The Proposal
Nate, Jack, Debbie, Sany, and Andre
ENG 2010 Kati Lewis 12 April, 2015 The Proposal Tolerance, freedom and justice seem to be absent from the American vocabulary in issues that involve human smuggling, religious intolerance, Native American culture, and the rights of minors. These subjects define the theme of human rights and stand as an example of the intolerant rights of man. Individuals often have a misconception of how serious these issues actually are. Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residences, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all independent and indivisible. Universal human rights are guaranteed by law, through forms of treaties, customary international law, general principles and other sources of international law. International and local human rights laws lay down the obligations of specific governments to act in certain ways or to refrain from certain acts. They do this in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals or groups. In order to achieve a better understanding of human rights violations that are still occurring within the United States and encourage cooperation from other individuals and organizations on this topic, our party has agreed to protest this theme by pooling our issues and working together in hopes of success. By publicly protesting our issues, we can enlighten certain people in a one-on-one conversation on the prevalence of these violations. This is an effective way to distribute our ideas into the populous, because of its shock value. Most people are unaware that these issues are, in some form or another, still taking place within the United States. One in four Native Americans live in poverty (Krogstad). Also 50 to 70 percent of unaccompanied minors who appeared before an immigration judge without legal representation last year. Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the US each year. Government hostilities can include favoritism of a religious group, limits on conversion, foreign missionaries, attempts to eliminate a group, prohibition of worship or practice of certain beliefs, violence towards a minority group, and more. The assumptions of the public’s opinion on the issue of human rights is often lessened. This is because of its quantity and prevalence throughout the history and founding of the United States. Examples of this include: Boston Tea Party December 1773. Civil Rights Movement Washington D.C., August 28, 1963, Women’s Suffrage Seneca Falls Convention, 1848, Labor Movement led by the Knights of Labor 1911, and Occupy Wall Street September 7, 2011, New York. The American public has become desensitized to protests. With the first amendment being the freedom of speech, it makes sense why new, up and coming protests, whether local or national, do not always attract attention. Still, human rights are an issue that involves everyone, not just specific groups or ethnicities, but all individuals. The reason individuals are unaware of these conditions in our country is because these issues mainly impact the minority of races, cultures and religions. The majority of people are unfazed and uninterested in improvement on these topics. In order to reach out to the public more effectively our group has chosen specific area of human rights to elaborate on in order to appeal to a larger crowd: |
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Thousands of immigrant children, cross the US borders each year but most recently from 2011 to 2014 the number of children coming into the US were reported to be at the highest. Interviews presented that many of the children where escaping the perpetuating violence and poverty in their home countries, a few make it without being apprehended but for others that is not the case. Many of the children come unaccompanied without any guidance, they surpass a long journey were at every moment their lives are at risk. When those children are apprehended at the border, they are taken into immigration facilities; there they await a court hearing date. In such case, these children have to wait up to a year to get a court hearing. This is due to the massive inflow and the facilities then reach a strained capacity. “Inadequate judicial and legal resources left some migrants waiting two years or more for a hearing before an immigration judge.” (Rosenblum) These causes are why many awaited court hearings are missed, the failure to provide these services neither protects nor prevents the children who have come into the US unaccompanied. Whether being from a different country or having a different culture and race, it should not compromise anyone from their rights as humans and from having legal representation at any given circumstance. Just as any American citizen has legal rights to be fairly represented these vulnerable children should as well be given that opportunity.
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Human Smuggling is when a migrant, immigrant or undocumented person, voluntarily engages the services of a professional smuggler to evade immigration procedures. Human rights can relate to Human Smuggling in so many ways such as; the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. The right to life is one such state that individuals should posses. Many people are forcibly smuggled into a different country, where they are kept as slaves for captors from smuggling rings. The right to liberty and security is often forgotten when captives die while being transported to a designated location. Individuals have the right not to be submitted into slavery, servitude or forced labor. In fact, the people that are kept in bondage by smuggling rings don’t get the chance to choose what happens with their lives. Being subjected to torture and/or cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment or punishments infringes on these rights as well. These captives are forced to tail an owner or buyer just as a slave would, there have no choice in whom they mingle with, and are also subjugated to their owners or associates. This strongly conflicts with the right to be free from gendered violence and freedom of association. The right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is a liberty that captives do not receive. Many of these people get traumatized from the experience or severely hurt while being transported to a remote area or place. (United Nations publication, p. 270). Captives can get dehydrated or develop hypothermia, these people often die because of the absence of proper medical care. Captors do not provide their “slaves” with standard essentials of living which conflicts with the right to an adequate standard of living. Among the absence of essentials, ring owners do not even supply a place for the captive to sleep they are thrown into an empty room and fed small meals.
