"Finals Week is over and 2011 is the single most active year of my life."

To say that 2011 was an active year is actually a huge understatement. It is hard for me to think it has only been a year since I was sitting in my Senior Seminar class and Dr. Brooks put Al Jazeera on the projector to show us the Egypt riots in January. So much has happened this year both good and bad. Revolutions, wars, dead terrorists, protests, economic collapses, and so on. It blows my mind that the year I (finally) become a full fledged adult, the entire world changes. Of course, this post is inspired by the recent announcement of, the 'Dear Leader,' Kim Jong-Il's death. As much good as could come out of all of these occurrences, there are a lot of problems that could arise.

Left to Right: Osama bin Laden, Moummar Gadhafi, and Kim Jong-il. All have passed in the past year.

I picked the 'oh

crap faces.'

In 2011, we have seen three major oppressors pass away, some by normal means, some by not some normal means. The first was Osama bin Laden, who fell victim to SEAL Team 6 on the order of President Obama. He now rests in a watery grave to avoid major issues in relation to what country would take him and to follow his religious beliefs. Following him was Moummar Gadhafi, who was brutally beaten and killed by his own people. And just yesterday, Kim Jong-il was announced dead of a heart attack. He will be buried on December 28th. Each of these men have committed horrendous human rights violations and oppressed their people immensely (if they rule a people).

My personal favorite picture of the Arab Spring Revolutions

The Arab Spring of January is still going on now in December. Every Middle Eastern country has been effected regardless of whether there has been open revolt. Egypt and Tunisia started the chain reaction, but both are still without stable governments. Egypt is still dealing with violent treatment of protestors. A female protestor was recently dragged, partially disrobed, and beaten brutally in Tahrir Square. Does that sound like progress yet? Several other countries have yet to displace the leaders, but have been violently repressed by the leaders instead. For example, President Bashir Assad in Syria, who is even being sanctioned by the Arab League, has been ordering shooting at protestors and other horrible violent acts in his country. The stories are much the same in Yemen and Bahrain. Violent putdowns, but continued protest. I hope that the people continue until they get what they want be that democracy or not.

This is the picture that brought Occupy Wall Street to the forefront of United States news this year. These women had just been pepper sprayed in the face by police officers during their peaceful protest. Occupy Wall Street swept the country and inspired break offs in many of the countries major cities and on many college campuses. The Occupy Movement is the most free and diverse protest movement that has hit the streets in the United States in years and it has shed light on some real problems with the way that the US handles protests. There have been multiple occasions of police brutality like the one pictured. Pepper spraying people who were not threatening them at all, brutal arrests involving the tackling of people to the ground, clearing of tent cities and removal of protestors from the areas they had occupied for reasons like their health and the freedom of other people to use these areas. It is a tell that the United States is not quite as different from all the other countries in the world as it thinks it is.

2011 has been full of natural disasters. More than any year before (in my lifetime). The Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami, the Joplin Tornado, Hurricane Irene, fires, earthquakes on the US East Coast, and many others. People have died and been displaced more than ever this year by Mother Nature. I witnessed the East Coast Earthquake and though it was not of any huge intensity, it was not something that we are used to and it knocked out all the phone lines throughout the area. My roommate was in Japan during the Earthquake/Tsunami and it was terrifying to all involved. It destroyed much of northern Japan and heavily affected the entire country. Emergency crews have been constantly on the move due to these to try to return some normalcy to areas that had it forcibly ripped away. It will be a long haul for many of the people affected by these disasters to get back to a good place.

A couple pictures depicting the economic crises in Europe.

The world economy has been messed up way before this year, but several nations have began to feel the effects and crumble under the stress. The EU has felt it the most though. Recently, both Greece and Italy have fallen into economic collapse. The EU has bailed them out with the stipulation that they restructure their government. So far Greece has done so and Italy will likely follow. Ireland has also felt the stress though its has not yet fully crumbled. Interesting enough, the situation has gotten better in the United States, where jobs have slowly begun to open up and money is moving more than the past few years.

Last, but certainly not least, the end of the War in Iraq is finally here. Though there are still over 3000 troops in Iraq, the war has officially been declared over and military pull out has commenced. After 9 years, the US is no at active war with anyone. This a happy event for many military families in the country and will bring a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannakah, Happy Kwanza, and so forth to all. It is nice to finally see a war that has lasted my entire young adult life end (it started when I was 13 and lasted past my 21st birthday). I hope this is the beginning of some period of peace.

