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macloo — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 09:43:58 CST

This wiki was used for Project 3: Global Issues in JOU 4341, Reporting and Writing for Online Media, at the University of Florida in fall 2006. The 16 students in the class are the registered users of this site. The assignment for Project 3 is here.

This year, six issues were examined by teams of two or three student reporters:

Obesity (Team 1)
School Violence (Team 2)
AIDS/HIV (Team 3)
Nuclear Threats (Team 4)
Worldwide Hunger (Team 5)
Human Rights (Team 6)

Students worked in teams to identify and evaluate online resources relevant to their team's assigned issue. Each team compiled an annotated list of resources and also wrote new Web-friendly stories about the issue. The teams chose the sub-topics to write about within their assigned issue.

The stories here have been edited -- slightly -- by the instructor. They have not been fact-checked except by the students themselves. If you find an error, please leave a comment on the page.

There is a problem with the audio on this site.

Each team provided two audio files relevant to the assigned issue, as part of their assignment. However, this Wetpaint wiki provides no way to place audio files in a page -- even though it does allow MyTube and Google videos to be included. As a very poor workaround, my graduate student assistant transformed all 12 audio files into YouTube videos so they could be included. However, the audio quality is far worse than it is in the students' original files.

So please, don't hold the students reponsible for the poor quality of the audio files!

Student work on this site was completed on Nov. 14, 2006.

Links and stories here will not be updated.

Freedom of Speech in Different Countries

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 22:52:44 CST

China
by Adrian Ruhi

The People’s Republic of China is one of the largest countries in the world and maintains one of the largest economies. The Communist Party of China still rules the vast nation despite recent transitions into capitalism. Human rights conditions are reflective of the socialist regime and freedom of speech in particular is often hampered.

Although freedom of expression is not as repressed in China as it is in communist Cuba, censorship still occurs on a wide-scale basis, according to Amnesty International. Internet access is regularly controlled and monitored by the government, and many sites are banned. Independent journalists are required to pass several examinations before being licensed, and many subjects can only be covered by state-run media agencies.

United States
by James Rigney

The Internet is proving a slippery slope for free speech advocates and activists. The United States has been the primary mover behind the giant computer network since its inception as a military communications system.

One of the most contentious areas of Internet litigation is online pornography. Advocates say the Internet should remain the last truly open forum for information. It is global, uncensored and accessible to almost everyone. Anti-pornography activists can give the same reasoning as to why the Internet should be censored. In 1996 the U.S. Congress passed the Communications Decency act which criminalized so-called indecent online material. The U.S. Supreme Court later struck down the law and said that online speech should be protected.

The primary concern for online decency activists is children. A list of the most searched words on any given day will likely include sexual content. Some technology experts even believe that much like the VCR, pornography helped make the Internet what it is today.

Iran
by James Rigney

In Iran, Internet access is growing by leaps and bounds. According to Human Rights Watch, at the beginning of the decade 250,000 Iranians were online. By July 2005 approximately 6.2 million Iranians were online. The number is expected to reach 25 million by 2009.

Despite the Iranian constitution stating citizens have freedom of expression, they are bound by rules that limit their speech. Citizens and their Internet service providers are prohibited from insulting the religion of Islam, publishing material that is against the constitution and creating pessimism about the legitimacy of the Islamic system.

In 2004 Iranian authorities imprisoned journalists, activists, bloggers and technical staff from political news Web sites. Some of these people said they were tortured for days before being released without formal charges in some cases.

International Aid

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 22:41:36 CST

by James Rigney

History

The concept of international aid began when the International Committee of the Red Cross was organized to help war victims. Aid flowed mostly from large countries such as the United Kingdom to allies and protectorates. Aid reached a new level after World War II when the United States set up the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe. The U.S. also sent billions abroad during the Cold War.

Aid as part of human rights

The United Nations stipulates that each sovereign nation has the right to self-determination and that each individual has the right to an education, health care and to employment. Aid money is supposed to go toward these and other goals. Major examples of aid money expenditures are for development, AIDS treatment and education.

Current obligations

The developed world is already behind its self-imposed obligations to the developing world. United Nations Resolution 2626 states that economically advanced countries should provide at least 0.7 percent of their gross national product to international aid.

So far, only five European nations provide the stipulated amount each year.

Rising inflation and the end of the Cold War have also affected the amount of international aid rich countries provide to less wealthy countries. The dollar amount of development aid from the United States increased steadily up until the 1990s, but inflation and a larger GNP meant the percentage of aid relative to GDP actually lowered. Aid was also used as part of foreign policy during the Cold War to help allies and win friends abroad.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Web site says it uses aid money to stimulate economic growth, agriculture and trade; fund global health; and promote democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance.

