WHOs problems should be solved FAST!

After reading all of my classmates' blogs, checking each for their country's struggle for Human Rights, I have decided which countries should have their issues sloved first. The list will only contain 10 coutries but, there are 26-28 countries that I have examined, but only 10 I will choose to nominate to the council of students to be voted for, so that their issue is solved.

The list of 10 coutries that I will nominate to be vited upon by the council of student are the following:

1.Adriana's Blog : Blog On Tibet
Link: Blog On Tibet
I chose to nominate this blog because it explains the constant struggles of Tibet with China trying to take over and how China wants Tibet to be a part of them. But, it also explains how Tibetans consider themselves independent from China and how they wish to be treatd as iondep[endent people and how they do not wan to be consider a part of China. These is a struggle that has been hapening for a long time now but still, the Tibetans DO NOT GIVE UP!

2.Karolina's Blog: ...about Ivory Coast
Link: ...about Ivory Coast
I chose this blog to be nominated because the situation there sounds really bad. What she states in her blog is true, if justice takes a stand against Gbagbo, then he MAY take action or revenge, making the citizens even more scared because he is practically capable of anything.

3.Angelica's Blog: Sudan
Link: Sudan 
I chose this blog because yeah, many countires due suffer from Government racist acts but, in Sudan, something seemed different. The people are actually scared, they feel powerless. This is someting that should be fixed becase the government is supposed to represent the country and its people, not be against the pople and out to destroy the country.

4.Miguel's Blog: Miguel's Human Rights Blog ;)
Link: Miguel's Human Rights Blog ;)
Miguel does a great job explaining his human rights issues. Corruption in the police, the people that are supposed to protect the people, is nothing to be joking about. This is a serious matter that can/is/and will affect people forever unless solved.

5.Sarah's Blog: Honduras
Link: Honduras
The problem of the killing of transgendered is something that is really serious. People are being denied their right to live because of WHO they are. This can't keep going on! If this keeps going on, people will then loose their freedom and fear to be who they are just so that they wont be killed.

6.Yamilette's Blog: "We cannot escape history" -Abraham Lincoln
Link: "We cannot escape history" - Abraham Lincoln
Even as a guy, I find it unfair that women don't have the same rights as men.

7.Lizbedy's Blog: A Bit About Indonesia
Link: A Bit About Indonesia
Religious rights is something that should be respected. Here, this is not happening. This is something that should be changed because people have the right to believe in what they want to!

8.Natalia V's Blog: It's Time To Change
Link: It's Time To Change
Problems within a country are no laughing matter. People live in fear, wondering when they will be the next victims of these Guerrillas.

9.John's Blog: Trains. Streets. Houses.
Link: Trains. Streets. Houses. 
Women in India are also being discriminated against. I really can't believe that mother abort when they find out that they will be having a baby girl!

10.Heidi's Blog: -ORDEM E PROGRESSO 

Link: -ORDEM E PROGRESSO 

Problems with the police is no joke. It is something that needs to be solved. People can't live in fear knowing that they can't live in a safe environment due to the police. 

HELP! : Aiuto!

A way to stop racism in Italy? 

Something that can for sure be done is look for a better government. A good government is supposed to represent the people in their country yet, the government in Italy doesn't. It seems to favor Italians as well... If the representative of the people of a country are in no favor, what so ever, of them (people suffering from racism), how can they expect to be helped when the time comes. For instance, when they are victims of acts of racism, of hate.... 

Racism is something that will never be abolished, unfortunately. But, with a strong community and a helping hand, it CAN be reduced. The U.N. (United Nations), can be that helping hand! They have the power to do many things! They represent THE WORLD! I am sure that if the U.N. is in favor of helping Italy change, they can make a difference. But, the people in Italy have to be up for the change. We can't force people to change. It is practically racism, not accepting people how they are... But, WE CAN AND WE MUST! Italy doesn't need money, or refugee assistance, no, they need supporters! Those people wanting to make a change can't do it on their own!

