to maintain or create peace in the region between the Palestinian government and the Israeli government, which would be helpful for the conclusion of my research paper.
Pollard , Ruth. "Israeli soldiers expose plight of Palestinian children." The Sydney Morning
Herald. N.p., 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 13 June 2014.
Summary: Former soldiers of the Israeli army expose the vile treatment of Palestinian children by Israeli soldiers. Some of the testimonies come from Israeli army veterans who are apart of the group Breaking the Silence, their aim is to bring awareness of the realities in the occupied territories to the Israeli people. They share harrowing stories of violence against Palestinian children, the use of solitary confinement, and that the children are denied legal representation.
Annotation: This article not only discusses the mistreatment of Palestinian children but it does so from the point of view of former soldiers who are now working to expose these wrongs. This makes it important to my research in that it gives me insight from people who have been on the other side of this issue, which is always important in order to have a more well rounded paper. A quote from the article that I would like to include in my research paper is “"It is crucial that people in Israel are confronted about what it means for Palestinian children to live under military occupation," says Yehuda Shaul, one of the founders of Breaking the Silence.” This quote brings attention to the fact that not many people in Israel or even around the world might not be aware of the atrocities being done by the Israeli army.
Lyons, John, Janine Cohen, and Sylvie Le Clezio. "Israel accused of targeting Palestinian
children in intelligence gathering." ABC News. ABC Premium News, 10 Feb. 2014. Web.
13 June 2014.
Summary: The article discusses how the Israeli army takes Palestinian children from their homes in the middle night and uses force like electric shocks to get a false confessions. It also discusses how the Israeli army uses these children as informants for the army. This is seen as harmful for the children because it cause psychological damage to the children.
Annotation: This article will be helpful in my research because it is more specific about how the abuse done to the children by the Israeli army. I also learned something new from it, that children are used as informants by the Israeli army. This new piece of information will definitely be helpful in writing my research paper.
M Fellerman, Simon. "Palestinian health: the truth, the lies, and the statistics.." Foothill Full-Text
Journals. British Medical Journal, 6 Nov. 2004. Web. 13 June 2014.
Summary: The article is a response to another BMJ article denouncing the Israeli army for it’s treatment of the Palestinian children. Mr. Fellerman lists ways that Israel has tried to bring peace to the region and places the blame on the failure of these attempts on the Palestinian government. In the article he also thinks that claims of abuse or uncalled for as the children are used by terrorists to throw rocks at Israeli soldiers.
Annotation: This article provides a look at an opinion of someone who is pro Israel. It will be used in my research to give another perspective on the situation, even if I disagree with it. It’s important to try and include it in my paper, so that I have a more well rounded approach in regards to writing about this issue.
Summerfield , Derek. "Palestine: the assault on health and other war crimes." Foothill Full-Text
Journals. British Medical Journal , 16 Oct. 2004. Web. 13 June 2014.
Summary: Discusses the impact that the conflict in the West Bank and Gaza region has had in Israel and Palestine. Writes about Palestinian civilian fatalities, usually women and children. Criticizes British politics in regards to its policies toward the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.
Annotation: A stark contrast to the piece done by Fellerman, this is actually the very article that Fellerman is responding to. Answers one of my research questions, where does the British government stand on this issue. Still need to find a source that talks directly about the American governments involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Databases. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2014.
Summary: Gives background information on the region such as culture, history, and etc.
Annotation: This Country Watch article will be helpful by providing background information on the region. This is important because this information enables me as a writer to have an understanding on the history between the two cultures residing in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The article also discusses the attempts and obstacles in trying to maintain or create peace in the region between the Palestinian government and the Israeli government, which would be helpful for the conclusion of my research paper.
Pollard , Ruth. "Israeli soldiers expose plight of Palestinian children." The Sydney Morning
Herald. N.p., 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 13 June 2014.
Summary: Former soldiers of the Israeli army expose the vile treatment of Palestinian children by Israeli soldiers. Some of the testimonies come from Israeli army veterans who are apart of the group Breaking the Silence, their aim is to bring awareness of the realities in the occupied territories to the Israeli people. They share harrowing stories of violence against Palestinian children, the use of solitary confinement, and that the children are denied legal representation.
