The Solution to Poverty

by Angel

Do you know that 65% of country's populations are in poverty. Some are so poor that they don't have food to feed there own family. In many of these cases, kids die of hunger. Sometimes they don't eat for days weeks and then they die a slow painful death. It's crazy to think that the poverty of an underdeveloped country can exist within the walls of America.

I think that we should all grow food so we can send it to them and have some for us because we have that same problem here in the United States. Some people don't have food because they have to pay all the bills so they live check to check and they never buy anything cool for them self's they just buy stuff they need. Some of them can't afford to live healthy lives because they are in a survival mode. What if we were that change? What if we grew the food and donated the supplies? What if we pitched in some money? What if it began with the students and the children and trickled up to parents?

We all have to work together so we can get past this because we all live in this big rock we call earth and we should all try to help each other. I know the economy is bad. I know people have lost valuable money. However, we should get over losing money but can we ever get past the fact that we would rather feed ourselves and are families then another person that you don't even know? We all need to find that spot in are heart that tells us to do the right thing.

But do the rich people want to waste their money over something that they have never seen or cared about? When I say rich, I include us, all of us, who have more food than we need. Why should they care? It's not like they will ever have to go through that right? But what if in a couple of years they lose all there money and then they don't have money for anything (not even to feed their kids). True, that might not happen but imagine it does. Wouldn't you want people to help them out?

All have to do something to help out the people because we are all human we all go through the same pain; some more than others; but we have all felt it. We all know how it feels to miss a meal or to go without for a short time. Can we extend our imagination to get beyond a meal and think of that as a childhood? So why don't we help out people that are feeling that pain and suffering right now? Why haven't we done anything?

We should all grow food so we can send to people that need it. Schools should mobilize supply drives and car washes and whatever it takes to get rid of the worst parts of poverty. I believe that we can do this if we wanted to.We can all do anything we want as long as we all put our minds to it.. But we all have to want to help because we need everyone to get past this ugly side of poverty.

More things that we can do to help out:
1) Don't waste food - In fact, buy extra non-perishables and for every meal you eat, donate a can to a shelter or a food bank.
2) Try to grow your own food. It will help the environment and our society. What if we had urban gardens that would feed the urban population while getting rid of our brown cloud?
3) Try to give money to the people that don't have that many money. We could get creative with low-interest microloans.
4) Try to help out them most that you can. You might not be able to change the world, but you can help a family get by.

We all have to help out if we all want to live happy in our planet. I realize that it might take a long time for that to happen but it won't hurt to start right now.We can all just help out a little and together make a huge impact. We can all have food for are families but we have to work together the rich, the middle class and the poor on solutions to end hunger and poverty. So what are we going to do? We're going to work together so we can end all the poverty in the world. Our generation is not going to do it all in 1-3 years. It may take 4,5 even up to 6 years but we can do it and it will be worth it to see that no person in the world is dieing of hunger.

Photo Credit
Flickr Creative Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15100608@N03/2499736641/

A Palestinian-Israeli Solution

Solution: Jerusalem will belong to both countries, which means that they will have to compromise having the entire land of Jerusalem. This land will be divided according to the area where each one of their Gods precisely declared it as theirs, or the most sacred of locations within the country.

• Peace - It will keep both countries in peace because they will both obtain this land to a certain extent, where both groups will be free enough to roam with one another or become as isolated as they wish.
• Politically - We will allow the Palestinian citizens to decide if they wish to become a democratic nation rather than having no changes and still be ruled entirely by the Military.
• Economically - Our country should also make an alliance with Palestine as well as Israel, which will provide us with less enemies in the Middle East and in return after the economic crisis both nations will receive financial support. This will hopefully make both countries feel less violent in better economy situations.
• Socially - In this aspect I believe that it is best for both groups or nations to resolve social conflicts within themselves because instead of ending the feud we might cause a larger issue.
• Sacrifices - Palestine will have to sacrifice their former government, so both countries will not be intrigued to fight one another and both countries will be ruined by the massive military in Palestine. Both nations will have to sacrifice having the complete power over Jerusalem, because both countries deserve it as much as the other. The citizens of each country will have to become more open-minded about different cultures, because they will be exposed to different religions, since they will both in a sense share Jerusalem.

Why It Will Work

This solution has a great possibility of working because it covers many aspects of this major conflict. First of all, it allows both of these countries to have a certain piece of Jerusalem where it will belong entirely to them. This will also improve their economy, which might decrease the chances of a war amongst themselves. By allowing them to diminish some leftover social conflict themselves, we will not be looked upon as intruders, but an assistance and help hand. When the Palestinian people are asked to decide whether they prefer to be democratic, or run by the military, will make them feel like they are significant to the solution of this problem, and that we are really taking in mind what they desire. Overall this solution would be ideal to help stop the fire of violence throughout the Middle East.

