photo courtesy of theglobeandmail.com

The Globe and Mail reported earlier this month that an Egyptian immigrant was expelled from her school in Quebec for refusing to remove her niqab.

Naema Ahmed, 29, had been attending class for 45 days before a women reported her to the Canadian authorities during an exam. Civil servants came promptly to escort her out of the class.

This is the second time she has been removed from public classes. Last fall she was attending a Montreal college when school officials gave her an ultimatum: the niqab or school. She chose the former, which covers her face completely only exposing her eyes. For the spring semester she decided to enroll in classes in her local community center, before presented with the same ultimatum.

There is no law banning the niqab in Quebec, but officials said their reasons are pedagogical. One official said the instructor needs to see her mouth to teacher proper pronunciation.

Her other alternative is to take online courses, but she says she’s feeling depressed about the whole situation.

“I’ll just stay in my house. This will solve the problem.”

Canadian Immigration Minister, Yolande James, said of the situation:

“There is no ambiguity on this question: If you want to [attend] our classes, if you want to integrate in Quebec society, here our values are that we want to see your face”

President of the Muslim Council of Montreal said the government’s decision is only pushing Ahmed into further isolation and preventing her from integrating into society.

The Muslim Canadian Congress applaud Quebec’s decision, however. Tarek Fatah, founder of the Congress said:

“This is an attire worn in the desert during sandstorms. It’s got nothing to do with religion. It’s a very clear sign that women are the possessions of men, and it’s being thrust on North America and Europe. Most Muslims are fed up with the niqab and burka.”

Our Bell Bajao! blog recently brought up the debate about the hijab in a post on Wednesday. Blogger, Sanjukta said she believes the hijab is a sign of oppression because women who wear it are conditioned to believe it covers up their modesty—something dictated by religion.

So what do you think? Should Ahmed be left to attend class with her niqab in peace or is the government justified to demand she remove the controversial garb, which for some represents oppression?

March 19, 2010 by Stefani
Tags: Bell Bajao, breakthrough, burka, Canada, hijab, Islam, Muslim Canadian Congress, Muslim Council, Naema Ahmed, niqab, Quebec, The Globe and Mail

On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously passed legislation that would finally cut down the sentencing for crack cocaine possession. Since 1986, Congress enacted harsher laws for crack cocaine possession in response to the crack epidemic during the 1980s.

Even though the epidemic ended in 1990, crack cocaine users have 100 times higher sentencing than powdered cocaine. Possessing five grams (equivalent of two pennies) of crack cocaine comes with a minimum five-year sentence, whereas the sentence would requires 500 grams of powdered cocaine. Who actually serves these sentences follows racial lines. In 2006, Caucasians made up 64 percent of crack users, but 96 percent of those convicted under federal law were black or Hispanic.

The new legislation will cut the ratio 18:1 for crack cocaine versus powdered. This is still a great improvement from before, but that doesn’t change the fact that is it illogical and discriminatory to prosecute the same drug differently. It also doesn’t account for the racial disparity of arrests and convictions.

The only differences between crack and powdered cocaine is its form. Crack cocaine is made by mixing the powdered form with baking soda causing it to solidify. The changed form is no more addictive and carries the same health effects. The only significant difference is the price, which is why crack cocaine is more prevalent in inner city neighborhoods. This does not justify the harsher sentences but only proves the class element involved for the greater stigma that exists with the cheaper drug.

The new legislation still needs to go through the House before President Obama has the chance to sign it into law. Hopefully they will follow suit making this country closer to bringing fairness to the criminal justice system.

And in addition - don’t do drugs.

March 19, 2010 by Stefani
Tags: b-listed, Barack Obama, breakthrough, crack, crack cocaine, crack epidemic, criminal justice, drug laws, House of Representatives, powdered cocaine, Racism, Senate, war on drugs

photo courtesy of Will Prochaska

photo courtesy of Will Prochaska

We had the opportunity to chat with Will Prochaska, Director and CEO of the UK-based organization, Alive and Kicking. He and others at the organization have found a way to kill several big issues with one stone (or ball in this case): Alive and Kicking gives jobs to Kenyans and Zambians to hand-stitch soccer balls for African children. Through important messages about HIV/AIDS and malaria printed on soccer balls, the recipients of the balls  learn important lessons about health risks. To date, Alive and Kicking has distributed 250,000 balls, created 150 jobs and targeted 40,000 children with its HIV/AIDS campaign.

How did you get involved with the organization?

I’ve always been a football fan, or soccer fan I guess you’d you say over in the States. And I studied International Development at SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, so international development has been something that I’ve been committed to for some time. I spent a bit of time with a friend… in Sri Lanka after the tsunami and that really touched the two of us. Since then I’d always wanted to get involved with international development and did so through my studies. Then I combined that with my love of football at this job, so it’s worked out very well.

