"Women, Education and Development" by Arvonne Fraser

Hello everyone,

I listened yesterday Arvonne Fraser at the University of Minnesota.
She talked about the topic “Woman, Education and Development”.
This was all new for me, which is why I found the talk so interesting.
Fraser is a Senior Fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. She has been active in politics, government and women rights. By the way, I like the title of her memoirs: “She´s no lady”. She gave us an overview about the international woman movement especially between 1975 - 1995 and spoke about her membership of the U.N.world conferences on women in Mexico and Beijing. Her presentation was full of lively examples which I enjoyed. She mentioned the problem of illiteracy. The rate of illiteracy for women is higher than for men. She emphasized that in Afghanistan a high rate of woman can neigher write nor read. What I found most interesting were her facts about the CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination). Fraser is very proud of the CEDAW because of 185 countries are a part of the convention. The convention provides the basis for realizing equality between women and men. That means for instance: equal opportunities in political and public life and the right of education and employment. Fraser is mother of 6 children and was beside her motherhood political active. That impressed me very much. She is a distinguished personality.
The topic is very important. Fraser helped women to organize and fight for their rights. I admire people who are engaged in the improvement of women´s rights.

Carina

Lecture by Arvonne Frazer

Hello, This is Ryo.
Yesterday, I listened a lecture given by Arvonne Frazer. As an (former/ex-?) agent and a representative of U.S., She attended to United Nations and had contributed to solve the problems on the legal rights, education and development of women. According to Mrs. Frazer, the movement of feminism, which claims the improvement of women's social status, rised around 1960-70s. Since then, the equality between man and woman have been regarded as a big political issue in the U.S., and a lot of people including scholars, politicians, and citizens have participated in the grassroot movements. She took up three important concepts to achieve the equality between man and woman: education, employment, and participation in public life. She underscored that although women in developed countries have gradually participated to the society to some extent, women in developing countries are still struggling with discriminations against them. To truly realize the equality, she said, people have to improve the literacy rate, find powerful woman leaders in nation and organization, and urge women to participate to public life. In addition, she showed us a concern about a new problem which has appeared since 1990s. That is violence against women--well-known as DV (domestic violence). Following her career and the history of feminism movements, she taught us a significant insights.

Listening her lecture, I wondered one thing: She mentioned that the problem of DV appeared around 1990s. If it is true, then can we think it is an evidence of the fact that women have strong power enough to rise their voices? Or, did the problem of DV appear in 1990s as a unique and inherent problem at the time and the problem did not exist before 1990s?
She explained that there was a political distinction between public sphere and private sphere, and that it was the reason why the police could not intervene into the problem in home.

One more thing. As a result of that women have advanced to society, women are recquired to hold heavier burdens. They have to go work outside and take care of children. Does it mean the situatio regarding women is getting worse, or better? If it is getting better, what is the problem of this reality?

I cannot imagine how serious the problem on women's status in society was and is. Especially, I cannot imagine how hard Mrs. Frazer have worked for the problem. It must have been so hard for her to lead women's voice and establish the equality of the social status that women have today. I would like to show my respect for Mrs. Frazer.

Best way to donate? Do your research

Hi, this is Ryo. Today, I listened a story broadcasted in American Public Radio. It was an interview of Holden Karnofsky, co-founder of GiveWell.net. about how we can spend our money to make philanthropic activities work more efficiently.

As the co-founder of GiveWell.net, a non-profit charity organization, Karnofsky discusses that in the recent severe economic crisis in the United States, it is the best timing for people to think about offering donations instead of volunteers. He claims that although people are facing economic crisis and getting less money than they usually had, making donation will provide people their self-confidence that they are doing good and right. He theorefore encourages us to do more research about where we should spend our money, and he recommends us to use it for donation. It is because while donations provide poor people real and actual benefits, when people encourage volunteer activities, it actually works only for recruiting new donors and stimulating people's excitement and sense of involvement.

As I listened this story, I realized that American people are the people who can take care of others even though they have serious problem in economy. If I were in the same situation, I cannot take care of others. I also realized that they are practical rather than idealistic. To solve the problem of poverty, Karnofsky is offering the most actual and practical method. I agree with his approach to the problem of poverty because I also think that donation is real benefit for poor people rather than voluntering.
What do you think about his approach? It is all about stuff versus volunteer. Which approach do you think we should choose to solve the problem of poverty? Or, do you know any alternative approach to this problem?

The story I listended today can be obtain in the following link:
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/12/10/pm_volunteering/

2008 Big buzzword in giving: Micro

Today I listened an audio clip on the 09. December 2008 where Lucy Bernholz the president of Blue Print and Design talked about Micro and trends to keep donations alive.

According to Bernholz is small really big 2008. She explained that the word Micro can be used for a lot of good ideas to make them small, for instance microconsignment, micro giving, micro philantropy...
I found one point really interesting, mobile giving.
Bernholz spoke about this quite new way of giving to charity. You can send a little donation of 5 Dollar easy and quick on the way you want.

I can only supporting this concept because in times of financial crisis is it not easy to donate and "Micro" is a wonderful opportunity to keep giving without adding to your own financial burden. Everyone can do mobile giving and the really big advantage is that it takes your time only for one SMS.

Here is a link to the audio clip:

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/www_publicradio/tools/media_player/popup.php?name=marketplace/pm/2008/12/09/marketplace_cast2_20081209_64&starttime=00:22:45.0&endtime=00:27:04.0

Hi guys, I have listened to a broadcast from NPR about U.S soldiers in Iraq. the soldiers are in charge of a prison that contains about 26 000 prisoners incarcerated. As they are winding down every day they release 50 prisoners. It's hard to think about that many people pile up in a prison where their health is exposed to any kind of disease. And there is a question that needs to be asked. Are they all well fed? there is marching in Iraq against the soldiers asking them to leave. they say that some people have been arrested for being suspected, such as a 23 years boy. What do you guys think should be done in Iraq? they try decrease the number of prisoners, but because of the unemployment people can't control themselves from having trouble, a saying says: An idle brain is the devil's workshop. The world is too unfair, we need peace!
Go on this link if you guys want to listen to the broadcast.