Annotation: This article not only discusses the mistreatment of Palestinian children but it does so from the point of view of former soldiers who are now working to expose these wrongs. This makes it important to my research in that it gives me insight from people who have been on the other side of this issue, which is always important in order to have a more well rounded paper. A quote from the article that I would like to include in my research paper is “"It is crucial that people in Israel are confronted about what it means for Palestinian children to live under military occupation," says Yehuda Shaul, one of the founders of Breaking the Silence.” This quote brings attention to the fact that not many people in Israel or even around the world might not be aware of the atrocities being done by the Israeli army.
Lyons, John, Janine Cohen, and Sylvie Le Clezio. "Israel accused of targeting Palestinian
children in intelligence gathering." ABC News. ABC Premium News, 10 Feb. 2014. Web.
13 June 2014.
Summary: The article discusses how the Israeli army takes Palestinian children from their homes in the middle night and uses force like electric shocks to get a false confessions. It also discusses how the Israeli army uses these children as informants for the army. This is seen as harmful for the children because it cause psychological damage to the children.
Annotation: This article will be helpful in my research because it is more specific about how the abuse done to the children by the Israeli army. I also learned something new from it, that children are used as informants by the Israeli army. This new piece of information will definitely be helpful in writing my research paper.
M Fellerman, Simon. "Palestinian health: the truth, the lies, and the statistics.." Foothill Full-Text
Journals. British Medical Journal, 6 Nov. 2004. Web. 13 June 2014.
Summary: The article is a response to another BMJ article denouncing the Israeli army for it’s treatment of the Palestinian children. Mr. Fellerman lists ways that Israel has tried to bring peace to the region and places the blame on the failure of these attempts on the Palestinian government. In the article he also thinks that claims of abuse or uncalled for as the children are used by terrorists to throw rocks at Israeli soldiers.
Annotation: This article provides a look at an opinion of someone who is pro Israel. It will be used in my research to give another perspective on the situation, even if I disagree with it. It’s important to try and include it in my paper, so that I have a more well rounded approach in regards to writing about this issue.
Summerfield , Derek. "Palestine: the assault on health and other war crimes." Foothill Full-Text
Journals. British Medical Journal , 16 Oct. 2004. Web. 13 June 2014.
Summary: Discusses the impact that the conflict in the West Bank and Gaza region has had in Israel and Palestine. Writes about Palestinian civilian fatalities, usually women and children. Criticizes British politics in regards to its policies toward the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.
Annotation: A stark contrast to the piece done by Fellerman, this is actually the very article that Fellerman is responding to. Answers one of my research questions, where does the British government stand on this issue. Still need to find a source that talks directly about the American governments involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Proposal for Research
Human rights issue: The mistreatment and persecution of Palestinian children by Israeli soldiers.
Region: Palestine and Israel.
Theoretical Lens: Protecting the rights of children (Convention on the Rights of the child)
Research Questions: Where do allies of Israel like Great Britain and the United States of America stand on issues like this (abuse of children by soldiers)? Have they done anything in response to this abuse? Why is there not more news coverage of abuses like this? What is being done by activists and other governments to put an end to this?
Documents: Conventions on the Right of the Child
Why: I would like to research the topic of the mistreatment and persecution of Palestinian children by Israeli soldiers because while most of us are aware of the tensions between the two countries, not many are aware that children often fall victim to the violence between the two countries, both Palestinian children and Israeli children. I would also like to educate myself a little more on this issue because the Israeli and Palestinian conflict is something I’ve wanted to learn more about for quite some time now. It’s an issue that is constantly talked about and that people have very strong opinions on, so I would like to use this opportunity to not only learn more about it but to also be able to better understand it.
Region: Palestine and Israel.
Theoretical Lens: Protecting the rights of children (Convention on the Rights of the child)
Research Questions: Where do allies of Israel like Great Britain and the United States of America stand on issues like this (abuse of children by soldiers)? Have they done anything in response to this abuse? Why is there not more news coverage of abuses like this? What is being done by activists and other governments to put an end to this?
