Rosa Parks (Rosa Louise McCauley Parks) was born on February 14th, 1913. She is widely regarded as 'the mother of the freedom movement'. Her most famous act was to refuse to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama for a white passenger. Her refusal sparked a civil disobedience movement that propelled not only her but also Martin Luther King, Jnr. to international fame. Rosa Parks died in 2005. She was the first woman and only the second non-government official to be buried at the Capitol Rotunda.

One of the interesting things about Rosa Parks was that although she became a leading figure in the Black Civil Rights Movement in America she was not an intellectual, a radical or a preacher. She was just a normal woman who worked as a seamstress. She said she acted as a private citizen that was 'tired of giving in'. Rosa Park's protest was one that was not based on an intellectual position but a deep seated visceral feeling of injustice. Nobody needed to tell her that black and white people should be treated equally. She knew because she felt it every day of her life. She probably hadn't read Gandhi's articles about civil disobedience. She just knew that she should protest, and that she should do so in a non-violent manner. For these reasons she has gone down in history. She represents the everyman (or everywoman) who has had enough and who will no longer toe the line.

The main issue with civil disobedience is that it is breaking the law. Many intellectuals, most notably Gandhi and Martin Luther King, have propounded the theory that it is people's duty to resist unfair laws. Because something is a law it does not make it just. This is hardly a contentious issue since man makes the laws and man is fallible. Even in the area of religion, laws can be changed. They are not carved in stone. Jesus famously broke the commandment about not working on the Sabbath stating that the laws were made for man, not man for the laws.

It is those brave people who take action against unjust laws and unjust situations who are the real guardians of democracy. Sometimes the only way the will of the people will be heard by a government is through protest. Most recently this has been the case in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. For too long the people complained but their protests fell on deaf ears. Many were imprisoned and tortured for their comments. Eventually, enough was enough and mass protests ensued. This is truly the will of the people in action and represents the true meaning of the word democracy? 'demos' meaning people and 'cracy' meaning rule.

Societies and mores are evolving. The general consensus is changing about what is acceptable behavior. In the 1930s in America few whites stopped to think about the injustice of racial segregation. Now it is a given that the policy of barring black people from the amenities, facilities and educational opportunities that white people enjoy is abhorrent. The same movement can be seen in terms of the environment. Before 'nature' was morally neutral and pollution was just an inconsequential by-product of economic activity and human expansion. Now people are beginning to espouse the notion of an inherent value to natural resources such as trees. They need to be protected by the law.

Other people have articulated the idea that animals deserve to have rights to be protected against cruelty. Many regard animal liberationists as a looney fringe, but they too have made an impact on public mores. This is seen in the fact that cosmetic companies now go to great lengths to advertise the fact they do not test their products on animals.

Not all causes are just or find sympathy with a wider public. However, it is necessary that people like Rosa Parks continue to stand up and say 'enough is enough'. Civilizations are judged as much by their sensitivity to human and other rights as by their architectural and other cultural achievements.

This website is a forum for debate about issues that matter. It is the place to say 'I'm tired of giving in'. The Twenty-first Century is the age of information. It is our duty to publish information about injustice and perceived wrongs. If the cause is truly just then others will respond and act. Suffering the tyranny of injustice in silence is a crime in an age where the World Wide Web gives everyone with access to the internet a voice.

Discrimination is Alive and Well Today

The battle to win rights is an on-going struggle. Unity and solidarity will help us work towards a better society. But just as rights can be won, they can also be lost. Each victory does not mean that newly won rights will be ours forever. We must be constantly vigilant to see where our rights are being eroded.

Examples of this include the civil rights struggle of the 20th century. In some states in the U.S, there is an on-going voter purge that predominantly targets minorities. In other words, people are losing their right to a fundamental right – voting. Is the U.S. really the best democracy in the world? I’ll be honest, I have serious doubts about this.

While things have moved on since the 60s with regards to race relations, racism now-a-days may be less gratuitous but is possibly more insidious. Just because overt racism is frowned upon by society at large, this doesn’t mean that covert racism doesn’t occur. There are multiple examples of authorities overstepping the mark. For instance, the NYPD conducting surveillence operations against muslims in the north east of the United States, for no other reason than being muslim.

