Why Misogyny Needs To Be Tackled In Education From Primary School

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Guest Contribution

Why misogyny needs to be tackled in education from primary school by Louise Mullany, University of Nottingham and Loretta Trickett, Nottingham Trent University

The issue of violence by men against women in UK society has once again taken centre stage. Public figures are beginning to talk about the more active role that men need to play in tackling this issue. In response to recent protests around women’s safety, policing minister Kit Malthouse has called for boys to be given compulsory school lessons on respect for women and girls.

We’ve been arguing since 2018 that education is key to addressing the issue of male violence against women, based on our study of the impact of Nottinghamshire Police becoming the first force in the country to record misogyny hate crime. This is a policy that the government now plans to implement nationwide. People of all genders who we interviewed told us that education and the role of men were both keys, and the younger education begins the better.

Misogyny: Boys Learn It

Global research on primary schools has shown that boys learn to behave in gendered ways that are reinforced by the adults around them. Teachers are a key part of this socialisation process. To change behaviour, we need to start with school.

Education needs to address a series of essential socio-cultural issues around gender, from power relationships and inappropriate language to touching and violence. The UK government, however, has been criticised for not having any clear strategy in place to do just that, which is why Malthouse’s statement is welcome.

In her book, Why Women Are Blamed for Everything, forensic psychologist and feminist author Jessica Taylor lays out some startling evidence presented to the UK Parliament’s Women and Equalities Select Committee. In secondary schools, only 3% of teachers felt confident to teach sex and relationships education.

A total of 40% of schools were found to have inadequate teaching provision in this area; 50% of children said they would not tell teachers if they were being harassed or sexually assaulted because they believed they would not be taken seriously.

Macho Heterosexual

Boys in the UK build their sense of masculinity in direct relation to the dominant “macho” heterosexual ideal of what it means to be a man. As sociology researcher R W Connell establishes in her book Masculinities, this dominant form is imbued with the most power in society and often translates into, among other things, language which demeans girls and their abilities, as well as violence and bullying. At school, this can mean boys controlling sports and playground areas, for example. Early primary school is the time where boys begin to distance themselves from girls and from behaviours stereotypically perceived as “feminine”, through put-downs and bullying. Current teaching guidelines, however, do not involve engaging younger children to think about their gender identities in any depth. They also do not facilitate detailed discussion among children on why they or their peers may engage in gender-based behaviours that are damaging to others.

misogynyLater on in primary school, boys often define and display being a “real boy” through public projections of (hetero)sexual fantasies, and imagined (hetero)sexual futures as adults. This includes misogynistic objectification and sexualised forms of harassment towards girls and women. This can be a well-established part of their identities by ages 10-11, which then influences their behaviour as they move through adolescence into adulthood.

This age brings additional challenges, including increased peer pressure within the context of sexual development. The increased availability of pornography via the internet is particularly troubling, as research has shown greater porn use is associated with more sexist attitudes, behaviour and sexual violence.

What Schools Can Do

Throughout primary and secondary school, teaching children about respecting girls and women, and about the different forms misogyny can take should be compulsory. Currently, it is not.

Teachers need to be given the space in the PSHE curriculum, and the budgetary means, to put to use the growing number of educational strategies available. The creative industries offer resources to help with that kind of conversation. Our own graphic comic, Changing Minds, is a prime example for secondary schools and universities. It brings to life everyday stories of street harassment, told to us by women in our research interviews.

Boys also need male role models. In primary schools, where there is a lack of men, male teachers have a critical role to play in calling out sexist behaviours, however subtle they may appear. They also need to draw attention to issues of gender equality with everyone they work with so that boys can observe this in action.

The men in our research consistently reported they were either unaware that harassment was endemic, or that it had such an impact on the daily lives and freedoms of women and girls. If boys are enabled to recognise how damaging and pervasive gender stereotypes are to everyone in society, they can become allies, and call out similar behaviour among other boys – if they are backed up by adults.

Eradicate Violence Against Women And Girls

Schools can also work directly with external groups, including charities run by men, whose overall purpose is to eradicate violence against women and girls. The organisation Beyond Equality provides a compelling example of hundreds of men] currently working as volunteers in UK schools to educate boys. Through honest and open discussion, boys are taught to recognise how their behaviour towards women and girls might be detrimental, the long-term damage it can cause and, crucially, how to resist it.

For behaviour to change and misogyny to reduce, both education and men have essential roles to play. Our schools and teachers, as well as parents, youth groups, sports organisations, colleges and universities, need to be equipped with the tools and training needed to drive home the message that abuse of women and girls – under any guise – is completely unacceptable.The Conversation

Credits

Louise Mullany, Professor in Sociolinguistics, University of Nottingham and Loretta Trickett, Senior lecturer, College of Business Law and Social Sciences, Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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‘Frozen II’ Helps Children Weather Risk — And Accept Change

Posted on August 16, 2021 by Guest Contribution

Frozen II helps children weather risk — and accept change” by Elena Merenda, University of Guelph-Humber

Disney’s Frozen has been a staple in my house since before it won an Academy Award for a best-animated feature in 2014. Before my girls could even talk, they were humming along to the famous “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” song.

Frozen is about a fearless princess named Anna who journeys to find her sister, Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped their kingdom in eternal winter. Anna’s quest to save the kingdom comes to an abrupt halt when she is frozen in a heroic act to save Elsa from being killed by Hans, who wants to take over the kingdom.

Now, Frozen II has broken box office records for an animated film global opening — and I’m not surprised. As a mom, I love that Anna and Elsa’s love for one another teaches my daughters to love each other and to take care of one another. And as an early childhood professional, I appreciate how the film reinterprets and retells fairy tales and myths to share powerful lessons about coping with change and taking risks.

