"Every child deserves a safe childhood."

   In 2015 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children assisted law enforcement with over 13,700 cases of missing children.

            The entire month of May is National Missing Children's Month with May 25th designated  International Missing Children's Day. Statistics in the United States and worldwide are staggering but there has been a notable expansion in the information and tips provided to law enforcement and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children http://www.missingkids.org/ncmec in the past few years. NCMEC is the leading nonprofit organization in the country working with families, family service professionals and law enforcement since being established in 1984. In 2015 the Cyber Tipline http://www.missingkids.org/cybertipline which the US Congress authorized NCMEC to oversee has received 4.4 million reports relating to child sex trafficking, child sexual molestation, apparent child abuse images and online enticement or what is currently termed "sextortion". The FBI  clarifies https://www.fbi.gov/news/videos/what-is-sextortion/view  sextortion as a serious felony of sexual exploitation or coercion where by images of a child or an adult are used to blackmail a victim to obtain sexual favors or money.  A crime of our digital age, social media predators have become more rampant with a child's increased use of unsupervised online technology.
         Raising further awareness in 2016 the NCMEC has created  Rock One Sock, a campaign to remind us all that each day there is an estimated 2,185 children reported missing in the United States alone. Across the world, children are the most vulnerable to sex trafficking and sexual abuse. If you have information which may lead to the capture or conviction of child traffickers or those involved in child exploitation please contact the NCMEC or the Cyber Tipline. (video above courtesy of YouTube)


 For more details regarding Rock One Sock visit the official site  http://rockonesock.org/  or check out #RockONESock  on Twitter.

"Changing the way we view animals."

"If possessing a higher degree of intelligence does not entitle one human to use another human for his or her own ends, how can it entitle humans to exploit non-humans?"
- Peter Singer, author, philosopher, professor

            With so much information and outstanding streaming content available online it's almost impossible to keep up. One important film you don't want to miss making its theatrical debut on May 25th is Unlocking the Cage  http://www.unlockingthecagethefilm.com/ . The anticipated documentary directed by Chris Hegedus and D A Pennebaker was a highly praised Official Selection of the 2016 Sundance Film Festival  https://www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival  (video trailer above courtesy of YouTube)
         Unlocking the Cage follows pioneering lawyer Steven Wise and his legal team from The Nonhuman Rights Project  http://www.nonhumanrightsproject.org/ through the filing of a groundbreaking series of lawsuits protecting animal rights. In fact The Nonhuman Rights Project is the only civil rights organization in the US fighting for confirmed legal rights for species other than human.
         Unlocking the Cage premieres at Film Forum http://filmforum.org/ in New York City on Wednesday, May 25th. Check the official film site above for additional dates in your own area. For more information regarding the unprecedented work of The Nonhuman Rights Project follow this link http://www.nonhumanrightsproject.org/

" Your life is a musical."

"Music melts all the separate parts of our bodies together."- Anais Nin, essayist

             Mother's Day reminds me of the music my mother loved. Music is tied to our memories in an intensely primal way. Think about it. There are songs that recall every moment and major life event. Imagine birthday celebrations, graduations, weddings, holidays, television shows, movies or sporting events without music. Life without music is the outline of a drawing without color. As children there are soothing lullabies and nursery rhymes we equate with motherhood.  As adults we create nostalgia by listening or performing dance songs and love ballads of the past. Our music should grow with us until we die. The very expression of our lives is punctuated with harmony and melody.
      Neurological studies performed on the brain indicate human beings are hardwired to interpret and physically react to music. Music stimulates numerous parts of the entire frontal and temporal lobes when sounds are processed. Songs that make us feel happy activate the same reward/pleasure centers in our brains releasing dopamine. Similar stimulation arises when we have great sex, ingest certain drugs or devour a delicious slice of decadent chocolate cake. Music arouses our emotions. When our emotions are stimulated we may perceive joy, sadness or even anger but we are feeling something. This is why music holds such incredible power. Being aware of our feelings allows us to identify and gain more control over them. According to music therapy researchers individuals who allow themselves to feel intense emotional release seem to have a greater capacity for empathy. Cognitive empathy is strongly associated with understanding others.and music is a universal bonding experience. In fact, every culture on the planet creates music. When we shed tears or feel overwhelmed by musical composition we are deeply engaged in our emotional experience. We are sharing our humanity at the highest level. We are alive with the sound of music




Sources: Live Science http://www.livescience.com/
Journal of Music Therapy http://www.musictherapy.org/research/pubs/


Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful sister's, our families & all mother's around the world.

