Women on the rise

Not a global matter per say but still relevant to the country we live in and to empowering women. Not only has Hilary announced her plans to run for president but Carly Fiorina has announced her plans to run as well! Amazing, who would have thought that one day two women would be running for the position of highest power in our country. Not only does it give confidence to other women to reach for their goals but it is a step in the equality for men and women. AND even better is my father likes her and that is saying something (;

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/04/politics/carly-fiorina-presidential-announcement/

Child solider

Last night my boyfriend and I watched the movie "Machine Gun Preacher" starring Gerald Butler. The movie is actually based on a true story of Sam Childers. Childers once a gang banger biker drug addict turned preacher started to help defend the children of Africa that were affected by the civil war. This movie was very powerful because the war in Africa is not something that is taught in schools. The most common things that people hear about Africa is how poverty stricken and disease filled it is. But people rarely hear about the destruction of families over there. And many do not understand that the violence is perpetrated by children who are kidnapped and have seen their families murdered. They are purely acting on survival instincts.

If you would like to watch this movie it is on Netflix.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Gun_Preacher

Hunters anyone?

Hunter boots are the rage in a typical girl wardrobe. However, I don't think many people know that Hunter boots originated from England and are called Wellies. Over here in the PNW the boots are a convenient fashion accessory, they make rainboots finally look good and god knows we need them here in WA the rainy state. But in England the boot means so much more. The boot is a symbol for charity in England of a lifeguard organization that has saved many lives. If I never had looked into what was going on in England I never would have known that the boots I wear almost everyday in the winter mean more than I would have guessed. It reminds me of the show company of TOMS whose proceeds go to help children in Africa.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-32582118

Side Tracking

Now I know that I had focused more than 50 percent of my blog posts on the news in Cambodia. And I still have interest in the area; however, I have decided to change it up a bit and blog about something new. I will be leaving for study abroad in the summer (leaving in two weeks so exciting!) so I wanted to do a little research about the area and blog about it! recently as you may know the Princess just had a baby! The new baby was born not very long ago and I am wondering if the new arrival will have an influence on my trip while I am over there. It is interesting to me how people came become so obsessed with the birth of new royalty. Maybe I will try and sneak into the royal place and see the new bundle of joy. It will be very interesting to see the dynamics surrounding the new baby while I am over there and I will have to make notes!
http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/03/europe/new-british-princess-meets-relatives/

A come back

This article that I found gives me hope! After the devastating genocide that Cambodia had to face it was questioned whether or not they would ever be able to bounce back. This article talks about the growth of a group of Cambodian students who are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to freely study whatever they want without persecution. This growth that can be seen in their youth can be paralleled with Apartide. Their stories remind me the education opportunities that arose in Africa. This also is a creative way for the youth to express their personal feelings about what happened in Cambodia and how it affected them as individuals.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/f4a77476-b2c6-11e4-a058-00144feab7de.html#axzz3YoxsZxRt

Australia and Cambodia

Cambodia is a country that is already full of its own problems, it does not need to take on anymore from outside sources. But that is not stopping Australia from trying to settle a business deal with Cambodia to send their refugees to Cambodia. This is not a good idea because Cambodia still struggles with violence within their own country, making it an unsafe place to send people who are, shocker, looking for safety. However, Cambodia would be receiving a huge profit from this deal through development help from Australia. Australia is misrepresenting life in Cambodia and glorifying it to the potential refugees moving there. The poor people do not know or understand what they are getting into and are fast tracking their asylum status to make the move happen quicker. I still am not sure why Australia is so adamant about sending these people to Cambodia. It is interesting that so many things are happening in this country that may people do not even about because no one cares to educate themselves on what is happening here. After visiting here, it forever changed my life. I really had a chance to understand just how good of a life I actually have and how much people take for granted.

http://www.hrw.org/news/2015/04/29/australia-stop-transfers-cambodia

Domestic Violence in Combodia

In another one of my English classes, I am creating lesson plans for a unit on domestic violence. I chose this topic because of the booming social media responses to the Ray Rice incident. A part of my curriculum is that I want there to be global perspective. I want my students to be able to critically analyse DV globally and see how it either compares or contrasts different countries in the world. Thus, expanding their own cultural awareness in the hopes that they will feel some sort of connection to people all over the world. I found this book (link show below) that details domestic violence in Cambodia. A different form of DV however because it talks about the relationship with the citizens of Cambodia with the government, but this only adds to what our definition of Domestic and Violence is. Overall the goal of the unit would be to make DV into a global issue rather than just something that is happening within our own borders. 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4373.First_They_Killed_My_Father