Lesson 1 Of Frozen II: Life Is Full Of Change

Frozen II begins with Elsa and Anna’s quest to discover the truth about their kingdom’s past, and Elsa’s gradual discovery that her charged and sometimes dangerous magical powers have deep origins. Anna, meanwhile, seeks to hold onto the sisters’ powerful bond while finding her own identity.

Olaf the snowman returns in this movie after being brought to life by Elsa in Frozen. No longer trapped in a perpetual ice world, the characters celebrate autumn. Olaf tells Anna about the difficulties he’s having. He observes changes in the season and anticipates changes in the family with Anna and Kristoff’s engagement. He worries that “nothing is permanent.”

Change can include simple things like a change in season, or unfamiliar food served at lunch. But changes like moving schools, parents divorcing or a death in the family can have profound effects on children. Some children can adjust easily to changes, but for many children, change is scary. Life is full of change. Children are constantly learning and growing, and are therefore experiencing large amounts of change and transition each day.

Children who have a slow-to-warm-up temperament may struggle with change more than easygoing children. Children who have difficulty with trust may experience change as traumatic. For children on the autism spectrum, change, especially if it alters their predetermined structure, can be especially difficult.

How To Assure Children

In the face of Olaf’s sadness and unease about the unknown, Anna assures Olaf that it’s important to rely on the certainties: “Yes, the wind blows a little bit colder, and we’re all getting older,” but “some things stay the same.”Through Olaf’s discussion with Anna, he comes to understand that “growing up means adapting, puzzling at your world and your place.”

She reassures him that as things change, there will always be people in your life who will support you.

Resilience is important for learning, relationships, and being able to handle difficult situations. Coping with change is a part of building resilience and an essential skill for future success.

You can help children adapt to change by talking about it. Have discussions about what’s changing and why. If the change is unexpected, share with them only what you know about the change. It’s OK to tell children: “I don’t know.”

Have routines and consider transitions. When children know what comes first, then next, and can predict some of what will happen, they are learning to think through situations and solve problems. Both these skills are important when managing the emotions that come with change.

Accept children’s grief through change, especially during significant situations like the death of a loved one or a divorce. It’s important to listen to their feelings and respond to their questions and worries.

Give them choices and let them be a part of the change — this allows them to feel like they have control. With control comes acceptance. For example, if you’re moving to a new home, let your child help pick out the paint colours.

Frozen IILesson 2: Taking Risks

It’s important to take risks throughout life, but the uncertainty of taking risks can be scary. There is a feeling of unease associated with not knowing the outcome, as well as fear of potential failure. Elsa and Anna’s comfort zone was their kingdom, Arendelle. As they embark on their journey into the enchanted forest to discover their family’s history, Olaf reminds us that the enchanted forest — where we step outside of our comfort zones while looking to trusted guides or companions — is a place of transformation.

Elsa depicts this fear in her musical response to the enchanted forests’ calling for her. She sings:

“I can hear you, but I won’t … There’s a thousand reasons I should go about my day and ignore your whispers, which I wish would go away.”

Elsa takes a leap of faith, plunges into the unknown, and finally embarks on an adventure to discover hidden truths. She finds a place where she can be herself, without fear of harming anything with her powers.

Anna, meanwhile, becomes queen of Arendelle, a place where she no longer lives in her sister’s shadow — where she can shine.

How To Support Children’s Risk-taking

It’s important to allow children to participate in risky play. Risky play teaches children to regulate fear and anger. They learn to manage and overcome obstacles.

Sometimes the outcome of risk-taking in both childhood and adulthood is a failure. Failure, as difficult as it is, is an important part of life and necessary for children to learn for future success. We should help our children to see failure as a stepping stone to discovering who they are.

The forest howls and it’s scary. But with love and friendship, and having the courage to step into the unknown, in time princesses become queens, dangerous powers can become gifts — and snowmen can cope with autumn.

Credits

Elena Merenda, Assistant Program Head of Early Childhood Studies, University of Guelph-Humber

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The Steps That Can Help Adults Heal From Childhood Trauma

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Guest Contribution

Childhood trauma.

“The steps that can help adults heal from childhood trauma” by Shanta R. Dube, Georgia State University.

Prevention is the mantra of modern medicine and public health. Benjamin Franklin said it himself: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Unfortunately, childhood adversities such as abuse and neglect cannot be prevented by vaccinations. As we now know, a large proportion of adults go through adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and can exhibit symptoms such as substance abuse. The symptoms seen in adults can in turn expose the next generation to adverse outcomes – creating a cycle that’s hard to break.

However, we can limit the impact of ACEs on future generations by taking a close look at what we are doing today – not only for our children but for ourselves, as adults. Therefore, to prevent adversities for children, we must address the healing and recovery of trauma in adults.

Childhood Trauma: Shifting The Paradigm

The ACE Study, launched in the 1990s, offered a groundbreaking look at how childhood trauma can impact health decades later.

More than two-thirds of the 17,000-plus adults in our study reported at least one ACE, such as divorce, neglect or domestic violence in the household. These adults were at a greater risk for numerous negative health and behavioural outcomes.

When I present this research, I often get questions about the adult survivors. What has helped these adults survive to tell their childhood histories?

The ACE Study was not conceptualized to examine resilience. But I had always been curious about what helped these trauma survivors thrive. I wanted to understand not only what led to their ill health later in life, but what led some of them to report positive health, despite their backgrounds.