Overall, this has been an eventful year and I hope beyond hope that it all turns out well. I worry so much that things are getting pushed and forced too quickly on people, like democracy in the Middle East, and it will only lead to more instability and violence than peace. I am not going to lie, in the past semester I have been very behind on US and World News because I have been focusing all my time to the Middle East and Lebanon in classes and interest. If there are any discrepancies that is on me and I'm sorry. If I left anything out that is why. These are the problems that stuck out for me this year and I can't say I don't worry for the future because I do, but I have hope and that is all we need for the future to turn out better than the past or present.

Trafficking Victims Treated As Criminals

In the UK, instead of sympathizing with them, the authorities have been treating human trafficking victims like criminals. Human Trafficking has been a problem in the world for centuries and often the victims are not treated with the sympathy and concessions they should to people who have been through such a traumatic experience. Lady Helena Kennedy QC investigated and found that police and immigration authorities fail to see these victims as victims because they are often brought out of the industry through criminal offenses. Trafficked people are typically forced into the work they do and are often unpaid. The authorities often treat them as part of the problem and their needs are put to the side. Obviously, there is something wrong with this picture.

The human rights involved here are security of self and safety from violence. The UK has not been taking these rights into consideration when dealing with the victims. They have already had these rights violated, why hurt them more by treating them as if they did it of their own choice. Their security of self is violated in the process of trafficking and the safety from violence can be violated either by the people trafficking them or the authorities afterwards.

Human trafficking is one of those issues in the world that saddens me more than any other. It is hard for me to understand how people could do things like what is done to these people to other human beings. And then, to treat the victims like they are the problem is just horrible. These people have been traumatized and forced into labor. They did not immigrate on their own terms and yet they are treated as if they have and are automatically deported. These people need sympathy and help once they are brought out of this system of organized crime. It just seems like it is wrong to treat them as they do in UK, and in most other countries, after they have already had such a terrible experience.

What can be done to help the UK and other countries be more understanding of the plight of the victims of human trafficking? Are they part of the problem? Is the UK in the right?

Women's Rights After the Arab Spring

The Arab Spring swept through the Middle East starting in January. Ageless authoritarian rules were toppled one by one. Men and women participated in the same numbers and with the same risk. Now two of these countries, the first two, are moving to create their new governments and women want a part in it. On Human Rights Watch, Nadya Khalife gives her perspective on women's roles in Tunisia and Egypt and what they are doing now to try and make their freedoms a reality in their homes. In Tunisia, there have been some significant steps for women, including the diminishing of the CEDAW, which restricted women's rights. Now women are operatively equal in the family and state. As long as it follows Islam. Tunisia has set a national religion, Islam, and has committed that all rights must be align with Shari'a Law. Tunisia has not seen much in allowance for female leadership in the new government, but they are still trying. In Egypt, women were some of the major pushers for the revolution. It would seem obvious that they would get representation, but it doesn't seem so. Egyptian women have dealt with verbal, physical, and sexual abuse throughout the revolution and some people are even saying that it is not the 'right time' for women's rights and equality. Only one women is part of the interim government and she was a minister under Mubarak, giving her a bad reputation to start with. There seem to be some mixed results on the issue of women's rights in the Post-Arab Spring world.

The human rights violated are pretty straightforward. The right to self determination, the right to safety from violence, and the right to equality between men and women. Women are not being given the opportunity to make their own future and decisions in these new governments. Women also should not have to worry about being harmed by their fellow protestors while marching either.

I am happy that there has been some progress in women's rights in the Middle East. Tunisia is the first to give women equal parity. Tunisian and Egyptian women voted in their elections this year. Many of them for the first time. I worry that these improvements may diminish over time with the election of the new governments. In Egypt, there was an obvious Islamist majority elected. I am not saying that Islam is not compatible with feminism, it is, but Islamists by and large tend to be very conservative in their beliefs and will shut out women entirely if they can. I only hope that I am wrong and women can gain the seat they deserve in the new governments of Tunisia and Egypt. Many of these women are my age and hoping to see their futures in a better light. I can only hope they are lucky enough to see that day.

Do you think that increases in Women's Rights will come upon the heels of the Arab Spring? Do you think that there will be a definite struggle before women will receive equality? Is it not the 'right time' for women?

UN Voices Concern Over Syrian Torture

Syria has dug itself into a whole that it may not be able to climb out of. Syria has been known for committing many human rights violations, including torture, but not excluding any others. The most recent accusation is that Syria has been involved in the torturing of children, which has caught the sight and interest of the United Nations. The Committee Against Torture has begun investigations into the accusations on Syria and what the international response should be to the problems.

In the realm of human rights this may be the most disgusting abuses I have ever encountered. The rights violated here are the right to security of person, freedom from torture and wrongful imprisonment, and right to life. On top of these, Syria is violating several human rights designated to children that are inexcusable.