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For many individuals, religion brings stability and purpose into the lives of families, communities and even countries. Religion is often compared to philosophy because of its varied perspectives on life and deities. Some major religions boast their teachings are the correct way to see life, however, one religion doesn’t always fit all the needs of a specific individual, making that person question and doubt these certain teachings. Often the solution to this problem is, find a religion that suits your needs be it spiritual or social. This makes sense because the word “truth” is subjective. What is true for a Muslim may not be true for a Christian. Buddhist teachings may not correlate well with the teachings of the Jewish religion. An individual should be able to chose his own truth and be able to practice it freely without persecution. However, that is not the case in the world today. Many individuals are still persecuted for their beliefs and suffer their whole lives because of it. It is a basic human right for an individual to practice whatever he or she believes to be true. To judge someone on their beliefs instead of their character is the same ignorance that is repeated throughout the centuries and leads to war and suffering. While some areas are more hostile to polytheistic ways of thought, other areas are milder, but the problem still persists on a lesser scale. Religion is something that should bring people together, people who have the same perspective of life can help each other and at the same time accept the people who view the world differently as equal to the ones that share their beliefs. The intolerance of religion is an issue that orbits the topic of human rights by being able to choose, freely, the religion that most comfortably fits the needs of the person. To live a life of inferiority, hopelessness, and servitude under the banner of someone who claims to be right, is not a life worth living. One should strive for their own happiness and accept the truths of others, by doing so, you stand as an example for other individuals to follow and bring that same happiness to others as well.
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Native Americans are strangers in their own land. As an ethnic group, they have one of the highest poverty rates in the United States. They have been segregated and communalized throughout America’s history and have paid a heavy price for their diversity, unique upbringing and customs. The United States government has effectively hindered the ability for Native Americans to achieve success in career by herding them into reservations and communities that have a poverty rate of 26% (Krogstad). According to Dosomething.org, “Children living in poverty have a higher number of absenteeism or leave school all together because they are more likely to have to work or care for family members.” With the poverty so high in these communities, it is unlikely that Native Americans can receive a substantial education. Along with poverty Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than any other woman in the United States (Amnesty International). Native Americans are suffering in their own country and as can be seen by the human rights that are being violated.
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African Americans have struggled within their violence within their own race for years. Breaking the chains is something that needs to go on in the African American community. African Americans have rights but what right do we have when we are so easily judged because of our skin color? And yes why do we kill each other when our ancestors marched for us and when the gangs stared it wasn't for us to kill one another it was to protect each other from the hate and racism from others than ourselves but now the gang life has went out of hand so a young black man has to hope and pray that he is able to survive every day in world they call liberty and justice for all.
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In order to execute our protest, our group has created a step-by-step plan to display our ideas and converse with different people on our topic:
To create awareness on human rights within the United States, our group will pass out 50 flyers (10 for each person in the group) with current facts, graphics, poems statistics, and even biographies on people affected by human rights violations. The flyer will also include a hashtag on the bottom corner that allows for social media awareness on our topic as well. The importance of having a flyer gives the audience member another medium to observe while we are conversing with them. By presenting both a physical and oral protest, we believe that the audience will be able grasp our intentions and will absorb and communicate the information to other parties. We believe that the flyers will be effective for our awareness campaign because it offers an object to be taken with them that they can reference back to when they go home. It also is a quick way to break the preoccupation of whoever we will come in contact with. We also think that adding candy that has slogans such as "Human Rights", "Lets be Aware", and our hashtag will have repetitive messaging both in speech when we talk with these individuals and in text on the flyer and candy that they take home with them. The distribution of the flyers will take place at the Redwood Campus Poetry Slam even on Thursday April 16th from 11 am to 12 pm.
To gain the audience's attention we will offer candy as an incentive for cooperation. Upon sharing the candy, we will also offer a flyer and a pleasant and open conversation on human rights. This audience will participate willingly because our group is appealing to their sense of creativity and art. Much thinking, hard work, and creativity has gone into our project. The other artists and poets will be invested with our topic.
By covering more than one area of communication, we can effectively spread the news of our protest. We hope to provide the collegiate community that we talk to. With information and education on human rights that is relevant to them. We will accomplish this with the awareness objects of the flyer and candy. The flyer and candy will act as an extension of us and start a conversation within social media. Our different topics will attract a wide range of individuals, instead of just focusing on one broad theme. It will be an effective way to protest because of the availability of social media and the internet as well human interaction.
Each of these subjects of protest provides examples of the absence of human rights in the United States today. Although we cannot change every area of the world, we can affect those around us by implementing this protest in order to improve our community and stand as an example for future generations. Our proposal is the first step to enacting the liberty of human rights, by doing this, we can educate the masses and show that tolerance is necessary in order to obtain freedom and happiness. Those two things do not cling to a specific group; or culture they should be obtainable for everyone.
To create awareness on human rights within the United States, our group will pass out 50 flyers (10 for each person in the group) with current facts, graphics, poems statistics, and even biographies on people affected by human rights violations. The flyer will also include a hashtag on the bottom corner that allows for social media awareness on our topic as well. The importance of having a flyer gives the audience member another medium to observe while we are conversing with them. By presenting both a physical and oral protest, we believe that the audience will be able grasp our intentions and will absorb and communicate the information to other parties. We believe that the flyers will be effective for our awareness campaign because it offers an object to be taken with them that they can reference back to when they go home. It also is a quick way to break the preoccupation of whoever we will come in contact with. We also think that adding candy that has slogans such as "Human Rights", "Lets be Aware", and our hashtag will have repetitive messaging both in speech when we talk with these individuals and in text on the flyer and candy that they take home with them. The distribution of the flyers will take place at the Redwood Campus Poetry Slam even on Thursday April 16th from 11 am to 12 pm.
