Response to Hilary Clinton speech on women rights

By: Audrey Rivard, October 25 2014 

Hilary’s Rodham Clinton speech on women rights in 1995 is famous. In front of a crowd, mostly women, she calmly developped her point. Hilary Rodham Clinton mentionned many types of women from around the world to present the fact that each and every women is touched by women problems. Also, at the begining of the speech, she mentionned that "if women are healthy and educated their families will flourish". By saying so, she tried to demonstrate the importance of all women in society even though their work and implication are no valued. Hilary Rodham Clinton pursued with abuses against women from around the world. She mentionned many of abuses occuring in poor countries. It is important to present human and women rights that are violeted but she seems to forgot that some of these abuses are happening also in her own country the United States of America. I personaly think that she could have engaged herself to take real actions to help women of her country while being the First Lady. Speeches are good but actions are even better. Over all, this famous speech well presents the importance of women and what they may suffer through their lives by being born women.

Child Marriage and FGM at the 2014 Girl Summit

The first ever Girl summit occurred in July of 2014. This event took place in the UK with the participation of Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize of 2013. During the summit, child marriage and female genital mutilation were the two main topics.

The United Kingdom government and the UNICEF hosted the event. The two principal subjects touch mostly girls, the summit title says it, but they also affect young girls. Child marriage are arranged and or forced by the family. Whether it’s because of unfortunate living conditions or cultural beliefs. The UNICEF claims that one girl out of three in developing countries will be married while she is a child.

Children weddings continue to occur even if this maintain poverty in the family and a lack of education for the girls. A woman without schooling is a woman with less power and opportunities and this why the Girl summit stands for. Both United Kingdom government and the UNICEF want to decimate forced marriage and female genital mutilation in a generation.

As for forced marriage, female genital mutilation takes place when the girls are young. Girls suffer from this surgery as young as eight years old. Cultural background influence when does this intervention occurs. The UNICEF presents that 125 million women and girls will pass through this surgery. At the Girl summit the United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron claimed that child marriage and “female genital mutilation［…］violate the rights of girls and women across the world, including here in the UK.”

This issue matters for the UK Prime Minister because according to the video What does freedom mean to you? #freedomls “every year, over 20, 000 girls are at risk ［to undergo female genital mutilation］ in the UK alone”

By: Audrey Rivard, November 11 2014

Interview with Ena Greyeyes

Ena Greyeyes is a Canadian Aboriginal Artist. She is a Cree and while she was a child she attended a Residential School in Saskatchewan. Now, Ena Greyeyes lives in North Hatley, Québec and she have told her story at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She is open to speak about her life with people and this is why she answered to our questions.

What is more important to you: being an Elder or being an artist?

Being an Elder. My life as an Elder has brought me to a place of serenity.

How does your experience at residential schools impact your life today?

I am still afraid of the dark.[…] It took me a lifetime to actually believe that I was also deserving of success. Because, as children, we knew what to do with failure. That was dummed into us. Success, not.

How is your relationship with your sister affected by your mutual history in residential schools?

We still get along pretty well.

How do your paintings reveal your past?

At first, I had difficulty mixing the right colours for my art. I could not see them nor feel them, and it seemed to me that a shadow lingered over my work. I had to work through the many layers of shadows that came from my on, I slosly began to discover the beauty of colour in my art.

What How long did it take you to connect to and understand the power of forgiveness?

It took me many years. I became sick with cancer and it is when I realised that my past was getting me sick and that I had to do something. I contacted Elder and worked on myself and now I forgive people from my past.

By Audrey Rivard

Wide Protests in Hong Kong as Chinese National Day Arrives

Some may recall the 1989 revolution that occurred in China. For most of them, the picture of a young man facing a tank is the only thing they might remember.  For other they have memorized the request of democracy in the society by the protesters. At that moment the movement was mostly held by students.

On this last week of September 2014 peaceful protests are befalling in the streets of Hong Kong. Demonstrators are asking Beijing to change its mind about a new law established for the 2017 elections in Hong Kong. This decree would give Beijing to right to choose the potential politicians of Hong Kong. After that, there would be real elections but are these elections if an institution decides first what is “good” for the citizens?

Unhappily for these demonstrators, the chief executive Mr. Leung does not want to meet leaders of these protests. He claims in a blog post that “The impact on the value of Hong Kong’s international image is becoming greater and greater”. On Sunday pepper spray and tear gas were spread on protesters.

This wave of protests is a gathering of students and older people. Among them, some are law students, flight attendant, bankers, architects, housewives and children with their parents according to The Globe and Mail. Demonstrators are sleeping in the streets at night to continue to monopolize the attention on their movement.  

Also, a large volunteer action is in place. It goes from first aid help and water, food and umbrella distribution. The “Umbrella Revolution” is getting organized for October 1^st Chinese National Day.

 

This wide group demands Beijing to respond. For the moment, the movement is expanding. On September 30, 3,5 kilometers of streets were completely full by those peaceful protesters.

By: Audrey Rivard, October 1^st 2014

Important Cuts for the Malaysia Airlines
By Audrey Rivard, September 17th 2014

The Malaysia Airlines is forced to cut 6,000 workers this year in attempt to save the company according to the Huffington post. The Khazanah National is currently in charge of revamping the airline company, but the cut can not be postponed even if it represents 30% of the current employees.

The modifications by Khazanah National are evaluated at 6 billion ringgits which represent around 2 billion Canadian dollars. The Malaysia Airlines has not decided yet how the modifications are going to be directed, but according to the Huffington post the possibility to reduce the number and destinations of flight is an option. Also, modifications to this company were already scheduled because since 2010 no annual profit have been made according to the New York Times.

Let’s remember that in a short lap of four month this company went through two plane disasters. The Flight 370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing remains unsolved for a total of 537 victims.