Why It Will Fail

On the other hand this particular solution might also fail in certain ways. There will also be one country who thinks the compromise is unfair and that the entire land belongs to only their people. They might not be able to adapt to an environment where they will meet people of different ideologies. The current Palestinian government might please others in the nation, which would mean that there would be a chance of having war amongst themselves. Sacrifices are difficult to sustain, and neither country might agree with these sacrifices they have to endure. This might signify that instead of resolving the non-stopping conflict we might cause a larger disagreement.

Social Solution: Civil Rights Museum

The following is a Social Solution involving part of our Civil Rights unit.  Students in this group designed a Civil Rights Museum proposal (they'll add pictures and put together a presentation at a later date) that they are mailing to the local city council.  The goal will be to get a Civil Rights Museum here in Phoenix that includes a broader perspective than just black/white.  We'll be posting some other group examples at a later date.  Most likely, we'll design a website with each group proposal as a separate page.  Still, here's a preview of what students are advocating.  

Even if we don't get the museum approval, we will take the last three weeks of the school year and design our own Hands-on History Museum.  The goal will be to make it a travelling museum throughout our school district.  

LETTER

To whom it may concern:

We are students here in Frank Borman Middle school. We are writing this letter to inform you of why the people of Arizona should have a civil rights museum. We believe that the Civil Rights museum will be a big influence on people within the western part of the U.S. and to America as well.The museum will also help younger age groups to learn more about history and other cultures. Not only has the youth of Arizona been neglected of this topic but the older age groups too. So it would be better for everyone to have somewhere to learn about civil rights, especially because this is an important subject.


There should be a Civil Rights museum within Arizona because the community should know why we have our civil rights and what many groups, races, and people had to go through for the rights we have, and take advantage of and still discriminate and stereotype.There is a Civil Rights museum in Memphis but it is too far for people who live in the western part of the U.S to travel to.There are no museums that people with out transportation could walk to, most of them are in downtown. There is also a great deal of history that contributes to the civil rights topic here in Arizona. For instance the Native American rights movement had many significant things that happened here. That is a movement that not many people know much about. It's a part in history that is being neglected. It's always important to know the history of our land.Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and our exhibit plans for our museum.

Sincerely,

Melissa, Karina, Rikki, Denise and Alberto 


MUSEUM EXHIBITS

Title:Inspirational people
Rational:This room is dedicated to all the civil rights leaders that helped organize groups and don't get any credit.

• have a room for like every leader
  
• then we will like put there speeches on the background
  
• pictures on walls
• try to make murals
• little kid talking and say why they like them
  
• put there speeches paint on the wall
• put the racist test out for people to take
• have people act out slavery
• we make a time line with people

Description: While people see the time line they follow the time line and while they follow the time line around the room the come across some speeches. They will also come across some murals of civil rights leaders. They will come across pictures like violent protest and have small videos of interviews of children who tell you why they look up to a certain civil rights leader. There will be like a small voting place where they get to take a racist test. For the act out slavery thing first i think we make them walk in a line and chain up their legs and make them walk in a straight line and make them know how it feels to be a slave.



Title:Segregation room
Rational:Show people that segregation existed.

• Show a little girl playing in the park and she's African American and she goes to drink water and the Whites fountain is all nice and she has to go to the other fountain and it all ugly and gross
• Interviews with people who were alive at the time(1960's)or videos of the interview
  
• See if we can find more details on the things new American mind that happened during the times
• Skin charts(authentic charts they used.)
• We should show the results of a study done with a white and black child choosing a doll where the dolls are different races
• We can put a statue for a model

Description: Our main idea for this room is to make it a sort of play/film. Having people see the way people were treated back then in person really adds to the intense mood we try to achieve for this room.The child going to the water fountains is a way to show the emotion of the segregation. Authentic skin charts are to show just how racist it was back then. The experiment is to see how much the fresh mind of America has influenced children. By choosing a doll to play with they show the preference they have.


Title: Protesting
Rational: To show the methods used to fight for civil rights.

• Protests
• Sit ins
• walk outs
• boycotts
• political wars
• integration
• segregation
  
• we could make games up about these issues that are fun but they get to teach you a lesson

Description:The room is to inform the public on ways groups would protest. It's also meant to show how much,the people who lived during this era really cared. They were willing to do all of these things so that their voices could be heard. The reason we have forms of protest listed are so that more people will realize all the trouble people went through.To help inspire other groups, and to help civil rights groups know where others have failed and what they could to do to make the ways better.

Title: Native life and dancing during the civil rights
Rational: To show how the Native Americans were treated and ways they are stereotyped.