Another Form of Discrimination

Racism is an obvious form of discrimination. One you may be less familiar with is specieism. In an article titled The ethics of speciesism, the BBC write:

‘Speciesism’ is the idea that being human is a good enough reason for human animals to have greater moral rights than non-human animals.

So if you believe in equality, a question you may want to consider is whether or not you should eat meat. There are plenty of tasty (and more healthy) alternatives.

thinkvegan.net

The website http://www.cooksway.com has some ideas about staying healthy by juicing. The more fruits and vegetables we eat, the less animals we’ll have to kill. It is something worth thinking about.

August 7, 2012
Discrimination

Sea Gypsies Discrimination

The cause of equal rights takes on many forms. There is a growing awareness of the need for civil rights and equal rights for the various minority races in the West. The same is true of women’s rights – now most Western countries have the right to equal pay for men and women enshrined in the law. These laws are not perfectly enforced but there is always redress by legal means. Those who have the courage and the resources can sue for justice in many parts of the western world.

In Asia the situation is more complicated. Strongly muslim socieities tend to regard the idea that women have equal rights with men as religiously incorrect. The Arab oil nations place strong legal distinctions between nationals and immigrant workers. The latter group treated as entirely unworthy of many the privelges nationals enjoy. Korea and Japan have tried to do more to bring equal rights to their citizens.

In Thailand the government official line is that there are equal rights for all. The situation is made complicated by the millions of illegal Laotion and Burmese workers in the country. Another group who often do not receive much public attention are the sea gypsies. They are also called the Moken. They are semi-nomadic people from Malaysia. The sea gypsies are found in the Gulf of Thailand, Krabi, Phang-Nga and Phuket. They were originally encouraged to settle in the Khao Lak area and other deserted islands to stop the British claiming land that was felt to belong to Thailand. Unfortunately, they were not given any rights to fish the seas in the area. Since the Surin Islands and the Similan Islands became popular diving spots commercial fishing has been banned in the area. This leaves the sea gypsies outside the law as they must fish in order to survive.

They find it hard to gain representation within the democracy of Thailand since they are an isolated group of people who shun modern society. They have their own language and religion and want equal rights. More than that they want to be left alone.

March 5, 2012
Discrimination

Important Report on Disability

We like to think that discrimination is falling, however a recent study has shown that job seekers with disabilities are actually suffering worse discrimination than a decade ago.The report commissioned by Capability Scotland found that disabled people who were able and willling to work fared much worse in the job market than the able bodied. 

This charity which is heavily involved with the disabled is calling for modifications about how employers are operating their recruitment procedures.  They have issues some guidelines and best practices to help employers with this situation.

The report was fairly comprehensive and looked at 100 different job application forms primarily in Scotland.One of the most obvious findings was that many employers were not complying with equality legislation in one important aspect. This was that the applicants were being asked to disclose too many details about their disability earlier in the process.

The report looked at the questions with regards health, disability and absence through sickness – all information that would be visible to short listing panels. This report is interesting because many will think employment practices have improved alongside legislation.

The problems seems to be that employers will frequently ignore the laws on employment and equality, this report seems to support this view.

According to Capability Scotland, over the period of the report from 1988.   There is over a 5% difference in employment levels between the disabled and able-bodied individuals. The gap had previously been improving and in 2004 it had fallen to under 2.5% but it’s been rising steadily ever since.

It is important that we change  these attitudes to both disabilities and also the legislation designed to protect disabled people.When employers start to realise that disabled people are capable and in many cases more capable than able bodied people – this difference will start to fall again.  For the latest in news, information on disability, legislation the it’s worth checking out the resources on the BBC website.  There are links there to all the relevent authorities and agencies too, if you have trouble watching any of the content from iPlayer because of location – this resource is worth checking – How to Watch UK TV Online.

Obviously the economic downturn is partly to blame for these figures, although it does seem to be unfairly affecting disabled candidates more than able bodied job seekers.

May 18, 2013
Uncategorized

People with Disabilities and RVs

There are plenty of people who love the freedom of the open road that they are drawn to like a moth to a flame and owning an RV is one of the best ways of expressing that desire to drive to wherever your heart takes you and set down wherever you want to. You can do this without having to worry about motels or generally finding a place to sleep for the night.

But what about people with disabilities who might have those same yearnings to throw off the shackles of the limited choice of motel chains that cater specially for handicapped visitors? Are there RVs adapted for handicapped use? You bet!

