Saturday, April 28, 2012
Last Few Weeks of the Semester
Well, it's hard to believe that this semester is coming to a close, but here we are: one more week of regular classes and a week of finals! This coming week I will be submitting a few term papers for classes and reviewing for finals. I hope to be ready for finals this week so that I can spend next weekend relaxing with family. This coming weekend, I will be travelling to Kirksville to see my brother graduate from college.
After finals next week, I will be staying to take a month long class at school as well as playing in my church bell choirs spring concert. After my class and concert, I will be back in St Louis working, travelling on LAMP, and taking a class online. So while my semester will be ending in a week, my studying will continue.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Reflections on "Kony 2012"
Uganda as a nation and the issues it has faced is something that has fascinated me for several years. My interest came after researching for a class project about the LRA and the other injustices occurring in Uganda. I also became aware of the humanitarian work after hearing a speaker from Africare, a non-profit working with individuals recovering both from LRA abuses and other abuses by the Ugandan army.
After seeing the newest video by Invisible Children and how it has gone viral, I am happy to see more people are aware of an issue that has been the reality for Central Africa for over 25 years. However, I feel like the video fails to deal with the real issue that is at hand. While the video and IC as a whole advocates the cause of bringing Kony to justice, which everyone agrees must happen, IC does minimal work in the rebuilding process and supports the corrupt Ugandan army, which is responsible for similar atrocities. They seem very focused on the mission of "Remove Kony" without any real understanding of the complexities of the situation.
Uganda is a nation that traditionally is divided by regions of ethnic tribes. Only after English colonization in the late 1800's did the concept of "Uganda" emerge. So when we look at a nation like Uganda, we must recognize that it was established as such by outsiders. It took decades for the old order to integrate into this united entity. Uganda finally gained independence in 1962 from Britain. Following independence, Uganda tried to implement a parliamentary system, only to be eliminated and followed by a series of military coups, which culminated to the takeover by the National Resistance Army (NRA) under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni, the current leader of Uganda since 1986. When we talk about the concept of Uganda, we must view it as a very new idea and a place with a history of political instability.
Because of the foundation of the current administration by brutality, the Ugandan government, and especially the army, could not be called a noble entity. While every government and their army are not perfect, the corruption within Uganda is quite horrendous. Museveni has been known to use children in his national army, which has been lessened over the years but it has not been completely resolved. Additionally, there is little accountability on the army's part, which has led to the looting and abuse of citizens in various regions throughout the country. Destruction of property and rape are common at the hands of the Ugandan army.
So how does Kony fit in? Kony emerged as the leader of the rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in 1987 in the Acholi region of northern Uganda. It appeared that his initial motivation was to overthrow the NRA and become the next in a trend of coups. His motivations are power dominance by means of using a twisted interpretation of the Bible as the driving force. In the last ten years, he has been seen in the Northern region of Uganda, Southern area of Sudan, and the Eastern region of Congo. He is currently believed to be in Congo where the Ugandan army cannot come to arrest him because of the political disagreements between Congo and Uganda. His terror organization no longer has the motivation of overthrowing the Ugandan government; it is a terror organization that thrives on terror. The LRA's brutality and abuse of children (boys - child soldiers, girls - sex slaves) is disgusting and should have been stopped years ago. Today, this organization is much weaker, but Kony is still at large. While Kony is the leader of this organization, the LRA must be viewed much like any other terror organization. The LRA at this point is much more than just Kony, twenty-five years of recruitment has led to a new generation of leadership established in the organization.
So, back to IC. IC's goal is to bring light to the horrors of the LRA and bring Kony to justice. Since 2005, they have produced 11 short videos about the LRA. While it is great that they are bringing awareness to horrors of the LRA, they do not work very much in aiding the abused and the villages affected by these conflicts. It seems that they enjoy discussing the issue without many practical solutions implemented. While Kony may be at large, the victims of LRA abuse are here NOW. The true atrocity of the LRA is that some survivors are not receiving the help they need to reintegrate into society. As the LRA deteriorates, the needs of victims remain. It is insulting to the victims to ignore their cry for help by focusing all attention on the person that caused this injustice. You will not completely defeat Kony as long as he still has a grip on victims through lack of help to restore them into society.