Why balls as opposed to another toy?

Football is a continental obsession down there [in Africa], but there are no balls to play with. Kids in Africa are kicking stuffed plastic bags tied up with string around in the street. And if you travel around the region you’ll see that on a daily basis…  so balls seem to be a natural thing to try to provide for people. And of course it’s important to have them locally made so we can try to make a dent on the extreme poverty.

How do messages about HIV/AIDS and Malaria written on a ball lead to a conversation about health between students and teachers?

There’s something about a ball which is quite mesmerizing, particularly to children, and still to me. And of course being a football and taking into account the interest that people have in football, its a very useful visual aid for a teacher. So before a match a teacher will use a ball and point to the messages on there and that will be enough to hold a child’s attention for enough time, hopefully, to get across some very important key messages about how to stay healthy and alive. Once that’s done the ball can actually be used in drills to teach young people about how HIV works. So you might have five people pretending to be white blood cells, one person pretending to be the HIV virus and the person being the HIV virus will try to get around the defenders. So there are many things you can do with a football that will bring home to young people how HIV works and how you can avoid it. So it’s not just the messages on the balls, it’s the whole program that we like to use to get through to people.

Can you explain Alive and Kicking’s decision to donate all balls between Jan 2010 and the start of the World Cup to the Special Olympics Africa?

We’ve been partnering with an organization called Spirit of Football, which runs a program which they call “The Ball.” The Ball is football’s equivalent to the Olympics Torch.  The Ball is travelling through Africa and visiting Special Olympics programs. The Special Olympics use football quite a lot, a particular type of football, called Unified Football, which allows people of different genders, able-bodied people and disabled people to play in the same game. It’s a wonderful game which can bring everybody together. We thought this was so fantastic that we wanted to support it before the World Cup. And so to mark that we decided to give all the balls donated online to the Special Olympics Africa program.

Is there anything else you’d like people to be aware of?

I’d like people to be aware of the World Cup coming up. I’d like people to remember how difficult it is for children in Africa to actually even play with a real ball. And I think often that’s not at the forefront of people’s minds as they watch what we see as these shiny, fantastic tournaments. I think often those kids get forgotten. I would remind [people] to give a ball away.

Is there anything we would be surprised to know about you?

I actually grew up playing baseball, not football. My father’s American and he used to take me down to the American school in London and I used to play baseball for about five or six years. So maybe we should be making baseballs and not footballs.

March 19, 2010 by Annie
Tags: Alive and Kicking, b-listed, b-side chats, breakthrough, HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS prevention, Kenya, Right to Play, Tackle Africa, Will Prochaska, Zambia

photo courtesy of shoptradition.com

Earlier this month, President Obama released a plan to reduce the nation’s drop out rate, which sits at a staggering 30 percent. He aims to give $900 million in grants to schools that successfully curb their drop out rate. He released the proposal with former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, who heads America’s Promise Alliance, an organization that has been working towards decreasing the dropout rate for the past decade.

And just this week, rapper, Nas, told a group of high school students that he plans on going back for his high school diploma. He said he resents dropping out in the eighth grade.

Speaking at the Boys and Girls Club of America’s annual National Keystone Conference, he addressed 900 students taking a pledge to finish his education. He said:

“The reality of it is, you need to keep educating yourself, and I wish I had stayed in school.”

Nas released his first album, Illmatic, in 1994, which has been since been regarded as a classic. Since then, he has balanced between commercial and obscure always considered a hip-hop purist. Even with his success, he’s making a point, by still feeling the need to complete his education.

March 19, 2010 by Stefani
Tags: Boys& Girls Club of America, Colin Powell, education, high school, high school drop-out, hip-hop, Illmatic, Nas, President Obama

photo courtesy of thejailbreak.com

This weekend is all about immigrant rights.

Most of us are trekking down to Washington, D.C. to march for immigration reform on Sunday. The two-mile long March for America: Change Takes Courage in our nation’s capital has been organized by the Campaign to Reform Immigration for America to encourage the President and Congress to act now on this issue. Visit Breakthrough’s Restore Fairness blog to learn more about America’s struggle for immigration rights.

However, our Media Manager, Heidi Boisvert, will be speaking at the Left Forum’s panel on the use of documentary film to encourage progressive imagination. Heidi will be presenting on Breakthrough’s interactive project to eliminate inhumane detention centers, End Homeland Guantanamos, and its effectiveness as a new media tool utilizing videos and games to raise awareness and encourage action.

This year, the Left Forum will take place from Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 21, and will feature an exciting panel of presenters from the Hunter College IMA graduate program.

