"Ghana: The largest dump in the World"

Currently the situation in Africa is devastating. Apart from having a high rate of deadly diseases, as well as, precarious living conditions, they must live together with what is essentially the largest dump of the world, located specifically in Ghana.

This has happened due to the fact that countries such as Germany, USA, England, among others, discarded trash that as destination has Africa. It has been demonstrated that to trow away trash instead of recycling or delete it in a way that does not affect the environment, is much more appropriate for these countries. Due to the fact that getting rid of this garbage would have a cost less than half that if this trash were recicled. Perhaps some of you will think that how it can happen this, if there are agencies responsible for regulating this topic.

According to what United Nations (UN) says, as well as was stipulated in the Basel Convention of 1989, was banned the exportation of toxic waste and dangerous items, including electronic, to less-developing countries. But what is most surprising is how these industrial powers evade this agreement.

According to these countries, all exports of electronic objects have as objective donate technology and bridging the digital divide between both regions of the world.

But what they apparently do not take into account is that only one quarter of the waste is reusable and the rest only will continue to occupy a place in the dump.

But what most unworthy are the side effects that these residues have in children, in addition to being very harmful to your health, due to the toxic emissions and hazardous components that have these devices, the percentage of child labor continues to grow increasingly.

If the authorities responsible for this issue, do not take serious and concrete measures,  we do not know what may happen in Africa, perhaps we will end up contributing to the extinction of that part of the world.

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Decolonising my, your, his, her, our mind

Africa: The big Scramble shared by many countries. 

Africa was a meeting point for most of the colonizers; British, Portuguese, French and German men were spreading their legacy, banishing the native’s one. That is why, nowadays, the African traditions and stories (riddles, proverbs, sayings) are still alive because of the orality.

Ngugi Wa Thiango is a Kenyan writer and the author of the book “Decolonising the Mind”. Ngugi’s first stories were written in English, a fact that made him realize how Colonization had manipulated and changed people, HIS people. Why was he writing in English when his native language is the Gikuyu? He was making a successful career by leaving behind his roots. 

Africans being punished.

During colonization, missionaries and colonial administrators controlled the literature. They forced children to speak European languages, they told them their Mother tongue was bad and therefore English was better. If they didn’t do this they were punished. This blindness to the indigenous voice of Africans is a direct result, of colonization, according to Ngugi.   

"English in Africa is a "cultural bomb"..."

Due to this Ngugi began to write in Gikuyu. A brave decision, I mean, considering how powerful Globalization had become. “English in Africa is a “cultural bomb” that continues a process of erasing memories of pre-colonial” he said.

Writing in his native language, then, is his way of communicating with African people, returning them to their past life, their real life and remembering himself where he comes from.  It must be very disappointing to realize that you have been alienated; you have forgotten your roots and contributed to post-colonization effects. But, at the end of the day we all do the same thing, especially us, Chileans. Do you know how to speak Mapudungun? Do we know where we come from? Do we respect more native people than foreign ones? Do we? 

                                           Ngugi talking about cultures and languages.

Typical Indian Festival

Diwali, did you know  something about this festival?

 Diwali is an Indian religious holiday known as “Lights Festival”, this holiday means the beginning of new Hindu year and is celebrated for different religions as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.

This holiday lasts for around 4 o 5 days; each day is called according to the Hindu calendar and it´s celebrated on the 15^th day of dark fortnight of the month of kārttika (from  October 21^st until  November 18th). During this holiday people clean, adorn and decorated their houses on an especial way. 

It commemorates the death of the demon Narakasura at the hands of Krishna and the release of the sixteen thousand maidens who had prisoners. Also people celebrated the return to the Ayodhyā city of Prince Rama after his victory over Ravana, the demon king.

Legend

According to legend, the inhabitants of the city filled the walls and roofs with lamps which Rāma could easily find your way. Thus began the tradition of lighting a multitude of lights at night.

Gods

In this especial festival there are some Gods who are revered as Lakshmí (Goddess who symbolizes good luck, beauty and who gives prosperity and wealth). Also the popular God   Ganesha is revered during this festival.                                                                                         

Typical things about Diwali

People buy new clothes to wear during this festival; people make sweet and very delicious food to share with family and friends. And when the night comes people shoot fireworks and share presents.