One thing that concerns me about this non-profit is the amount of marketing they participate in. While I agreed with some of what was said in the video, the portion where they were advertising their "Kony 2012 Kit" and other merchandise angered me. The entire tone of the video was very serious and advocated for awareness, but then it switches to "if you care, you would want to wear our $29.99 bracelet." It turned the plight of the people of Uganda, Congo, and Sudan into a sales pitch. IC functions as a non-profit, but they refuse to have an auditing group (people to analyze their distribution of money) which has resulted in IC's reputation to be quite negative compared to other non-profits. Estimates show that 70% goes towards expenses for producing videos and advertising, 30% goes towards aid with the majority to the Ugandan army, and a small portion to the region. Any non-profit that refuses to follow this kind of accountability should leave a red flag in your mind.
If you were moved by the video by the Invisible Children, wonderful. Everyone should be aware of the destruction and trauma by the hands of the LRA in regions of Uganda, Sudan, and Congo. However, I urge you if you are moved to act, donate to a non-profit that works in action towards restoring the region by helping victims of the LRA and the abuses at the hands of the Ugandan army.
A couple of Non-profits I would recommend that have both excellent reputations in using donated money to aid people in the region directly and have wonderful programs that aid this region.
Samaritans Purse - http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Where_We_Work/uganda/
Africare - http://africare.org/our-work/where-we-work/uganda/index.php
Compassion International - http://www.compassion.com/about/where/uganda.htm
After seeing the newest video by Invisible Children and how it has gone viral, I am happy to see more people are aware of an issue that has been the reality for Central Africa for over 25 years. However, I feel like the video fails to deal with the real issue that is at hand. While the video and IC as a whole advocates the cause of bringing Kony to justice, which everyone agrees must happen, IC does minimal work in the rebuilding process and supports the corrupt Ugandan army, which is responsible for similar atrocities. They seem very focused on the mission of "Remove Kony" without any real understanding of the complexities of the situation.
Uganda is a nation that traditionally is divided by regions of ethnic tribes. Only after English colonization in the late 1800's did the concept of "Uganda" emerge. So when we look at a nation like Uganda, we must recognize that it was established as such by outsiders. It took decades for the old order to integrate into this united entity. Uganda finally gained independence in 1962 from Britain. Following independence, Uganda tried to implement a parliamentary system, only to be eliminated and followed by a series of military coups, which culminated to the takeover by the National Resistance Army (NRA) under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni, the current leader of Uganda since 1986. When we talk about the concept of Uganda, we must view it as a very new idea and a place with a history of political instability.
Because of the foundation of the current administration by brutality, the Ugandan government, and especially the army, could not be called a noble entity. While every government and their army are not perfect, the corruption within Uganda is quite horrendous. Museveni has been known to use children in his national army, which has been lessened over the years but it has not been completely resolved. Additionally, there is little accountability on the army's part, which has led to the looting and abuse of citizens in various regions throughout the country. Destruction of property and rape are common at the hands of the Ugandan army.
So how does Kony fit in? Kony emerged as the leader of the rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in 1987 in the Acholi region of northern Uganda. It appeared that his initial motivation was to overthrow the NRA and become the next in a trend of coups. His motivations are power dominance by means of using a twisted interpretation of the Bible as the driving force. In the last ten years, he has been seen in the Northern region of Uganda, Southern area of Sudan, and the Eastern region of Congo. He is currently believed to be in Congo where the Ugandan army cannot come to arrest him because of the political disagreements between Congo and Uganda. His terror organization no longer has the motivation of overthrowing the Ugandan government; it is a terror organization that thrives on terror. The LRA's brutality and abuse of children (boys - child soldiers, girls - sex slaves) is disgusting and should have been stopped years ago. Today, this organization is much weaker, but Kony is still at large. While Kony is the leader of this organization, the LRA must be viewed much like any other terror organization. The LRA at this point is much more than just Kony, twenty-five years of recruitment has led to a new generation of leadership established in the organization.