Why: I would like to research the topic of the mistreatment and persecution of Palestinian children by Israeli soldiers because while most of us are aware of the tensions between the two countries, not many are aware that children often fall victim to the violence between the two countries, both Palestinian children and Israeli children. I would also like to educate myself a little more on this issue because the Israeli and Palestinian conflict is something I’ve wanted to learn more about for quite some time now. It’s an issue that is constantly talked about and that people have very strong opinions on, so I would like to use this opportunity to not only learn more about it but to also be able to better understand it.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Sentence Craft HWK
My first essay had four sentence level errors marked throughout it. I was able to match the majority of the errors listed on the sentence-level key. The majority of of my sentence level errors are listed below:
1. Flawed verb tense: it was a subtle yet noticeable error. It can be found on on the first paragraph of my essay and it’s the last sentence.
“Wudunn and Bales both gave great speeches, but how well organized their speeches were and emotional appeal is what sets the two speeches apart.”
Reflection: It was a mistake I made by not being thorough enough with my intro paragraph when going over revisions.
2. Missing word: a common mistake I tend to make when writing essays, I need to slow down when typing and pay closer attention to errors like this when revising my essays.
“........So of course, when you educate girl, she tends to get married later on in life, she tends to have kids later on in life, she tends to have fewer kids, and those kids that she does, she educates them in a more enlightened fashion.” (Wudunn)
Reflection: This mistake was made because sometimes I type too fast and need to double check that I am typing quotes I use in my paper correctly.
My strategies for future proofreading:
The bulk of my mistakes stem from the fact that I type too fast and am not diligent enough in going back and checking for these errors. I will try to slow down a little while typing to prevent errors but will also make sure that I am reading my essay slowly as well to catch errors like missing words or an extra period.
There were other mistakes I made on my essay but they aren’t listed on the sentence-level key. Again, I was typing too fast in one sentence and put an extra period that wasn’t needed. I was also repetitive in my transitions and will work on making sure that I am not repeating myself in future essays.
Word Count: 339
1. Flawed verb tense: it was a subtle yet noticeable error. It can be found on on the first paragraph of my essay and it’s the last sentence.
“Wudunn and Bales both gave great speeches, but how well organized their speeches were and emotional appeal is what sets the two speeches apart.”
Reflection: It was a mistake I made by not being thorough enough with my intro paragraph when going over revisions.
2. Missing word: a common mistake I tend to make when writing essays, I need to slow down when typing and pay closer attention to errors like this when revising my essays.
“........So of course, when you educate girl, she tends to get married later on in life, she tends to have kids later on in life, she tends to have fewer kids, and those kids that she does, she educates them in a more enlightened fashion.” (Wudunn)
Reflection: This mistake was made because sometimes I type too fast and need to double check that I am typing quotes I use in my paper correctly.
My strategies for future proofreading:
The bulk of my mistakes stem from the fact that I type too fast and am not diligent enough in going back and checking for these errors. I will try to slow down a little while typing to prevent errors but will also make sure that I am reading my essay slowly as well to catch errors like missing words or an extra period.
There were other mistakes I made on my essay but they aren’t listed on the sentence-level key. Again, I was typing too fast in one sentence and put an extra period that wasn’t needed. I was also repetitive in my transitions and will work on making sure that I am not repeating myself in future essays.
Word Count: 339
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Buffalo Girls
Typically when we think of the human rights of children issues like child labor or abuse against children come to mind. These are the two main issues that have come up in our discussion about the film Buffalo Girls. While the issue seems to be very black and white, there are a few other things to consider before denouncing or supporting children participating in muay thai fighting.
We must first consider the cultural aspect of muay thai fighting in Thai culture. Article 30 of the “Convention of the Rights of the Child” it states “ Minority of indigenous children have the right to learn about and practise their own culture, language, and religion. The right to practise one’s own culture, language, and religion applies to everyone; the Convention highlights this right in instances where the practices are not shared by the majority of the people in the country” While muay thai fighting seems to be widely embraced in Thailand, it’s not something that is usually practised here in the west. Those of us living here in the west cannot expect others of a different culture living in a different country to raise their children in a fashion similar to ours. I’m sure things like child beauty pageants might seem bizarre and a potential human rights issue in other parts of the world. That’s not to say that there are plenty of cultures that practice things that are a clear violation of human rights and shouldn’t be allowed to continue, but does something like muay thai fighting fall into that category?