There are several manufacturers that also make customizable accessories that convert a regular RV into a wheelchair accessible RV and even some that manufacture them to order. They encompass the many needs of the individual, which of course will vary from person to person but generally will adapt a vehicle so that they can be driven and used by a person with disabilities, of course as long as those disabilities are not so severe that would really make it dangerous to undertake, every bit as much as anyone else.

The driver section can be customized with driver controls to enable those with limited or no use of their feet or legs to drive. This is achieved using controls mounted on or near the steering wheel in much the same way as the smaller disabled automobiles are designed.

As for the mobile home section of the RV is concerned, there are customizable extras as well as wider aisles to accommodate wheelchairs, specially adapted showers and bathtubs with handrails and non-slip surfaces. There are kitchen accessories that make them easy to use with special faucets and levers that turn on and shut off at the lightest touch.

Special ramps and powered wheelchair lifts aid the user’s boarding and disembarking from the vehicle. For internal convenience in reaching those items from wheelchair level, things like lighting and plugs can be re-sited for easier access.

Above all, being able to hit the road in your own RV even if you are a wheelchair user or have some form of physical disability that might otherwise exclude you from this pursuit is a real pleasure. You can join the happy throngs of RV’ers who enjoy their freedom anytime and make the open road your home wherever you feel like setting down. To find out more, please visit: HandicappedRV.com for a full, detailed explanation of the whole process and more besides.

May 8, 2013
Human Rights

The Harlem Dance Protest

We have seen through the Arab spring how the internet is playing a big part in organising and coordinating protests across the middle East.  But now we seem to be seeing something new spreading again from Tunisia and Egypt, where young people are rising against the strict religious conservatism which is threatening their new found freedoms.

The phenomenon is based on an internet dance craze that if you’ve surfed the web in the last year you’ve almost certainly come across. It’s called the Harlem Shake and involves two scenes – first a single person dances to the Harlem shake song whilst people carry on around regardless, then all hell breaks loose and everyone joins the dance in various crazy ways.

It’s just some fun and has been mimicked by all sorts of group from offices, emergency services and colleges across the world.  However it is considered immoral and provoacative by many conservative religious groups in many middle eastern countries.  One group in Tunisia the Salafi’s who are attempting to gain a foothold in the country are calling those participating in this dance as unbelievers.  Of course in Religious loony land – unbelief equals apostacy which usually ends up meaning the death penalty.

However the young protesters don’t seem to care and more and more of  these videos are being uploaded, recently spreading across to Egypt and Palestine. Many are being cordinated by tech savvy students who use technology and proxies based in different countries like this one – http://www.proxyusa.com/usvpn. This video is actually outside the Egyptian leaders office – President Morsi.

There are hundreds of people protesting via the dance, deliberately taregting the offices of teh Muslim Brotherhood.  It was also a direct reponse to the arrest of four students the previous week who had danced to the song in another protest.  Their crime was doing it in their underwear and thus violating the country’s decency laws.  Thta’s got to be bad news for sequinned belly dancers who are so popular in Cairo !

The protests are fantastic, check them out lots more on YouTube. 

 

March 29, 2013
Human Rights

Your Right To Great Customer Service

BT customer service video Ah, customer service. After having worked in many different sectors in the service industry I’ve become very knowledgeable about how customers are treated and what happens if you stand up for your rights against these large organizations. You’re not going to get shot down immediately, but   It doesn’t mean to say that you should have the best and most informative period when talking to a rep from a telecoms company, but you should receive some good customer service from them.

It just isn’t right that so many of these larger firms seem to want to put all of their effort into selling you something but then don’t seem too bothered when it comes to the actual customer service behind things. It’s as if there are so many individuals throughout the country (and the world) that these companies just don’t seem to want to take action, notice and actually change the way they treat people. This is where you, as a consumer, need to take action. If we all react against poor customer service by large firms then there is something that is going to be done. This doesn’t mean just telecoms and communication firms, such as Internet providers and cell operators, but all of the other ones too: such as bed specialists and computer makers; they’re all in on it and they need to understand that we, as customers of theirs, are willing to ’take the fight to them’.

I’ve linked to a video below about a customer, like you and I, who received terrible customer service from a large telecommunications firm over in the UK. When you view the video think about what is said to the customer and how disheartened he feels. Is this you? And how many other people have been in a similar situation? I’m guessing a lot.