Some traditions are to build an altar where there´s an image of Goddess Lakshmí, to what will be offered flowers, incense and coins. Other one is at dusk they open all the windows and doors of houses and in each of them is made an offering of light with an oil lamp or candle, this will be for Lakshmí enter the rest of the year.

This year the festival will start on November 3^rd, in the 2014 will be on October 23^rd and in the 2015 will be on November 11^th.

If you go to India during this holiday is not unusual that people knock at your door, but don´t be afraid is just because they want to give you food and the only thing that you must do is accept this. This holiday keeps all customs and traditions about Indian culture.

...If you want to know more about this special Indian Holiday you can watch the video...

Australia as a jail

Have you ever know that Australia was used as a jail?


Between the XVIII and XIX century, Australia was used as a jail fot British convicts. More than 165000 convicts were sent to Australia.

Why they used this country as a jail?
The population of England increased a lot. So obviously; the violence, the murders and the alcoholism increased too. They need a place to have their convicts, so they decided to send them to Australia.

What happened after they served their sentence?
Mostly, they stayed in the country working, they could forget their past and start over again as settlers.
What about the buildings?
Now, are there as World Heritages. Are only 11 prisons as museums.

Some people can say that this help to colonized Australia, but it was just to have another jail, a big one.
I don't know if this is true but my brother told me when I was a little girl that they used it as a jail because it was a big island so they couldn't scape and also because in the ocean were sharks.
Also, the 20% of the first tripulation to travel to Australia were women. Some of them were workers and convicts.
The people who went there to have a job, worked in factorys.
Besides, the convicts worked too. As farmers, carpenters, nurses and staff.  The convicts with education worked in the administration of the jails. This was really helpful to the British colony to colonized the island fastly. 
This ended when the convict's population was of 1 million of people. The colony could be maintened and continue to grow. 

Big "C" culture

                                                                                     BIG "C" CULTURE



                                                 The Beatles

It was  an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. They became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the rock music era. The group's best-known lineup consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Rooted in skiffle and 1950s  rock and roll, the Beatles later utilized several genres, ranging from popballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. In the early 1960s, their enormous popularity first emerged as "Beatlemania", but as their songwriting grew in sophistication, they came to be perceived by many fans and cultural observers as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the  era's sociocuktural revolutions.

       

Cultural diversity an advantage in the world

Cultural diversity reflects the multiplicity and interaction of cultures in the world and are part of the common heritage of mankind.

Cultural diversity is manifested by the diversity of language, religious beliefs, practices of land management, in art, in music, in the social structure, in the selection of crops, in diet and in all conceivable number of other attributes of human society

                                                                                                     

This picture shows that cultural diversity is well accepted in the world are increasingly different cultures crossing borders.

Migration product in united states coexist many ethnicities and nationalities live here in the same nation Jewish, Asian, Muslim, Hindu, white people and a many others ethnicities

With this picture love we can show that if we teach children not to judge others because they are different they will accept best way to cultural diversity. This is very important today because every day different cultures are integrated to many countries and are mixed with each other.



Finally I leave this video with some phrases that are related to cultural diversity and its importance in the world.

The troubles

As we could saw in the presentations, some groups talked about the UK, but they not included Ireland as the Republic, they just included the Northern Ireland. I want to exposed why there's a problem between the Republic of Ireland and the Northern Ireland.
To add, I want that you listen to a song about this "war" between this two parts of that "country".

This kind of war started on the '60. And the central problem was the political status of Ireland and also, because the religion.
The Northern Ireland is protestant and the Republic of Ireland is Roman Catholic. The first part of the country mentioned wanted to keep the links with the UK, in other way, the Republic of Ireland wanted to be independent from the UK. This conflict made that people started to use guns and violence between them. This happened since 1960 until 1998 when the two parts signed an agreement called GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT which consists in a peaceful end of the civil war. But, sadly this doesn't end,f there's still some people who are not agree with this.
-THE VIOLENCE

In the final image we can see a mural of The IRA is the Irish Republican Army and was a radical group of volunteers that wanted the independence of the UK. This Army used the violence to keep their interests.
Even still this civil war exits, the people learnd how to live in peace with the Northern Ireland even when they don't want the same things.
Enjoy the song and the topic :)