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=2&islist=true&id=1001

Plan B

Hi everyone,

I heard "American Life" from Chicago Public Radio.
Host Ira Glass presented a brand new episode about "Plan B".
There is something you plan to do. Unfortunately Plan A was not so positiv as you thought it will be and so you switched to Plan B.
Which I think how it goes from most of us.
Glass summarized the result of an informal survey. 100 people were asked whether they are living their Plan A or the back up Plan B. Only 1 person raised her hand for
Plan A. It was the youngest person in the room and 23 years old.

How many of you are still on Plan A?
Have you a Plan B in your head or already switched to Plan B?

The short stories are really funny:

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=205

Hi everybody, Shrbook is here again to give you a quick summary about a new technology for blinds or persons with low vision and deaf which was heard from a website. A GPS which is designed just for help blind to go to their places which help them to know how far from the store or the restaurant do they want to go for and its deliver for them by speech which someone describes everything for them. Also, If they are in the restaurant and they want to know what is in the menu today, they can take a picture for the menu and the GPS will describe everything in that picture for them. Another product which help deaf people to communicate with each other is (Vhad)+. Its a video conferences which made by Viable company. Those brand new technology are shown in Vegas before a month and they are very helpful for the blind and the deaf. However, its very expensive for them and its making them challenging to get it.


References:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100029415

the resign of finance minister in Japan

Hello everyone,

The radio news I listened today's oral skill"s class was the following:
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/02/17/japan_fm/

This news is about that Shoichi Nakagawa,the finance minister in Japan, resigned his job just after his embarrassing performance in G7 conference in Rome. According to the news, he seemed totally drunk during the press conference just after the G7 meeting. After his performance in the press conference was broadcasted to all over the world, he admitted that he was drunk but he also justified his behavior by blaming the cold medicine he took in the plane to Rome.

If you are interested in this news and you want to watch his performance, you can check the following website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7893924.stm

Ice Climber

I just have listened to a broadcast from MPR radio station about a man climbing
an ice cliff, one the dangerous sports. The man is an ice climber expert.
He has climbing several ice mountains, but the last one that he climbed
seemed the most difficult ever. He was talking to with the radio station while he was
climbing; and he was about 30 to 40 feet up to the ice cliff he hadn’t gotten on
the top yet, but he was able to the university north of Iowa and even his house.
This sport is dangerous in many ways; if you fall you may not die instantly, but
you may have some broken-bones. You can have frostbite. You know what happen when you get frostbite? Doctor will cut the part because all cells are dead. It’s not a very easy sport; I figure that it requires a lot of energy to do. Whoever wants to listen to the broadcast can go on this link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99844570

And there is a lot more to listen to, so enjoy it. Tell me if you find any thing interesting too.

Ahmed Alhammadi

I heard a question from female who had unprotected sex and she did the HIV test after 5 weeks so her question was after how long she had to do this test? She want to know if she did the right thing or not and her question was for a Proffessor whose major about health and science in Kinsey University and the Proffessor answered her by telling her that she did well and everybody made this test after 3or 4 months. Also, she told her about one type of testing that test a sample of blood or melth fluid to check the antibiod jn it and it takes from 2 to 3 weeks to get the result and it depend in the test centre, may be it become faster. In addition, she gave her some resources to check with like a phone number, website, and Doctor name. Also, she mentioned that thier is another illness that may be done by unprotected sex which name STIS and she have to ask her doctor. Finally, the proffessor give some advise for both genders to prevent those deseases by limiting their sexual partner and use a condom for all oral sex.



Refernce:
1-http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=18659325
2- https://moodle.umn.edu -> ESL 731 High Advanced Oral Skills -> NPR Podcast-> Health & science -> Kinsey Confidential

Budget-cut for education in California

Good evening guys,

This is Ryo Kanno.
Today, I checked NPR podcast and listened the following news:
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=13994805

This news is all about the budget cut for education in state schools in California. The news disscusses the bad effects on students who seek high quality of education. According to this news, an educational super-intendent in Calfornia state tries to persuade the board members of educational commitee, insisting that the plan of budget-cut must be rejected because the plan will ruin the students' opportunities for education and slowdown the effort to develop the equality to access to comuputer technology.

I cannot believe the news of the budget-cut for education in California, mainly because the government of the U.S. is now controlled by democrats -- not republicans. We usually expect that if the democratic party takes over the governmentality, the condition on education can be improved. It is because democrats usually distribute high budged for education in order to achieve the ideal of equal opportunities for education. But, the economical crisis in market and financial crisis, especially in California, seem getting worse and more serious than we expected before.

How do you guys think about this budged-cut for education?
If you are interested in the news, please check the link I put above.

See you, then.

dying a good death

hello everyone,

I have just heard mpr news and I hope it is not too strange discussing the topic here.
Medical science has made it possible to prolong physical life. Most in the step toward the end, there are interventions, people are put on life-machine. Under a pressure of time doctors and family members have to decide what is the best for the patient.
The two interview partner argued that there is a need for a discussion about "the way we die."

In my opinion prolonging life presents a moral and ethical dilemma for the medical profession and the family of the helpless individuum. Who can and should decide the end-of-life?

Here is the link for the article:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/01/28/midmorning2/

What do you think about this?