The U.N. can be a guide, to help get Italy back on track. To many, racism isn't such a big deal but, to other, like the people suffering due to racism, it is a huge deal. We may think that it is not important, we tend to think that because WE are not the ones suffering. We have to help, the U.N. has to help. We must make Italy beautiful on the outside and the inside. We must make it have beautiful architecture and amazing food and scenery, but we must also help it have beautiful people, the heart of the city. Italy with no people would be like a person with no soul. What distinguishes a country form other is not what food they have or what they believe in, no, it's the people that inhabit there, the ones that make the city come to live. For instance, take Puerto Rico. If we took out all the people, P.R. would be nothing less than a small country. But, if we add back the people, P.R. would shine, flourish. It would become this amazing city, filled with people dancing, sharing what we all have in common, our latin blood and flavor. If you take the people out of Italy, it would still have the colosseum and what not but, it won't have that special thing that make everything come to life! 

On the inside, we are equals. Many of us share the same interest. Just because some of use may be black or white, Latin or American, Mexican or Italian, doesn't mean we must hate each other. It's all the way around, we should find interest in each other, to see how we are so different, to see how we can learn new things! A country with racism is a country with no sky, people feel restraint, as if only the roof of their houses is the limit because they are constantly brought down on the way to the sky, to reach their dreams.... 

I find it illogical that something WITH NO MEANING can affect a person IN EVERY WAY...  

HELP ITALY BECOME BEAUTIFUL, INSIDE AND OUT!    

Just Because I am NOT Italian : Solo Perché Non Sono Italiano

When we all think of Italy, what is the firs thing that comes to mind? Is it the colosseum, the leaning tower of Pisa, the scenery, the food, wine, etc.? We tend to think about the good things we KNOW about. When someone visits Italy, what do they expect? A loving place filled with wonderful sophisticated people? A place to relax? The answer to these questions is simple, just like our minds are when it comes to these questions....

I am pretty sure that most of the people didn't know about the ongoing racist "war" that us taking place in Italy. Why do I put quotations around the word < war >? Simple. There is not war taking place. I am just using the word as a metaphor to explain what people in Italy go through. Did you know that in Italy, racist has reached an all time high, with people being discriminated more and more EACH DAY. The sad thing about it is that the government is taking no action against it. Makes it seem as if they are ok with what is happening in their country doesn't it. Makes us think that they are IN FAVOR of the act of racism against others. read the following exert from an article whose link will be posted.

"Since 2008, the government of Silvio Berlusconi, in coalition with the openly anti-immigrant Northern League party, has adopted “emergency” decrees to facilitate strong-handed measures against undocumented migrants and Roma and Sinti; passed legislation to make undocumented entry and stay in Italy crimes; and attempted to impose harsher penalties for crimes committed by undocumented migrants than by citizens and legal residents. Berlusconi argued in January 2010 that “a reduction in [the number of] foreigners in Italy means fewer people to swell the ranks of criminals.” 

Doesn't it make it seem that the problem of violence in Italy is cause by foreigners? That if it wasn't for the illegal immigrants Italy wouldn't be having as much problems?

"A study conducted by Sapienza University of Rome during the first half of 2008 found that only 26 out of 5,684 television news stories about immigrants did not relate to crime or security issues – a statistic Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, called “stunning” following a March 2010 visit to Italy. Television is the main source of news for 80 percent of the Italian population."

Mostly everyone sees the news on the TV every evening. It is one of the main information center in the country. It get people thinking doesn't it? Most of the people believe what they see in the news every evening. If bad propaganda is being broadcasted everyday, won't people start believing what they hear about the immigrants?

