All Along the Watchtower

violence

- 3 dictionary results

vi·o·lence

[vahy-uh-luhns] Show IPA

–noun

1.swift and intense force: the violence of a storm.

2.rough or injurious physical force, action, or treatment: to die by violence.

3.an unjust or unwarranted exertion of force or power, as against rights or laws: to take over a government by violence.

4.a violent act or proceeding.

5.rough or immoderate vehemence, as of feeling or language: the violence of his hatred.

6. damage through distortion or unwarranted alteration: to do editorial violence to a text.

 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/violence

 

To live each day in fear knowing that you are the only protection you have for yourself is the life of most African girls. I can only imagine living day-to-day fearing this: 

 

"Socio-economic structures in the war-ravaged region have collapsed. Women and girls who cultivate the fields, make charcoal in the forest or trade goods in the market so as to earn a livelihood for themselves and their families are easy prey.⁴ Out of the chaos of conflict, a particularly inhumane public health problem has emerged: gynaecologic fistula and traumatic genital injury from especially brutal sexual violence." 

 

Citation

World's Greatest

This man has taken matters into his own hands raising awareness and money for the fistula  foundation. I love the creativity that he is using to facilitate the movement!

Good day friends,

I have fixed some kinks throughout the blog and hope that it is working more efficiently now. Please note that if there is something you would like know more about let me know! I have set the blog up so that anyone can comment on the posts. I would love to know your thoughts, ideas, and opinions on the issue.

Here is the song of the day: SOTD

Keep it real,

LAW

Inspiration

I often find myself observing my surroundings here in Austin at St. Edward's just marveling at the beauty that surrounds me. Classes are of course difficult but it is rare than I am not inspired in one way or another to meet my goals here at the university. As I have previously mentioned my inspiration to work to support the women of Africa, specifically in the process of fistula repair stems from the work of Dr. Catherine Hamlin .  Here is more on the episode of Oprah that she appeared on: Inside the Fistula Hospital.

Fistulas are an increasing problem in the culture because child rape is becoming more and more common. The U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health reports:

"Child rape violates human rights and causes immediate and long-term health problems for the child. In the 1998 South Africa Demographic and Health Survey, we assessed frequency of rape in a nationally representative study of 11735 women aged 15-49 years. 153 (1.6%, 95% CI 1.2-1.9%) of these women had been raped (forced or persuaded to have sex against their will) before the age of 15 years. Our results show that younger women were significantly more likely to report rape than older women (p<0.0001). The largest group of perpetrators (33%) were school teachers. Our findings suggest that child rape is becoming more common, and lend support to qualitative research of sexual harassment of female students in schools in Africa."  

Taking into mind the increasing percentage of child rape, the aftermath of such trauma must be accounted for. In the briefing Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in War and Its Aftermath: Realities, Responses, and Required Resources, the aftermath is addressed:

"Sexual violence against women in war and its aftermath can have almost inestimable short and long-term negative health consequences. As a result of the systematic and exceptionally violent gang rape of thousands of Congolese women and girls, doctors in the DRC are now classifying vaginal destruction as a crime of combat. Many of the victims suffer from traumatic fistula -- tissue tears in the vagina, bladder and rectum."

If you would like to see the fistula repaired here is a link, it is graphic.

Whoever you are, always remember, "You're Beautiful".

We Are the World

If you are reading this you probably follow my other blogs or are a member of my Social Justice class. This blog, like the other two has a specific purpose; however, I feel like this blog may be the one I am most passionate about. For my honors class, Issues of Social Justice, we have recently began a research paper assignment. Our professor also proposed the notion of using an event to make our paper not just research but a movement in and of itself. I asked if I could start a blog to promote an issue and was given the go ahead, thus the creation of this blog.

As many of you may know I dream of Africa and most of the time only Africa.

I have known for quite sometime that Africa is where I have wanted to go; however, I have never known what I want to go for. I know I want to change the world but in what way?

Over spring break I began re-watching Oprah's 20th Anniversary DVD collection and found a clip that spoke to my heart with piercing volume (this is not the exact clip, if I am able to find it I will post it later; this is the same doctor who spoke on the show): 

My aspirations for this blog are to inform my readers on the struggles that the young women of Africa face, what is being done to facilitate these issues, and most importantly what each of you can do for the women.

I do not know what the frequency of posting will be for this blog; because I am writing for a class I expect that I will post more often than I do the other two blogs. However, just for the record, the song of the day will appear on this blog in accordance with the focus of the day's post like any of my other blogs.

Anyways, I am off to dream of Africa, here is the song of the day.