"Nothing happens until something moves."

"The universe is a pretty big place. If it's just us, seems like an awful waste of space."
                           - Carl Sagan (from Contact) astronomer, author

         

                       On May 2nd another significant discovery in the field of astronomy was announced by international researchers including those representing The University of Liege of Belgium and MIT in the US. https://whereis.mit.edu/   Three planets the size of Earth were found orbiting what is known as an ultracool dwarf star. The planets were detected 40 light years away using TRAPPIST a 60 centimeter telescope based in Chile. Belgian scientists designed TRAPPIST to monitor dwarf stars at infrared wavelengths and searches for planets around them. One particular planet is named TRAPPIST 1. Due to their relatively close proximity researchers in decades to come may be able to determine what atmospheric conditions exist and whether the planets are habitable. Read detailed research information here:  http://www.nature.com/index.html or
 http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature17448.html and check out the brief video above.

"What you don't want to hear..."

 "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they don't want to hear."- George Orwell, writer, author of 1984

     

            How do you create instability, oppression and extremism in any country?  Deny citizens access to education, hold them down in abject poverty and the most crucial element, shut them up. Freedom of speech and expression is a universal human right. It is our most important right.  When freedom of speech is suppressed anywhere it is suppressed everywhere. Without freedom of speech how would  we express our love, joy, fear, anger? How would we communicate danger or protect our community, read literature or compose music and song lyrics?  How would we make someone laugh with a witty joke  or shed tears with a sad story? How would we openly and honestly discuss our problems in order to resolve them? How could ordinary citizens, educators and journalist bloggers tell the world a corrupt government is destroying democracy by suppressing their basic human rights?  The South Asian country of Bangladesh has been the focus of many disturbing news stories over the past year. After spending decades decreasing poverty and establishing a successful secular system of government Bangladesh is being set back by its political instability, religious extremism, inequality and severe climate issues. Most recently the brutally senseless murders of secular bloggers and human rights activists have drawn much warranted attention to violent injustice.
           Essayist and author of Satanic Verses,  Salman Rushdie once wrote, "What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend it ceases to exist."  In the United States we must remember his statement applies to all religious faiths, political and philosophical thought or inquiry. We may not like what we read or hear but we cannot oppress our own freedom to criticize, disagree, argue and express an opinion.  Featured above is BBC documentary Our World, Bangladesh Blogger Murders .http://www.bbc.com/  which examines the factors leading to the crippling chipping away of freedom and the monstrous consequences of fanatical ideology.
     

"Losing your conscience.."

"Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them."

- Albert Einstein

              Breathtaking, stunning, awe inspiring, majestic are just a few adjectives visitors use to describe the gorgeous magnificence of  northwest Arizona's, Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon National Park is the United States 15th oldest and one of the most beloved national parks on the planet. Supported by native tribes, environmentalists, conservation groups and more than 80% of Arizona voters the 1.7 million acre park has been proposed a Grand Canyon National Heritage Monument http://grandcanyontrust.nonprofitsoapbox.com/grandcanyonnationalmonument   protected as federal land. As a monument the area would bring in a predicted 52 million dollars for the state and ban uranium mining in the area.  Over 80% of Arizona voters agree the Grand Canyon National Park should be protected, a permanent ban should replace the temporary ban on uranium mining and the Grand Canyon National Heritage Monument should be established. So what's the problem? Politicians are placing personal profit over the best interests of the citizens they represent. As usual all Americans and tourists from around the world will pay a price for "American greed". If the land isn't protected we are potentially destroying human, animal, plant life and some of the most beautiful lands in our country.

         Are Republican politicians listening to Arizona voters? Not in the least. Notorious billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch have abused their influence with a few prominent  Arizona Republican representatives by funneling millions of dollars to a special advocacy group opposed to conservation and blocking any campaign to protect the Grand Canyon. http://prosperfoundationhq.org/  Greg Zimmerman of the Center for Western Prioritieshttp://westernpriorities.org/ discovered incriminating information from tax forms submitted to the IRS as well as a co-authored report by  Prosper Foundation and the Arizona Chamber Foundation http://www.azchamber.com/foundation.html revealing his findings to the Phoenix News Times http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/ earlier this week.