If you watched the above video then you will see what I mean. You really don’t have to be a genius to consider what was going on in the call and what mistakes were made. Some of us don’t understand the true nature behind our rights and how companies just aren’t providing the correct amount of service to us as buyers of their products and services. This is something that we, as members of the public – which means you, your friends and your family – should start to take action and not settle for mediocre or rubbish outcomes from these buffoons.

March 22, 2013
Strange

The Right to Enjoy Good Health

When we think about fitness and health, we often think of a combined effort through exercise and good diet to bring about the kind of results that we want to see in ourselves. But what if we take each concept individually and look at them. In the last post we looked at the concept of exercise for health and fitness, so in this post, we will look at the importance of diet for promoting health and fitness.

When it comes to dieting for health, fitness and also weight loss, there are certain things that need to be borne in mind if success is to be achieved. The most important factor is in ensuring that the diet is well balanced, as natural as possible and contains all the nutrients necessary for the body to maintain a healthy aspect. There are several ways of going about this but one of the best ways is to make use of the services of a qualified nutritionist who will be able to ascertain your own personal requirements and match them to your body shape and size while formulating a personal diet plan that is best suited to you as an individual.

Getting a good balance of all the essential nutrients and food groups is essential for good health. These are proteins, carbohydrates, fats and dietary fiber. carbohydrates can be subdivided into low and high glycemic index versions, with the low GI version most beneficial as the sugars are released more slowly and don’t produce the glucose “hit” which floods your blood with high sugar levels fast as does the high GI carbs.

Fats can also be subdivided into saturated and unsaturated fats, with the unsaturated ones being further subdivided into polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. There are the omega fatty acids that are essential to health and olive oil provides the best source of monounsaturated fats.

Another option which is favored by people who lead busy lives is to pay for a propriety diet plan that is delivered to their home and is ready to go in a convenient package. This type of diet is generally an acceptable alternative when no other option is viable. There are several major diet companies that provide this type of diet. More information and details about Nutrisystem can be found at this site: http://nstuf.com, which specializes in information from Nutrisystem, one of the most popular and best known of the diet food delivery companies.

Whichever way you go about dieting for health and fitness, you should still make a point of combining it with an exercise plan. This is in order that you gain the maximum benefit from the food you are eating and the diet’s own nutritional benefits to enjoy the right to good health for all of your life.

March 5, 2013
Human Rights

No, No, NO Iceland

There is a tactic, well used in various regimes across the planet – that in order to censor and filter access to information that you first need to think of a reason.  It’s not easy to run a free and democratic society, any government that does this is allowing it’s opposition full reign to criticise and attack themselves.  It’s brave and idealistic to just let people see, hear, read and believe what they want obviously within reason and ensuring they don’t harm anyone else.   But when you get worried, when the critics get you down the idea of having ’just a little control’ over the media or the internet gets very tempting.

And here, I’d like to introduce the government of Iceland – a country whose government has precided in one of the more monumental errors of judgement in the financial crisis.  Did you invest or save with an Icelandic Bank, well I’m so sorry and I hope you got your money back!   So they have critics and being a Western democracy, they are under a duty to let them speak both in in real life and the internet.  But if your people are still suffering from your huge misjudgements then it’s best to switch focus to something else.  

A common target is protecting people from some threat – perhaps crime, terrorism or paedophiles and of course the best way to stop them is via the internet.  So this is Iceland’s plan – they will reduce all the nasty sex crimes against people by allowing the Government to censor pornography you can view from Iceland.  It’s a stupid idea on many levels, the technical side is currently baffling the mighty wealth and resources of the People’s Republic of China – Iceland presumes it must be possible.  Their rationale is that we have put people on the moon so it must be.

The fact they have no clue how to implement this badly thought out censorship is no real comfort though as a technical solution badly implemented just buggers up everyone’s internet access.  Censorship is not a solution, all it does is takes away people’s right to choose themselves – just like Rosa did so many years ago.  Does the state have the right to choose what you can or can’t see based on some vague premise it might be good for society?  I think not, so people of Iceland I urge you to vote against if you can. Also make sure you are unaffected and get access to a proxy or VPN outside Iceland – just like this site illlustrates on using proxies to watch the BBC from abroad – here’s the link.  