"She told Human Rights Watch that other mothers complain to her, “I only see black, everyone’s African now. They get a place for their kids in the local daycare center and I don’t.” A young man said to her, “Romanians have stealing in their DNA. I work with a Romanian, but at night, we’re enemies. If I see him, I beat him up.” Chiara was talking to a Moroccan friend on the bus when another passenger yelled at her, “If you talk to them, they’ll never leave!” A Romanian friend of hers bought himself a bicycle so he could avoid the regular insults that came with riding the bus. She said the guard at the supermarket told her daughter to stay close “because there were gypsies about who steal kids.”

This exert was stated by a Chiara, an italian woman who views the potential of racist violence in her daily routine. Many people in Italy not only are witness to these horrible threats, they are victims. Unfortunately, the government does nothing to stop these hate crimes. They are supposed to promote equality among the people, support causes to help everyone get along in a united nation yet, they do nothing to stop these racist acts. It makes it seem that they are in favor of the acts doesn't it? It seems as if they are also racist against those people. They then dare to call Italy a "not racist country." I am in no power to judge a country, especially if I haven't been through what is supposedly happening but, after reading this, my opinion about Italy has changed. We are all so intrigued by how fascinating Italy is to us, the foreigners or tourists but, tot eh people actually living in Italy, especially non-italians or italians from decent of different countries, it is hard.

--> All the information about Italy's racism and how measures are being taken were found in this link :
      Italy's Racism: Summary

People in Italy are being killed just because they are not Italian. The following exert is an example of what people in Italy are going through...

"In February 2009, two adults and a 16-year-old attacked an Indian man in Nettuno, near Rome, beating him and then dousing him with gasoline and setting him on fire. All three were convicted without the aggravating circumstance of racial motivation."

--> For more actual racist acts against the people in Italy visit this link :
      Racist Acts in Italy

Now, the country has started to take measures against racist crimes. yet, even though they have taken a step forward to becoming a equal country, they still minimize the government still minimizes the problem and keep blaming the immigrants for their issues between the people.

-->For more information on the states response on the acts of racism visit this link :
     State Response: Italy

I think that we should care about this problem because it is affecting the lives of human beings. They are messing with peoples emotions, making them feel as if they are less just because they are not Italian. We, as human beings with feelings, should know that these people suffer. Just because they, maybe, not show what they feel on the outside, doesn't mean they don't suffer on the inside. Think of this... Would YOU like to live in a place where you are un-welcomed, where you are tortured on the daily basis, where you have to constantly be thinking about if you will be the next victim of a racist crime? I think that all of these question have a simple answer... NO! We have to care because it is not fair that those people, innocent people, are loosing their lives for being "different."

The human rights article that is not being followed is the Article 2, which states that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Sfondo d'Italia : Italy's Background

Italy has been changed or influenced by many invaders that established colonies in land, making Italians adapt new forms of performing simple and complex tasks. Different things that have occurred are still occurring have changed Italy. Its history stretches back over long periods of time.

Italy was mostly dominated by the Etruscans (9th century), until they were overthrown by the Roman Empire (3rd century). After this, Most of Italy was under the control of the Romans. For many centuries, the history of Italy was the same as the one of the Romans, until they were overthrown by the barbarian invasions (4th and 5th centuries). Form this point one, the Holy Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Pope, the Normans, and the Saracens have fought to rule different areas of Italy. Many city-states then flourished by the late Middle Ages. Even though Italy remained politically in fragmented, it became the cultural center of the Western World for many centuries.

Italy's history includes a wide variety of health issues, the first being the "Black Plague," which arrived at Europe on 1347. The next major outbreak of disease in Europe occurred in 1495 when French troops in Naples began showing signs of what is now known as "Syphilis." A major disease that broke out was one now called as the "Influenza" or "La Grippe," as it is known in P.R. Every country that had people with this disease blamed it on their neighboring country. On 1979, a mysterious disease broke out known as the "Dark Disease,"which then was classified as an incurable disease. It was said that the disease was a respiratory disease and is considered deadly for infants under 1 year old. In January 2001, the first case of "Mad Cow Disease" was discovered. In 2005, another woman died of the same disease and it was said that she got infected by eating contaminated beef, but it was unsure because the doctors did not know if the patient had eaten the meat in Italy or while traveling. These are only some of the most recognized diseases that have been discovered in Italy.

