Iran

     Iran's President Hassan Rowhani admitted this past Sunday that women in his country still face discrimination and cultural barriers. However, he instated that they are not treated as second-class citizens.  Rowhandi is seen as a moderate reformer and has said that there needs to be more done for women but that the West is not a model to be followed. His speech on Sunday promised for more social freedoms, he stated: "I, as the head of the government, confess there are still so many deficiencies with regards to the vindication of women's rights", to Iran's female elite.
     The West has criticized Iran for its islamic republic. Women cannot travel abroad without official permission. Within the country many will not allow women to check in to a room if she is not accompanied. Also, women's evidence is considered to have only half the value of a man's. Rowhandi argues that "women should enjoy equal opportunities, security and social rights".  He even pardoned women that had committed crimes and were in jail.
  I think that president of Iran has a good start, but it makes me wonder if Iran will ever have equality for women. Will women ever be able to actually have the same opportunities as men? I do not think this will be possible with any country that mixes state and religion.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/04/20/Rowhani-says-Iran-s-women-not-second-class-citizens-.html

Nigeria

       Nigeria is a country of absurd economic realities. It is the 13 largest oil producer in the world and second largest economy in Africa. Yet, its GDP per capita is among the lowest for the continent and 54 percent of its 148 million people live on less than 1 dollar per day. Nigeria has an abundance of natural resources primarily oil and natural gas. More than 67 million Nigerians are docked as poor according to standard definitions, while 35 percent of the total population live in extreme poverty.  Now Nigeria is looking to break the poverty cycle through entrepreneurial revolution. I honestly do not know how Nigeria tends to do this. With all the corruption and fragmentation in this country iI honestly do not think its possible. In order to this they have to spend on education on the poor so they can be educated. 

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/04/breaking-nigerian-poverty-cycle-entrepreneurial-revolution-1-2/

SAUDI ARABIA Social Progress Index

      According to the social progress index Saudi Arabia ranks 64. On basic human needs it ranks 83. Opportunity is 40.  And foundation of well-being is 69. To me it is not surprising that Saudi Arabia ranks 40 on opportunity, 83 in basic human rights and 69 in well-being.  Opportunity and well-being should be high because of the economy that Saudi Arabia has. Ranking 83 in basic human rights is also not surprising because Saudi Arabia is a very conservative state. And their religion has a lot to do with this.  Saudi strives in  Nutrition and Basic Medical Care, Personal Safety, and Access to Basic Knowledge. However, it falls short in personal freedom and choice.  One thing is surprising however, is that Saudi Arabia ranks very high on treating women with respect. I always thought because they don't have some basic rights they were treated without respect. This was very enlightening.

A Copa do Mundo & its effects

      It is a fact that Brazil has one of the most unequal income distributions in the world. Brazil like India has many slums with a growing population. I found an article about one of Brazil's notorious slums by Rio de Janeiro's international airport. Apparently, this particular slum is well known for its organized crime and very dangerous neighborhoods. It has also been affiliated with drug gangs.  Now, we all know what is happening in Brazil this summer. THE WORLD CUP! (Go Spain!). Since the World Cup is happening this summer apparently Brazil has occupied this slum. According to the article, Brazil has sent thousands of soldiers in armed vehicles, trucks and on foot to this slum. Brazil is worried that there is going to be thousands of travels from all over the world and famous football players flying in and something could happen to them. Therefore they have occupied this slum near the airport. I personally think it is wrong. I understand that there is danger, however, that does not give the right to the government to invade people's home. What do you think? 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/brazil/10748295/Brazilian-army-occupies-Rio-De-Janeiro-slums.html

What do you think? (Mexico)

   As we have read in chapter 9 of Countries and Concepts by Micheal G. Roskin, drugs in Mexico is a huge problem. And it has now become a U.S problem too. In Mexico drugs have led to the penetration of crime into the highest levels of power. Mexico's police, judicial system, and army have all been corrupted by drug money. Crime and politics depend on each other, this means that drug money helps politicians and politicians help the traffickers. Also, the lives and security of people in Mexico are constantly being in endangered. U.S also has to deal with all the drugs coming in into the country. Both countries have had a long and hard battle against this problem.
   I found an article about Mexico capturing a drug trafficker from the Caballeros Templarios. Manuel Plancarte Gasper, the trafficker, is also being accused of kidnapping children and and murdering them  in order to sell their organs. This is not unlikely, however, because cartels from the Caballeros Templarios are usually involved in other things that are not just drugs. They have been accused before of contributing to sexual slavery. However, not every one agrees with this. Alejandro Hope, a former government official and an expert on Mexico's security crisis said that he was doubtful that any cartel was involved in organ trafficking. He sated, "There might be a case here and there. But I don't see that it could exist on any major scale."
    What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Is Alejandro Hope being corrupted by drug money or does he really think this?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/18/mexican-cartel-organ-harvesting-investigation

"What is Education?"