Terrorism and aid

After the U.S. tightened its budget in the mid-1990s, and with the threat from the Soviets gone, the amount of international aid fell drastically. The amount of international aid increased dramatically after Sept. 11, 2001, as the Bush administration sent over $1 billion to Pakistan, Afghanistan and former Soviet republics.

Many nations have reiterated their responsibility to international aid as part of their foreign policy. The theory is that poverty and economic instability give rise to terrorists.

Human Rights in Castro's Cuba

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 22:31:55 CST

by Adrian Ruhi

History

Since the revolution that put Fidel Castro in power on Jan. 1, 1959, Cuba has been a government-controlled nation and was officially declared a socialist republic in 1961. Human rights in communist Cuba have changed both for the better and the worse. Socialism has many benefits that help equalize the disparity between the rich and the poor, but some basic human freedoms have been denied in Cuba for decades.

Health and school

Health care and education are socialized in Cuba. The Cuban government runs and pays for basic health care for all Cuban citizens, despite some shortcomings. According to the World Health Organization, life expectancy, child mortality and adult mortality in Cuba are comparable to that of the United States, despite the differences in how each country runs its health care system and how much money is spent per capita. The major flaws in the Cuban health care system involve a lack of medical materials and drugs. The Soviet Union, which contributed greatly to the Cuban economy, collapsed, which put a damper on Cuba’s health care. The United States’ embargo on Cuba, which prevents trade and movement of goods, money and people between the two countries, also had a similar effect on the island.

The Cuban government also funds and manages the education system, all the way from primary school to the university level. The equality of education causes Cuba to maintain very high literacy rates that are among the best in Latin America, according to UNESCO. But it is also believed that Cuban schools are often used as propaganda machines to impose communist beliefs on children starting at a very young age.

Private medical practice and education is prohibited in Cuba.

Human rights violations

Despite the fact that the Cuban constitution promises certain rights such as freedom of speech and religion, these rights are only protected when their exercise benefits socialist views.

Freedom of expression is virtually nonexistent because the government owns, controls and runs all forms of media, from the newspapers to the television stations. The few privileged enough to have Internet access are also likely being monitored. Castro’s regime has regularly arrested dissenters of the Cuban government and often imprisoned them without fair trial, according to Amnesty International. Non-government-sponsored groups and meetings are not allowed, and those who have tried to rally support against Castro’s government have often been heckled and abused by government officials and pro-revolution citizens, according to Human Rights Watch.

Due to the socialist nature of Cuba’s government, there are no property rights, and citizens are usually not allowed to travel out of the country, because of the government’s fear of citizens defecting. Freedom of religion was virtually nonexistent since Castro declared the nation atheist. Only recently has religion been allowed to slowly return into Cuban society.

Women in the Workplace

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 22:22:13 CST

by Stephanie Rodriguez

History

Throughout most of history, women were viewed as having two responsibilities their whole life. Even today, being a good wife and mother are what society expects of women.

Although the first women's rights convention in 1848 marked the start of changes in women's roles, it wasn't until 1920 when the 19th Amendment was passed that women were allowed to vote in the United States. Once women began to vote, other changes took place such as women working more frequently outside the home.

During World War II, there was a tremendous rise of women workers, especially in blue-collar positions. The war gave women the opportunity to work while the men were fighting the war. Although women were working the same jobs as men, they were not getting paid the same wages.

During that time, some women had more than one job to maintain their families while maintaining their household duties. When the war was over, women were forced to leave their jobs because the men had come back to reclaim their old jobs.

Women in the workplace today

Though women have come a long way with their rights, they are still discriminated against.

In 2005, women in the United States were paid 77 cents for every dollar men received for comparable work, according to the America's Movement Union Web site. Most high-end or executive level positions are held by men.

Over a lifetime of work, the average 25-year-old woman working full time until age 65 will earn $523,000 less than the average working man, according to the America's Movement Union Web site.

Women in the military

Though the percentage of women in the U.S. military has increased dramatically since 1980, which is when they were first allowed to serve, women are less likely to go into combat.

Although there are no laws that prohibit women from going into combat, there are laws that prohibit women from going into permanent assignments such as ships and aircrafts, according to a study conducted by the Women's Research and Education Institute. Most of these restrictions are for the Marine Corps, Navy and the Air Force. There are also policies that restrict women's roles in the Army.

Though there some restrictions on women's roles in the military, the Coast Guard and Department of Transportation give women opportunities.

As a matter of fact, the proportion of jobs available to women in the Coast Guard and Department of Transportation is 100 percent compared to other services in the military, according to the study.

Maternity leave

Maternity leave, also known as family or parental leave, is becoming difficult for women in the country. In 1993, the U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act allowed for mothers to have up to 12 weeks off from work.

However, the FMLA does not include smaller companies and it does not guarantee that the time off will be paid. Most women find it hard to have the right to have a family and work because of the lack of maternity leave opportunities in the workplace.