  For more information about protecting public lands including conservation budgets and reform contact your state officials here https://www.usa.gov/agencies or check out the National Wildlife Federation website here:https://www.nwf.org/What-We-Do/Protect-Habitat/Public-Lands.aspx

(video courtesy of YouTube)

     

" Our resources are limited. Our time is limited."

   "We live in a world that is full of problems, and we are the solutions to those problems."- Julia "Butterfly" Hill, environmental scientist 

                                            
                                                          https://www.nasa.gov/


             Earth Day is observed worldwide on April, 22nd. Established by former United States Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day was intended  to promote ecology and respect for life on our planet. The first Earth Day resulted in the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency https://www3.epa.gov/ , Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Air Act . On the first Earth Day back in 1970, over 2,000 United States colleges and universities participated, along with 10,000 primary and secondary schools. Earth Day is a celebration among global citizens used to encourage action and awareness of urgent issues affecting human life, all animals species, soil, water and air pollution. So what can we do right now?

Share information.  Educating ourselves is the only way to save our planet and help children understand taking care of our Earth is a moral imperative. We have the ability to stop, improve or involve ourselves in some form of resolution for the following disturbing facts.

The average person tosses out about 4 pounds of garbage every single day. 84 percent of our garbage is recyclable.


Half the world’s tropical and temperate forests are now gone. Forests around the globe provide habitats for thousands of animal species which are being destroyed or endangered, gravely upsetting the balance of our ecosystems.

Every ton of paper that's recycled saves 17 trees.
During a 2011 Earth Day celebration, 28 million trees were planted in Afghanistan by the Earth Day Network.

Art, instruments and other trinkets manufactured with ivory can only be made from dead elephants. Don't buy, sell, trade or promote ivory. Don't promote or condone trophy hunting. http://www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Environmental-crime/Environmental-crime

Approximately 5 million tons of oil produced in the world each year ends up in the ocean.

Water pollution comes from many sources including pesticides, fertilizers and other toxic substances that wash away from industrial factory waste, untreated human waste water, and farms. Talk to your local government representatives to see what's being done to prevent water pollution and how its affecting your family, community, food and health.

Plastics contained in garbage dumped in our oceans kills at least 1 million creatures each year. In 2015 pollution from excessive garbage caused the death of more than 37 tons of fish in the Rodrigo de Freitas lake in Rio de Janeiro.


   It may seem unbelievable for many of us who have instant access to tap water, 24/7 but 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water. Only 3% of the world's water is available to us, and soon we will run out. .http://www.unwater.org/topics/water-security/en/



Earth Day is a time to take action, reflect, honor and be grateful for the natural resources and beauty of our planet. But Earths resources are limited and our time is limited. This is our only home.

#EarthDay2016  #24Seven

"Words make it visible."

       In a study conducted by the Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers found 1 in 5 American women and 1 in 15 American men have been victims of sexual assault.

      Sexual assault isn't a topic most Americans want to discuss. We must. As the statistics above indicate, you or someone close to you has likely been the victim of sexual violence. In many areas of the world male and female rape victims are stigmatized by their own cultures. The victims of sexual assault are shunned or made to feel more blame or shame than the actual perpetrators. Recently, a well known celebrity went on a Twitter rant discussing school girl dress codes and provocative clothing. Her comments were lambasted by teachers, news organizations, law enforcement, men and women of all ages and backgrounds clearly revealing the majority of adults in the United States understand that no matter what a young women wears on her body she is not responsible for the sexual urges or inappropriate actions of grown men. To even suggest that children or teenagers are inciting their own sexual assault or abuse is disgusting and stunningly ignorant. Rape is about power and control, not sex. Shaming is a barbaric tactic used to keep victims silent. But the Twitter rant did ignite a conversation and words make this crime visible. 