It’s a small step, but a significant one – censoring and filtering the internet is addictive to any government. When the infrastructure is in place the blocked sites and pages usually start to grow, first one page then the next.  Do you want your government to decide what you can see, listen or do on the internet?  Or would you just like it to go and arrest anyone guilty of a criminal act online or off.  I know which I would prefer.

February 22, 2013
Injustice

Real Discrimination Against Black Africans

There is often much talk about racial discrimination without much evidence to back up the assertations, however a recent study in Ireland supplies some powerful proof.  The researchers have discovered that a black African immigrant is over 4 times likely to be unemployed than a white Irish native adult.

The study was published by the ESRI and the Equality Authority which has used the study to call for renewed efforts in promoting equality in the country.  Some of the responses are quite startling for example black Africans suggest they are seven times more likely to experience some sort of discrimination during the process of job hunting.  

The problem doesn’t seem to be limited to the specific group from Africa though, many ethnic minorities seem to suffer similar problems.  Overall they reported that they were four times more likely to suffer discrimination during job hunting too.   There seems to be a serious problem in integrating minorities into Irish society.

They are surprising results but in some ways Ireland has perhaps not put in as much effort into legislation and processes to protect the rights of minorities in a practical way.  There is a lot of data to support the existence of these issues however solving them does need some concerted effort.

There is perhaps some solutions to be found in the methods of dealing with asylum seekers.  There was recently a Panorama study on how in the UK, asylum seekers were forced to rely on benefits which created isolation and a dependency culture.  It was quite an eye opener, you can still catch  the show on Panaorma although from Ireland you’ll need a proxy to access Iplayer abroad from outside the UK.

The figures really speak for themselves and it’s difficult to deny that some discrimination must be taking place.  It is likely that much of this is made worse by the recession and overall harsh economic climate.  However it is important that the issue is addressed and resolved in any case.

January 16, 2013
Discrimination

Is Internet Access a Basic Human Right?

It was only last year that the UN finally agreed that access to the Internet is a human right.  Furthermore deliberately disconnecting people from accessing the network is a violation against those rights and also against international law.  Now of course many might think that the right to browse facebook or flick through an online newspaper a little far from a basic human right, certainly for the huge number of people who have never accessed it at all.  However the ruling really is focused on ensuring that the basic human right of freedom of expression exists everywhere irrespective of the medium used.

The idea that the rights in the digital world should be protected to the same extent as the physical world is an important step in the development of the internet.  Many countries are beginning to recognise the potential the internet has for global development too.  It is important that all citizens of the world have access if at all possible.

There is a growing concern at how access to the internet is being increasingly filtered and censored.  Even in UN member states like Cuba and China extensive filtering and selective blocking takes place.  The Great Firewall of China blocks many thousands of sites and delivers heavily filtered pages on many subjects.  Of course it is possible to circumvent using proxies and VPNs like this site demonstrates - http://thenewproxies.com/, but again this creates a privileged class of people who have either the technical knowledge or resources to pay for such services.

The internet might be taken for granted in many countries, but in places like China,Iran and Syria to name just a few – that right is being controlled and eroded firther every single day.

 
December 11, 2012
Human Rights

The Right to Life

There is a basic right that every human being is entitled to and that is the right to live and grow. In the western world, this is recognized and accepted. Most people in countries where human rights, law and order prevail are seeing this and for many, life can be as good as any person is willing to allow themselves to achieve in our increasingly upward bound way of life.

But even within these forward thinking and prospering nations, there are many who are being left behind in terms of their lifestyle and the knock on effect this has on their health and life expectancy. In many cases, it is the individual, not the system that is at fault for their situation.

You Reap What You Sow

It is said that God helps them that help themselves. And in that sense, modern civilization complies by providing the circumstances for anyone to prosper if they choose to do so. However, that doesn’t mean that prosperity should be handed to everyone on a plate.

Far too many people feel that life owes them a living and they are going to collect that benefit in any way they can as long as they don’t have to work hard for it! Of course, if a person has that attitude, they are hardly likely to ever succeed at anything and as a result may find themselves at the back of the queue when it comes to the payout.

To achieve anything and that includes prosperity, good health, happy relationships and contentment in life, a certain amount of input is required from the person who wants those things. You get out what you put in, or you reap what you sow.