So, back to IC. IC's goal is to bring light to the horrors of the LRA and bring Kony to justice. Since 2005, they have produced 11 short videos about the LRA. While it is great that they are bringing awareness to horrors of the LRA, they do not work very much in aiding the abused and the villages affected by these conflicts. It seems that they enjoy discussing the issue without many practical solutions implemented. While Kony may be at large, the victims of LRA abuse are here NOW. The true atrocity of the LRA is that some survivors are not receiving the help they need to reintegrate into society. As the LRA deteriorates, the needs of victims remain. It is insulting to the victims to ignore their cry for help by focusing all attention on the person that caused this injustice. You will not completely defeat Kony as long as he still has a grip on victims through lack of help to restore them into society.
One thing that concerns me about this non-profit is the amount of marketing they participate in. While I agreed with some of what was said in the video, the portion where they were advertising their "Kony 2012 Kit" and other merchandise angered me. The entire tone of the video was very serious and advocated for awareness, but then it switches to "if you care, you would want to wear our $29.99 bracelet." It turned the plight of the people of Uganda, Congo, and Sudan into a sales pitch. IC functions as a non-profit, but they refuse to have an auditing group (people to analyze their distribution of money) which has resulted in IC's reputation to be quite negative compared to other non-profits. Estimates show that 70% goes towards expenses for producing videos and advertising, 30% goes towards aid with the majority to the Ugandan army, and a small portion to the region. Any non-profit that refuses to follow this kind of accountability should leave a red flag in your mind.
If you were moved by the video by the Invisible Children, wonderful. Everyone should be aware of the destruction and trauma by the hands of the LRA in regions of Uganda, Sudan, and Congo. However, I urge you if you are moved to act, donate to a non-profit that works in action towards restoring the region by helping victims of the LRA and the abuses at the hands of the Ugandan army.
A couple of Non-profits I would recommend that have both excellent reputations in using donated money to aid people in the region directly and have wonderful programs that aid this region.
Samaritans Purse - http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Where_We_Work/uganda/
Africare - http://africare.org/our-work/where-we-work/uganda/index.php
Compassion International - http://www.compassion.com/about/where/uganda.htm
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Time and Space
So, I'm not a huge science fiction fan, but I do have several friends who are. From hearing their discussions about various fictional worlds, the theme of challenging the established notion of time and space seems prevalent. While it sounded like a strange concept when I first heard it, I now have a new understanding of the idea.
This coming week is my midterm week here at SEMO. I feel like this semester has moved faster than every other previous semester. While I didn't believe that any semester could compete with the speediness of last fall, which flew by, this semester feels like it is passing in the blink of an eye. I truly feel like my perception of time is being construed much like the plot of a fictional story. I feel like I will fall asleep only to wake up walking to receive my diploma. While I am excited to be getting near the end of this stage, I am not quite ready for it.
Additionally, I feel a time paradox is occurring. Today, while I study for exams in the middle of my semester, my friends at SCH are beginning their semester. The time difference already messes with my mind, but to have semesters in completely different moments is bizarre. Granted, this happened last year, but now being on this side of it has really hit me.
Skyping friends in Korea over the past few weeks has also left me in a bit of a space paradox as well. While I am here in Missouri and being involved with life on campus, I still feel a part of myself in Korea. I don't like the fact that regardless of where you are in the world, you are always missing someone. This emotion has only intensified for me now that I am missing many people in all corners of the globe. If only there was a way to be in two (or more) places at once!
I think all these conflicts with time and space concepts are things that I have to learn to accept and embrace. Yes, life will continue to move faster = embrace every moment, I will always be missing friends and family = cherish every moment I have with them. I hope I can learn these lessons with grace and a mature perception.
This coming week is my midterm week here at SEMO. I feel like this semester has moved faster than every other previous semester. While I didn't believe that any semester could compete with the speediness of last fall, which flew by, this semester feels like it is passing in the blink of an eye. I truly feel like my perception of time is being construed much like the plot of a fictional story. I feel like I will fall asleep only to wake up walking to receive my diploma. While I am excited to be getting near the end of this stage, I am not quite ready for it.