Poverty in Italy also is something that really stands out. In the1998, the amount of people living in Poverty in Italy included 2,558,000 families, this being 7,423,000 million individuals. This number may seem a lot, mostly because it is but, by the end of the 1980's, the number of people living in poverty was higher. This number represents 14 percent of the population. The contrast between the North and South side of Italy is very noticeable and the difference between both sides continues to increase. To help those in need, the states provides simple necessities that include housing, water, health care, and education.

Several presidents have taken office throughout Italy's history, helping it to overcome struggles and form the country into what it is today. These are the 11 presidents that Have ruled the Italian Republic:

1. Enrico de Nicola: (January 1st, 1948- May 12, 1948) Gained Power after fascism ended. Was elected as one of the nominees to govern and won with 80% of the votes. During his reign, he had to step down claiming health issues. 
2. Luigi Einaudi: (May 12, 1948- May 11, 1955) Was the second President of the Italian Republic. Was a member of many cultural, economic and university institutions and supported European Federalism. 
3. Giovanni Gronchi: (May 11, 1955- May 11, 1962) It was marked by the ambition to bring about a gradual “opening to the left”, whereby the Socialists and the Communist Party would be brought back into the national government, and Italy would abandon NATO, becoming a non-aligned country.
4. Antonio Segni: (May 11, 1962- December 6, 1964) Segni was a moderate conservative opposed to "opening to the centre-left" enabling coalition governments between the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) and the Christian Democrats.
5. Guiseppe Saragat: (December 29, 1964- December 29, 1971) Was an Italian Christian Democratic politician who served as the 32nd Prime Minister of Italy. He was also President of the European Parliament after the death of Alcide De Gasperi.
6. Giovanni Leone: (December 29, 1971- June 25, 1978) He was forced to resign from his position following his involvement in the Lockheed Bribery Scandal. 
7. Alessandro Pertini: (July 9, 1978- June 29, 1985) He had strong beliefs and was physically beaten by Fascist squads on several occasions, but never lost faith in his ideals.
8. Francesco Cossiga: (July 3, 1985- April 28, 1992)He started his political career during World War II. It was not until his last two years as President that Cossiga began to express some unusual opinions regarding the Italian political system. He opined that the Italian parties, especially the DC (his own party) and Italian Communist Party, had to take into account the deep changes brought about by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.
9. Oscar Luigi Scalfaro: (May 25, 1992- May 15, 1999) Was a member of the Christian Democratic party and was voted as to be a part of the senate for life.
10. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi: (May 18,1999- May 15, 2006) He would often addressed general issues, without mentioning their connection to the current political debate, in order to state his opinion without being too intrusive.
11. Giorgio Napolitano: (May 15, 2006- Present(2011)) He became the first ex-communist elected to be the President of the Italian Republic. He came out of retirement to accept.

Enrico de Nicola

Luigi Einaudi

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi

Giorgio Napolitano

For more information visit this links:

-->Italian History
-->Poverty
-->Health Issues Time Line : *Just click on the links provided on the description to go directly to the articles.*
--> Health Issues  
                                        

Cultura d'Italia : Culture of Italy

Despite the differences that may exist among Italians, something that they all share is their culture and heritage. This is something they really cherish, appreciate and should really be proud to pass on to the next generation. 

History: 

Italian culture first started to develop during the Renaissance, a period of time that really marked and changed the people in Italy, making them expand their creativity and imagination, something that has been portrayed for many years in famous Italian artworks. Sculptures, architecture, art, music, science, language, literature, sports, and philosophy all expanded their horizons during this time. 

