Sorry...

Dear Readers of Peace Over Poverty,
I deeply apologize for my lack of posts since March. My computer crashed so I was unable to update my blog for a long time. It actually started working again about a week ago but I have been a tad... lazy. Please forgive me
Sincerly,
Annakat 

We are Silent

We are Silent. Free the Children is having a campaign on April 18th to represent all those in this world who don't have a voice. We are silent for all the 215 million children in this world who are forced into child labor. We are silent for the 300 million children who are under the age of five and affected by armed conflict. We are silent for the one in three children in developing countries who are malnourished and suffering from up to 160 days of illness a year. We are silent for the one billion children who deprived of the essentials, such as clean water, food, education, and health care. That is why we are silent. Free the Children is asking for people to not speak for a whole 24 hours on April 18th for all the children who were listed above.This is to raise awareness of how some children live in this world, and to raise money for free the children. I, like so many others, will ask people to sponsor me. For each hour I don't talk they give me a certain amount of money. All proceeds that you make go to Free the Children to help these children without a voice. Click here for more information. Remember to tell your friends about the campaign and get involved. Just think of how you can help all these in need. I will be silent, how about you?

The Warm and Fuzzy Drive

Remember all those times I have talked about the organization Trust In Education? Well now I am stepping up to help this cause! Two of my good friends and I are having a drive to collect items for Trust In Education in two of the local elementary schools! We made a huge presentation (and by we I mean mostly Hannah who is actually good with computers) and tomorrow we are presenting to my old elementary school! I can't wait to see my old teachers and my little stepsister's class, but most of all I can't wait to help get some of the kids feel how great it is to give to others in need!

The Story of Broke

Remember a few posts ago, when I had a link to a video called The Story of Stuff? Well I found another great 8 minute video by the same people called The Story of Broke. Please check it out, it is really cool. Click here to watch the video. Oh, and I'm also sorry that I didn't post last week, I had a lot going on.

Free The Children

Free the Children is a great organization that helps people in many countries around the world get clean water, food, health care, and an education. One of the greatest things about this organization is that it is kids helping kids, it was even started by a 7th grade boy! One morning a 7th grader by the name of Craig Kielburger got up and read in the newspaper something that shocked him. He read an article about a boy his age who had been sold into child labor when he was only four years old. Until his tenth birthday the boy had spent his life chained to a loom making carpets, but when he was ten he was freed! Instead of spending his life at home, remembering his horrible past and knowing that there were other kids his age still being forced to work, he decided to inform the world about child labor. He did this until he was shot by the people who ran the carpet factory. Craig was so shocked when he read the article that he took it to school with him and presented it to his classmates. Then he said basically, who wants to help? That day eleven hands went up and together they started Free The Children. Now Free the Children is helping hundreds of lives. Click here to visit the Free The Children website.

Teens Around The World

I recently looked back at one of my old posts when I said I would tell you about a class I take called Teens Around The World, and realized I never did, so I am writing about it now. Teens Around The World is one of my electives at school. It is not only the most fun period of the day, but also where I get a lot of my information for Peace Over Poverty. It is taught by my teacher, Julie Krug. In Teens Around The World (or TAW for short) we talk about many things stretching from child labor to flip flops (we watched a video recently about how flip flops are being lost into the ocean and usually wash up on the shores of an African island and are being remade into art to be sold at the market). In TAW we watch videos about children our age in other countries, eat food from other countries, and really learn the truth about what is happening in the real world. We also have a library of books about the world, many of which I have read. I learn more in TAW then I do in all my other classes combined.

The Burqa Battle of France

Some of my readers may remember when I talked about burqas, in my post  The Women of Afghanistan. To recap, a burqa is a type of clothing that covers the entire body. It is worn by the women of Afghanistan and also other Islam practicing countries. Now a burqa has many flaws but there are two main reasons for wearing one. Most of the time the men of the family force the women to wear burqas because of religious reasons, but some women choose to wear it because of religion. That is why France's decision to ban burqas and niqabs (another body covering clothing) is controversial. In April 2011 the "burqa ban" came into effect. France argues that fully covering one's self keeps women from fully participating in French society, and that it would be easier to commit crime or even terrorism. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in 2009 when the law was being considered "The burqa is not welcome on French territory. In our country we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from social life, deprived of identity." Even though that was the intent of the law, some say that the ban has actually instead of freeing the women, imprisoned them. Because women do not want to stray away from Islam, many are forced to stay home so that they are not seen in public. Estimated amount of 2,000 women are affected by this law. For them wearing a burqa or niqab is the same as wearing a cross or a yamaka. Many are left asking why France is even allowed to decide what they get to wear. What's next, banning Islam all together?

Bibliography

Majerol, Veronica. "Unveiling Europe." Upfront 10 and 17 Dec. 2012: 6-7. Web.

Stuff

Have you ever wondered where stuff came from? Have you ever thought to yourself, what hardships and sacrifices were made to get me this iPod or computer? It's okay if you haven't, until this day I haven't given it much thought. Today that changed when my friend Hannah (who's blog I have mentioned before but once again is at www.hannahsprojectrainbow.com so check it out) showed me this video. I know that your time is valuable but please just try to sit through it. The video is only 20 minutes. Click here to see video, you won't regret it.

Mexico

I didn't take pictures of everything in Cabo. There were other things I saw as well. For instance, twice when I was on the highway I saw a bunch of guys just sitting in the back of a pickup truck, acting like they were just sitting in the truck with seat-belts! And whenever I went down to the beach all I heard was "Senora, Senora" from beach venders trying to sell everything from "real" silver, to blankets! When we were out in town I saw a women with three children trying to sell trinkets, and her children were holding baskets with the trinkets inside trying to sell them as well! One of her kids couldn't have been more then 4 years old! I wish I had gotten to see more of Mexico, but we spent most of our time in the hotel sadly. I can't wait to go back!

Pictures of Mexico

 This is what a lot of the shops looked like, with a lot of the merchandise shown outside and some had palm tree leaf roofs

 Another cool shop, but not as cool

 Most of the stuff was really colorful

 These blankets were very popular

 Pottery was really big too

 These backpacks were in a lot of the stores. I thought they looked really cool but didn't get one

 These bags were in EVERY SINGLE STORE! I almost got one of these bags too.

 I'm not sure if it was just because of the end of the world, but at least 3/4 of the stores we went to had at least one Mayan calender in it. I even saw Mayan calender earrings!

 Very colorful stuff

 A shop I went to that had cool stuff

 Jewelry is sold EVERYWHERE! Venders on the beach sell it, most stores, and silver is very huge.

 These dolls were in every store we went to! I eventually bought one because they were so cute!

 Tourism I a very large part of the economy. You can't go to Cabo without being offered to go whale watching,which is what we are doing above) snorkeling, or even riding horses!

 The arch is very famous. Most of the key chains and snow-globes they sold pictured the arch.

 Like I said before, tourism is huge. Lots of cruise ships go through Cabo.

These trinkets are very popular.