When:
Sunday, March 21, 2010
10AM-12 NOON

Where:
Pace University - W623
One Pace Plaza
New York, NY 10038

What:
imMEDIAte Impact: Using Documentaries to organize for a New Progressive Imagination

Why:
As we enter the 21st Century Media Mosh Pit many social justice campaigns are both creating their own media (both traditional and new media) and challenging mainstream media. This panel will be a provocative conversation about the value and success of creating and using media for change focusing on current experiences. From Homeland Guantanamos — a game designed to spotlight the inhumane conditions being faced by 300,000 people in immigrant detention centers to the documentary Rezoning Harlem which has ignited discussion with grassroots organizations facing the issue of aggressive development in New York City — this panel will explore how we can have a deep and immediate impact on different struggles for justice with traditional and new media tools. Exciting samples will be presented throughout this panel.

Who:
Tami Gold (Chair) - Film & Media Studies, Hunter College; Chapter Chair, PSC, CUNY Hunter
Presenters:
Heidi J. Boisvert - Breakthrough
Natasha Florentino - documentary filmmaker
Priscila Néri - Witness

Register to attend today at the Left Forum.

March 18, 2010 by Annie
Tags: b-listed, b-the change, Brekathrough, Heidi Boisvert, homeland gitmo, homeland guantanamos, Hunter College, imMEDIAte Impact, Left Forum, Rezoning Harlem, WITNESS

photo courtesy of mediabistro.com

Co-founder of Facebook, Chris Hughes has highlighted one of the world’s greatest problems. According to Hughes, “We have a real problem when it comes to giving. People tend to give around moments of crisis, at the end of the year, maybe when they see a really dramatic photo or video.” Chris’s response to this problem is a new online tool called Jumo. This innovative networking site launched today with the plan to connects eager volunteers with needy nonprofit organizations by fall of 2010.

Despite the wild success of Facebook, Hughes found his socially conscious eye wandering, and left the company in order to ensure that Barack Obama would indeed win the 2008 elections. To this end, Hughes helped to create and run a website called My.BarackObama.com to organize hopeful Americans to join forces to help elect the President. The site was successful, to say the least. Fast Company magazine even featured a story on Hughes in 2008 called “The Kid Who Made Barack Obama President.”

Once you click “Learn More,” the site prompts you with some interesting questions, such as “Which of these places would you most like to visit?” with options including Argentina, France, Kenya and India. And “Which of these statements best describes what you believe?” giving the following options:

*Everyone should take care of themselves

*Everyone should have an equal opportunity to succeed

*We have a responsibility to make sure everyone succeeds

Proving that they’re one step ahead of us in terms of exploring our psyche to find out what type of volunteer we are, Jumo even goes on to ask, “If you had a daughter tomorrow, which would you name her?” with the options of Lily, Brianna, Crystal or Grace.

So whether you’re a college student looking for spring break plans or if you’re just looking for some meaning in the world, join us in following Hughes on his Jumo journey!

March 18, 2010 by Annie
Tags: b-activists, b-listed, Barack Obama, breakthrough, Chris Hughes, Facebook, Jumo, My.BarackObama.Com, nonprofit, volunteer

photo courtesy of The-Lane-Team via flickr

Originally posted by Kathy Ehrich Dowd, Tonic via Causecast.org

There’s obviously lots of fun ways to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day — dance a jig, drink green beer, hunt for four-leaf clovers, eat Lucky Charms — but it turns out that lots of people are using the holiday to help others, too. Here’s a few ways organizations around the country are giving back on St. Paddy’s Day:

• In Flint, Mich., the North End Soup Kitchen is selling box lunches filled with traditional Irish treats Wednesday, with all proceeds benefiting local charities. According to ABC 12, each $6 box contains delicacies like corned beef and cabbage and the money collected will help several causes supported by Catholic Charities of Genesee and Shiawassee Counties.

• Throughout the country, folks are celebrating St. Baldrick’s Day by shaving their head to raise money to fight childhood cancers. For instance, according to Richmond.com, brave souls will gather at the Capital Ale House to have their heads shaved by about 30 volunteers. The event combines the charitable act with a traditional Irish bash, featuring two Irish bands and bagpipers.

Read the full post on Tonic.

Not sure how to give back on St. Patrick’s Day? Create your own fundraiser or volunteer opportunity! Or find a unique way to give back in your community. Leave us a comment to let us know what you did!

Originally posted by Kathy Ehrich Dowd, Tonic via Causecast.org

March 17, 2010 by Annie
Tags: b-listed, b-the change, breakthrough, Catholic Charities, Causecast, Causecast.org, Saint Patrick's Day, St. Baldrick's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Tonic

photo courtesy of The Associated Press

Over the years, the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day parade has begun to celebrate the migration of people of all different races and ethnicities to Ireland, a result of the country’s economic boom and prosperity of the late-90s and early to mid-2000s. In recent years, the parade has boasted performances by Punjabi drummers, Lithuanian musicians and West African dancers, all freely expressing their cultural heritage. Unlike the New York City parade, Dublin’s event encourages participation from the gay and lesbian communities and has even featured a float of Dublin’s most famous drag queen.

