Child Trafficking is Happening in Your Neighborhood

Hi everybody,

I was recently invited to attend a UNICEF speakers event focusing on child trafficking and the atrocious ways adults often abuse children. 

The invitation I recieved for this educational outing.

Child trafficking happens all over the world, it might even be happening in your own neighborhood. Dr. Susu Thatun, a chid protection specialist, spoke about trafficking and migration with regards to her work with UNICEF. 

Me with Dr. Susu Thatun ~  s

What exactly is child trafficking and why is it happening so close to you? 

The US is considered one of the major destinations for trafficked victims. Anyone can be traficked regardless of gender, citizenship, education, class, and age. 

A map of America, and it's trafficking levels.

Child trafficking has been compared to modern-day slavery that subjects children, women, and men to force, fraud, or oppress for the purpose of exploitation. 

Sad Fact:  More than 1.2 million children are trafficked around the world every year, and this number is increasing. 

Trafficked children can be forced into three main industries including, sexual trafficking,  labor trafficking, and domestic servitude.

Sexual trafficking includes prostitution, pornography and sex tourism. Sexual trafficking occurs in everyday places such as nail salons, truck stops, massage parlors, and online solicitation where children are forced to sell their bodies to strangers.

Sadly, most women and children trafficked are uneductated, poor, and live their lives vulnerable to men. 

They are often sold by their families then brought and held captive in America. 

Some slaves are forced to work in factories making tennis shoes and other every-day items we use. 

Nike has allegedly used child labor for years.

Child slave labor produces many products we currently use, such as gold, sugarcane, coal, cotton, rice, tobacco, cacao, diamonds, garments, bricks and carpets. 

A large amount of exploitive labor is done in agricultural work. 

A young boy in a Bangladesh silver factory, imprisoned where he has no life.

Here's an easy way for you to tell if a company has made a product without child labor.  Find the "Fair Trade" symbol, indicating the item was not made by a child slave.

Fairtrade Labeling Organization International

Another form of slavery is when women and children are sold to be houskeepers without any compensation. This is called domestic slavery.

A ten year old Egyptian girl, Shyima Hall,  was sold by her parents and smuggled to a family in Orange Country. She was forced to live a miserable life as a personal maid, forced to sleep on a bare, dirty mattress in a windowless garage. She lived in squalor, was denied doctor appointments, kept out of school and the family called her "stupid girl". 

Shyima was rescued after a tip from a neighbor. She has since gone on to college and has become an American citizen. 

Shyima Hall telling her story as a domestic slave, and the family she was forced to care for. 

Supply and Demand

As long as there are bad people willing to buy children there will be bad people willing to sell them. 

We need to be aware of the products we buy. 

We need to prosecute traffickers. 

And we need to support organizations who fight for the children.

Here's a link to my fundraising page for UNICEF. Please consider donating to end child trafficking. 

http://inside.unicefusa.org/goto/emanzadventures

Thanks, 

Emmanuel 

How could anyone do this?

When I heard of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary school I felt confused and saddened. How could anyone do something so horrible to innocent children?

The innocents were only a couple of years younger than me, with the rest of their lives to live. They probably jumped out of their cars that morning, quickly kissing their mom or dad good bye not ever thinking that would be their last moments with them.

Then they die.

How devastated the parents must be.

The community must feel helpless, no one was able to prevent the shooting.

Even though the shooter killed himself, he still got away with his crime.

I'm so sorry for the families who've lost their loved ones.

Let this not go unnoticed.

Our country should be safe.

We want the best for our children.

Thanks,

Emmanuel

Political Cartoons, Not Coming to Disney Anytime Soon!

Hi everybody,

My mother has a friend who often posts brilliant political cartoons on facebook about Syria, religions, world and US politics. 

Wolfgang Friedl lives in Bolivia where my mom met him on a Unicef trip two years ago. Friedl works for the organization as a communications director. 

Mom with Friedl in Bolivia for UNICEF

Here I will share some of the great and witty images he has posted recently...

The Arabs overreact to one unknown Americans youtube video, but they completely ignore the killings in their neighboring countries.

Are the elections so important that we completely ignore everything else around the world?

Extremest's are just continuing the cycle of violence 

Nothing home made?

I find great interest in these images as they portray the tragedies of the world in a sad but comical way, mocking the ignorance of the world's leaders.


I would like to thank Wolfgang Friedl for posting theses remarkable pictures and inspiring me to write this blog.

Which of these images do you like best? Write a comment and let me know.


Thanks,
Emmanuel

The Work is What Counts

Hi everyone,

A week ago my Assistant Head of School, Mr. Damon, read a speech from Theodore Roosevelt to my class. When I heard this speech, I was moved and felt it was something I had to share.

In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt spoke to railroad men, praising them for their hard work under immense pressure. 

Hard working railroad men  

 The speech: 

“ The Work is What Counts”

Theodore Roosevelt

Your work is hard. Do you suppose I mention that because I pity you? No; not a bit. I don’t pity any man who does hard work worth doing. I admire him. I pity the creature who doesn’t work, at whichever end of the social scale he may regard himself as being. The law of worthy work well done is the law of successful American life. I believe in play, too - play, and play hard while you play; but don’t make the mistake of thinking that that is the main thing. The work is what counts, and if a man does his work well and it’s worth doing, then it matters but little in which line that work is done; the man is a good American citizen. If he does his work in slipshod fashion, the no matter what kind of work it is, he is a poor American citizen.

Theodore Roosevelt adressing the nation.

This speech is so great because Roosevelt shows the importance of working hard for your country. Personally, I love this speech because hard work is what’s going to carry us through life, support our families and give us self esteem. Hard work is vital to our society. 