       Rape is a violent act. Rape is a violation of ones own body. In the United States rape is a serious crime punishable by law. Statistics on sexual assault can often be misleading because many assaults go unreported. Why?  More than 60 % of assaults are committed by people known or trusted by the victim. April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month.  Turning the spotlight on the crime of sexual assault is critical because rape is a public health problem not just a moral or ethical issue. Survivors of sexual assault can contract diseases or even become pregnant. All survivors of such a violent crime, especially those who may become pregnant from their assault have the right to any and all mental and physical health care assistance. Education and awareness is only the first step to reducing violent, criminal behaviors. Let's keep the conversation going. 

http://www.cdc.gov/features/sexualviolence/

Photo credit of "Desert Dweller"- Cori Storb

"Who will speak for them?"

  

"Most people I know who weren't kind to animals weren't kind to people either. Kindness is kindness. Simple as that."- Ricky Gervais, actor, writer, producer, activist

     April is Animal Cruelty Prevention Month. Even though awareness has grown, stricter laws have been enacted and additional punishments have been enforced over the past few decades there is still a tremendous amount of support needed in the prevention of animal cruelty. We understand that greed is motivation for dog fighting and puppy mills but what mind set or lack of emotion enables human beings to inflict pain, torture or completely neglect an animal?  Why do humans continue to abuse animals? 

"One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it." -Anthropologist Margaret Mead

  What are the characteristics of an animal abuser?  
   
        Abuse and neglect of animals is not just a mere "character flaw" or an act to be taken lightly. Abusing animals starts early in life and with proper intervention can be prevented. Without intervention you may be allowing an animal to suffer or die. In assessing youth at risk or those who have the potential to become violent, the U.S. Department of Justice stresses a history of animal abuse. Sadly, animal abuse is often learned and accepted in the child's life. Children have been taught that animals don't suffer or feel pain the way humans do. Children who fail to develop empathy will abuse. In some but not all animal abuse cases the adult or child was abused themselves. The FBI sees animal cruelty as a predictor of violence against people and considers past animal abuse when profiling serial killers.

      Typically, animal abusers are aggressive or posses a violent and/or sadistic streak. Overly aggressive personalities are often fearful people. This type of abuser may have an imbalance; feeling either inferior or superior to others. In order to gain a sense of power or domination they may strike a defenseless animal, keep them in cages for an excessive amount of time, punish them for relieving themselves, deny them food, water, exercise or deny any type of physical petting or affection. If you notice that another human being is cruelly teasing, childishly displaying excessive jealously or acting aggressively towards your pet, seek help. Do you trust this person around your children or other loved ones?

Neglect is a form of abuse.

     Abuse encompasses much more than slapping, hitting or displaying acts of violence. Neglect is another form of abuse. Animals depend on us for their survival and well being. When we adopt a cat or dog and bring them into our home we should be prepared to love them as much as we do any other family member. An animal depends on us for their medical treatment, shelter, food, water, grooming and physical/mental stimulation. Caging or chaining an animal for more than eight hours at a time is not only excessive, it's neglect. Keeping an animal outside 24/7 with little or no shelter is neglect. Failure to properly nourish, supply fresh, clean water or provide adequate exercise for your pet is neglect. There are millions of  hard working people with honorable intentions who adopt or rescue pets with the heroic thought they are "saving" an animals life. Ask yourself this question, a question you would ask parents of  their children: "What kind of life are you providing  if you don't love or care enough to pay attention to their basic needs?"

What do you do if you suspect animal abuse?

     If you suspect there is a puppy mill operating in your area, a shop selling puppy mill animals,  dog fighting, abuse or neglect of animals in your neighborhood, contact your local law enforcement or animal control. Don't be afraid to speak up. We truly are an animals only voice. Document times, locations, and all details of the alleged abuse. If possible provide photographic or video evidence of a crime. Ending animal suffering is up to you, not only in the month of April but now and forever.

#EndAnimalAbuse #StopPuppyMills

"Know your neighbors."