A recent trial in New York proves maternity leave discrimination and lack of opportunities for women today. In July, the trial held in New York claimed that the Suffolk County Police Department discriminates against pregnant police officers by restricting them to working desk duty positions or non-patrol positions during most of their tri-semester pregnancies, according to an American Civil Liberties Union article.The SCPD also does not provide bulletproof vests for women who are pregnant for patrol jobs.

Audio

Cory Armstrong, faculty affiliate for the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research at the University of Florida, speaks about the disadvantages of maternity leave for women.

Sexual harassment

About 15,000 sexual harassment cases are reported every year in the United States, according to America's Union Movement. Though this number is high, most sexual harassment cases go unreported.

Most women do not report when they have been sexually harassed for fear that they might lose their job. About 40 to 60 percent of women are harassed in the workplace according to government and media surveys.

Audio

Cory Armstrong, faculty affiliate for the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research at the University of Florida, reveals issues that women face with sexual harassment in the workplace.

Overview of School Violence: Causes and Current Statistics

dstanton — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 20:06:40 CST

Recent Trends in Serious School Violence

School shootings in 1992, which resulted in 56 deaths, ignited an ongoing trend of serious violent incidents at all levels of the United States education system.

When the media picks up a story of the school shooting, the news penetrates the nation. The past 14 years show evidence that more students, unstable from gang relations, ostracism by peers or interpersonal problems, follow suit in the months following an incident.

Memories of the April 1999 incident at Columbine High School resonate in the minds of citizens across the nation, and the fear aggrandizes the actual threat of serious school violence actually occurring. Out of the 20,541 combined deaths and suicides of children and teens between the ages of 5 and 18, only 0.9 percent of these happened on school grounds or at a school-sponsored event. Additionally, during the 2002-2003 school year, only 23 student fatalities occurred in U.S. schools, statistically affecting less than one student per million.

These recent numbers also reveal a decreasing number of incidents of school violence since the new decade. Since the 2001-2002 school year, 17 or fewer homicides have occurred per year, compared with anywhere from 21 to 56 deaths each year in the ‘90s. Considering that United States schools have about 54.2 million students enrolled, the small number gives a positive outlook on the future. Nonfatal incidents, such as theft, fighting and sexual harassment, have also declined by more than 40 percent.

Five attacks for the 2006-2007 school year have already been recorded, all within two months of each other. However, three of those shootings involved adult outsiders entering the school and committing the crimes – a topic for separate consideration, but one just as important as student violence when addressing safety in a learning environment.

Common Triggers for Violence: Gangs and Bullying

The overwhelming majority of school violence resulting in fatalities falls into one of three categories:

Interpersonal disputes, such as property or a romantic interest;
Gang-related fights; or
Suicide.

Middle schools and high schools become breeding grounds for discontent and dispute as children become more insecure about who they are.

Bullying sounds like an everyday, dismissible aspect of school life, but actually many aggressive behaviors and vendettas boil to the surface with the repetitive damage the actions have on youthful minds. Fourteen percent of students, more commonly Caucasian than not, reported being a victim of bullying in 2003. This number represents a significant number of teens, especially when studies show that students committing violent acts are more than twice as likely to have been bullied by their peers. This victimization correlates with a harvesting aggressiveness, eventually unleashed back on the grounds responsible for its existence – school property.

Gang relations, especially in larger, urban high schools, account for the greatest number of school-related deaths categorized by a specific cause. In 2003, 52 out of 220 incidents occurring between 1994 and 1999 were associated with gangs. Gang membership gives teens a feeling of belonging and prominence.

Neighborhoods bordering on the extremes of affluence or poverty foster gangs for kids who have lost support from family and friends, giving them their own sense of community. Gangs generally engage in violence about disputes over "turf lines" or possessions, and bringing opposing gangs together into one environment can lead to clashes on school grounds that trap fellow students in the middle.

Even non-gang students have reported bringing firearms to school as a means of protecting themselves – and regardless of a teenager's motives for carrying one, the more weapons available, the more likely an act with serious repercussions will occur.

Audio

Marian Borg, a professor of sociology at the University of Florida, discusses how being in a school setting can affect violence once it starts.

Human Rights Resources

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 18:12:08 CST

American Civil Liberties Union Works for American rights and freedoms, including speech, due process and privacy.

Amnesty International International group that works for global human rights and maintains a large collection of information about most nations and their human rights policies and infractions.

Anti-Defamation League Focuses on stopping anti-Semitism and helping to promote justice and fair treatment for all.

The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information University of Florida center that provides resources on public records and freedom of information.

GlobalRights.org A group that fights for human rights, focusing on women's rights and combating discrimination. The organization describes itself as "a human rights advocacy group that partners with local activists to challenge injustice and amplify new voices within the global discourse."