Roosevelt emphasizes we not only should work hard but we should also play, and play hard. Working hard is important, but a mixture of working and blowing off steam is great to relax and to stop and smell the roses.

When I work hard, and try my hardest, I gain confidence and pleasure knowing I've completed a hard task. I like to reward myself by drawing historical maps, playing tennis or diving into a game of Empire Total War. 

This year my classmates and I must apply out to Middle Schools, which requires great grades, a rocking interview, and not bombing the ISEE standardized test.  Throughout this semester, I'll keep in mind Roosevelts words and work my hardest....and also give myself free time to PLAY HARD. 

Tell me in the comments what you're working hard on now, or how you like to reward yourself after achieving your goal. 

Thanks,

Emmanuel

Hi everyone,

Last week I visited the USS Midway, a retired aircraft carrier and museum in San Diego, CA.

The USS Midway was built after World War 2 and was first used in the Vietnam war, then the Persian Gulf war.

The USS Midway in action

The Midway is one of the longest-serving aircraft carriers in the history of the US navy (1945-1991). Weighing 70,000 tons (!!), the ship can carry up to 80 planes. During her years in combat, 200,000 men served on the Midway.

The USS Midway

The USS Midway carries a variety of aircraft such as jets and helicopters which were all used in previous wars. The ship also has old veterans come tell a group of people about their experiences on the USS Midwy.

Do I look like a good pilot to you?

The  eyes and ears of the USS Midway, it can see enemies form hundreds of miles away!

On the USS Midway, they have simulations of an actual plane. They made the machine so well, I felt like I was actually flying in a jet.

Turns out I did not make a good pilot

The USS Midway is a great attratcion, and a way to learn new and noteworthy facts. And think about this, when would you ever be able to try a simulator of a fighter plane!


Thanks,

Emmanuel

Les Invalides - best war museum in Paris

Hi everyone,

I want to tell you about one of my favorite war museums, Les Invalides, in Paris, France.

The very beautiful Les Invalides

I love this museum because it has a timeline from when Napolelon the 1st was in power through WW1 and 2. You learn about the military history of France with models and many maps (I'm a map lover!).

These maps show allied powers take over Italy to stop Mussolini

My favorite exhibit focuses on WW2.  I find WW2 fascinating because the war was such a brutal conflict, and almost every country in the world participated. 

What interests me most is Hitler's rise as he takes over Europe, and his inevitable fall.

A large WW2 tank

Les Invalides also has an exciting history. It used to be an army base, holding thousands of weapons, and many cannons for the French.

I feel bad for whoever had to cary these cannons in war time! A very accurate model of the trenches, or fox holes,  in the first world war

The French Revoluion began when the commoners and soldiers alike stormed Les Invalides to steal weapons. 

A mob attacks the bastille.

Les Invalides also holds the tomb of Napoleon, and some of his generals.

Such a big tomb, for such a little guy

 This museum is great, if you love history and weapons. Sometimes museums can be boring for kids, but this is a great museum for kids, and especially boys!

Thanks,

Emmanuel

Reach high for your goals

Hi everyone,

I found an interesting quote by Winston Churchill. I like this quote because everyone faces challenges achieving their goals and it's good to know challenges make us stronger.

" Kites Rise Highest Against the Wind, Not With it." Winston Churchill

 The quote basically means the harder you have to work for something the higher you go. When things are easy and unchallenging you don't grow and get better. 

My challenge this next few months is to get into the best middle school. I'll have to work hard to write the best essays, test well on the isee (scary) and get great grades. I hope my kite flies high

Thanks,

Emmanuel

Ebola Outbreak!

Hi everybody,

Aghhhh - New Virus in town!!!!

 I just read a terrifying article about a virus that is infecting people in Uganda, Africa. 

Ebola virus!

So far 53 people are infected and 16 have already died from the highly contageous virus. 

You might think 14 deaths may be a small number compared to the people who die from Malaria every day. Keep in mind, in Africa a child dies from Malaria every 30 seconds. 

Malaria can be controlled with mosquito nets

  

But the Ebola virus has a terrifying rate of death and horrible symptoms!

The effects of Ebola (man that is CREEPY!)

Ebola has the potential to wipe out entire villages and even cities! 

A worried man who has been infected with Ebola

Uganda's government says the outbreak is "under control", but the virus has stricken fear through the country.

Uganda 

Let's hope Ebola  actually is "under control" and doesn't find it's way to any other country in Africa or around the world.

Thanks everybody!


Emmanuel

Turning Insults to Advantages

Did you ever wonder why the Democrats and Republicans use a donkey and an elephant as their symbols? I did, and I thought I'd share what I found.

Donkey = Democrat

Andrew Jackson was the first Democrat to be associated with the donkey symbol. In 1828, his opponents called Jackson a "jackass" for his slogans about letting the people of America rule themselves. Jackson decided to use the "strong willed" donkey as a symbol on his campaign posters, representing the people ruling themselves. Cartoonist Thomas Nast used the donkey in political cartoons making the donkey famous. 

Way to go AJ for turning an insult into your advantage! 

Republican = Elephant

In a cartoon appearing in Harper's Weekly in 1874, cartoonist Thomas Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion's skin scaring away all the animals at the zoo. One of those animals, the elephant, was labeled "The Republican party”. That’s how the elephant became associated with the Republicans who consider the elephant strong and dignified. 

Nast's actual cartoon, note the donkey in lion's skin. 

Here are some funny political cartoons using the two symbols….

Seems like this will be a tough Debate

The Democrats beating the Republicans

The Republicans beating the Democrats

Here are some political cartoons mocking Romney and Obama.

Can Romney use his idea of flip-flopping to his advantage?

Will obama turn bad economics to his advantage?

Next time someone makes fun of you, use it to your advantage like our forefathers!

Thanks,

Emmanuel