 "Hate. It has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet."
- Maya Angelou

        Hatred is an extremely strong emotion against objects, groups, individuals or even behaviors. Stop for a moment and really contemplate a person, place or thing you dislike. Why do you hate this person, place or thing? How did you learn to dislike this person, place or thing? We aren't born with complex, deeply rooted or irrational hatred. So where does rage or fevered ferocity come from? Anger that raises your blood pressure or makes your heart beat faster -where does that anger come from? Imagine if you were a child exposed to rage, fear and hateful ideology on a daily basis. It's a fact, children raised on junk food with little or no nutritional value are more likely to become unhealthy or ill. So if fear and anger is all you've been fed your entire life, fear and anger becomes you. Unresolved or uncontrolled anger increases the possibility of violence including self-mutilation, property damage, child abuse, physical assault or even homicide. For many of us trying to comprehend constant unconstrained anger is overwhelming. Empathy, education, understanding why people are frustrated or hate each other may be the only solution to bring about real long term resolution or change. Believe it or not, right now within the United States there are over 892 established hates groups. Domestic terrorism is one of the greatest threats to American personal safety and security. Hate crimes are committed for reasons of race, gender, gender identity, religion or disability. Hate crimes are tracked by local law enforcement and the FBI and can be monitored at websites such as the Southern Poverty Law Center which continuously updates their United States hate map located here-  https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map  https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch 


       Personal stories, books, conversations, exposure to diversity helps us become more aware of the origins and history of hatred and fear. "Welcome to Leith " is a 2015 Sundance Film Festival nominated, UK East End Film Festival, Florida Film Festival and Hot Docs Canadian  International Documentary Film Festival award winning documentary written and directed by Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker. The feature archives the attempted take over of  Leith, a small sparsely populated town located in North Dakota. In 2012 white supremacist, Craig Cobb began purchasing property including over twelve plots of land to build homes and compounds. Cobb's ultimate plan was to move in his Aryan army of white separatists to overtake Leith's fragile government. The town consists of under a hundred ranching and farming families with generational ties to the area.

         The documentary will be featured in full  Monday, April 4th at 10PM EST. on televisions largest showcase of independent films, PBS Independent Lens  http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/   A preview of "Welcome to Leith" can be seen above (courtesy You.Tube.com)

             

     

" We are punished by ignoring facts."

"We're in a giant car heading towards a brick wall and everyone's arguing over 

where we're going to sit."-David Suzuki, Canadian scientist, author

                In a recent interview with a Washington Post reporter Republican presidential candidate  Donald Trump admitted, "I'm not a great believer in man made climate change. I'm not a great believer."- affirming his misinformed assertion like a recent Big Foot sighting rather than a security issue.  Climate change denial is rampant among the Republican party as GOP candidates fail to outline action plans for debates or even acknowledge it as a threat to national security despite Department of Defense directives. In January, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Robert Work signed off on significant orders where the Pentagon placed climate change as priority one in all strategic operations. The Pentagon defines climate change as a " present security threat, not strictly a long- term risk." What does it say about GOP candidates when they ignore the scientific community as well as the United States Department of Defense ?  It says to the world when US government officials and GOP candidates willfully deny scientific evidence as well as the Pentagon they are now a threat to the security of our country. Denial of scientific facts, ignorance of international affairs, intelligence, military and counterterrorism policy has far reaching effects which places every US citizen at risk including your children and your children's children.

       On Thursday, March 31st climate forecasters confirmed they underestimated the sea-rise impact of the Antarctic thaw. In decades to come coastal towns will be lost underwater as the world's largest reservoir of ice melts away. Flooding, droughts, an increase in pollution, disease and food insecurity will threaten billions of people on the planet. Findings were published in the scientific journal, Nature http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html on Wednesday. How do we justify electing people who deny climate change, endangering the lives of millions of people, animal species and  destroying ocean life?  We can't. We simply can't.

       

" Pretending you know..."

"There's no shame in admitting what you don't know. The only shame is pretending you know all the answers." Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, American astrophysicist 

        Starting this blog with a photo display of gentleness, peace and beauty was intentional because what I'm about to discuss can often be the opposite of a gorgeous, breath taking sunset or delighting in the innocence of a soft, furry bunny rabbit. Our own personal philosophies or religious reflections are meant to give our lives greater meaning in a world we share with billions of other human beings. On television or social media we have been inundated with some US political leaders propagating their faith like evangelical preachers at a Sunday sermon. Often times these speeches are spouting hateful, ugly and bigoted rhetoric not to mention lack credible facts or reason. There are few American citizens who would openly advocate for one and only ONE religion to be practiced in the United States. How or why would we do this? Do people just use their religion to feel special or superior? Thankfully, intolerance is not what our country is founded upon. In the United States we are free to believe in any or none of the 4,200 hundred religions that have been created. Yes, there are roughly 4,200 world religions so check some of them out here .religioustolerance at Religious Tolerance.org  If you are unfamiliar with secularism check out http://ffrf.org/ Freedom From Religion Foundation.org 