Despite the outdated policies towards gays and lesbians of the NYC parade, this trend of inclusiveness on St. Patrick’s Day seems to have spread across the pond  to parts of the United States. According to the most recent census, 36.3 million people in the United States have claimed Irish heritage. But 93.3 million planned to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. The enormous discrepancy in these numbers reveals that more groups besides Irish feel an affinity with this holiday.

The mission of the famous St. Pat’s for All Parade in Queens, NYC is to “welcome all to celebrate Irish heritage and culture regardless of race, gender, creed or sexual orientation.” Indeed, the parade was originally founded for Irish gays and lesbians as an alternative to NYC’s Fifth Avenue parade, but now St. Pat’s for All celebrates everyone. The parade commenced on March 7th with a blessing by the Native Americans of the Choctaw Nation. This was followed by a rap performance of a young Tibetan refugee speaking out against the Chinese occupation of Tibet, then a Bolivian dance performance, and a march honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe by a group of Mexicans.

Here at Breakthrough, we’re inspired by this inclusiveness. So, put on your green shirt and shamrock-shaped sunglasses and celebrate your heritage!

March 17, 2010 by Annie
Tags: b-listed, because we found it, breakthrough, Dublin St. Patrick's Day, homepage, immigrants, immigration, Irish, Saint Patrick's Day, Saint Patty's Day, St. Pat's for All Parade, St. Patrick's Day, St. Patty's Day

photo courtesy of zulaysifontes.blogspot.com

Our friends at Ashoka took to their peace blog to relay their firsthand experience of the passion behind Colombian singer and songwriter, Juanes’ mission to provide rehabilitation and education to victims of landmines.

Yesterday Roshan Paul and I had the wonderful opportunity of attending an event with the singer Juanes (full name Juan Esteban Aristizábal). Not only did I learn that he is a winner of 17 Latin Grammy awards, but he is deeply engaged in humanitarian work for victims of landmines in Colombia, his home country. The story of how he became an advocate for this issue is pretty amazing. Personally affected by the conflict in Colombia (his best friend and cousin were both killed), and after a phone conversation with his mother about how landmines continue to kill and maim citizens, Juanes wrote a song about landmines, “Fijate Bien” (Take a Good Look), in 1999. He had no idea it would transform his life. But, almost overnight, it became a hit single, and landmine victims, soldiers and foundations began to reach out to Juanes with their stories, experiences and ideas for collaboration. This is when he began to understand that music is an influential tool for peace and social change. As Representative Jim McGovern, who introduced Juanes, put it “Juanes has shown how music can alter the logic of violence.”

(more…)

March 16, 2010 by Annie
Tags: ashoka, Juan Esteban Aristizabal, Juanes, landmines, Mi Sangre Foundation

Originally posted at Causecast

by TRACY HEPLER, Contributing Writer

photo courtesy of Meggganhope, flickr

Domestic violence, often referred to as a silent crime, gets little national attention despite how many lives it touches. President Barack Obama said it best when he stated, “A family’s home becomes a place of fear, hopelessness, and desperation when a woman is battered by her partner, a child witnesses the abuse of a loved one, or a senior is victimized by family members.”

While many steps have been made to bring an end to domestic violence, the problem persists, and often increases during tough economic times. As with all societal problems, the more we know, the more we can do to bring an end to the problem. Here are ten things you should know:

1. Domestic violence is not only limited to physical abuse; the term also includes verbal, sexual and emotional abuse.

2. The vast majority of domestic abuse victims are women, an estimated 95 percent of total victims.

3. Violent acts against women are the most under-reported crimes in the United States, making it impossible to know exactly how many Americans are affected by domestic violence.

4. When a person experiences physical abuse or violence at the hands of a partner or family member, it is rarely an isolated event. Violence tends to increase and become more severe over time.

5. Approximately 50 percent of homeless women and children in the United States are homeless because of fleeing from a violent situation at home.

6. According to the Bureau of Justice statistics, a woman is beaten every 15 seconds.

7. One in three teens in the United States have experienced an abusive dating relationship.

8. Neglect is the most common form of child abuse, accounting for 60 percent of all abuse experience by American children.

9. Among the population of senior citizens, women are twice as likely as men to suffer from elder abuse.

10. Boys who witness domestic violence from male role models are more likely to abuse their female partners as adults, compared to boys raised in non-violent homes.

Originally posted at Causecast

by TRACY HEPLER, Contributing Writer

—

For more information about Breakthrough’s Bell Bajao! campaign that aims to bring domestic violence to a halt, click HERE.  Find out to how to vote for the campaign in the Changemaker’s contest HERE!

March 15, 2010 by crissy
Tags: Bell Bajao, breakthrough, Causecast, Domestic Violence, guide to, homepage, Tracy Helper