Politics & Current Affairs

On the Black Lives Matter Movement

Rebecca Samuel · April 10, 2023 · Leave a Comment

"The mission behind Black Lives Matter is straightforward: To abolish discrimination, oppression and systemic racism."

#BlackLivesMatter saw its first tweet in 2013. The beginning of the movement has been credited to three Black American women, Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors, who started the movement after the death of Trayvon Martin, a Black teenager who was shot while walking to his friend’s house and the acquittal of the man who shot him. Since then, millions of people all over the world have contributed to the cause in a myriad of ways, from signing petitions to hashtags of #BlackLivesMatter on social media to protesting on the streets, all for equality and justice for Black people.

The mission behind Black Lives Matter is straightforward: To abolish discrimination, oppression and systemic racism. The path to getting these is less so. The protests held in the U.S. last year after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer spread to 60 countries across all 7 continents. It has been the largest Black-led protest since the 1960s.

What can movements like #blm do to increase equality for Black people? It creates space for Black empowerment, affirms Black humanity and builds social, economic and political power for all Black people. It is an acknowledgement that Black people are disproportionately affected by systems of inequality and oppression. It works towards building impartial and unbiased systems in society.

Some specific aims of Black Lives Matter are:

Fighting state-sanctioned discrimination against Black communities
Organizing local efforts that contribute to Black empowerment
Changing discriminatory systems in criminal justice systems
Abolishing police violence and brutality

Black Lives Matter is a significant movement in the world today. It was one of the first movements to utilize social media to mobilize people all over the world. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter became both platform and organization tool to contribute to all the action that took place offline. Since it began, the movement has influenced legislation, toppled corrupt politicians, improved housing, healthcare and education, and demanded justice for victims of police violence and discriminatory legal systems.

People all over the world and in Singapore have become a lot more sensitive to and aware of racial issues and systemic discrimination that seep into the most egalitarian societies. We all look forward to a world where racism no longer exists and men and women can live in true harmony with one another.

How to Discuss LGBTQ Issues With Your Child

Nadya Sharfina · April 5, 2023 · Leave a Comment

“Open conversations on sensitive topics are opportunities to teach kids about the value of empathy and respect for others.”

Young people often learn about gender identity and LGBTQAI+ issues through friends, at school, or the media before ever discussing it with their parents. Many of the terms may be confusing to understand and easy to misinterpret. Unlike in the recent past, acceptance, and inclusivity preached by other youth are becoming the norm rather than the exception. Most kids however would still benefit from open conversations with their parents on the topic. Every parent wants the best for their children. However, providing support is not always easy, particularly if you are the parent of an LGBTQ child.

Understanding LGBTQ and Sexual Orientation

The letter “LGBTQ” is generally used to describe sexual orientation. This acronym is an abbreviation for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (or questioning)”

The term “transgender” refers to gender identity, and not sexual orientation. Gender refers to whether a person is male or female. Transgender people may have one gender’s body but believe they are of the opposite gender.

Meanwhile, sexual orientation refers to a person’s emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to another person. There are various types of sexual orientation, such as:

Heterosexual

Males are romantically and physically attracted to heterosexual females, and heterosexual females are romantically and physically attracted to heterosexual males. Heterosexuals are often referred to as “straight.”

Homosexual

People who are romantically and physically attracted to people of the same gender.

Bisexual

People who are romantically and physically attracted to people of both sexes.

Asexual

People who are not interested in sex, sexual feelings, or desires.

Create a Safe and Nurturing Environment

The first step towards discussing LGBTQ issues is to create a safe and nurturing environment where your children can express their opinions on the topic, free of judgment. Your child may have noticed that LGBTQ children in their school may face sexual orientation discrimination at school, or even within their own families. If your child is confused or has questions about his or her identity and orientation as well, it is incredibly important that understanding and support come from you as the parent.

The next step is to have meaningful conversations on LGBTQ issues about gender identity and sexual orientation. You could start by simply asking them how they identify or what makes them feel comfortable. You can also discuss topics such as LGBTQ history and current events, which will help kids understand the cultural aspects of being LGBTQ in today’s society.

It is essential to remind LGBTQ children that everyone is unique and that it is acceptable for people to express themselves in whatever way feels natural and comfortable to them. Remind them that exploring gender identity and sexual orientation is an ongoing journey and that they do not need to rush into any opinions or decisions.

Educate Yourself and Remain Open-Minded

Parents should also educate themselves on the subject of gender and sexual orientation. Be open-minded and willing to learn because children who identify as LGBTQ may face issues that are unique to their experience.