     Some of our politicians should talk less about their own self-righteous "faith" and more about freedom of thought, liberty and diversity which our countries Constitution and laws are based. Religion and politics have to remain separate. FACTS, REASON and LAW. If some elected officials or career politicians need a refresher or they haven't read the  United States Constitution they can check it out right here at the online government archives http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html

          The current rash of blatant discriminatory legislation being proposed or passed in states like North Carolina, Georgia and Indiana in the most underhanded and devious ways is absolutely sickening and the American people will not stand for it. Politicians destroy our democracy and alienate millions of tax paying citizens when they place their own religious beliefs above human rights, dignity and justice for all.

"When women are oppressed...."

"When men are oppressed it's a tragedy. When women are oppressed it's "tradition."                           - Letty Pogrebin, American author,  journalist 

         March is Women's History Month which allows many forums to focus on issues unique to women around the world.  2016 Oscar winning documentary, A Girl In the River: The Price of Forgiveness http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5144072/ directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is just one recent film that has brought the horror of honor killings out from the shadows. A Girl In the River is the story of Saba, a young Pakistani woman who survives the savagery of  being shot in the face and nearly drowned by her father and uncle for falling in love with a man whom they disapprove. Through the eyes of a miraculous survivor, Saba relates the entire heinous ordeal. Many honor killings go unreported or are simply accepted as cultural norm. The  inhumane "tradition" of honor killing has no basis in modern religious thought and is a complete violation of human rights. The countries who continue condoning this practice are guilty of  attempted murder or murder and must be held accountable. Honor killings won't end until all countries, national leaders,communities, schools, families, religious groups, individual men and women stand against laws that brutalize and dehumanize women.
        It's nearly unthinkable to imagine a young girl or woman we know personally such as a daughter, sister or wife viciously attacked, maimed, gang raped, betrayed by her family and community, called "unclean", stoned to death to restore a family's "honor". The barbaric victimization of young girls and women must end. The violence must end. The silence must end. First hand accounts, stories and films must continue to be told and retold.  Without education and awareness thousands of girls and women will continue to suffer or die. With their deaths there is no honor for any of us.

video courtesy of YouTube & TestTubeNews

" Stand up and do your job."

"They(GOP) are paying the price for their own extremism." Senator Elizabeth Warren

#DoYourJob

Find contact information for your elected officials here.
https://www.usa.gov/

"Silence becomes an accomplice to injustice."

 "There are times when silence becomes an accomplice to injustice."- Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author, activist

                March is Women's History Month with focus on empowering women of all economic, social and political backgrounds. United Nations Women or UN Women is an international organization which raises awareness of gender inequality, health, protection of women's rights, violence against women, community service and sustainable development. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture released a statement on March 10th regarding the abuse of women seeking maternal health care services and restrictive abortion bans or laws. Reproductive rights violations are occurring at an alarming rate around the world as well as by conservative lawmakers in the United States who have no women's reproductive or medical health training.
             Many young girls and woman in countries across the globe are subjected to child marriage, sexual violence, virginity testing, banned abortion access even in cases of rape, incest or life threatening circumstances. The UN classifies this as torture. Some women in India are coerced into sterilization because they're being denied effective forms of birth control or safe abortion access. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has called for the decriminalization of abortion for women seeking health care. In the United States where abortion is legal we continue to see mostly male state lawmakers impose scientifically false restrictions on women, women's health care facilities and doctors due to religious prejudice, misinformation or both. Bans, restrictions, forced births and lack of birth control are an international health and economic issue endangering women and violating human rights. Other countries should be looking to the United States for leadership and empowerment in women's health care but instead they are being abandoned by male dominated political systems in which men will never be forced to give birth.

 For more program information regarding UN Women check out the link to their website below.

http://www.unwomen.org/en

" Gender equality is decided by all of us."