Promoting Good Health

childhood traumaModern medicine and public health have traditionally focused on figuring out the origins of disease and how to prevent poor health.

In 1996, medical sociologist and anthropologist Aaron Antonovsky offered a different perspective. He suggested we look at health as a continuum and focus on what can promote good health. This approach, called salutogenesis, suggests that we as humans have the innate capacity to move toward health in the face of hardship.

Today, the World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” I wondered how this approach might reflect on the adult survivors. What promotes their good health and positive well-being, knowing they are at risk for negative health conditions?

In 2013, my colleagues and I published a study
examining approximately 5,000 adults from the original ACE study who reported at least one childhood adversity. We focused on strategies that have been proven to promote good health – such as exercise, abstaining from smoking, access to emotional support and completing education at the high school level or higher.

Indeed, each of the factors listed was associated with reports of excellent, very good or good health among adult survivors. Depending on the factor, there was a 30 to 80 per cent increased likelihood that the adult would report positive well-being. Survivors who had a college education were 2.1 times more likely to report positive well-being than those with no high school diploma. These findings were after considering their chronic conditions. We also found that the four factors were associated with a lower likelihood to report depressive feelings.

When I repeated this study with a sample population of adult trauma survivors from four states and the District of Columbia, I found nearly identical results.

Adult Survivors

What’s more, the greater number of health-promoting activities a person participated in, the better their well-being seemed to be. Adult survivors with at least two factors were 1.5 times more likely to report good to excellent health. Those who reported all four factors were 4.3 times more likely to report good to excellent health, compared to those who engaged in none or one, even after considering their chronic conditions.

On average, trauma survivors who reported at least two of the health-promoting factors had also experienced fewer mentally and physically unhealthy days in the past 30 days.

We have also learned that adult trauma survivors use complementary strategies such as yoga, massage, and dance therapy.

With that said, we need more rigorous studies to test these and other approaches that promote health and well-being. The studies presented examined only four factors and cannot be generalized to all adult survivors of ACEs.

How To Start Healing Childhood Trauma

From a survival perspective, the body can respond to perceived or actual threats with the “fight or flight” stress response. However, if this threat is constant, the endocrine and neuronal systems stay activated, which can overtax us and prevent the body from establishing homeostasis. Research has helped us to understand how disease can result from stress and trauma.

Just as we are biologically equipped with mechanisms to deal with threatening situations, our bodies are also equipped with neurochemicals like dopamine and GABA that provide feelings of security, happiness and motivation. We can activate these positive feelings through self-care. For example, in one study, massage was found to reduce cortisol and increase dopamine and serotonin.

There is no voodoo here. If we present our body and five senses with positive inputs – like calming music, unprocessed foods and walks through nature – we can stimulate our own system to regulate in a favourable way.

But these interventions may not be sufficient by themselves. Active counselling, the use of cognitive-behavioural therapy and in some cases medications or other health interventions may be needed.

We must recognize the strength and limitations of modern medicine and public health when it comes to addressing and preventing ACEs. Interrupting the cycle of abuse and neglect must first begin with adults. It will require an integrative and multigenerational approach that empowers individuals to heal their bodies, minds and spirits.

Credits

Editor’s note: This article is the third in a series exploring how research into adverse childhood experiences – or ACEs – is helping researchers, therapists, parents, educators and the medical community better understand the lasting effects of trauma on mental health.The Conversation

Shanta R. Dube, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, Georgia State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Happy Anniversary: We Are One Year Old!

Posted on August 10, 2021 by ClaudetteE

Happy Anniversary to us!

It has been one year since the Daughters of Sheba Foundation was incorporated and we are ever so grateful for the blessing!

It is a big deal to us. Why? Well, it is a wish, a hope and a promise long in the making – this thing that we call The Daughters of Sheba Foundation.

Where It All Started

happy anniversaryThis is a wish come true on a personal level. It was a wish for a woman to be in my life that would truly guide me to the white picket fence life. Waited for many moons and that was not happening – the white picket fence life. The journey through the valley was made with the hope in my heart that there was a purpose through it all.

Eventually, I got to a point when that hope turned into a promise. I learned that anything that you wanted to experience and have learned you must teach. Making my “mess my message,” as Joyce Meyer extolled, I initiated the forming of a private group of women on Facebook about 13 years ago.

We were there for each other, through thick and thin. We shared our stories and on occasions our money to help a sister out of a tight spot. That group flourished, floundered and flopped eventually due to the pressure of time, personalities and other commitments.

But a core stayed together and in fairly constant contact.

Happy Anniversary: How We Got Here

It was to that core I turned with the thought to keep my promise – to be my sisters’ keeper and to help one at a time. This happened after the murder of my husband. I had learned years before that my pain is best healed by turning it into fuel for my passion.

Pouring everything that I had on hand, the Daughters of Sheba Foundation was legally and formally incorporated, with a mission, a vision and a purpose. We knew we were not going on a mass media campaign but quietly reach out to friends and family to help us.

Some Things We Have Done

As we say happy anniversary to ourselves, we look back at some of what we managed to accomplish.

Our work started with paying for the counselling services for a woman trying to leave an abusive relationship, then a micro-chicken farm. We would later give support to a budding author and creative.

As time passed, and the months went by we received numerous requests for support. However, we were selective about who we would support as we were clear about our purpose.  As well, we understood that the resources available to us were not unlimited.

So, we helped mothers with school fees, we paid for data services to close to 25 children to access online learning, we paid for educational upgrading of a couple of women. Also, Christmas and Women’s day gift baskets and spa gift certificates were given out. We quietly bought groceries for a few.