There are numerous excellent resources available online and offline to help you better understand LGBTQ identities and experiences. Here are a few examples:

Books

Family Pride by Michael Shelton: This book is about what LGBTQ families should know about navigating home, school, and neighbourhood safety. It is a great book emphasizing community safety for queer families and allies.

Love Comes First by Bradford Kolb, MD, FACOG & Melinda Maerker: This book is about LGBTQ families’ inspiring stories. This also includes expert advice on raising LGBTQ children, ranging from adoption to surrogacy, a tour of biology, and the latest reproductive medicine technologies from an LGBTQ perspective.

This is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids by Dannielle Owens-Reid and Kristin Russo: Written in a simple Q&A format. The authors have extensive experience answering parents’ numerous questions and providing insight and guidance on emotional and practical issues.

YouTube

Queer Kid Stuff: This channel provides LGBTQ and social justice media to children and families. They produce videos, podcasts, newsletters, and various other media.

Shame Proof Parenting: Mercedes Samudio is a best-selling author, speaker, and parent coach. In this episode, she speaks with John Sovec about how to support a child who identifies as LGBTQ and helps teens and parents navigate the process of coming out.

Powered by Rainbows: Every week, this channel offers LGBTQ videos that include highly researched classes, documentaries, interviews with experts and activists, and so many more.

Communities / Organizations (Singapore based)

The T Project: This is Singapore’s first and only social service that caters to the needs of the transgender community. The T Project runs a transgender women’s shelter, a community center, counseling services, and trans reading materials.

Sayoni: The organization was founded in 2006 by six women from diverse backgrounds to empower queer women, including lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women. The volunteer-led organization based in Singapore believes that everyone can help improve the lives of the LGBTQ+ community.

The Purple Alliance: This is a safe space that promotes the well-being of LGBTQA people. It gives them the ability to share their stories and provides them with the resources they require.

Parents should be aware of any LGBTQ-related activities that children may be interested in attending (such as LGBTQ pride festivals or LGBTQ-focused events at schools) and support participation if they feel comfortable doing so. You could also Introduce kids to movies and other forms of media that feature LGBTQ characters or themes. Doing so will give children exposure to the issues and stories surrounding the topic.

Respect Your LGBTQ Child’s Privacy

Remember that the gender identity and sexual orientation of LGBTQ children are private matters. It is critical to remind your child to respect others’ privacies as well as protect your LGBTQ child’s privacy and not reveal any personal information about them without their consent. This includes not discussing LGBTQ issues with other family members or friends without the child’s permission. Parents should be aware that their children may be reluctant to discuss their gender identity or sexual orientation in public.

Family Rejection

The rejection of LGBTQ children by their own families is a tragedy that has been going on for far too long. This heartbreaking situation can leave deep emotional scars and lead to devastating consequences, such as drug addiction, depression, and self-harming behavior, including suicide attempts.

While this problem is often attributed to the children themselves, it is rooted in society’s attitude towards LGBTQ children and how parents internalize those attitudes. In many cases, the shame caused by parental disapproval can be so great that parents will reject their children instead of embracing them.

When engaging children in dialogue, be sure to let your children know that you support them unconditionally and that you are always there for them if they ever need anything.

Are Wars Still Being Fought in the World Today?

Rebecca Samuel · April 5, 2023 · Leave a Comment

"Historians believe that the reason for this war arose most likely due to conflict over resources, as these were the times in which agriculture was taking the place of hunting and gathering."

Are Wars Still Being Fought in the World Today? Sadly, the answer to that question is yes, they have been going on ever since the first recorded war between the forces of Sumer and Elam in Mesopotamia in 2700BC. Historians believe that the reason for this war arose most likely due to conflict over resources, as these were the times in which agriculture was taking the place of hunting and gathering. This brings us to an age old question. Why do wars start in the first place?

Common reasons for war:

To effect change in a nation’s government
Disagreements over territory
Disagreements over resources
Religion
Race or Culture
Revenge

There have been conflicts amongst humans ever since, well, humans existed! Throughout history, great leaders have either been lauded for being brave and skilled at the art of war or praised for being able to keep their nations peaceful and prosperous. Millions of -mostly men- have died due to war however, and not always to a noble cause. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, war is the “state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations.”

Today, in order for a war to be termed a war, some factors have to be taken into consideration:

Fatalities are from battle related deaths as well as deaths of civilians who are intentionally targeted.
It must consist of armed force between 2 or more organized armed groups, whether governmental or non-governmental.

War in Afghanistan

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan. The Taliban government lost control. From there, they have actively revolted against the U.S.-backed government in Kabul, international forces, as well as Afghan national security forces.