"We cannot succeed when half of us are held back."- Malala Yousefzai, Nobel Prize Recipient, activist, author

            March is Women's History Month, Tuesday, March 8th is International Women's Day- although no country in the world can claim full gender equality, Iceland, Sweden, and Denmark have consistently set the bench mark on major gender equality studies. In the BCC News documentary featured above (courtesy of YouTube & BBC ) "What Stands in the Way of Women Being Equal to Men."- British journalist Ros Atkins explores the lives of young girls and their families from a broad spectrum of backgrounds such as the United Kingdom Jordan.and Lesotho The news feature provides us a greater understanding of the roots of discrimination with assigned gender roles that persist throughout the modern world. Do laws which effect a woman's economic status such as denying reproductive rights or availability of birth control, intimate partner violence or lack of education hold us back? Is it the condescending stereotype of physical, racial or intellectual inferiority? Do long held cultural beliefs or interpretation of religious doctrines prevent women and men from stepping out of traditional gender roles?  How about fear of change? The answer is, YES.
          What's truly standing in the way of realizing worldwide gender equality? Think about this. Why are countries such as Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Denmark leading the way?  A U.S News and World Report survey completed in January of this year showed Nicaragua, the Philippines. Denmark, Iceland and Norway rated high for individual health, safety, income equality and progressiveness.
          Specifically, according to the World Economic Forum, The Global Gender Gap Report http://reports.weforum.org/global-gender-gap-report-2015/  Iceland offers women equal access to education, healthcare as well as full participation and power in political and economic choices. These countries are secular.and have the highest literacy rates in the world. There is little to no discrimination between the sexes where many types of discrimination and income inequality are shown to go hand- in- hand in study after study. Discrimination in all of its forms is learned.behavior. Discrimination against women is something we learn and it must be unlearned for all of us to move forward. Gender equality is decided by all of us.

"For the people and by the people"

"To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize."- Voltaire writer, historian, philosopher

          In the United States we pride ourselves on gun ownership, privacy and voter rights. When it comes to  free speech and freedom of the press, fundamental principles of democracy which our United States Constitution is based, Freedom House https://freedomhouse.org/ an independent watchdog organization  rates the United States  30th out of 197 countries.
       Freedom of the press or media is essential to keep Americans informed of events in our own country and around the world. What American citizens may not realize is that journalists and government officials often clash over our Bill of Rights. The First Amendment protects freedom of the press including, television, news papers, magazines and other media sources. The First Amendment allows the publication of truthful controversial information without interference from the government. Censorship of online material from independent journalists or bloggers is evolving as technology evolves. In a true democratic society as little censorship by government as possible should be demanded by its citizens.
         Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index rated the United States 46th out of all developed nations in 2014. Full details can be investigated at the link to their website http://en.rsf.org/

       In countries around the world such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uganda (featured in the video clip above courtesy YouTube.com) journalists are being jailed, tortured, mutilated and killed for reporting human rights abuses inflicted on them and their fellow citizens by military militias and corrupt dictatorships. These brutal attacks are being recorded as evidence but when reporters seek justice for these crimes where do they turn?  In a democracy for the people and by the people we need to demand that our elected officials truly understand our laws and protect our civil liberties but first we need to understand them ourselves.
       

" We cannot tolerate obstruction "

"Waiting periods, counseling, ultrasounds, trans-vaginal ultrasounds, sonogram storytelling—all of these legislative moves are invasive, insulting, and condescending because they are deeply misguided attempts to pressure women into changing their minds, to pressure women into not terminating their pregnancies, as if women are so easily swayed that such petty and cruel stall tactics will work. These politicians do not understand that once a woman has made up her mind about terminating a pregnancy, very little will sway her. It is not a decision taken lightly, and if a woman does take the decision lightly, that is her right. A woman should always have the right to choose what she does with her body. It is frustrating that this needs to be said, repeatedly. On the scale of relevance, public approval or disapproval of a woman's choices should not merit measure.” ― Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist

              The United States Supreme Court has made it perfectly clear that a safe medical procedure to terminate a pregnancy or abortion is a Constitutional right for women in America. So why do some state lawmakers continue to impose unnecessary and burdensome restrictions or TRAP laws for doctors and medical clinics? (Almost 300 restrictions have been written since 2010)  What is a TRAP law?  TRAP is an abbreviation for "Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers" which is forcing the closure of  healthcare clinics across the country with deceptive guidelines. Men and women need to be aware of TRAP laws because they effect all of us. TRAP laws obstruct the Constitutional rights of women-  mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts-all women to safely access legal medical procedures. Ensuring a woman's right to her own body and reproductive health is ultimately what's at stake.