A seamstress in rural Jamaica told us she would forever be indebted to us for giving her micro-business a push.

What Next?

Would we have loved to do more? Absolutely, but we understand the power of a widow’s mite.

We gave the little much that we could procure to those who we felt would use it to propel themselves forward. That is how we roll and will continue to roll.

Through our social media programming, we share inspirational and educational information and within our newly formed Facebook group, we group deeper with our members.

We are ever so grateful for the year that was and look hopefully to the ones ahead.

Happy anniversary to us!

 

 

2017

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The Road To Reconciliation Starts With the UN Declaration On The Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Posted on August 9, 2021 by Guest Contribution

Indigenous Peoples.

“The road to reconciliation starts with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” by Sheryl Lightfoot, University of British Columbia

When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada concluded its work almost four years ago, it provided a road map for Canadians to follow. That road map, the 94 Calls to Action, aims to “revitalize the relationship between Aboriginal Peoples and Canadian society” after more than 100 years of the traumatic and systemic removal of Indigenous children from their families.

Call No. 43 underpinned all others, according to the commission. The commission urged federal, provincial and territorial governments to fully implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. They called it “the framework” for all reconciliation measures “at all levels and across all sectors of society.”

Click here for more articles in our ongoing series about the TRC Calls to Action.

 

International Human Rights Standards

It’s extremely rare for international human rights standards to even be mentioned in the Canadian policy debate. However, when Canada voted against the declaration in 2007 at the United Nations, it was the first time that Canada had ever stood in opposition to an international human rights standard.

It remains today the only international human rights standard in Canada up for debate.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper issued an official apology for residential schools in 2008. However, my ongoing study on state apologies to Indigenous Peoples demonstrates that apologies without clear policy shifts are typically rejected as “empty gestures.”

indigenous peoplesInternational standards of justice require that those responsible for human rights violations must do more than acknowledge and apologize for the harm that has been done. They must go further. They must take every reasonable measure to set things right and to prevent any recurrence of harm.

A closer look at the history of the declaration and its unique framework for human rights protection underscores the TRC’s wisdom in highlighting its indispensable role in reconciliation.

Indigenous Peoples: The Birth Of The Declaration

The idea for an international standard on Indigenous Peoples’ rights emerged out of several grassroots Indigenous movements in North America. Those movements were informed by their connections to traditional Indigenous forms of governance. They were also influenced by the U.S. civil rights movement, as well as decolonization movements across the Global South.

Fed up with government policies and frustrated by the lack of neutral avenues for dispute resolution, these Indigenous movements took their cause to the international level, hoping to appeal to wider global consciousness on human rights.

Winona LaDuke of Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) and Jewish heritage was 18 years old when she addressed the 1977 UN gathering in Geneva as part of the Indian Treaty Council. 
Indigenous diplomacy at the UN in Geneva and New York carved out a unique space where Indigenous peoples could actually sit down with states and jointly create a mutually agreed framework for recognition, protection and fulfilment of our rights. The process of developing the text for declaration began with the creation of a special working group within the UN human rights system in August 1982.

Diplomacy On Behalf Of Indigenous Peoples

This was the first time that the direct beneficiaries of a global human rights instrument standard were also its co-authors. On Sept. 13, 2007, a full 25 years after the writing process began, the UN General Assembly adopted the declaration as a body of “minimum standards” that all states are expected to uphold.

The very length of this process — a quarter-century! — tells us a lot about the depth of resistance that Indigenous peoples had to overcome to bring the declaration to life. It also speaks volumes about the dedication of all those Indigenous advocates from around the world who returned to the UN year after frustrating year until eventually, they prevailed.

As Dalee Sambo Dorough, now president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, said during the final years of the negotiation process:

“I truly would love to just be at home enjoying my rights, and not having to pound the halls of the United Nations to gain a little respect, to gain some recognition of my inherent rights as an Indigenous woman, or the collective rights that I share with my people.”

indigenous peoplesRefuting The Doctrines Of Racial Superiority

Human rights lawyers and scholars often say the declaration creates no new rights. They say they have been developed on the foundation of other international human rights standards with vast global experience in their interpretation and application.

But, as I have written in my book, Global Indigenous Rights: A Subtle Revolution, the specific way the declaration approaches these existing rights is subtly revolutionary. The declaration’s approach helps to transform the often Eurocentric discourse of human rights to more fully encompass Indigenous worldviews, histories and contemporary struggles.

With the adoption of the declaration, the famous words “We the peoples of the United Nations” at long last became inclusive of the realities of Indigenous Peoples. It made way for Indigenous Peoples who seek a multiplicity of new relationships with UN member states within whose boundaries our territories and nations have been divided and subsumed.

The declaration reinvigorates the themes of self-determination, decolonization and anti-discrimination that are the foundations of the United Nations.

In its preamble, the declaration refutes the doctrines of racial superiority that have been used to justify the dispossession of Indigenous peoples around the world. In its provisions, the declaration calls for concrete remedies for the harms that have resulted from this dispossession.

reconciliationReconciliation: Much Work Needs To Be Done

For more than 10 years, I have been attending various international meetings such as the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues that support the ongoing work of implementing the declaration. I am also working with Indigenous academics and other partners around the world to share knowledge and experience about the growing body of implementation measures at the national and regional levels.

While the era of UN declaration implementation is well underway, enormous work remains to be done. This is as true of Canada as it is of the rest of the world.

The declaration calls for redress and rights protection through a wide range of specific provisions on matters such as Indigenous languages, cultural property, sacred sites, traditional medicines, environmental protection and the rights of children and families. More than anything, however, the declaration recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ continued authority, as self-determining peoples, over decisions affecting our lives and futures.