The biggest issue that most people seem to have with children participating in muay thai fighting is obviously the violence. Which is a valid concern, no child should be subject to abuse. Article 19 of the CRC states, “ Children have the right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated, physically or mentally. Governments should ensure that children are properly cared for and protect them from violence, abuse, and neglect by their parents, or anyone else who looks after them” The main difference between the children participating in muay thai fighting and what’s stated in the CRC is that in the CRC it seems to be discussing child abuse at the hands of a parent or guardian. It doesn’t necessarily address the issue of things like sports, which is what muay thai fighting is a sport. Muay thai fighting isn’t the only sport that children participate in that is considered violent, here in the US we have kids who are roughly the same age as the children in Thailand who participate in little league football. Football is notorious for it’s brutal tackles that leave players with concussions and potential neurological issues later in life, yet we allow American children to play. There are also little league rugby or hockey teams, two other notoriously “violent” sports, yet no one seems to object too much to kids here in the west of “global north” participating in these sports. As long as measures are taken to ensure the safety of the children participating in these sports, there should be no reason why they shouldn’t play them. Playing sports can lead to a whole new world of opportunities for many children living in poverty and can change their lives for the better significantly.
We must first consider the cultural aspect of muay thai fighting in Thai culture. Article 30 of the “Convention of the Rights of the Child” it states “ Minority of indigenous children have the right to learn about and practise their own culture, language, and religion. The right to practise one’s own culture, language, and religion applies to everyone; the Convention highlights this right in instances where the practices are not shared by the majority of the people in the country” While muay thai fighting seems to be widely embraced in Thailand, it’s not something that is usually practised here in the west. Those of us living here in the west cannot expect others of a different culture living in a different country to raise their children in a fashion similar to ours. I’m sure things like child beauty pageants might seem bizarre and a potential human rights issue in other parts of the world. That’s not to say that there are plenty of cultures that practice things that are a clear violation of human rights and shouldn’t be allowed to continue, but does something like muay thai fighting fall into that category?
The biggest issue that most people seem to have with children participating in muay thai fighting is obviously the violence. Which is a valid concern, no child should be subject to abuse. Article 19 of the CRC states, “ Children have the right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated, physically or mentally. Governments should ensure that children are properly cared for and protect them from violence, abuse, and neglect by their parents, or anyone else who looks after them” The main difference between the children participating in muay thai fighting and what’s stated in the CRC is that in the CRC it seems to be discussing child abuse at the hands of a parent or guardian. It doesn’t necessarily address the issue of things like sports, which is what muay thai fighting is a sport. Muay thai fighting isn’t the only sport that children participate in that is considered violent, here in the US we have kids who are roughly the same age as the children in Thailand who participate in little league football. Football is notorious for it’s brutal tackles that leave players with concussions and potential neurological issues later in life, yet we allow American children to play. There are also little league rugby or hockey teams, two other notoriously “violent” sports, yet no one seems to object too much to kids here in the west of “global north” participating in these sports. As long as measures are taken to ensure the safety of the children participating in these sports, there should be no reason why they shouldn’t play them. Playing sports can lead to a whole new world of opportunities for many children living in poverty and can change their lives for the better significantly.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Little Bee Essay
Samantha Tamale
Hayes
5/19/14
Eng. 1A
Word Count: 1295
Little Bee
Little Bee by Christopher Cleave is a story that many of us here in the west or “global north” are unfamiliar with. We might hear stories similar to Little Bee’s on the evening news but haven’t seen or connected to a more personal side of it. Cleave does a great job of bringing those stories we hear in passing on the news to life in Little Bee. Caroline Elkins, a New York Times reviewer, says this of Little Bee: “Like Little Bee, Sarah is a survivor. But the lessons of the past are not enough to steer either woman to safety. Instead, in a world full of turpitude and injustice, it is their bold, impulsive choices that challenge the inevitability of despair, transforming a political novel into an affecting story of human triumph.” In this review, Elkins makes a great argument that both Little Bee and Sarah are survivors after overcoming various although different traumatic experiences and that the novel showcases great examples of “human triumph”. While I agree that the “human triumph” aspect of the novel is important, the political issues it addresses is more important to the story as a whole. It’s the moments in the book where the violations against human rights are described in detail that will stay with the reader long after. Little Bee addresses the human rights issues of refugee children,oil companies having more priority over the rights of citizens, and federal-local identity issues.