    In chapter 8 of Countries and Concepts by Michael G. Roskin, India is discussed. The book discusses how India's population will be far greater than China's in the future. However, India faces a demographic bulge, that China does not. Half of India is under 24 and educating them has become an urgent concern. Indian schools, specially elementary schools, are terrible. They have no money, no buildings, and no teachers. Education in India is a state matter and many states do not have the money to spend it on education, they rather spend it on other things. Public schools have fees that the poor cannot afford. Private schools that some Indians can afford don't even compare to the education american education system. And India's top universities only teach a small elite group. India's literacy rate is 60 percent as apposed to Chinas's which is 90 percent. \
    I found two articles about how education will be hard for females to obtain and how aspirants to be teachers failed their teacher tests. The first article talks about how it will take 56 years for India to achieve female youth literacy. India is expected to to gain female literacy around the year 2070 or 2080. Irina Bokova, the director general of Unesco, states: "It is simply intolerable that girls are being left behind. For poor girls, education is one of the most powerful routes to a better future, helping them escape from a vicious cycle of poverty." The second article states how 98 percent of aspirants to be teachers failed the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET).  According to the article: "The papers feature objective questions which test the aspirants' knowledge of English, mathematics and environmental science." This year's results actually  "mark a marginal improvement over last year, when over 99% of the candidates failed to pass. But CBSE sources said the board had worked on the difficulty level as well as extended the duration of the test, keeping in mind dismal results in the past."
      This shocks me very much because it shows how India is terrible at Education. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-will-take-around-56-years-to-achieve-female-youth-literacy-Report/articleshow/31758534.cms?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/98-of-aspirants-fail-test-for-teachers-in-India/articleshow/32444979.cms
  
    
     

"My father is Li Gang!"

  "My father is Li Gang!" Imagine shouting this as you have just ran over two innocent college girls, expecting for your father's name "Li Gang" to keep you out of trouble. Can you imagine yourself shouting your important father's name out so the police does not take you into custody?

   In chapter 7 of Countries and Concepts by Michael G. Roskin, China is discussed.  This story is a true fact about a Chinese man who killed one girl out of the two that were injured and whose father was a well-known local deputy police chief. This man really did yell his father's name out because he thought his father's name would protect him. Eventually, the official press had to carry she story because of all the buzz it got and the driver was sentenced to six years. However, the victim's parents were bought off for an undisclosed amount.

   I found an article in New York Times about a Chinese activist who was being held at Beijing's Detention Center and had called ill but Chinese authorities did not give her medical assistance until it was too late. The activist, Cao Shunli, was being held under the pretenses of "picking quarrels and and provoking trouble." All that Shunli was protesting for was for the public to be allowed to contribute to an official report on human rights that China submitted to the United Nations. Shunli was denied medical attentions purposely.

   I specifically chose this article because I think it shows China's corruption. China would rather let a man who is a murderer go than an activist who might stain their "prestigious"name.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/15/world/asia/chinese-activist-dies-in-custody.html?ref=china&_r=0

Russia

    In chapter six of Countries and Concepts by Michael G. Roskin Russia is discussed.  In the book it says that because Russia is big and ethnically diverse it requires a strong central control backed by force to hold it together, a point that inclines Russia to tyranny.  Russia is so big that it is part if Europe and Asia. One country that used to be part of Russia is Ukraine, which is now independent. 
   Today Russia is trying to annex Crimea, a part of Ukraine. This has significantly intensified the confrontation with the West politically because Russia is threatening to undermine a system of respect for national boundaries that has helped keep the peace in Europe and elsewhere in decades. 
   Both leaders of the Russian Parliament have publicly spoken that they will support Crimeans if they want to break away from Ukraine. Russian has even sent Russian army men to Crimea. The main question that this issue arises is do Crimeans want to be annexed by Russia? Is Russia supported? This controversy not only calls Russia's relations with the West but also post Cold-War agreements on the sovereignty of the nations that emerged from collapse of the Soviet Union. 


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/08/world/europe/ukraine.html?_r=0

Japan

    In chapter 5 of Countries and Concepts by Michael G. Roskin,  Japan is discussed. In this chapter, one big issue is how bureaucrats are in command of the country. In Japan bureaucrats were very powerful and ruled most of the country. Foreigners criticized Japan's bureaucrats as too powerful. The Japanese bureaucratic method is to leave industry in private hands but to persuade-often over dinner and drinks- the industry to go a certain way. Today some say that the bureaucrats have "lost prestige." However, their words still hold power. They are still held in pedestals and seen as powerful men.
     I found an article on NewsonJapan.com about the education minister of Japan and some bureaucrats who made a video on youtube. This video has the education minister and the bureaucrats dancing and promoting for the youth of Japan to go study abroad.  This video has received a lot of criticism and support. I think it is very progressive for the minister of education and for the bureaucrats of Japan to make a video on youtube for their youth. I think they are wanting to leave their bad image and show the people that they do care for their citizens.