Additionally, I feel a time paradox is occurring. Today, while I study for exams in the middle of my semester, my friends at SCH are beginning their semester. The time difference already messes with my mind, but to have semesters in completely different moments is bizarre. Granted, this happened last year, but now being on this side of it has really hit me.
Skyping friends in Korea over the past few weeks has also left me in a bit of a space paradox as well. While I am here in Missouri and being involved with life on campus, I still feel a part of myself in Korea. I don't like the fact that regardless of where you are in the world, you are always missing someone. This emotion has only intensified for me now that I am missing many people in all corners of the globe. If only there was a way to be in two (or more) places at once!
I think all these conflicts with time and space concepts are things that I have to learn to accept and embrace. Yes, life will continue to move faster = embrace every moment, I will always be missing friends and family = cherish every moment I have with them. I hope I can learn these lessons with grace and a mature perception.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Pre-Midterm Update
With Midterms looming in two weeks, I can say the past few weeks have been very academically busy. I am very happy that my classes are varied and I find myself enjoying each of them for different reasons
My night communications course has been very interesting and has stretched me in my return to SEMO. It is the highest level communications course, so there are a lot of long presentations and papers involved. It has really whipped me back into shape coming from a lot of language courses in Korea.
I have also really enjoyed my literature class especially these past few weeks where we have been reading creation myths. I think you can learn a lot about the foundations of a civilization from how they view their formation. We have had a lot of good discussions and will soon be analyzing the Odyssey.
My Oboe lessons have been a lot of fun. Laura my teacher has been pushing me to internalize the fundamentals in order to improve my artistic expression of the instrument. I am also making a lot of reeds which has been a new challenge that I readily accept!
I have also connected with a few Korean students on campus and have spent a few evenings with them eating Korean food (oh how I miss home made Kimchi) and chatting with them about Korea. It has been great to connect with Koreans here in Cape and maintain a piece of Korea from our discussions and meals.
I also went to my first live Gymnastics meet cheering on SEMO's team. It was amazing to see so much athleticism and grace in a sport. While SEMO didn't go home with a win, it was incredible to see the dedication of the team. I also saw the show "The Pajama Game" for the first time put on by SEMO's theater department. I was so happy to see some of the theater students I had as classmates two years ago in my fine arts class performing in the leads of this show. It is so nice to see that every person in their college journey finding their place and setting future goals.
I am still adjusting to this feeling that I have been in a coma of sorts in my study in Korea. What I mean is that while I feel my life at SEMO was paused during my travel, everyone else moved along. It has been strange reconnecting with old classmates, seeing what they have been up to these past three semesters and trying to describe a piece of my experiences.
My night communications course has been very interesting and has stretched me in my return to SEMO. It is the highest level communications course, so there are a lot of long presentations and papers involved. It has really whipped me back into shape coming from a lot of language courses in Korea.
I have also really enjoyed my literature class especially these past few weeks where we have been reading creation myths. I think you can learn a lot about the foundations of a civilization from how they view their formation. We have had a lot of good discussions and will soon be analyzing the Odyssey.
My Oboe lessons have been a lot of fun. Laura my teacher has been pushing me to internalize the fundamentals in order to improve my artistic expression of the instrument. I am also making a lot of reeds which has been a new challenge that I readily accept!
I have also connected with a few Korean students on campus and have spent a few evenings with them eating Korean food (oh how I miss home made Kimchi) and chatting with them about Korea. It has been great to connect with Koreans here in Cape and maintain a piece of Korea from our discussions and meals.
I also went to my first live Gymnastics meet cheering on SEMO's team. It was amazing to see so much athleticism and grace in a sport. While SEMO didn't go home with a win, it was incredible to see the dedication of the team. I also saw the show "The Pajama Game" for the first time put on by SEMO's theater department. I was so happy to see some of the theater students I had as classmates two years ago in my fine arts class performing in the leads of this show. It is so nice to see that every person in their college journey finding their place and setting future goals.
I am still adjusting to this feeling that I have been in a coma of sorts in my study in Korea. What I mean is that while I feel my life at SEMO was paused during my travel, everyone else moved along. It has been strange reconnecting with old classmates, seeing what they have been up to these past three semesters and trying to describe a piece of my experiences.
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