International Day of the Girl
The first International Day of the Girl will be celebrated throughout the world on 11th October 2012. In December 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to establish this day. According to the UN General Assembly, “this day is about “helping galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to better girls’ lives, providing an opportunity for them to show leadership and reach their full potential.”
Do you know some of the major crises facing girls? (Taken from the Day of the Girl website)
Do you know some of the major crises facing girls? (Taken from the Day of the Girl website)
- By 2015, females will make up 64% of the world’s (adult) population who cannot read.
- Only 30% of girls in the world are enrolled in secondary school.
- One in seven girls in developing countries is married off before age 15.
- Worldwide children as young as 11 are forced to work as prostitutes.
- More than half (57%) of music videos feature a female portrayed exclusively as a decorative, sexual object.
And yet, according to the website Day of the Girl, the rights of girls are clearly established by law in the following:
- United Nations Declaration of Human Rights – Article 26
- Millennium Development Goals – MDG # 2,3,4,5, 6
- Convention on the Rights of the Child – Articles 12, 19, 24, 28, 31
- Beijing Platform for Action – Sections L.4, L.5, L.7, L.8
- Commission on the Status of Women 51st session
In addition to girls being challenged by individual discrimination, they face institutional discrimination. According to dayofthegirls.org, these include missing girls, non-registration at birth, early marriages, domestic labor, trafficking of girls and being pressured to undertake housework and caring duties in the home. Furthermore, parental attitudes, media, peer group pressure, social norms, cultural traditions and lack of awareness promote gender biases and stereotypes.
So, what are we to do? The first step is to be aware and acknowledge what individual and institutional barriers exist for the girl child in my own country. Secondly, be knowledgeable with regard to international and national laws that deprogram gender bias and stereotypes. Lastly, with voice and action, promote greater gender equality in solidarity with girls.
Reflection/Action:
So, what are we to do? The first step is to be aware and acknowledge what individual and institutional barriers exist for the girl child in my own country. Secondly, be knowledgeable with regard to international and national laws that deprogram gender bias and stereotypes. Lastly, with voice and action, promote greater gender equality in solidarity with girls.
Reflection/Action:
- The Day of the Girl Summit has a lot of information inviting girls to organize events. The Virtual Summit is an accessible digital space where girls can celebrate the first ever Day of the Girl.
- Many videos are included about girls’ issues by girls. (Scroll Down)
- Miss Representation is in the media center after October 16 for checkout. (This is a sexist portrayal of girls and women in the media)
- Read about 10 girls in 10 countries who struggle to get an education here.
- Urge your local leadership to proclaim October 11 as International Day of the Girl (for youth who desire to work on this, they can visit www.dayofthegirl.org/actnow for a 3 minute video)
- Working Group on Girls Fact Sheets are located here. (poverty, education, violence and other issues that affect the lives of girls)
- For educators, you may wish to use the following journal activity: Write an essay or a list of what it would be like to be the other gender. How would life be different? How would it be the same? Would you have different responsibilities?
- View the video, The Girl Effect. (girls need to be part of the solution to global poverty)
- Urge legislators to support gender friendly legislation for women and girls.
- Choose suppliers, distributers and business partners that promote women as leaders and challenge those that do not.
World Food Day and International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
World Food Day is October 16. According to Oxfam one in seven goes to bed hungry every night in our world. While it is often disputed as to whether there is enough food in the world, most experts agree that there is enough and that it is a matter of access for many individuals and families, especially women. If this is true, then might hunger be rooted in inequality and thus be determined by power as Oxfam suggests in their GROW campaign that aims to grow food and justice without wrecking the planet?
The number of individuals who suffer from chronic hunger has increased over the long-term as did the requests for emergency food aid. Climate change is playing an ever increasing role in price volatility. Furthermore, price volatility influences one’s ability to feed her/his family. All appears to be a vicious cycle of need. To better understand those people who are hungry and malnourished, individuals are invited to reflect upon the patterns of ownership and decision-making when it comes to the production, distribution and consumption of food. Who owns? Who controls? Who pays? Who gets?
Jesus reminds us that one of the basic measures of how we live our lives will be how we cared for people in need, “For I was hungry and you gave me food” (Matthew 25:35; last judgment). Yet, according to Oxfam, about 80% of the world’s hungry people live in rural areas where most of them work as farmers, herders, fishers, or laborers. How is it that we can begin to address the neds of the millions of people who still do not have food on their plates?
Might this awareness also call us to action on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty that is observed on October 17? This observance can be traced back to 1987, more than 100,000 people gathered in Paris, France, to honor the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. The eradication of poverty calls for redistribution of many of Earth’s resources including an examination of individual resources and the sharing of these to those in greater need.
Reflection/Action:
The number of individuals who suffer from chronic hunger has increased over the long-term as did the requests for emergency food aid. Climate change is playing an ever increasing role in price volatility. Furthermore, price volatility influences one’s ability to feed her/his family. All appears to be a vicious cycle of need. To better understand those people who are hungry and malnourished, individuals are invited to reflect upon the patterns of ownership and decision-making when it comes to the production, distribution and consumption of food. Who owns? Who controls? Who pays? Who gets?
Jesus reminds us that one of the basic measures of how we live our lives will be how we cared for people in need, “For I was hungry and you gave me food” (Matthew 25:35; last judgment). Yet, according to Oxfam, about 80% of the world’s hungry people live in rural areas where most of them work as farmers, herders, fishers, or laborers. How is it that we can begin to address the neds of the millions of people who still do not have food on their plates?