James Anaya, a former UN special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, has said the declaration’s foundation in established human rights obligations, the direct involvement of Indigenous peoples in its development and the exhaustive deliberations that led to its final adoption give the declaration a unique “moral, political and, yes, legal” weight that makes its implementation all the more imperative.

Bill C-262

In 2018, the House of Commons passed a private member’s bill, Bill C-262 —
put forth by NDP MP Romeo Saganash — meant to create a legislative framework for federal implementation of the declaration. Key provisions of the bill included a review of federal laws and direct collaboration with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in establishing policy priorities. These measures are key to meaningful implementation by the federal government.

The story of Bill C-262 is bittersweet, however. The House of Commons adopted the law, which was further supported by a unanimous motion in the House. These facts give some hope of seeing the legislative framework adopted in the future.

In the end, however, the opportunity to pass the legislation in the current session of Parliament was lost because the bill was stalled by Senate filibustering.

Remaining Resistance

This highlights the considerable remaining resistance, much of it partisan, to the concrete implementation of the declaration.

For this to change, more people must take the time to learn about the declaration. More people need to see their way past the myths and misrepresentations that confuse its actual content and implications. More people need to join the ranks of those who have already championed the UN declaration — an indispensable part of the national project of reconciliation.

Credits

Sheryl Lightfoot, Canada Research Chair in Global Indigenous Rights and Politics and Associate Professor in Political Science, Public Policy and Indigenous Studies, University of British Columbia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Why We Should Pay Attention To The Power Of Youth

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Guest Contribution

Young people. “Why we should pay attention to the power of youth” by Heather L. Ramey, Brock University; Heather Lawford, Bishop’s University, and Linda Rose-Krasnor, Brock University

Youth turnout in the recent United States midterm elections was the highest it has been in 25 years. The midterms also saw the average age of congressional representatives go down by 10 years.

Likewise, in the 2015 Canadian federal election, 58 per cent of newly eligible voters turned out to vote, an increase of almost 18 per cent over the 2011 election.

There have been similar increases in voting among 18- to 24-year-olds in provincial elections. Dramatic wins in 2015 for the NDP in Alberta and British Columbia can be attributed in part to youth voting because younger voters lean progressive.

Young voters in Canada have shown up for parties focused on issues that are important to their generation, in particular climate change, diversity, equality and the regulatory role of government.

Youth movements, in fact, are playing a role in voter turnout. The U.S. March for our Lives movement aims to end gun violence. The movement’s protests in March of this year attracted an estimated two million youth and extended into the Vote for Our Lives campaign.

Vote for our Lives began by registering thousands of youth voters at the March for Our Lives protests, and carried the momentum into the midterms, likely playing a part in the youth voting surge.

young peopleYoung People. ‘Maple Spring’

There have been many other notable youth movements in North America. The 2012 Québec “Maple Spring” student movement, ignited by a provincial government decision to hike tuition, was at the time described as among the largest youth movements in North America since the 1960s.

An Ontario youth protest against changes to the sex education curriculum in 2018 drew tens of thousands of youth. Indigenous youth protests across North America have focused on topics such as pipelines, clean water and unjust deaths.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) gives children and youth the right to participate in decision-making in matters that affect them, including in political and community contexts.

More than this, the UN convention gives them the right to informed decision-making, which means that adults are legally obligated to educate youth. This includes, for example, laws and requirements about school rules, health care and education. Adults must explain these issues, consult with youth and take their views into account.

The UNCRC was signed by all United Nations member states, including the U.S., although the U.S. stands alone in failing to ratify it.

Even without the UNCRC, democracy requires considering the views of all citizens. Citizens have rights and obligations, including voting and service; young voters should not be excluded.

Cultural critic Henry Giroux, who writes extensively on education and politics, has defined citizens as people with the “capacity not only to understand and engage the world but to transform it when necessary, and to believe that he or she can do that.” That means we need youth to participate even before they’re old enough to vote.

The Huge Benefits Of Youth Engagement

In our own research with the Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement, we have found widespread benefits from youth’s civic engagement and advocacy. Young people gain new skills when they become engaged politically, and they learn to take on greater responsibility. They also learn more about who they are and what they value in life. They gain a sense of their unique abilities to make a difference.

If they participate when they are young, they are also more likely to participate later on. Adults also benefit by learning from youth, and society benefits from the new ideas and the fresh perspective of young people, as well as from their future participation.

Is this enough to make policy-makers, politicians and broader society pay attention to young people? It should be, but there are also strategic political reasons to pay attention to youth.

Youth make up a substantial proportion of the voting population. In Canada, millennials will soon be the largest age cohort within the electorate. Many young people who are not old enough to vote are still active in protests and advocacy.

young peopleCan Influence Election Outcomes

Youth have the potential to significantly impact the outcome of elections. Strategies that encourage their participation can help further their influence. Youth should be consulted during the development of party platforms, and advise politicians on strategies that will reach their peers.

Youth advisory councils for political candidates would also help make campaigns more engaging to youth. Barriers to youth participation should also be addressed. Like adults, youth report lack of time as their No. 1 reason for not voting. Unlike adults, however, their second most common reason for failing to cast a ballot is a lack of information about the candidates and issues, perhaps because they get information primarily from social media.

What does it all mean?

Young people want information as elections to loom. Given that social media use is almost universal for this age group, there is an opportunity to responsibly share information through their preferred social media and networks.