Things that Do Not Grow On Trees

There are many things that we would like to have from life that are there for the taking. We just have to put in the work to get them. The old saying that money doesn’t grow on trees is quite true in every sense. By the same token, good health, happy relationships and achievement of life goals do not grow on trees either. They have to be achieved!

At the root of all things in life worth having is good health. With that, a person has nothing because when in poor health, their life is apt to take on a dreary, gloomy aspect. Poor health means experiencing physical pain, limited mobility and heavy reliance on doctors and medicines.

To enjoy better health, it has to be worked for by taking good care of the physical body that is so important to each and every one of us. Feeding it the right foods, providing it with fresh air and exercise while treating it to lots of calm relaxation and freedom from unnecessary stress all contribute to a healthy aspect. You can read more about enjoying good health by visiting this excellent website: healthandfitnessinfo.com that explores many aspects of maintaining a positive attitude toward a healthy physical body and enjoying life along the way.

December 7, 2012
Human Rights

Promoting a Healthier House

There are so many ways in which a person’s rights are violated on a day to day basis, often without them even knowing about it. One of the most prevalent examples of this is the effects on their health that they have little or no control over. Whether they are travelling across the great outdoors, walking along a city street or just relaxing inside their homes, people are under assault from an environment that should be healthy for them but often is not.

So how do we recognize when our rights to a healthy life are being violated and what can we do about it?

Defining Right from Wrong

First of all, it helps to put a definition on how this actually violates a person’s own rights to be healthy.

Civilized society creates various laws to protect citizens from a variety of violations that can impact their lives. These include protection and recourse against personal injury, violence, robbery, fraud, libel and a whole host of other aspects of civilized life that a governing body of publicly elected people can confer on their charges. Those laws also protect an individual’s health up to a point, but become less effective when certain elements come into play.

Environmental Health

Governments will claim that they have little power to produce and then enforce certain laws over the way in which the environment happens to exist in any given place. For instance, it would be fruitless to attempt to control the weather or the tides, or to place limits on the amount of sunlight is available each day. But it can place controls on the way in which humans interact with that environment in ways that could bring  harm to others.

A major area is agriculture. Crops are routinely sprayed with a cocktail of lethal chemicals several times in every growing season. The existing controls in place over what chemical concoctions can or cannot be used are far too lenient and it is well known that extended exposure to these chemicals can be detrimental to a person’s health. Yet little is done to curb their use, with the excuse being made that we need the food to live and in order to make sure it is produced, we have to use chemicals to promote their production.

Keeping Your House in Order

While the individual can do little to sway the working practices of large industries such as agriculture, they can keep their own house in order. One way to do this is in only buying those foods that are certified organic and thus effectively snubbing the large growers and users of so many unhealthy chemicals.

A healthier house is a happier house and you can read more about it here: www.healthierhouse.com. Just make sure you do what you can. If every consumer did the same, large industries would be forced to change their working practises to obey and appease their customers and their human rights by ultimately falling into line with the way in which they spend the dollars in their pockets.

October 23, 2012
Human Rights

Help Developing Communities: Buy Coconuts

One of the best ways to peacefully protest injust and a bad situation is to vote with your money. Money makes the world go round. And voting with your money is a good way to let big business know how you feel about a particular topic. Think for example, how people started buying their fruit and vegetables from community stores that sell organic produce. This trend was quickly picked up on by supermarkets and by large scale farmers. Organic food is now part of the mainstream. Consumer groups are excellent for clarifying issues and for starting consumer action over dangerous and irrespensible products.

It is not just domestic issues that can be protested through consumer choice. Another powerful way to let multi nationals know that you disagree with their policies of exploiting workers in poor countries is to buy Fair Trade products that give a fair share of the profits to farmers and artisans in poor countries for their labors.

From an environmental point of view lots of consumption is inimical to nature. It pollutes, it increases carbon emiissions and speeds up the effects of global warming.

Coconut palms are grown organically nearly exclusively because the plant has a natural resistence to pests and pathogens. It is classified as a renewable resource because a coconut palm takes only 7 years to reach maturity and to start bearing fruit.

Coconuts are great resources for nutrition, vitamins, minerals and electrolytes. Cooconuts are great for the health. Coconut water is a great drink for rehydration. It contains more electrolytes than any sports drink. Coconut milk and coconut oil contain lauric acid. This is found in mother’s milk. It is an antimicrobial agent that protects the body from viral infection. Coconut milk contains a variety of vitamins and minerals and makes an ideal substitute for cow’s milk. It is suitable to give to growing children as it contains iron and calcium. It is also lactose free.