http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/106590.php

Germany: Defying the Past

   Hallo!  In chapter 3 of Concepts and Countries by Michael G. Roskin, Germany is discussed. Germany has always been opened for invasion because of their geographical boundaries. It is surrounded by big nations like Great Britain and France.  One big issue that Germany faces today is immigration. During the economic miracle, Germany was short on labor. So they allowed millions of foreigners  into the country and many brought their families into the country. Because of cultural factors Germany has been resistant to immigration. This resistance has nothing to do with racist right-wing ideology or dictatorship. On the contrary, Germans have become increasingly committed to democracy.
   I found an article in telegraph.co.uk that discusses this.  David Cameron, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, is being accused by German foreign minister of "seeking to 'damage Europe' by calling the European Union’s right to free movement into question." The article states: "Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, has attacked the Prime Minister’s call for limits to be set on immigration when poor countries, such as Bulgaria and Romania, join the EU in future. Mr Steinmeier, a Social Democrat in the Germany’s coalition government, has effectively committed Germany to blocking Britain’s plan to restrict the right to free movement for European nationals as part of proposals to renegotiate the EU treaty." This article shows how Germany is not letting itself to be defined by its past. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10583929/German-foreign-minister-Cameron-damaging-Europe-with-call-for-immigration-limits.html

Un garçon ou une fille?

  Bounjour! Comment allez-vous?
    In chapter 3 of Countries and Concepts by Michael G. Roskin France is discussed. One of the many topics of France in this chapter is France's education problems.  In 1958 the Socialist government decided to begin an ambitious plan to graduate 80 percent of the youth, which included technical and vocational options to form the skilled labor and force a modern economy needs. Public lycées now are over crowded with dilapidated buildings and dealing with crime. Middle-class parents now are preferring private lycées to send their children. Protests have been made by the youth to shake up the government to do something for the youth. In this chapter, education problems are stressed immensely. France has a huge issue with its education.
   I found an article on what is currently going on now with France's education. Apparently, thousands of French parents are furious and did not let their children go to school last monday because of the new theory that is being taught to little children at schools. This theory, "the gender theory", teaches pupils that they could choose their own sexual identity. The government now is being protested for passing this theory to be taught in schools. Parents are furious and are not letting this go. This theory is being taught in the first place because of the new gender equality law that parliament passed. All that is left to do by the world is to look closely what the French government decides to do about this law and theory.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10602928/French-parents-in-panic-over-warning-of-lessons-that-boys-can-be-girls.html

Blast From The Past

   In chapter 2 of Concepts and Countries by Michael G. Roskin we are exposed to Britain’s past and its effects today. British society , like the U.S society, is split along racial and religious lines. This problem began as a legacy of empire. In 1948 Britain legally made the natives of their colonies British subjects. This meant that their subjects were entitled to live and work in the United Kingdom. In the 1940’s through the 1960’s , U.K’s colonies were granted independence, however as members of the British Commonwealth , the people of the colonies were still entitled to immigrate to Britain. In the 1950’s many West Indians from the Caribbean and Indians and Pakistanis arrived to the U.K and took many lowly jobs that Britons did not want. For years they labored and sent for their relatives, until Britain’s textile industry closed. This left 1.6 million muslims unemployed and white resentment growing.

   Roskin explains the two forces that keep Muslims segregated: “discrimination by whites and muslim effort to preserve their faith and culture”. Also to British racists, Muslim women in full-face veils has become an irritant. In a current article by Huffingtonpost.com, it shows the type of racism people face everyday while doing normal daily things. A cashier was insulted with words like, “go on, you Muslim die” by a customer. This article shows the type of racism that people go through.

    Britain like the U.S deals with immigration. However, Roskin points out that the U.S. handles immigration better than the U.K. because “its populated with immigrants or their descendants”.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/17/lidl-muslim-customer_n_4617221.html

Democracy after an Uprising?

    In Chapter 1 of Countries and Concepts by Michael G. Roskin we are introduced to the question of "Do revolutions against tyranny lead to democracy?" All the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Syria give us the answer to this question. I will take a specific example of an uprising to explain further the answer. 
   In 2011, the Egyptian Revolution took place. The Revolution was a diverse movement to protest and non-violently overthrow Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Unfortunately, the whole revolution could  not be peaceful. There were incidents and casualties all over the country. The results of the revolution ended up with Mohamed Morsy as the first democratically elected president. However, on July 2013, Morsy was ousted in a military coup. Egypt today is struggling to achieve democracy. A new constitution was just passed with 98.1 percent of voters approving it and 1. 9 percent against it. The people that strongly disapprove of the new constitution have said on twitter that "98.1 percent is not considered a real democracy but a solo dictatorship" and "If people are arrested for holding 'vote no' posters…should these results be counted?" Rights groups have also expressed concern on the repressive environment in Egypt. 2,200 people have been killed since Morsy was ousted. Even U.S Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed his opinion that there is: "Serious concern about the limits on freedom of peaceful assembly and expression in Egypt."
    As you can see the answer to the question "If after a revolution there is democracy?" is no. Roskin says it all with "Revolutions show a strong tendency to become chaotic and fall under a dictatorship. Few end well." 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/18/world/africa/egypt-constitution/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Hello! My name is Paola !