Being forced out of your home country and leaving everything you know in order to escape war or persecution is a daunting enough experience for adults, let alone children who are sometimes forced to take that journey alone. That is why it is essential that refugee children are especially taken care of when seeking asylum in other countries. According to the “Convention on the Rights of the Child” the definition of a child is anyone under the age of 18, when Little Bee arrived in England she was fourteen years old, making her a child under British law and most importantly under the rights listed in the “Convention on the Rights of the Child”. Article 22 of the CRC says,“ children have the right to special protection and help if they are refugees (if they have been forced to leave their home and live in another country), as well as all the rights in this Convention.” The CRC explicitly states that when a refugee child seeks asylum in another country, it is the host countries responsibility to not only provide asylum but to also ensure that the well being of the child is it’s top priority. Therefore, Little Bee’s rights were first violated when she was placed in an adult detention center, even though she lacked the proper identification the British government should have been more careful of her placement when she told them she was underage. By placing her in a adult detention center it not only caused her further distress, her fear of the adult men in the detention center, but it prevented her from having the rights afforded to her by the CRC as a child refugee. Little Bee should have been given a social worker to overlook her overall well being and to make sure that she is being represented fairly in the system. The British government caused further damage by sending her back to Nigeria where her life is in danger, thus completely violating her human rights and her rights as child refugee.
In Little Bee the interests of the oil companies in Nigeria is more of a priority for the government than the rights of the villagers. The state or country is responsible for protecting the human rights of it’s citizens, not the profits of corporations. Neuwirth writes, “ Operating largely outside the scope of international law, corporations have their own code of conduct. Unlike governments--which are at least in theory based on popular will and purportedly representative of public interest---corporations don’t represent anyone other than themselves.” In this passage Neuwirth explains that corporations care only about their own interests mainly because they don’t have to answer to anyone for their actions. Operating mostly outside international law, they don’t have to answer to anyone when they conduct themselves shamefully and commit unspeakable acts against human rights, especially the oil companies operating in the Niger Delta. Which means that it falls on the Nigerian government to hold the oil companies accountable for any human rights violations against it’s citizens. The only thing keeping the Nigerian government from protecting Nigerian citizens is not that they are unable to do so but that the Nigerian government itself profits a lot of money from the oil industry. Money that is hardly ever spent on bettering or protecting the lives of it’s citizens.
The issue of federal-local identity explains why the Nigerian government is unhelpful in protecting villages in the Niger Delta from the oil companies. In Country Watch: Country Overview Nigeria it says, “ This is an issue of federal-local identity. The government sees oil as the country’s most lucrative natural resource. Nigeria is currently the world’s sixth largest oil exporter. The oil profits, however are not funneled back to the people of the region by way of infrastructure development.” pg. 5 (Country Watch) In this passage it discusses the issue of how the Nigerian government fails to distribute the wealth it’s made from oil profits back to it’s citizens, creating an issue of federal-local identity. If the government used more funds from the money it’s made from oil profits towards things like law enforcement, there might be more protection for human rights that would keep villages like Little Bee’s from being attacked by the oil companies.
Elkins and other readers argue that the importance of a novel like Little Bee is the emotional aspect of the story or as Elkins put it “an affecting story of human triumph” and that the political issues addressed in the novel aren’t central to the novels theme. While I agree that Cleave utilizes an emotional approach in Little Bee, it is the political issues in the book that Cleave writes about that make the book important. Throughout the story he repeatedly brings up issues that many refugee’s deal with in their host countries. Such as the loss of cultural identity in order to better assimilate into British society, prejudice from British citizens, and most importantly how many refugee’s fail to succeed in gaining asylum despite the fact that they have legitimate reasons for leaving their home countries. Cleave also addresses the human rights issues and violations that have forced refugees out of their home countries like the slaughter of Little Bee’s village at the demand of the oil companies and the murder of Yvette’s family in Jamaica for political reasons. These issues make the political aspect of Little Bee the overall central theme of the book. Which is important because novels like Little Bee bring much needed awareness to the plight of refugees and to human rights violations as a whole.