We might also explore innovative ways to capitalize on their leadership in drawing other citizens into the political process. For example, Vote for Our Lives organizers created a T-shirt with a QR code that allows people to register to vote by just scanning the code with their phone.

Youth have the right, the skills and the numbers to “make a difference” in government and society. Decision-makers would be wise to meaningfully engage with young people and acknowledge the importance of their voices, energy and vision to a healthy democracy.The Conversation

Credits

Heather L. Ramey, Adjunct Professor, Child & Youth Studies, Brock University; Heather Lawford, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Bishop’s University, and Linda Rose-Krasnor, Professor, Brock University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Are You Making A Difference? Here’s How You Can One Life At A Time

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Clara Brown

Are you making a difference in anyone’s life?  What about a young person’s?

This month, we are celebrating Youths and invite you to take a step to make a difference in the life of even one.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate to make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

Are You Making A Difference?

For about five years, I was a very active member of the Kiwanis.  I volunteered on various committees, chaired a couple of Boards within my club and took numerous outings in support of club initiatives and projects.

Nothing else compares to the feeling of fulfilment I got every third of each month. We would visit the club’s adopted Golden Aged Home to care for the residents and spend quality time with them.  The interaction with them was indescribable.  The value was immeasurable.  Their faces glowed when we shampooed and groomed their hair; their grateful but feeble hands shook ours after they were fed and the emotional expressions of gratitude upon receiving goodies baskets – these were our rewards for making a difference, one life at a time.

“It’s the action, not the fruit of the action that’s important.  You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing.  You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” Mahatma Gandhi

are youMaking A Difference – One Youth At A Time

There was a young university student from my Home Town who one day visited me at my office. This 6-foot, a well-poised young man knocked slightly on my door and inquired whether I would like to purchase chocolates.

My friends know that I am intolerant of chocolate but I decided to patronize him as he was so polite and without pressure approached me. My intention went beyond that, as my plan was to pass on the sweet delights to the chocolate lovers in the office and there are quite a few.

The purchase surprised him and he found it difficult to hide his emotions. After completing my purchase, he asked whether I had a minute to spare.  His eager eyes told a story. He wanted advice.

Basically, I found out that he was selling chocolate to raise money to complete his college education. His mother (a single parent) had suddenly fallen on extremely hard times. She was working so hard that she had a mental breakdown and could no longer work. The choice for Adam (not his real name) was to either quit college or find some other means to raise his tuition. Quitting would have had a more devastating effect on not only him but his mother, so he stayed in college.

It Often Takes Very Little

I became one of his regular customers as well as a fierce cheerleader.  Adam, through the patronage from others within my office, the adjoining offices and me was able to purchase a motorcycle (at a discounted price, virtually a gift). Through our influence, as an insurance agency, he was able to insurance for his motorcycle again at a very discounted rate. Needless to say, at the end of each semester, Adam took his “Report Card” to us and kept us updated on his progress.  He promised all of us that he will never let us down.


Are you making a difference, one life at a time?

Unspeakable Joy

Mentoring is one of my passions. Witnessing the achievements of those I mentor gives me unspeakable joy.  Frequently I have asked others whether if they feel that they could make a difference in the world.  More often than not the response is “No.”  Well, guess what? They are wrong.

Not only can each of us make a difference but our influence could have a far greater impact on a greater number of people than we could ever imagine. Stop and think about your potential circle of influence: your employees, co-workers, bosses, vendors, customers, family, friends. Lots and lots of people. You may have already influenced dozens more without even realizing it.

The Universe supports all our efforts geared towards the advancement of humanity. As Martin Luther King said: “No work is insignificant.  All labour that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken painstaking excellence.”

So RISE and RESOLVE to “Make a difference, one life at a time”

Visit our Facebook page, Instagram profile or leave a comment here, share some ideas how we, as ordinary citizens of the world, might make a difference.

Clara

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Explainer: The A, B, C, D And E Of Hepatitis

Posted on July 28, 2021 by Guest Contribution

“Explainer: the A, B, C, D and E of Hepatitis” by Benjamin Cowie, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. While we usually think of hepatitis A to E viruses, anything that causes inflammation or damage to the liver can be considered as a form of hepatitis.

These are very different viruses. So, Hepatitis A is genetically closer to the common cold than it is to hepatitis B, for example. Hepatitis C is closer to the virus that causes dengue fever.

The thing all five have in common is they can cause mild to very severe liver damage.

Viral hepatitis caused around 1.45 million deaths in 2013, making it the seventh leading cause of death worldwide; 96% of these were due to hepatitis B and C.

explainerThe Explainer

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is spread by contaminated food and water, and from person to person via faecal transmission, particularly in household settings.

Hippocrates first described epidemics of diarrhoea and jaundice as far back as the fifth century BCE.

Although hepatitis A can cause significant illness, the body usually recovers without treatment and becomes immune to future infections.

Vaccines can prevent hepatitis A; these are recommended for travellers and other groups at particular risk of infection. Vaccination is given early after exposure can also prevent hepatitis A from developing.

Hepatitis B

This is the most prevalent form of viral hepatitis worldwide. It’s also the leading cause of liver cancer.

An estimated 250 million people live with hepatitis B worldwide. Around 220,000 Australians are thought to be living with chronic hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B can be transmitted from person to person through sex or blood-to-blood contact. But most people living with chronic (long-term) hepatitis B acquired it at birth from their mother, or early in life. Following infection, the chance of developing chronic hepatitis B in infancy is around 90%, but falls to 5% among adults.

A safe and highly effective vaccine has been available for hepatitis B since the 1980s. It has been provided for all infants born in Australia since May 2000.