• play it out one of the battles
• Before and After pictures on how the Natives looked like in their own lands and one where they all look the same in the schools
• how they were verbally portrayed as in savages and dumb and show all the sides of the stories
• make the tourist dance how they think Native Americans dance and when they're done we bring in a real Native American group and show the tourist how they stereo type Native Americans
  

Description: This room is to prove that everyone is racist and has a bias. This room will have people interact and realize that t.v. and media are ways they make us stereotype other races. And that it can be passed by word of mouth. This room will also inform people about the Native Americans and their history. Along with their culture. The room will also portray how the Indian Schools were.




Title: Do I love Lucy?
Rational: To show how people can discriminate against women(or transvestites).

• separate room by boys and girls where the girls play the boys and they boys play the girl and play each others sides
• make name tags with last names and tell them this is your new identity all others parts that are part of your identity
• play the show I Love Lucy and point the wrong parts
• play music from the movement playing in the background
• Put a guy working really hard and show a girl doing the same thing and look for any differences
• we can put a guy working hard on construction and then we show a women working in the house and then we show the pros and cons
• Video record daily life and see how people treat women
  

Description: This exhibit is to show how men and women can and will be equal. They don't always have to prove themselves. It also shows how people can treat others just by appearances. Also how shows from the 50's and 60's were discriminating against women. Showing examples from the famous show I love Lucy we hope that people will recognize the stereotypes. That television show has many prejudice in it.



Title: Farmers and Latinos
Rational: Show how farm workers were mistreated and to show that farm workers work really hard got nothing out of it

• A wall of people who all made a difference parts of the wall covered with the leaders or activist working trying to make a difference like in Dolores Huerta Cesar Chavez making a speech and people all around them
  
• Then slides and videos of people who worked in fields in the hot sun and weren't payed enough and show like a small video of a camera man following a farm worker all day in the hot sun and his family and do another short film on a Caucasian worker and his or her family and compare it to the farm workers
• have the tourist go around in a room and there will be a small booth that says wanted they have to play the part of a Latino and experience being neglected from working
• We have can get pictures of Chicano park before the Latinos fixed it up and show the difference between them and make people notice how the government treated Latinos
• Then after tourist have done the Latinos tour they're gonna show a slide of hoe farm workers worked and were treated back then and a video of the present farm workers and ask the tourist if much has changed from the 1960's to the present

Description:
This room focuses on all Latinos and Chicanos and the farm workers rights. It has multiple possibilities for the present. To show that the government and the public are going back to the way they treated the Latinos group and Chicano's group in the 1960's. The Latinos room is to get the idea across that Cesar Chavez wasn't the only one who fought for farm workers right.The public may see this room differently then we do but it's all normal.

Social Solution: An Outsourced Town

Some see a town of empty windows, abandoned and left to die. We see a town of possibilities, an empty canvas for the next generation of creative thinkers.

In the process of learning about globalization, students examined the reality of globalization and outsourcing by analyzing a fictional town of Springerfieldville, Michigan. After delving into the issues, they worked cooperatively to develop solutions for redefining this town in a digital age. Some of the solutions included a transnational, global solution (becoming a knowledge center, a tech-integrated town) while others were more regional / transnational (movie studio, organic farming town).

A few general trends emerged. Nearly every group mentioned either technology or eco-friendly ideas. In other words, they saw the need to use the tools of globalzation while still remaining stewards of the land. In our class discussions, some students struggled to reconcile the two concepts. For them, the profit motive attached to technology would always trump taking care of the environment. Others, however, saw technology as part of the solution for turning the town green. Another common trend included breaking down the barriers between the school and the community. Most groups included an internship or community service component to re-thinking the town's schools.

Each group spoke for 3-5 minutes followed by a large-group, class-wide Town Hall Meeting. The dialogue included nearly every student in the class and helped move from six to ten smaller plans to one or two larger plans that students voted on.

After our first day, we realized that the town was not as remote or fictional as we once believed. We were analyzing our own reality within the Maryvale Village of Phoenix. This was our story and our neighborhoods and our own experience of grasping for an identity in a globalized world. We talked about the factories that closed down (such as Motorola and Revlon) and the shift toward construction jobs after the outsourcing of industry. We mentioned what this meant for the housing crisis, the lack of money for education and the crime that plagues individual neighborhoods.

Though this might be idealistic, it is our dream that Maryvale might some day find transformation as we grapple with our globalized reality. Will we choose micronationalism or transnationalism? What industries will relocate here? Could we become a hub for green (especially solar) technology? Perhaps it will be this generation of students, after they go to college, who come back to this community and lead the transformation that will redefine Maryvale forever.

So, check out our blog at Globalization Solutions! Please leave some comments and mention vote for which one would work the best.

Photo Credit:
Flickr Creative Commons
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1600892038847232172&postID=7024180080197221372

Social Solutions: Palestenian-Israeli Conflict

The following is a description and solution to the Palestenian-Israeli Conflict. 

The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

The following blog is a basic solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It's written in the format of a blog, because the students involved wanted it to be interactive and non-linear in its approach (because the problem is also non-linear and interactive in the first place)