Human Rights First An international nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advocates for change through policymaking, the courts, the media and mobilization.

Human Rights Watch An independent, nongovernmental organization that accepts no government funds, the group investigates human rights violations around the world and maintains a large amount of content about violations and abuses in each country.

National Organization for Women The largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. Maintains a list of stories about women’s rights and women’s issues.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations. Has the text of the U.N. declaration of Human Rights in multiple languages.

University of Minnesota Human Rights Library Repository of documents related to human rights organized by subject matter.

Relief

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 17:13:55 CST

Despite tons of food aid pouring into less-developed countries around the world, hunger persists -- partly because donating grain alone does not stop the problems underlying widespread starvation.

According to the United Nations World Food Program Web site, using food aid more sparingly and strategically is a better option than dumping grain surpluses into third world countries.

The Fault of Food as Aid

Giving food directly to jobless mothers, school children, landless farmers and HIV orphans instead of governments, according to the Web site, is the way to go.

The U.N. program's strategy for combatting world hunger also includes a strong emphasis on developing the skills necessary to produce food and build an economy at home instead of relying on foreign donations.

In parts of the world where sudden disasters create immediate hunger crises, some organizations have criticized donor governments for inappropriately handling the food emergencies.

After the massive tsunami devastated coastal regions of India, Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia in 2004, the World Food Program reported that 2 million people would need emergency food aid.

According to a document from Oxfam, a private famine relief agency, the U.S. government announced it would ship 30,000 tons of food, despite the presence of a rice surplus in the Southeast Asia region.

Financing Food to be Bought Locally

Oxfam contends that instead of food, countries like the U.S. should have sent cash instead to buy food locally, which would have stimulated the regions economy and reduced the time it took for aid to reach the tsunami refugees.

In October, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations held a conference in Rome to address the progress of the U.N.'s goal of ending hunger by 2015.

Jacques Diouf, the director-general of the U.N. organization, said in a conference-related press release that reducing hunger was not in the hands of international donors, but the private sector and individual countries.

“Having civil society and non-governmental organizations with us is indispensable if we are to succeed,” Diouf said in the release.

Effects | The Affected | Causes | Relief | Resources

The Affected

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 17:00:45 CST

The global hunger issue is a problem stemming from a variety of circumstances. It is not war, however, but poverty that tops the list of causes.

With nearly 10 million deaths per year, less than 10 percent of cases are directly related to war or natural disasters.

Social infrastructures, economic instabilities and various political upheavals can lead to increases in poverty. The greatest indicator of the presence of hunger in a nation is the size of the impoverished social class.

Where the Hungry Live

The causes of hunger parallel those of poverty, and famine is widespread, because where there is poverty there is hunger.

Despite the fact that, due predominantly to media influences, hunger is associated mostly with Sub-Saharan Africa,the majority of people living in famine are located in Asia and the Pacific.

Latin America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia also have hunger issues. In every case, the people who go hungry are those in the poorest parts of those regions.

The majority of hunger crises are in rural areas, yet there has been an increase in urban hunger over the past decade.

Who Goes Hungry

The hungriest people are those in the poorest regions.

Wherever the standard of living is the lowest, there will always be the most hunger.

Within the caste of the poor, sufferers are predominantly women and children.

Effects | The Affected | Causes | Relief | Resources

Worldwide Hunger

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 16:22:21 CST

Starvation kills: People, economies and quality of life

Team 5

Editor
Jonathan Quigley

Writers
Dominick Tao
Corinne Dannon

About Our Coverage:
There are more than 800 million people in the world aflicted with starvation.
The reason for their hunger is not a global shortage of food, but a string of
interconnected forces like poverty, population growth and lack of education.

The hunger trend is being combatted by hundreds of global organizations and
well-meaning governments, but the conditions of famine around the world are
proving nearly impossible to eliminate.

Effects | The Affected | Causes | Relief | Resources

Resources

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 16:15:26 CST

Facts about nuclear weapons

Centers for Disease Control

Radiation Emergencies- fact sheets and FAQs about exposure, what to do during an emergency and how to prepare

HowStuffWorks.com

How Nuclear Bombs Work- summary of the physics of nuclear weapons and the different types of bombs

PBS

"Race for the Superbomb"- information about the 1999 documentary (part of the "American Experience" series), video clips of blasts and an interactive timeline

Non-proliferation

United Nations

U.N. Department for Disarmament Affairs: Weapons of Mass Destruction- information about international treaties and conventions concerning biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

International Atomic Energy Agency

Department of Safeguards- information about safeguard activities including definitions, agreements and legal framework

The History Channel

Nuclear Arms Treaties and Negotiations: A Historical Overview- timeline of nuclear treaties from 1963 to present

Safety of America

National Nuclear Security Administration (U.S. Department of Energy)

The Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation -information about detecting and preventing the spread of nuclear weapons
Defense Programs- summary of programs using the nuclear stockpile for defense

University of Florida

Florida Institute of Nuclear Detection and Security- information about detection technology research including a video about monitoring ports

North Korea

Nuclear Threat Initiative

North Korea Profile - a detailed overview of North Korea's nuclear history, from an organization looking to prevent the use and spread of nuclear weapons

North Korea: A New Nuclear Power

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 16:14:11 CST

Demise of U.S. and North Korean Relations

North Korea, or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has been seriously toying with the idea of nuclear weapons for more than two decades. One of the most important events in the relationship between North Korea and the U.S. occurred in 2002, with the implosion of the Agreed Framework the Clinton Administration had set up in 1994.