To date, the Taliban carries out suicide attacks in major cities. For more than four years the war has been deadlocked. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) continue to fight but suffer heavy casualties. In 2018, 10,993 civilian casualties were recorded, with the UN documenting 3,804 deaths and 7,189 injuries. The total UN-documented civilian casualties since 2010 is now at more than 100,000.

War in Yemen

Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when Houthi insurgents took control of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a. They demanded that fuel prices be lowered and that a new government come into power. They seized the presidential palace in January 2015, which led to the resignation of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government. From March 2015, Saudi Arabia and various other gulf states imposed economic isolation and air strikes against the Houthi insurgents, with the support of the U.S.

The civilian casualty toll has exceeded 15,000 killed or injured. At the time of writing, twenty-two million Yemenis remain in desperate need of urgent aid, while eight million people are at risk of famine. A cholera outbreak has affected over one million people. The conflict today continues to destroy the lives of Yemeni civilians, effectively rendering Yemen as the place with the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

The Dark Legacy of Pol Pot’s Terror Reign

Nadya Sharfina · February 27, 2023 · Leave a Comment

"Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million to 3 million people in what has been referred to as The Killing Fields."

Pol Pot was one of history’s most notorious dictators, ruling Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 during the Cambodian Genocide. During his reign, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million to 3 million people in what has been referred to as ‘The Killing Fields’, where millions of Cambodians were forced to work in the countryside without mercy – suffering from starvation, dehydration, exhaustion and illness.

His rule ended when Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia in 1979. He fled and lived out much of his remaining years on the Cambodian border with Thailand. In 2001, a tribunal was established by the Cambodian government to try leaders of the Khmer Rouge but Pol Pot evaded justice due to his death in 1998.

This article takes a look at Pol Pot’s rise and fall – from political beginnings until his ultimate demise – to explore how such a dark period could have ever occurred.

Pol Pot’s Early Years

Photo by the Guardian

Pol Pot was born Saloth Sar on May 19th, 1925 in Prek Sbauv village near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He was the eighth of nine children born to relatively prosperous parents. He attended a Buddhist monastery as a child and later studied radio technology. He adopted the name “Pol Pot” which means ‘brother number one’ or ‘great brother’ – an homage to his leadership role within the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK).

Pol Pot’s Ideology and Political Beginning

Pol Pot began his political career as a student in Paris in the late 1940s, where he was introduced to communism and Marxist–Leninist ideology. He was a fervent supporter of Marxist ideology and believed in the need for Cambodia’s economic, social, and political transformation. During this time, Pol Pot developed a vision of a utopian society based on agrarian communism, where Cambodia would be transformed into a self-sufficient, egalitarian society. Pol Pot’s commitment to Marxism would soon lead him back to Cambodia, where he aimed to put his ideas into practice.

He returned to Cambodia in 1953 and joined the communist movement that had recently formed in the country. His platform was heavily influenced by Marxist-Leninist thinking, advocating for socialist policies such as nationalization, collectivization, and an agricultural economy. In addition to implementing Marxist policies in Cambodia, Pol Pot also sought to create solidarity between neighbouring countries that shared similar communist ideals.

The Cambodian Genocide and Its Victims

Photo by Sam D’Cruz on Adobe Stock

In 1960, Pol Pot and other members of CPK had become increasingly influential in Cambodian politics, eventually taking control of the government in 1975 with Pol Pot’s appointment as Prime Minister. During the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror with Pol Pot firmly at its head, they implemented ‘Year Zero’ policies which included forced labor camps for those perceived as traitors or enemies of the regime. This led to what has become known as ‘The Killing Fields’. This was one of the darkest times in modern history with an estimated 1.5 million to 3 million people reported dead from execution, starvation, overwork, and torture.

This genocide was primarily seen as Pol Pot’s attempt at creating a pure agrarian society by forcibly removing educated city dwellers and people of different nationalities from Cambodia. Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge forces were responsible for committing most of these atrocities. This was one of the most devastating genocides in human history.

The Fall of Pol Pot and Legacy

Photo by Nastya Tepikina on Adobe Stock

Pol Pot’s rule ended abruptly when Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia in 1979. He eventually died in 1998 under mysterious circumstances. It is widely believed that he died from natural causes. However, some historians suggest that he might have committed suicide or been poisoned since he was supposedly going to be turned over to Cambodian officials to face justice for his crimes.

The legacy of Pol Pot is one of tragedy and horror. His rule was marked by extreme violence, oppressive policies, and mass executions that killed millions. He had no remorse for his actions as evidenced by his final interview where he denied any involvement in the genocide despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. His death ended a dark period in history but left behind countless victims who were scarred physically and emotionally from their experiences during Pol Pot’s time as a leader of Cambodia. The world should never forget what happened under Pol Pot’s regime, so we can ensure nothing like this ever happens again.