Italian culture is one that is recognized around the world, including famous writings, great paintings, sculptures and architecture of the great Renaissance masters, works by the amazing Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Also including the music of Rossini, Verdi, and Puccini.  But, Italy's culture is not all in the past, Italy's culture is now thriving in cinema, fashion, design, and engineering. The following explains how certain fields became more diverse during the Renaissance.

1. Poetry:

• New forms of poetry were first introduced in the Renaissance, these being "Sonnets." These were first introduced by the famous Italian poet Petrarch, then being adapted by the famous Shakespeare, who went on to write 154 sonnets during his career.

     2. Art:

• Various styles of art are composed in Italy, two of them being Sculptures and Paintings. Italy is home to some of the greatest artists that have ever lived. This include the following: 

Michelangelo 

   

Leonardo da Vinci 

Titan 

Raphael Sanzio

    

     3. Science and Technology:

• These fields were first developed by the amazing Galileo Galilei's theory of astronomy. 

All of these major changes only occurred during a period of time, the Renaissance, but still today, they are all in constant change with new advances in science and technology and new art methods. 

Food: 

Traditional Italian food includes pasta, salami, pizza and ice cream. It also includes olives, pesto and Sicilian Caponata, as well as fresh fish and meat. Fruits and vegetables are bursting with freshness. They have unique tastes and smell. 

Their food is something that is known and loved globally. Almost every city in the world has an Italian restaurant. Many supermarkets are filled with Italian delicacies (ingredients, spices, etc.), including tomatoes, fresh cheese and meats to pasta, tomato sauce and of course, pizza. Italian food is simple to make and made only with fresh ingredients thats are grown seasonally. 

Wine: 

Wine production has been influenced by the Greeks, Etruscans and Romans. This has been taking place for many centuries now, developing techniques of wine production and storage (aging). Now, Italy is considered one of the best wine producers in the world, next to France. Apart from producing most of the wine in the world, they consume most of the wine in the world. Italy offers the a wide variation of wine, including more than 2,400 different styles. 

Music:

Italian music is the perfect blend between light and heave metallic songs. To reach this, it has been diversifying for many centuries. Many artists have taken this music to a whole new level, these including the following: 

  

1. Eros Ramazzotti 
2. Laura Pausini
3. Rita Pavone
4. Bob Dylan 
5. Adriano Calentano 
6. Andrea Bocelli 

Music is something that can be interpreted differently but still understood in every culture. Different styles or genres of Italian music include: 

1. Classical music (Opera, Sacred music, Instrumental music, Ballet) 
2. Hip Hop
3. Jazz
4. Rock 
5. Folk Music 

Language:

Italian is one of the worlds more romantic and melodic languages. It is also one of the languages that many people desire to learn. Something interesting about this language is that it actually tells the story, or history, of Italy itself, as well the as the story of the unification of the Italian people. 

Etiquette: 

Now this, this is something that is taken very seriously in Italy. They have ways of dressing, eating, meeting people, and gift giving.

1. Dressing:  

• For business, men and women are both expected to "dress to impress."
•  Men are expected to wear dark colored suites and women are expected to wear business suites or conservative dresses.
•  Elegant accessories are important for both males and females. 

     2. Meeting People: 

• Greetings are formal.
•  Usually shake hands and make eye contact with strangers. 
• If you are on relationship basis, air-kiss on both cheeks, starting with the left cheek, and a pat on the back for men. 
• Wait until invited to move to first name basis.
•  Italians are very strict with greetings and first impressions so it is important to act proper. 

     3. Gift Giving: 

• Do not give chrysanthemums for they are used in funerals. 
• Do not give red flowers for they indicate secrecy.
• Do not give yellow flowers for they indicate jealousy.
• If you bring wine to a party, make sure it is vintage, quality, not quantity. 
• Do not wrap gifts in black, for it is a traditional mourning color. 
• Do not wrap gifts in purple, for it is a sign of bad luck. 
• Gifts are usually opened when received.