While Little Bee may be a fictional novel, the issues it addresses are very real. There are countless people across the world in situations like Little Bee’s, some are living in even more dire circumstances. Unfortunately for those people is that there aren’t enough people like Sarah who are willing to sacrifice a finger let alone speak up to defend the human rights of their fellow human beings. Little Bee not only makes those of us living here in the west or the “global north” aware of the atrocities being done in other parts of the world but it also makes us think of what role we have in the human rights discussion.
Hayes
5/19/14
Eng. 1A
Word Count: 1295
Little Bee
Little Bee by Christopher Cleave is a story that many of us here in the west or “global north” are unfamiliar with. We might hear stories similar to Little Bee’s on the evening news but haven’t seen or connected to a more personal side of it. Cleave does a great job of bringing those stories we hear in passing on the news to life in Little Bee. Caroline Elkins, a New York Times reviewer, says this of Little Bee: “Like Little Bee, Sarah is a survivor. But the lessons of the past are not enough to steer either woman to safety. Instead, in a world full of turpitude and injustice, it is their bold, impulsive choices that challenge the inevitability of despair, transforming a political novel into an affecting story of human triumph.” In this review, Elkins makes a great argument that both Little Bee and Sarah are survivors after overcoming various although different traumatic experiences and that the novel showcases great examples of “human triumph”. While I agree that the “human triumph” aspect of the novel is important, the political issues it addresses is more important to the story as a whole. It’s the moments in the book where the violations against human rights are described in detail that will stay with the reader long after. Little Bee addresses the human rights issues of refugee children,oil companies having more priority over the rights of citizens, and federal-local identity issues.
Being forced out of your home country and leaving everything you know in order to escape war or persecution is a daunting enough experience for adults, let alone children who are sometimes forced to take that journey alone. That is why it is essential that refugee children are especially taken care of when seeking asylum in other countries. According to the “Convention on the Rights of the Child” the definition of a child is anyone under the age of 18, when Little Bee arrived in England she was fourteen years old, making her a child under British law and most importantly under the rights listed in the “Convention on the Rights of the Child”. Article 22 of the CRC says,“ children have the right to special protection and help if they are refugees (if they have been forced to leave their home and live in another country), as well as all the rights in this Convention.” The CRC explicitly states that when a refugee child seeks asylum in another country, it is the host countries responsibility to not only provide asylum but to also ensure that the well being of the child is it’s top priority. Therefore, Little Bee’s rights were first violated when she was placed in an adult detention center, even though she lacked the proper identification the British government should have been more careful of her placement when she told them she was underage. By placing her in a adult detention center it not only caused her further distress, her fear of the adult men in the detention center, but it prevented her from having the rights afforded to her by the CRC as a child refugee. Little Bee should have been given a social worker to overlook her overall well being and to make sure that she is being represented fairly in the system. The British government caused further damage by sending her back to Nigeria where her life is in danger, thus completely violating her human rights and her rights as child refugee.
In Little Bee the interests of the oil companies in Nigeria is more of a priority for the government than the rights of the villagers. The state or country is responsible for protecting the human rights of it’s citizens, not the profits of corporations. Neuwirth writes, “ Operating largely outside the scope of international law, corporations have their own code of conduct. Unlike governments--which are at least in theory based on popular will and purportedly representative of public interest---corporations don’t represent anyone other than themselves.” In this passage Neuwirth explains that corporations care only about their own interests mainly because they don’t have to answer to anyone for their actions. Operating mostly outside international law, they don’t have to answer to anyone when they conduct themselves shamefully and commit unspeakable acts against human rights, especially the oil companies operating in the Niger Delta. Which means that it falls on the Nigerian government to hold the oil companies accountable for any human rights violations against it’s citizens. The only thing keeping the Nigerian government from protecting Nigerian citizens is not that they are unable to do so but that the Nigerian government itself profits a lot of money from the oil industry. Money that is hardly ever spent on bettering or protecting the lives of it’s citizens.