         On March 2nd, the US Supreme Court will hear the case of Whole Women's Health v. Hellerstedt. Because abortion is a legal Constitutional right politicians in Washington DC cannot be permitted to impose laws which make receiving medical care an undue burden in the states they represent. If legislatures continue this burdensome assault on women they should be VOTED OUT. Anti-choice politicians in Texas have proposed and passed laws such as HB-2 which will effect the dignity and autonomy of over 5.4 million women of reproductive age leaving just ten clinics available. Ten clinics for more than 5 million women in s state with 27 million Americans. Does this sound like lawmakers who care about the health and welfare of women and families?

   Courtesy of YouTube.com & Last Week Tonight with John Oliver above are two equally important videos containing more information about TRAP laws and the upcoming US Supreme Court case.

" and equal in dignity and rights.."

 "Because women and girls are not valued equally as human beings, they are treated as less than such. Female genital mutilation is an example of this and must be stopped."
- Waris Dirie, Somali model, activist

   
               Mental illness, child abuse, discrimination, abortion, drug addiction, rape, gun violence, - the more uncomfortable the subject the less we discuss it- and  our silence is killing us-especially women. Earlier this month February 7th was designated "International Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation" day. Many people in North America are unaware of female genital mutilation or FGM. The ritual normally performed on young girls is the cutting away of the clitoris and part of the labia is an extremely vicious and violent act with no pain killers or anesthesia. The mutilation is a clear violation of human rights but because in the past the ritual was considered part of a "cultural" practice some countries still perform FGM or a form or FGM on females as young as one year old. Banned in the United States and the United Kingdom some 200 million women alive today have endured FGM according to recent UNICEFhttp://www.unicef.org/ statistics.
         29 countries in Africa and some parts of Asia still perform female genital mutilation as a way to control and completely abolish a young woman's sexuality, ensure virginity before marriage and later to promote sexual pleasure for men only. FGM has no health benefits. In fact the World Health Organization  http://www.who.int/en/  has stated the practice causes a greater likelihood of death during childbirth, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, infection, and severe physical and emotional trauma.
            FGM continues to be condemned around the world. It's not only a dangerous, sexist, barbaric ritual performed on young girls but it's a complete violation of human rights to health, security and physical integrity. Globally, the rights of young girls and woman to control their own bodies has been  reduced or completely stripped away by communities ruled by men or strict religious dogma. But in order to progress men have to fundamentally change the way they view women. As long as girls and women are seen as less than equal or even less than human they will continue to have their rights and dignity taken away. No more silence.  http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/





Below is the link to a Guardian.com article which features personal stories of women who have endured female genital mutilation.http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/gallery/2016/feb/06/fgm-female-genital-mutilation-worst-pain-i-ever-felt-women-somaliland-speak-in-pictures


     

" What you do makes a difference."

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."- William James, American philosopher, psychologist

https://info.ecosia.org/

     Want to help plant trees in Africa or South America without leaving the country or even the office?  Simple. Do an online word search. Go to Ecosia and search Ecosia.org. Ecosia is a search engine similar to Google or BING.   This inspiring and empowering search engine has been featured in news stories on noted websites such as Scientific American, Upworthy and The Guardian for its unique features. By searching the web with Ecosia ads generate revenue. With the income earned Ecosia plants more and more trees. Brilliant? Indeed. In fact over 3 million trees have been planted around the globe including Burkino Faso in Africa which is featured in the video above (courtesy Ecosia & YouTube )

     Drought stricken areas recover much more quickly when trees are planted allowing people, vegetation and animals to return. A healthier environment allows for economic growth which depends upon the renewal of resources. With people and livestock sustained opportunities grow such as children attending schools and job creation.

    Did you know that planting trees reduces global warming? Trees create oxygen which we need to stay alive. Trees are renewable, biodegradable and recyclable. The more trees we plant the more chance we have of reducing the air pollution humans have created. Trees are the natural habitat of birds and animals. Ensuring the survival of animals and plants allows human beings to survive. Think of Ecosia as the circle of life beginning with a simple search.

A little curiosity goes a long way to helping people around the world.

 Try it out. https://www.ecosia.org/