In 2002, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly visited Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea. Kelly informed the North Koreans that the U.S. was aware of their plan to produce highly enriched uranium (HEU), a main component in a nuclear weapon. When North Korea apparently admitted they had this program, as the U.S. State Department has said, the U.S. suspended its oil shipments to the area. Part of the Agreed Framework said the U.S. would give oil to North Korea for fuel, provided North Korea froze its nuclear power plants, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative Web site.

According to North Korean officials, the U.S. hadn't kept the promises it made within Agreed Framework in providing light-water reactors for power generation, said Won-Ho Park, a political science professor at the University of Florida. Park said he felt the Clinton Administration made more promises than they expected to keep, as they saw the collapse of North Korea to be imminent within the next few years. Both sides blame the other for the collapse of the Agreed Framework.

Once the U.S. suspended oil shipments, North Korea lifted the freeze on its nuclear power plants and withdrew from the Non-Proliferation Treaty in January 2003. They claimed they lifted the freeze to create electricity, not nuclear weapons. North Korea first announced it had nuclear weapons in February 2005 and claimed to have detonated its first nuclear weapon Oct. 9, 2006.

North Korea's Intentions

Other countries have questioned whether North Korea’s purpose for having nuclear weapons is for malicious intent or simply for defense.

Richard Nolan, a political science professor at the University of Florida, said that while many think Kim Jong Il and North Korea have done things that are “outside the avenue of normal state behavior,” having nuclear weapons may not be part of that.

“I think quite frankly their intentions are rational,” he said. “They’re trying to deter.”

Nolan said this desire comes especially after North Korea has been placed on President Bush’s “axis of evil,” along with Iraq and Iran, as mentioned in his State of the Union Address on Jan. 29, 2002. After seeing what the U.S. has done in Iraq, a country without any weapons of mass destruction, North Korea may want the protection and the defense of nuclear weapons, Nolan said.

More than the nuclear weapons themselves, the U.S. fears North Korea will sell the technology to a terrorist organization, Nolan said.

“It’s about the technology itself falling into the wrong hands,” he said. “There’s been a fear since the fall of the Soviet Union that the technology is out there.”

Audio

University of Florida assistant
professor Won-Ho Park talks
about North Korea’s changing
relationship with the U.S.

University of Florida assistant
professor Won-Ho Park talks
about the significance of North
Korea’s nuclear test date.

Keeping America Safe

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 16:02:04 CST

After Sept. 11, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security increased efforts to protect the country against nuclear terrorism. Working with the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, the agency strives to prevent unauthorized nuclear material from entering the country.

“I do believe we are safer than we were in 1999,” said Glenn Sjoden, associate professor in the nuclear and radiological engineering department at the University of Florida.

Improving detection

Partnering with the NNSA, nuclear engineers in national laboratories and at universities create and test tools to detect nuclear material that may be smuggled across the border. These tools include satellites and detectors on the ground, according to the NNSA Web site.

“The biggest challenge to government right now is international commerce with shipping containers,” said Sjoden, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel.

One of the first university labs established to develop detection technology, the Florida Institute for Nuclear Detection and Security at UF focuses on portal monitoring under the NNSA’s Megaports Initiative, Sjoden said. He is the interim associate director of the institute.

The NNSA also has 11 site offices across the country. Each office focuses on a different area of nuclear security, ranging from detection to managing U.S. nuclear material.

Responding to an attack

In the event of a nuclear terrorism attack, the FBI would handle the crime scene, Sjoden said. Federal Emergency Management Agency and the NNSA would respond to the public’s needs in the health emergency. The NNSA’s Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center helps coordinate an interagency response for potential attacks.

The detonation of a nuclear device would expose the public to the greatest amount of radiation, followed by a meltdown at a nuclear power plant and then a dirty bomb, according to the Centers for Disease Control Web site.

Preparations by individuals or families for a nuclear attack resemble any basic emergency plans, such as knowing evacuation routes.

Controlling Fuel Sources

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:54:17 CST

In addition to detecting smuggled nuclear material, countries and international agencies work to prevent nuclear material from falling into terrorist hands from power plant reactors and weapons stockpiles.