Coconut flour is also important for people suffering from gluten intolerance. It has 0% gluten and can be used to bake bread, cookies and cakes. It is also a good source of protein and can be added to shakes to make protein drinks.

Coconut cultivation is an important source of income for many developing communities in Polynesia, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. By buying coconut products you are helping to improve your health and you are helping people in developing countries. You are also protesting the agribusiness industry that is destroying nature with monoculture cultivation and a dairy industry that pumps cows full of drugs to stay alive.

September 27, 2012
Uncategorized

The Injustice of Poverty and Health

If there is one thing that affects all people of all colors, creeds and religions without discrimination, it’s the state of people’s physical health. While there are some differences with regard to the level of affluence present in a person’s environment, there can be no excuses for suffering poor health through personal neglect.

Physical health is something that everyone is born with and it is their responsibility and theirs alone to ensure that it is kept in the best possible state they can manage. While there may be nothing a person can do about their home surroundings and whether poverty is a predominant factor, they can do something about their choices.

Good or Poor Choices

Some people are lucky enough to be born into a well to do family who live in a prosperous part of town and they want for nothing. Others are not so lucky and are born into a poor family and grow up in a poor part of town. But when a person reaches an age when they can make certain life choices for themselves, they get to choose whether to stay in the part of town they are, or to move on to something better.

There are plenty of poor people who remain in poverty for no other reason than they don’t choose to drag themselves out of it. There are also plenty of people who have all the apparent benefits of prosperity around them, yet they squander their good fortune and become addicted to drink or drugs.

Everyone Loves a Winner

Yet there are also plenty of people who refuse to be a slave to their circumstances. While friends and family may choose to remain in their poverty stricken locale, some choose to leave and search for more prosperous climes. Others seek to rise above their lowly station and aspire to greatness.

One such person who grew from humble beginnings to become truly great was Abraham Lincoln. He was a poor boy from a very poor family, yet there was something about him that made him break free from the life sucking beast of poverty that overshadowed his childhood to become the leader of a nation. His presidency saw him live through the dark time of civil war yet his strength and determination despite his many handicaps saw him bring about the end of slavery in America.

Much can be learned from people who make something of themselves despite apparent obstacles placed in their paths by circumstances. People can suffer ill health through their lack of understanding as much as through bad judgement and failure to make the most of opportunities when they arise. Or they can take a shot for health and enjoy good health by making good choices, grabbing at opportunity with both hands and doing whatever it takes. It just takes the will to want for better and to make the right choices to elevate from a lowly place to a higher one.

September 23, 2012
Injustice

The Right to Equal Wages

It is interesting to note that politicians in democratic countries are forever making speaches paying lip service to the idea of human rights. These human rights include freedom of speech, the right to assemby, the right to protest, the right to procreate, the right to worship any god, and the right to equality.

The last right is a wide ranging one. Equality before the law means everyone gets treated equally. And yet those with money can employ the lawyers to improve their chances of escaping punishment. Equality in terms of employment; and yet women and part time workers are paid less around the world. The issue of pay is of vital importance to the vast majority of employees who are not given salaries comparable with bankers.

The difficulty with equality in wages is that increases wages can often have detrimental effects on the economy. In the UK at the moment the minimum wage has gone over 6 pounds an hour. It sounds great but the phenomenal increase in house prices at the same time as the minimum wage was intropduced in 1999 has left those who wish to buy property no better off.

In America the issue of the minimum wage is often siude stepped by employing illegal Mexican workers. Although the right wing moan about the porous boarder with Mexico the country that first put man on the moon says it can do nothing to stop the flood of immigrants over the border. It is obvious that secretly they don’t want to.

In Thailand the country is experiencing a boom time. This has meant that the government has had to increase the minimum wage. Hotels in Thong Nai Pan, Chaweng, Karon, Sairee and all the other tourist destinations in Thailand get round the problem of higher costs by employing illegal Burmese workers. Since these workers are illegal they don’t have to pay for any social benefits. As with Mexicans in America they are often regarded as second class citizens despite being essential to the economy.

Much of equality depends on legality and justice in the economic system of a country.

April 7, 2012
Human Rights