The issue of federal-local identity explains why the Nigerian government is unhelpful in protecting villages in the Niger Delta from the oil companies. In Country Watch: Country Overview Nigeria it says, “ This is an issue of federal-local identity. The government sees oil as the country’s most lucrative natural resource. Nigeria is currently the world’s sixth largest oil exporter. The oil profits, however are not funneled back to the people of the region by way of infrastructure development.” pg. 5 (Country Watch) In this passage it discusses the issue of how the Nigerian government fails to distribute the wealth it’s made from oil profits back to it’s citizens, creating an issue of federal-local identity. If the government used more funds from the money it’s made from oil profits towards things like law enforcement, there might be more protection for human rights that would keep villages like Little Bee’s from being attacked by the oil companies.
Elkins and other readers argue that the importance of a novel like Little Bee is the emotional aspect of the story or as Elkins put it “an affecting story of human triumph” and that the political issues addressed in the novel aren’t central to the novels theme. While I agree that Cleave utilizes an emotional approach in Little Bee, it is the political issues in the book that Cleave writes about that make the book important. Throughout the story he repeatedly brings up issues that many refugee’s deal with in their host countries. Such as the loss of cultural identity in order to better assimilate into British society, prejudice from British citizens, and most importantly how many refugee’s fail to succeed in gaining asylum despite the fact that they have legitimate reasons for leaving their home countries. Cleave also addresses the human rights issues and violations that have forced refugees out of their home countries like the slaughter of Little Bee’s village at the demand of the oil companies and the murder of Yvette’s family in Jamaica for political reasons. These issues make the political aspect of Little Bee the overall central theme of the book. Which is important because novels like Little Bee bring much needed awareness to the plight of refugees and to human rights violations as a whole.
While Little Bee may be a fictional novel, the issues it addresses are very real. There are countless people across the world in situations like Little Bee’s, some are living in even more dire circumstances. Unfortunately for those people is that there aren’t enough people like Sarah who are willing to sacrifice a finger let alone speak up to defend the human rights of their fellow human beings. Little Bee not only makes those of us living here in the west or the “global north” aware of the atrocities being done in other parts of the world but it also makes us think of what role we have in the human rights discussion.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Book Club Nomination
1. Malala Yousafzai's I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban is a non fiction autobiography on education rights for girls in Pakistan.
2. The education of women is a critical component in the discussion of human rights and most definitely in the international women’s movement.
3. It is 352 pages long.
4. I have not read this.
5. The text is challenging enough without being too difficult to read.
6. Avaiable for purchase through either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. Prices range from $12-$25. Used copies are also easy to find and purchase.
7. Available in english.
Nomination:
While I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban is an autobiography I feel that it is an important book to read in addition to our studies on human rights and the international women’s movement. The topic of the book, education rights for girls and women, was a crucial part of Wudunn’s argument in her TEDGlobal talk and in the discussion of the rights of women in the “global south” overall. I feel that it should be considered despite being an autobiography because Malala’s story is one that many students might already be familiar with but also because it is a part of current events. Malala Yousafzai is an extraordinary young woman and her story is critical in understanding the fight for human rights today in 2014.
Word Count: 244
2. The education of women is a critical component in the discussion of human rights and most definitely in the international women’s movement.
3. It is 352 pages long.
4. I have not read this.
5. The text is challenging enough without being too difficult to read.
6. Avaiable for purchase through either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. Prices range from $12-$25. Used copies are also easy to find and purchase.
7. Available in english.
Nomination:
While I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban is an autobiography I feel that it is an important book to read in addition to our studies on human rights and the international women’s movement. The topic of the book, education rights for girls and women, was a crucial part of Wudunn’s argument in her TEDGlobal talk and in the discussion of the rights of women in the “global south” overall. I feel that it should be considered despite being an autobiography because Malala’s story is one that many students might already be familiar with but also because it is a part of current events. Malala Yousafzai is an extraordinary young woman and her story is critical in understanding the fight for human rights today in 2014.
Word Count: 244
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