To gain the audience's attention we will offer candy as an incentive for cooperation. Upon sharing the candy, we will also offer a flyer and a pleasant and open conversation on human rights. This audience will participate willingly because our group is appealing to their sense of creativity and art. Much thinking, hard work, and creativity has gone into our project. The other artists and poets will be invested with our topic.
By covering more than one area of communication, we can effectively spread the news of our protest. We hope to provide the collegiate community that we talk to. With information and education on human rights that is relevant to them. We will accomplish this with the awareness objects of the flyer and candy. The flyer and candy will act as an extension of us and start a conversation within social media. Our different topics will attract a wide range of individuals, instead of just focusing on one broad theme. It will be an effective way to protest because of the availability of social media and the internet as well human interaction.
Each of these subjects of protest provides examples of the absence of human rights in the United States today. Although we cannot change every area of the world, we can affect those around us by implementing this protest in order to improve our community and stand as an example for future generations. Our proposal is the first step to enacting the liberty of human rights, by doing this, we can educate the masses and show that tolerance is necessary in order to obtain freedom and happiness. Those two things do not cling to a specific group; or culture they should be obtainable for everyone.
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Work Citied
Covert, Bryce. "The Unemployment Rate For Native Americans Has Been Over 10 Percent For Five Years." ThinkProgress RSS. 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/10/29/2855951/unemployment- native- americans/>.
"Human Smuggling." Human Smuggling. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ice.gov/human-smuggling>.
"How We Make a Difference." OHCHR News. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ohchr.org>.
Gordon, Claire. "5 Big Native American Health Issues You Don't Know about | Al Jazeera America." 5 Big Native American Health Issues You Don't Know about | Al Jazeera America. Al Jazeera America, 29 May 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/america-tonight- blog/2013/8/28/5-huge-native-americanhealthissuesyoudontknowabout.html>.
Krogstad, Jens Manuel. "One-in-four Native Americans and Alaska Natives Are Living in Poverty." Pew Research Center RSS. 13 June 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/13/1-in-4-native-americans-and- alaska-natives-are-living-in-poverty/>.
"Maze of Injustice." Amnesty International USA. Amnesty International USA, 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.amnestyusa.org/our- work/issues/women- s-rights/violence-against-women/maze-of-injustice>.
Rosenblum R. Marc, "Unaccompanied Child Migration to the United States: The Tension between Protection and Prevention". April 2015 report for MPI Migration Policy Institute pg 1. http://migrationpolicy.org/research/unaccompanied-child-migration-united-states- tension-between-protection-and- prevention
"Transnational Organized Crime:Let's Put Them out of Business." Smuggling of Migrants: The Harsh Search for a Better Life. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/migrant-smuggling.html>.
Zetter, Roger. "Protection in Crisis: Forced Migration and Protection in a Global Era." Migration Policy Institute. MPI, 1 Mar. 2015. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://migrationpolicy.org/research/protection-crisis-forced-migration-and-protection-global-era>.
"Human Smuggling." Human Smuggling. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ice.gov/human-smuggling>.
"How We Make a Difference." OHCHR News. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ohchr.org>.
Gordon, Claire. "5 Big Native American Health Issues You Don't Know about | Al Jazeera America." 5 Big Native American Health Issues You Don't Know about | Al Jazeera America. Al Jazeera America, 29 May 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/america-tonight- blog/2013/8/28/5-huge-native-americanhealthissuesyoudontknowabout.html>.
Krogstad, Jens Manuel. "One-in-four Native Americans and Alaska Natives Are Living in Poverty." Pew Research Center RSS. 13 June 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/13/1-in-4-native-americans-and- alaska-natives-are-living-in-poverty/>.
"Maze of Injustice." Amnesty International USA. Amnesty International USA, 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.amnestyusa.org/our- work/issues/women- s-rights/violence-against-women/maze-of-injustice>.
Rosenblum R. Marc, "Unaccompanied Child Migration to the United States: The Tension between Protection and Prevention". April 2015 report for MPI Migration Policy Institute pg 1. http://migrationpolicy.org/research/unaccompanied-child-migration-united-states- tension-between-protection-and- prevention
"Transnational Organized Crime:Let's Put Them out of Business." Smuggling of Migrants: The Harsh Search for a Better Life. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.unodc.org/toc/en/crimes/migrant-smuggling.html>.
Zetter, Roger. "Protection in Crisis: Forced Migration and Protection in a Global Era." Migration Policy Institute. MPI, 1 Mar. 2015. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://migrationpolicy.org/research/protection-crisis-forced-migration-and-protection-global-era>.