“It’s easier to eliminate the source than to detect,” said Glenn Sjoden, associate professor in the nuclear and radiological engineering department at the University of Florida.

Protecting reactor fuel

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency verify that countries are using their nuclear material for energy not weapons. An independent organization, the IAEA has safeguards agreements with 145 countries as of January 2003 and has confirmed the use of nuclear material in more than 900 facilities around the world, according to the agency’s Web site.

The IAEA tries to prevent the conversion of the plutonium used in nuclear power plants into nuclear weapons. Fortunately, the science of separating nuclear material from a reactor and diverting the material into a weapon is difficult both to do and hide, said Sjoden, a retired Air Force Lt. Col. And nuclear engineers in U.S. universities and national laboratories are developing proliferation-resistant reactor technology to hinder the conversion further, he said.

President Bush’s Global Nuclear Energy Partnership offers another means of controlling sources of nuclear material. The partnership advocates:

Nations with nuclear power would give reactor technology to countries without it but that agree to use the technology only for power generation.
A fuel agreement between the two countries would allow only the parent country to provide fuel for the new reactors.

Managing the stockpile in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration works to maintain the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile. Not only does the NNSA manage current warheads, the agency also works with national laboratories to keep up with technological advances to design new warheads if needed, according to the agency's Web site.

Although the current number of warheads in the U.S. stockpile is debatable, the NNSA plans to cut the stockpile in half and consolidate the Nuclear Weapons Complex into fewer sites by 2030, according to the agency's Web site.

Outbreak provokes blame

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 14:09:57 CST

The world has rarely known a disease that has aroused so much controversy and uncertainty in its understanding and origin as AIDS.

For years scientists and doctors have scrounged for information on the characteristics of AIDS and the virus that causes it, HIV.

The 1980s
Around 1981 a handful of homosexual men in the U.S. were diagnosed with the rare conditions of Kaposi’s sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia, which were soon connected to immune deficiencies.

Because of this, people in the U.S. automatically categorized AIDS, originally known as Gay Related Immune Deficiency, as a disease of homosexuals.

It wouldn't help that later research pointed to a homosexual flight attendant being suspected of bringing AIDS to North America.

But it wouldn’t be long before doctors would find AIDS in women and in patients who had received blood transfusions. And AIDS would begin to spread at a rapid pace.

In the summer of 1981 various media giants such as the Associated Press and The New York Times began running news articles on AIDS.

Throughout the 1980s outrageous incidents of discrimination occurred against people infected with AIDS. One of the most highly publicized cases was that of Ryan White, a teenage boy from Indiana who was expelled from a public school after being diagnosed with AIDS. White contracted AIDS from a product that he was given to treat his hemophilia.

The 1990s
During the1990s celebrities and athletes began to announce that they were infected with HIV or AIDS. Basketball great Magic Johnson announced he had HIV in 1991, and tennis champion Arthur Ashe admitted to having AIDS in 1992.

Throughout the 1990s HIV/AIDS awareness groups as well as research on AIDS helped to calm some of the panic and discrimination surrounding HIV/AIDS.

The Origin of AIDS
Although the actual place of origin of AIDS remains uncertain, many scientists now believe it originated in African monkeys and was then transferred to humans.

Other theories abound. In the attempt to place blame, different racial and ethnic groups have invented various theories about AIDS. Possibly the most famous conspiracy theory claims that the CIA, or another extension of the U.S. government, created the disease in an attempt to exterminate the African race or to control the world population.

At times, Africans and African Americans find themselves being blamed for the spread of AIDS because AIDS was most likely transferred to humans in Africa. Also, HIV/AIDS infection rates in the U.S. are consistently higher among African Americans than among members of other racial groups.

Throughout the short history of AIDS, the condition has taken on different faces and has been linked to many different groups. The fact remains that AIDS still kills, and kills by the millions.

Audio

Professor Hansjoerg Dilger
Department of Anthropology and Center for African Studies, University of Florida

Professor Dilger discusses the presence of AIDS in Africa and the future of the epidemic.

Long life with treatment

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 14:00:00 CST

Medications -- along with inexpensive and easily accessible HIV/AIDS tests -- have provided patients with hope of longer life spans.

Treatments
Currently there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, but researchers have made gains in antiretroviral drugs that slow the reproduction of HIV in the body.

However, the HIV virus adapts to an antiretroviral drug if it is used exclusively. Most doctors prescribe highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which uses a combination of antiretroviral drugs that are then switched periodically so the virus doesn’t quickly build immunity to them.

Doctors also use post-exposure preventive treatment, which utilizes medication, laboratory tests and counseling, to prevent HIV infection in people who have been exposed to HIV. Although the treatment has never been proven to prevent HIV infection, when used within hours of possible infection it is believed to help prevent actual infection.

