Modern Day Slavery

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Trafficking in persons, forced prostitution, bonded labor. No matter what you call it human trafficking is a frighteningly overlooked issue.  I will examine national and international perspectives on “trafficking in persons” as seen through popular culture, not-for-profit aide, and political response.  I will investigate the US and UN policies on human trafficking from the Trafficking in Persons Reports.  I will study countries in which human trafficking is prevalent and review cases reporting trafficking.  I will examine the efforts of organizations whose mission is to end human trafficking and their recovery programs through interviewing officials of the organizations and reading personal accounts.  I will finally look at popular culture’s perceptions of human trafficking through peer discussion, Hollywood films and documentaries.

Surekhas life is confined by the walls of this brothel cell she calls homes in Mumbai, India. Photograph by: Jodi Cobb

Surekha, a victim of human trafficking, is confined by the walls of this brothel cell she calls homes in Mumbai, India.

Source: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0309/feature1/zoom4.html

Photograph by: Jodi Cobb


Latin America: Media and the Marginalized

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Isidro and his family. They live in Tlamacazapa, an indigenous village in the southern state of Guerrero, Mexico.
Isidro and his family. They live in Tlamacazapa, an indigenous village in the southern state of Guerrero, Mexico.

Every day people all over the world bear the brunt or share in the splendor of United States foreign policy.  No one feels these effects more strongly than the indigenous and marginalized communities in Latin America.  As engaged citizens—but more importantly—human beings, it is important we probe issues such as immigration, militarism, investments, and aid.  In this blog, I will incorporate reputable news sources like La Jornada, The New York Times and CNN to explain my claims regarding representation of the poor and varying perspectives on these themes.  Background research using academic journals, government documents and interviews with experts will enhance my credibility.  Passion, authenticity and depth of understanding will come from my experiences living in Mexico for two months.

Latin America and U.S. Immigration Policy

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I will being taking an indepth look at the importance of the coverage of the U.S. immigration policy and reform in Latin American media outlets in the United States. I feel that as Americans we tend to only see the United States’ side and opinions on this issue and rarley get a chance to see how those affected by this legislation feel. I will look at how the information is framed and how certain topics like illegal immigration are discussed and made accessible to their viewers. To do this I will watch two news casts weekly on Telemundo and Univision; I will go online and go to websites geared toward the Latin American communityand interview Furman faculty and students to get their insights on how they feel these media outlets shapes attiudes in the Hispanic community.

The Role of the US in the African HIV/AIDS Crisis

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Namibian orphans, some of whose parents fell victim to AIDS, with their caretaker Meme Maria.
Namibian orphans, some of whose parents fell victim to AIDS, with their caretaker Meme Maria.

My goal is to explore US involvement in alleviating the HIV/AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa.  While participating in a ten-week study abroad program to Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana, I learned first-hand how these countries were affected by AIDS.  My focus will be the efforts of government programs (such as PEPFAR and USAID) to address the crisis, and I will compare the policy changes of these programs with the administration change from Bush to Obama. I will assess the dispensation of monetary aid as well as the success of any relief programs being administered in Africa.  I will reference the websites of the programs and assess news articles critiquing the effectiveness of each. I will also interview Furman faculty who have intimate knowledge of this subject.

Angels in Disguise?

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This semester I will be exploring US foreign policy with regards to providing medical aid and assistance to Africa, focusing specifically on AIDS and Malaria. I will be comparing US policies under former President George W. Bush, and the current policies of the Obama administration, and  looking at the influence of philanthropic organizations and how they impact government policy, specifically from U2 front man Bono, the Clinton Foundation, and the Gates Foundation. Through examining scholarly books and journals, which focus on medical aid to Africa, and interviewing Furman faculty who have expertise on US foreign policy with regards to providing medical aid and assistance I will gain even deeper insights on the subject. On a local note, I will document the perspectives and activities of campus associations, such as Africa Rising, that relate to providing medical aid and assistance to Africa.

The Red Campaign, one of the many philanthropies fighting HIV/Aids in Africa
The Red Campaign, one of the many philanthropies fighting HIV/Aids in Africa

Lending a Helpful Hand: Foreign Aid

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uncle sam foreign aid

As Furman students, we often get trapped in the “Furman bubble” and sometimes neglect to see what is truly going on in the world around us.  We often take things such as our education and health for granted.  My goal in this blog over the semester is to focus on various aspects of the United States and international organizations assisting in foreign countries with an emphasis on education and health aid among other human interest topics.  My sources will include USAID, IRC, World Bank, the UN and UNICEF as well as interviews from experts, classmates, and professors.  By doing this I hope to provide valuable insight into this aspect of U.S. foreign aid and hopefully enable my peers to be educated and formulate their own opinions on international issues.

Exploring the Space Between a Rock and a Hard Place

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china-america gears
Photo from Global Markets

Over the course of the next few weeks, I will discuss US-China relations as they pertain to human rights and environmental issues AND how these issues affect interactions between China and the US as well as the implications for surrounding nations. 

 

To answer these questions, I will pull from the following resources:

 

  • a variety of online sources including American and Chinese news agencies 

 

  • Chinese history and culture, possibly including English-language blogs by Chinese authors

 

  • scholarly articles about US-China relations, US foreign policy and China’s treatment of human rights and environmental issues

 

  • interviews with faculty and students who have knowledge of US-China relations as well as current human rights and environmental issues

 

I look forward to sharing the answers I find!

Mission Statement: Rogue Nations

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In my blog I will focus on U.S. Foreign Policy toward countries deemed as rogue nations. I will seek to investigate the concept of “rogue nations,” the role the phrase plays in U.S. Foreign Policy, and the way the media portrays issues involving such countries. In order to accomplish this mission, I will examine journal articles and other scholarly works pertaining to rogue states; I will interview members of the Furman and Greenville communities, and Furman professors with expertise in foreign policy and the use of language to frame and reconstitute issues; and I will examine newspaper articles and other media related to the topic.

Haiti Earthquake: America Responds

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My blog will monitor Americans and Haitians response to the Haiti Earthquake and relief efforts in the US media. The goals of my blog will be to detect which responses have been the most effective, and trace areas of tension and collaboration among the United States and the republic of Haiti with regards to the relief effort. To answer these questions I will watch a news program and read an article once a week on the efforts America has in Haiti. I will also choose one other media outlet per week (such as a blog or YouTube video) that has a specific person’s reaction to the American earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Finally I will interview members of my family (both American and Haitian) who live in Haiti on how they feel about American response towards earthquake relief.

Terrorism in the Air

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Throughout the course of the semester I would like to examine the evolving nature of international air travel security as it relates to US foreign policy.  After 9/11, heightened security has become one of the most effective measures against terrorism. Implementing these new restrictions on air travel have afftected US relations with countries and their citizens, espcially those of the Middle East.  I will monitor recent restrictions on air travel from the  Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and evolving technologies involved with air security.  I will also use information published by the government, articles concerning instances of terrorism in the air, and interviews from airline employees and passengers regarding the policies enacted in order to ward off terrorism.

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