In China, the proportion of children aged under five who had chronic hepatitis B fell from 9.7% in 1992 to 1% in 2006 after a vaccination program was introduced. The program has prevented millions of deaths from liver cancer and liver cirrhosis in China alone.

Effective antiviral treatments are also available for chronic hepatitis B. These can prevent liver damage and liver cancer from occurring. But even in a well-resourced country such as Australia, only a minority of people needing treatment and care for hepatitis B are receiving it.

Hepatitis C

This is the most common cause of viral hepatitis in Australia; an estimated 230,000 people live with chronic infections.

Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver cancer and liver transplants nationally.

Most hepatitis C infections in Australia were acquired through unsafe injecting drug use. But in some low-resource countries, ongoing transmission of hepatitis C in health care settings is a major problem.

Around 80% of people infected with hepatitis C develop chronic infection; those who do clear the infection naturally remain susceptible to future infections.

No vaccine for hepatitis C is available.

On March 1, new treatments were listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Although expensive, these treatments represent a huge advance and are a cost-effective way to prevent both new infections and deaths due to existing hepatitis C infections. With cure rates of the order of 90% with 8-24 weeks of tablets and minimal side effects, these agents have the potential to drastically reduce the impact of hepatitis C.

The real key to unlocking this potential is the very liberal access criteria the Commonwealth government has applied to these treatments. As a result, uptake of treatment for hepatitis C in Australia has risen more than 20-fold.

Hepatitis D

Hepatitis D is a satellite virus that can only infect people who also have hepatitis B.

It is estimated that approximately 5% of people living with hepatitis B globally also have hepatitis D, which can lead to more severe liver disease.

Hepatitis E

Hepatitis E, like hepatitis A, is spread through contaminated food and water.

The first outbreak of hepatitis E infection acquired in Australia was reported earlier this year.

While hepatitis E is usually relatively mild, it can cause serious illness late in pregnancy, with a death rate of up to 20% among pregnant women in their third trimester.

A vaccine against hepatitis E has been developed but is currently licensed only in China.

While viral hepatitis remains a substantial public health challenge in Australia and worldwide, with political will, adequate investment and global partnerships, the world can eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.The Conversation

Credits

This explainer was written by:

Benjamin Cowie, Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Why Age Gives West African Women More Autonomy And Power

Posted on July 27, 2021 by Guest Contribution

“Why age gives West African women more autonomy and power” by Marijke Verpoorten, University of Antwerp and Sahawal Alidou, University of Antwerp

Several studies, covering about 58 countries across the world, found that as women get older they are more able to make decisions independently of men. But scholars have struggled to pin down explanations for this age dividend – why are women given more independence the older they get? We wanted to know what the reasons may be.

Why Age Gives More Autonomy

In a recent study, we looked at women’s autonomy across ages in Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and Benin. These four West African countries are home to ethnic groups that practice “voodoo”, a religion that spread with the expansion of the Dahomey kingdom in the 17th century.

In these countries, women are not equal to men. They sometimes won’t be able to make decisions about their own health – like negotiating safe sex – or on how household incomes could be used.

In our sample of 21,000 women aged 15 to 49, we found that autonomy in household decision-making increases with age. This was especially true for women who belonged to the four “voodoo-ethnicities”: Fon, Ewe, Adja and Yoruba. We also found that women had even more power if they are menopaused.

why ageAge and Magico-Religious Beliefs

Our findings suggest that both age and magico-religious beliefs have a huge role to play in a woman’s independence. Menopaused women from “voodoo-ethnicities” are much more independent to make decisions on how they spend their own earnings, care for their own health, visit family or relatives and what major household purchases need to be made.

These insights are important for female empowerment strategies. To be effective, policies must identify potential agents of change who can, for instance, influence decisions that improve children’s schooling and nutrition or abolish female genital cutting. Despite their apparent agency, elderly women in West Africa have largely been overlooked.

Voodoo And Menopause

So, why do women gain more independence the older they get, and especially if they are of voodoo-ethnicities and menopaused? Why age gives them more autonomy?

We analysed data on 21,000 women and their ability to make various decisions. We found that women’s autonomy was related to menstrual bleeding, particularly for voodoo-ethnicities. This was further explored in Benin, the birthplace of Voodoo, where we conducted interviews with voodoo priests and menopaused women.

As one woman said:

[Women in menopause] are equipped with supernatural powers. Only she can talk to the ancestors and request their help, assistance and protection. And they respond to her worship and requests, not everyone can do that.

In the interviews, we gathered that voodoo adherents worship collective deities (related to the sea, the earth, or thunder) and family deities: ancestors that turn into spirits after death.

The interactions with the family deities are led by a menopaused woman, referred to as the “Tassinon”. Only she can transmit the family members’ prayers and requests to the ancestors and consult the oracle to see if the spirits have accepted the offering and sacrifices.

These alleged powers, in their turn, increase the bargaining power of elderly women in their communities and households.

why ageIncreased Awe For Elderly Women

In situations where the supernatural power of menopaused women has faded, the cultural norm derived from it – increased awe for elderly women – persists.

Our analysis shows that the “Tassinon effect” is sizeable. We created an autonomy index – which looked at a combination of different situations where decisions had to be made and who made them – to measure this and found that it increased their ability to make decisions by about 10%.

As one woman said:

My opinion matters now in all important decisions or issues in the family and in my community. It was not the case before my designation as tassinon. I could not even attend or talk in certain audiences.

Our research provides support for the argument put forward in the African feminist literature, that seniority trumps gender in an African context.