A healthy lifestyle also can contribute to the lifespan of those infected. People who are infected should eat healthful foods and exercise regularly to equip the body to fight infections that occur because of a weakened immune system.

In the past, people in poor countries did not have access to these treatments. Fortunately, that has at least somewhat changed through the hard work of various organizations and people.

Detection
Medication is only one part of the puzzle in stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. Because people sometimes do not show symptoms of HIV for years after initial infection, many people infected with HIV don’t even know it.

Typically, HIV antibodies do not show up in the bloodstream for three or more weeks after initial infection. It is recommended that people who think they may be infected wait three months before being tested because before then, tests run a higher chance of returning negative, even though the person is infected.

Various myths abound about HIV infection. UNAIDS, a joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS, states that HIV is not spread through everyday contact. Rather, HIV most commonly spreads through unprotected sex, shared needles or blood transfusions from someone who is infected. People do not contract HIV from mosquitoes.

The only way to know if a person has HIV/AIDS is through blood tests.

Infection rises globally

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 13:48:14 CST

With nearly 39 million people infected in 2005, the HIV/AIDS epidemic’s tragic effects resonate worldwide. The year also marked a high global total for AIDS related deaths with the number reaching 2.8 million, despite developments in antiretroviral treatments since the disease’s emergence more than two decades ago.

Africa remains epicenter for the disease
While its origin remains undetermined, HIV’s spread across the African continent began as a band moving from the west to the east in the 1970s and early 1980s. Since then, the disease has tightened its grip around southern African countries with 5 million people infected.

Almost 1 in 3 people infected with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNAIDS. The mid-1990s was the backdrop for the highest rates of infection in the region, but recent evidence shows a leveling off in some countries. Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland have the highest percentage of people who are HIV positive.

African women face a greater chance, at least 1.4 times, of being infected with HIV than their male compatriots. Seventy-seven percent of all women infected with HIV live in the region. This speaks volumes towards the absence of education about protection, the early sexual debut and ingrained sociological elements present in traditional African society.

There is no such thing as a single African epidemic. Both UNAIDS and the World Health Organization emphasize this fact.

The spread of the disease has been framed as a series of distinct outbreaks. UNAIDS in particular underlines the unpredictable nature of HIV/AIDS in the region in its 2006 global report, serving as a disclaimer in their statistics tracking the infection, prevalence and death in South Africa.

Global impact of HIV/AIDS
The impact of the strain HIV/AIDS has put on human resources spans all levels. Countries most affected in their human capital by the disease have felt the pressure on their national capital as well. HIV/AIDS can stunt, and in some cases reverse, economic growth and living standards by deteriorating investment potential and weakening governance. The World Bank reports that 24 African countries have lost 0.5 percent to 1.2 percent of per capita growth each year since [date?].

As a result of a plummeting life expectancy and the rise in the number of orphans, national social programs face additional work because of HIV/AIDS. Countries whose social programs already face problems (as is typical in developing nations) are further challenged by the social welfare demands left behind by the disease.

Women bear the greatest burden when it comes to HIV/AIDS. They are more likely to be infected and affected by the disease. If not coping with the disease themselves, women are expected to care for infected relatives and to assume family responsibilities. The situations resulting are detrimental in the development of economic independence and can lead to poor educational opportunities, which brings down national development overall.

Audio

Professor Hansjoerg Dilger
Department of Anthropology and Center for African Studies, University of Florida

Professor Dilger speaks about prevention campaigns and their efficacy in different countries.

U.S. and international HIV/AIDS resources

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 13:34:12 CST

AIDSinfo - A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services project that offers the latest federally approved information on prevention, treatment and characteristics of HIV/AIDS.

AIDS Education and Training Centers National Resource Center - Help and information for HIV/AIDS patients. The AIDS Education and Training Centers seek "to improve the quality of life of patients living with HIV/AIDS through the provision of high quality professional education and training." The program is administered by the U.S. government's Health Resources and Services Administration, HIV/AIDS Bureau.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: HIV/AIDS - Trends, surveillance and fact sheets for HIV/AIDS the U.S. Frequently updated list ("What's New?") of reports, statistics and fact sheets from the CDC.

U.S. Census Bureau's demographic study on the impact of AIDS (2004) - Facts and figures about 15 developing countries: Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia; Guyana, Haiti; Vietnam.

Kaiser Family Foundation's Global HIV/AIDS Timeline - Tracks the disease's history since 1981. Easy to use modules for each year since 1981 list milestones and provide links to notable media coverage.

Demographic and Health Surveys: HIV - Data about knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, collected by a federally funded global health project (begun in 1997 and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s [USAID] Bureau for Global Health).

Report on the global AIDS epidemic 2006 (PDF) - From the United Nations' UNAIDS program, this 600-page report can be downloaded or viewed online, chapter by chapter. It includes an overview of the global epidemic and an update on progress made to control it.