Might this awareness also call us to action on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty that is observed on October 17? This observance can be traced back to 1987, more than 100,000 people gathered in Paris, France, to honor the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. The eradication of poverty calls for redistribution of many of Earth’s resources including an examination of individual resources and the sharing of these to those in greater need.
Reflection/Action:
- Practice the GROW method (Oxfam) of reducing food waste to make the most of the precious resources we have. (prepare meal plans ahead of shopping, save and eat leftovers, etc.)
- Purchase products from small-scale food producers locally and from other countries. (purchase fair trade products and local farmers’ markets, advocate for small farmer and farm workers)
- Cook smart to cut down on wasted energy and water usage. (use just enough water to cover vegetables on stove, use oven for baking more than one item at a time, unplug microwave/other appliances or place on switch to reduce electrical usage)
- Purchase food that is in season to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. (what food is in season now? How am I planning to expand my vegetable garden next Spring?)
- Eat less meat and dairy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce water use.
- Urge governments and companies to make smarter investments in agriculture and climate. preparedness through purchasing power or in conversation.
- Visit the Oxfam World Food Day website for more resources. (videos, faith group materials, discussion guide, etc)
- Sign a petition to end world hunger. (Petition reads, “We who support this petition find it unacceptable that close to one billion people are chronically hungry. Through the United Nations, we call upon governments to make the elimination of hunger their top priority until that goal is reached.”)
- Take time to educate yourself about the realities of those living in poverty or who suffer from hunger in your neighborhood.
- Host a simple World Food Day dinner or fast and donate the proceeds to someone in need of food in your local area.
- Arrange a food drive for a local pantry if your local area has such places.
- Pray, remembering the 1.2 billion people in the world who live in extreme poverty (less than $1.25/day). A prayer service for potential editing is located here.
U.S. Elections, Faithful Citizenship and Framing – Part II
This is the second part of this series. The first part was located in the September 2012 Action Alert.
As U.S. elections draw closer, citizens contemplate their decisions before going to the voting booth. In the first part of this series, two of the most dominant ways of framing were addressed, that of the strict father and the nurturing parent.
While knowledge of these models is important, there are also some lessons from cognitive science about these frameworks. These are taken from the book, Thinking Points by George Lakoff (cognitive linguist and professor of linguistics at UC Berkeley, where he has taught since 1972) and include:
1. The use of frames is largely unconscious.
2. Frames define common sense.
3. Repetition can embed frames in the brain.
4. Activation links surface frames to deep frames and inhibits opposition frames.
5. Existing deep frames don’t change overnight.
6. Speak to “biconceptuals” as you speak to your base.
7. The facts alone will not set us free.
8. Simply negating the others side’s frames only reinforces them.
Bridging the gap in these frameworks consists of being grounded in love and reaching out with compassion. Perhaps the bridging is best reflected upon through the following questions:
As U.S. elections draw closer, citizens contemplate their decisions before going to the voting booth. In the first part of this series, two of the most dominant ways of framing were addressed, that of the strict father and the nurturing parent.
While knowledge of these models is important, there are also some lessons from cognitive science about these frameworks. These are taken from the book, Thinking Points by George Lakoff (cognitive linguist and professor of linguistics at UC Berkeley, where he has taught since 1972) and include:
1. The use of frames is largely unconscious.
2. Frames define common sense.
3. Repetition can embed frames in the brain.
4. Activation links surface frames to deep frames and inhibits opposition frames.
5. Existing deep frames don’t change overnight.
6. Speak to “biconceptuals” as you speak to your base.
7. The facts alone will not set us free.
8. Simply negating the others side’s frames only reinforces them.
Bridging the gap in these frameworks consists of being grounded in love and reaching out with compassion. Perhaps the bridging is best reflected upon through the following questions:
- What is it that matters to me? (Define my values.)
- What makes me care so passionately about an issue or piece of legislation? (What value is most important?)
- What is most important will be that which touches my heart.
- How do I step back and listen to the individual person who doesn’t think like me and ask, “What experiences led you to this?” (Listen for truth of person I am in conversation with.)
- How is genuine empathy exhibited in the grounding of my curiosity of other persons’ values? (How am I meeting the other as person?)
- Where is the common ground in values as I listen to our dialogue?
While bridging may be the goal, it is imperative to be mindful of self throughout this process. When there is agitation, invite self to step back and soften heart. It can be challenging to practice looking and listening with eyes/ears of compassion. As individuals stir up the “political bases,” there appears to be a greater divide between framework models. As followers of Jesus, individuals are called to exert energy in the balance of these frameworks because we care about one another as persons and have a responsibility for oneself and others.
Reflection/Action:
Reflection/Action:
- Spend some time reflecting in prayer with the above material. What insights have I gained? What is this calling me to in action?
- What is the current reality of bridging that exists within self? The national government? The Catholic Church? Media? The environment where I minister?
- How does my language (voice and body) and my depth of compassion or lack thereof speak to the bridging that is needed within our nation and world?
- What elements for bridging the gap exist in the document Faithful Citizenship? What value does this have for the common good?
- The document from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops entitled Faithful Citizenship and materials for use in a variety of settings is located here.
- Worship materials for the weekend prior to elections is located here.
- Notable quotes on Catholic Social Teaching are located here.
- The Frameworks Institute is located here.
- The book, Thinking Points: Communicating our American Values and Vision by Lakoff (George) and The Rockridge Institute is located here.
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