I cannot justify violence against children in any theater. There is no reason because they are never in the wrong because they do not have full self determination. Syria has done nothing but violate people's rights in reaction to unrest within the country. There is obviously something very wrong with a country if the people are still trying to rise up with all this violent response coming from the government. There is a time when a government needs to understand that they need to step down for the good of their country and their people.

What do you think should be the international response to this issue? Should Syria's government step down at this point?

Egyptian Elections Lead to Violations By the Military

In the recent lead up to parliamentary elections this Monday, Egypt's military has been seen brutally breaking up peaceful protests, arresting demonstrators and bloggers, and neglecting policing operations in the country. The military has been targeting any military dissenters and either imprisoning them or informing them in a stern way that they should step back and reconsider their positions. The history of Egypt explains these occurrences because the military has been known to act in such ways in the past. Human Rights Watch only asks that they act as they said they would and protect the people and the democracy of Egypt rather than their own interests as they have promised.

The human rights violated here are the freedoms of assembly, peaceful protest, policing, wrongful imprisonment and security of self. The Egyptian military seems to have allowed the power they have to get to their head and human rights of the public have become a mute point.

The situation in Egypt has been a very interesting and sad one. The military and police have not been doing their jobs as they should and they should not be allowing the power that they currently have for the protection of the people. The military should not be acting as it is and should definitely not be limiting the freedom of assembly and speech in the position it has taken. It is presumed that the military took the side of the people and in that reality it should protect their rights and lives rather than infringe on them. The military is doing exactly what it promised not to do in taking the side of the people and helping them oust the former President and government regime.

What do you think the military should do? Are they responsible for the people and not infringing on their human rights?

Russia to Silence Homosexuals and Transexuals

Recently, legislation has come before the Russian government that would attempt to make it illegal to produce any form of written media that involved or created awareness about Gay, Lesbian, or Transgender people. President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin could silence an portion of their population by a simple approval. Several efforts are being made to make sure that this does not happen in Russia, including flashmobs, protests, and the sort, all of which could jeopardize activists' freedom.

This quite blatantly violates human rights. Freedom of speech, press, thought, and sexuality specifically. Speech, Press, and Thought all fall under the same category almost. The prohibition of any subject in media of any sort violates these immediately. Freedom of Sexuality is violated just in the act of silencing that entire section of the population. In what way is that fair to them as people?

I, personally, was surprised when this popped up on my facebook newsfeed. A friend of mine sent it to me, obviously knowing how passionate I am about this subject, earlier today and I was outraged. How could any country possibly think of censoring and whole sect of their population. What is so wrong about the subject? I do understand that this is a different country and there might be a context I don't quite have knowledge of, but it seems out of left field since Russia is supposedly considered on of the leading nations in the world (note its presence on the UN Security Council). It is unfortunate and unfair and I hope that the legislation does not pass.

Do you think that there are any grounds to censor such as this? What do you think the Russian government is trying to accomplish with this?

Are His Rights Being Infringed Too?

Welcome, to the wonderful world of Internet Memes (Fads). This one in particular is called the Pepper Spraying Cop Meme, in which Officer Pike, known for pepper spraying the peaceful Occupy UC Davis protest on November 18th, is shown pepper spraying some of our favorite art pieces. This meme has literally started over night and spread like wild fire. Officer Pike has been on indefinite leave since the incident, but, of course, someone caught everything on tape and it has now been seen by the whole world. Millions of people, including myself, have witnessed the madly increasing popularity of the meme almost instantly once it had hit Tumblr (a blogging social network). The meme seemingly originated sometime between late last night and this morning.

Does this raise issues with this man's human rights though? It is a picture of him, not something extremely anonymous, and it has been applied to hundreds of photos by now. The most clear violation of his human rights is the invasion into his privacy. His face has been plastered all over the Internet as part of a meme that may not fully express the best aspects of his character. Shouldn't he be allowed to chose whether his picture goes up on the Internet or on television? Of course, now it is on the Internet and will never go away. Also, I would then worry about his security of self, because now people know his face and can easily identify him and possibly cause him harm in retaliation.

I am no defender of the police in their action during these Occupy Wall street put downs, but I cannot help but worry about this man. He made a huge mistake, we all know that, but to put him through this type of ridicule is cruel. His children may see it, his family, the people he works with. It just does not quite seem fair. What he did was horrible and I do not excuse that at all, but that does not mean that people should lower them selves to a level where they subject someone to the most intense form of cyber bullying I can think of.

Was he asking for it? Is there any way to rectify it? What damages could this bring now that it is everywhere?