It also adds to the evidence that voodoo continues to play a role in West Africa. Adherence to voodoo has been proven to affect the governance of natural resources. For instance, fishermen who adhere to voodoo are more likely to respect rules related to prohibited fishing gear. It also affects the uptake of preventive health care; for instance, because mothers who adhere to voodoo will rely on traditional healers, they may not immunise their children. Now we know that voodoo also affects the level of independence women have in some communities.

The Way Ahead

A better understanding of cultural attitudes towards elderly African women will become more important for policymakers in the future. As fertility declines and life expectancy increases, elderly women will increase in numbers, both in absolute and relative terms. They could play an important role as agents of change in supporting both child care and female empowerment projects.

For instance, in Benin, the respect for elderly women is already relied upon in interventions targeting children’s health and nutrition, and in the abolishment of female genital cutting. This could be reinforced and extended to other sectors and to other countries.The Conversation

Marijke Verpoorten, Associate Professor, University of Antwerp and Sahawal Alidou, PhD candidate and teaching assistant, University of Antwerp

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Three Steps To Picking A Winning Team For This Game Called Life

Posted on July 26, 2021 by ClaudetteE

Three steps. The all-important three steps to picking a winning team.

People come into your life for a reason, season, or a lifetime… .”

“Don’t mix seasonal people with lifetime expectations.”

These are a couple of pieces of advice offered to me that helped me with those three steps.

Now I am passing them on to you.

three stepsLife Is A Game And You Are The Captain

First, though, let this serve as a reminder that not everyone batting, catching, or playing mid-field is meant to stay either in that position or on your team forever. As any good and experienced sporting coach will tell you, players get injured, complacent, or simply cannot continue to meet the physical requirements of the game.

Make no mistake, this life that we are all living is a game. It is one in which we are all playing out our dreams, kicking around ideas with the intention of getting the big one, the winning one through the net of success. That net – success – is crafted and stitched from material that we each get to choose.

Crafting Success

For some,  the material will come together. A pile of money, a huge house, cars and “a trailer load’ of girls. For others, it is being able to offer all the basic needs plus some. A reasonable roof over their heads, education and annual vacations. Then there are those for whom success falls somewhere in the middle. Food, a clean bed and a pair of shoes to keep their feet protected.

Whatever your measure of success, you are the head coach, the boss, the CEO – whatever title you prefer – of your life. You decide how the game is played. You select the players to go out on the field with and for you. And here is the cold, hard fact:

Sentiments and sympathy will not “win” you this game.

 

What Is The Game?

Before anyone takes offence to my chosen words, let me define and elaborate on how they are used and understood in this context.

  • Game – daily living
  • Players – friends, family members, the “Influencers” in your life
  • Field – your scope of choices
  • Win – success according to your understanding

Often I have made reference to T.D. Jakes’ sermon about the three types of people in your life. Why? Well, he describes them very eloquently, if you can look beyond the “preacher man” performance.

Check Your Circle

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

Every so often, it is important to do an inventory of your circle. It has been said that if you are the smartest in your circle, something has to change. This is a challenging task, one that I have done many times. Once, I found myself as #5 on the smartness ladder. Since doing that, I have stretched, dragged and pulled by myself to learn more about SEO, social media marketing, immigration, writing, management and – the big one – intimate relationships.

Now, I am offering you my combination of these two concepts as you set out to complete a review or performance evaluation, if you like, of your team or your circle.

The most important and fundamental thing to understand is that it all starts with You.

Tag, You’re It

You are the visionary – the dreamer, the leader, the head cook and bottle washer of your life. It starts and ends with You. The “game” is played according to your choices or lack of choices. You select the players based on how you want to play the game. You decide which player remains on your team.

Once the vision is clear, refined and fine-tuned – and you do this every year, every month, every day through your vision boards, journals, meditation/spiritual exercises, etc – write your guidelines. These I prefer to call “Values for Living,” and they are those principles that will not change, they are who you are. Write them down where you can see them every day. I have mine on my phone that is never far from my reach and as an example my Values For Living are: 

  • Love
  • Honesty
  • Trustworthiness
  • Loyalty
  • Faithfulness
  • Kindness

three stepsThe Three Steps: Check Your Players’ AIM

We all have a story for our lives, one that we edit, adapt and expand as we play this game. Knowing your story and ensuring that only you are holding the pen is critical.

It is the daily walking of your vision, it is the game and you get to choose the players, companions and supporting actors. My suggestion is that each of these persons is chosen based on their:

Appreciation and understanding of your story

Interest, ability and willingness to support you moving your story to the next stage

Mission in their own lives

Basically, the A.I.M. of your team members will and ought to decide their season, reason or lifetime membership on your playing field.

The Fine Print

For as long as their appreciation of you and your journey is well expressed and clear, they might remain on the team. This does not mean they are yes people. It simply means they love you enough to tell you the truth as they work side by side with you to correct the course.

If a team member’s interests change or dwindle; should they become unwilling or unable to continue catching your vision for the game, their season is over. No hard feelings are necessary. It is simply time to move on.

Each of us has a mission for our lives and part of that includes being an active player or supporter on another person’s team. We are social beings and our natural instinct is to help another. For as long as that support is mutually beneficial, life-enhancing for both parties – game on! However, missions change, adjustments get made and what was once compatible evolve not necessarily into conflicting goals but are no longer viable. Do not hang on out of habit. Thank and bless the player. Retire their number and give them a golden handshake however that looks in your life. Then start recruiting.

There you have my three-step strategy for playing your game. Evaluate your current team based on their A.I.M. and take your life to the next base.

Be blessed, be well and have a great game day!

2017

 

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