Fast facts about AIDS - Information about transmission, prevention, care, testing and myths; also from the United Nations' UNAIDS program.

World Bank resources and reports on HIV/AIDS - Data looking at how the health problem affects socioeconomic development and human welfare.

Avert's HIV/AIDS resources - The international AIDS charity's website has well-organized information (by country, by age group, etc.)

Prevention Methods and Preparedness

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 12:49:02 CST

Security Lockdown to Ensure Neutral Ground

Schools have begun partnering with communities, law enforcement agencies and parents to develop awareness and crisis management programs. The declining rates of violent crime -- which fell from 48 per 1,000 students in 1992 to 28 in 2003 -- indicate that these implementations do hold positive effects.

Surveys show that students have noticed heavier security measures enacted at their school. Fifty-three percent of teens in middle and high school responded in surveys that they witnessed heavier security guard and police watch, locked doors and gates barring outsiders access to the school and increased enforcement of visitor sign-in.

Schools also implement early intervention units to teach students about the dangers of drugs, gangs and violence. Programs instituted to treat and care for students with social or emotional problems also can ward off aggressive behaviors before they manifest in a more dangerous form. More than 50 percent of the perpetrators of homicide expressed violent thoughts in some form before the incident, including notes, drawings, substance abuse or even talking about distress to administration who did not follow through with supportive measures.

If parents, teachers and guards stay alert for traits prevalent in students who end up committing violent acts, then the majority of these deaths can be prevented.

Students shouldn’t be preoccupied with the possibility of gangs walking through their halls, of bullies pestering them at lunchtime, of thefts and vandalism and weapons. Experts attest that school grounds must be labeled and upheld as a safe haven in which students can learn without interruption or fear. Although the majority of schools report significant improvements and mitigation of fear, certain schools are much safer than others.

Specific Implementations: Testing Special Strategy

The three most dangerous states (likely because of their high population and urban settings) are California, Florida and New York, respectively. Neighborhoods and schools with higher crime and violence rates require even heavier intervention and law enforcement.

Governmental and non-governmental organizations have developed and tested the effectiveness of various prevention programs during the past few years.

One of the largest efforts to promote child development in a stable environment is the Safe Schools / Healthy Students Initiative. Sponsored by the U.S. Departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services, the program has handed grants to 143 schools across the nation to implement safety plans that rely on the whole community to contribute.

Within these plans, law enforcement, mental health, social service and educational procedures are all laid out to ensure a haven and helping hand for any child who needs it. Each school carries out an assessment, both locally and across other schools participating in the initiative, to judge the effectiveness of each of the plans to harvest the most successful pieces for future use.

Psychological Aspects of Youth Violence

macloo — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 12:31:34 CST

Indicators of Violence in Students

Understanding the reasons that students turn to violence is not an easy question to answer. There are as many different reasons as there are unique situations. However, common reasons usually involve students who turn to violence for these reasons:

To provide an outlet for anger.
To get attention.
To retaliate against people who have hurt them.
To control others.

Violent students often come from similar backgrounds or have similar problems. These include:

Being the victims of abuse.
Being exposed to violence in their homes.
Having a history of aggressive behavior.
Using alcohol or drugs.
Coming from a stressful home environment.
Having feelings of low self-esteem.

But just because people have these traits doesn't mean they will become violent. Typically a person exhibits some warning signs before committing a crime. In more than 50 percent of cases surveyed since 1992, students exhibited warning signs before acting out. Common signs are:

Making threats to others.
Constantly getting into fights.
Carrying weapons.
Frequently losing one's temper.
Feeling rejected or alone.
Voicing their distress to someone.

Students and faculty need to be aware of these things in the people they come in contact with. If people have several of the problems listed above and also show some of the warning signs, they should be talking to a professional about them. It is up to their friends and teachers to recognize that and take the first step in helping them.

Targeted Violence

Targeted violence is different from more typical violent acts because it is thought out ahead of time. Students know what they want to do and have a plan to carry it out. Many of the tragic school shootings that come to mind when people think of school violence are acts of targeted violence, including the Columbine High School case in 1999.

The way administrators and police deal with typical acts of violence among students doesn't work with students who think about their crimes ahead of time. Many times these students will avoid doing things that would get noticed by authorities, like threatening people or getting into fights.

Instead, schools should use a threat assessment approach that looks for threats outside of the typical psychological profiling mentioned above. In order to look for students who are thinking about targeted violence, schools need to look for students who have some of these characteristics:

Have communicated ideas that would lead to violence.
Have a motive to act out violently.
Are sophisticated enough to plan an attack.
Are in a mental state that would lead to an attack.

Audio

Marian Borg, a professor of sociology at the University of Florida, talks about why young people turn to violence as a way to resolve conflicts.