     4.   Eating (Dinning):

           If invited to an Italians home:

• If the invitation says informal when it comes to clothing, still dress stylish (jacket and tie for men and elegant dress for women). 
• Punctuality is not mandatory. You may arrive 15 minutes late to a dinner and 30 minutes to a party. 
• If you are invited to a meal, bring a wrapped gift, it being chocolates or wine. 
• If you are invited to dinner and want to give flowers, have them sent that day. 

 For more information try visiting some of this links:

--> Culture of Italy 
--> Life in Italy

--> Italy- language, culture, customs and etiquette 
--> Understanding Italy 

Introduzione di Italia : Introduction to Italy

Italy, known for its amazing food and scenery, is located in the South of Europe. It is a peninsula that extends into the center of the Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia, a country located on the northern side of Africa. Italy can quickly be identified by its boot like shape. Its climate is mostly Alpine in the North and dry in the south. 

It includes a population of 61, 016, 804. Its major cities with their population are: 

Rome (capital) 3.357 million people;

Milan, 2.962 million; 

Naples, 2.27 million;

Turin, 1.662 million;

Palermo, 872,000.

Italy has a Republic government. Italia's legal system is based on the civil law system. Its suffrage or voting rights are of 18 years old, both men and women, but, when it comes to senatorial elections, citizens must be 25 years old. An important holiday that has been celebrated in Italy is Republic Day (June 2), founded on 1946.

Its birth rate is 9.18 for every 1,000 Italians. Its death rate is similar, being 9.84 out of every 1,000 Italians. The life expectancy for Italians is 80 years, last checked on 2010. 26% of the population is below the national poverty line. 

 90% of the population is Roman Catholic and the other 10% percent includes Protestants and Jewish people. Also a growing Muslim community is included. Four different languages are spoken amongst the people: Italian, the countries official language, German, French, and Slovene. The entire population share the same ethnicity, Italian, including French-, German-, Slovene-, Albanian-, and Greek-Italians throughout the country. 

 8.4% of the population is unemployed. The country features a variety of industries including: tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, and ceramics. The communication systems are telephone systems, broadcasts, and internet. For italians to serve in the military, they must be 18-27 years of age. Women can also join the military and may serve in any branch (air force, navy, etc.) 10 months of service are obligatory.

Due to Italy's large coastline and developed economy, tens of thousands of illegal immigrants form Southern-Europe and northern Africa arrive. Italy is also an important gateway for consumers of Latin American cocaine and South Asian heroin. 

For more more precise information on Italy visit CIA World FactBook or visit Italy Basic Facts

Benvenuti nel mio blog :: Welcome to my blog

Ho iniziato questo blog solo perché abbiamo avuto anche, come un incarico per la mia Storia del Mondo Classe 2, l'assegnazione è quello di aprire un blog dedicato a di un paese. Dato ste chiamo ora studiando i diritti umani, dobbiamo scrivere il blog come se fossimo un rappresentante delle Nazioni Unite, spiegando problema del nostro paese e perché dovrebbe essere risolto immediatamente. Alla fine, siamo a presentare una proposta che spiega come possiamo portare la questione ad una fermata. In un primo momento, non ero proprio in esso, ma poi, ho preso come una esperienza de apprendimento perché la maggior parte dei miei antenati sono italiani. Così, ho deciso di dare un colpo, forse imparerò qualcosa di eccitante e sorprendente! Vediamo come va.... ENJOY! 
*I started this blog only because we had too, as an assignment for my World History 2 class, the assigment being to start a blog dedicated to a country. Since we are now studying human rights, we have to write the blog as if we are a United Nations representative, explaining our country's problem and why they should be solved immediately. At the end, we are to present a proposal explaining how we can bring this issue to a halt. At first, I wasn't really into it but then, I took it as a learning experience because most of my ancestors are Italian. So, I decided to give it a shot, maybe i'll learn something exciting and amazing! Lets see how it goes.... ENJOY!*