Please respond to more than 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 150 words and include direct questions, evidence from the literature, alternative points of view or additional insight. C

Please respond to more than 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 150 words and include direct questions, evidence from the literature, alternative points of view or additional insight.

 Candace Wrote:

1.  In communities in which you are familiar, whether you are living in the place where you grew up or in a different community at the present time, what issues do you see around you that could be alleviated by the idea to "think globally, act locally"?  

What is the local issue and how does it relate to global issues? On a global level, explain what actors create/perpetuate the issue, if applicable, or conversely what actors work to address the issue and how?

(Be sure to think about what could be done by who on the local level to prepare for the final assignment in this class.)

Hello Class,

Earlier in the course I stated that I was from Washington, D.C. Being from a “big” city, people slip through the cracks regarding local assistance. There are many issues that infest my hometown to include: homelessness, lack of food, lack of female toiletries for homeless women, and warm clothing during the cold months for the homeless. Often, I have thought of ways to better assist in these areas. I frequently donated and volunteered at numerous shelters when I was back home. After reading the article, I gained a new perspective. Many organizations began as local entities and grew tremendously and, in turn, made an impact globally. In my opinion, “think globally, act locally” could help the many issues within our nation’s capital.

The main issue that will be discussed is female toiletries for homeless women. This is rarely talked about and is not taken as serious as other issues. This issue relates globally as many women all over the world take time away from school and work because of inadequate toiletries for their menstrual cycles. The reason for this is strongly due to the lack of funds to buy these items. Furthermore, these goods are considered luxury items and are heavily taxed. On a global level, nations do not ensure the women in their countries have the appropriate goods to endure their menstrual cycles. Moreover, this mostly has to do with women not having basic civil rights in most of these nations.

We, as a nation, could do better. I believe Planned Parenthood and shelters have the right idea by having these things readily available. However, something to consider is that not all cities have these entities available and that heightens the need to have local organization to assist in this department. This, in turn, will generate a movement that will hopefully reach other nations and aid women all over the world.

-Candace

Yannie Wrote:

Hello class, Hello Professor Fishel,

For this week's forum, I'll discuss  about the issues in the community I grew up and see how they could be alleviated by the "think globally,act locally" idea. Cameroon is where I grew up and for those who don't know it's located in Central Africa and is bordered to the South by the  Republic Democratic of the Congo we  studied on Week 3. Just like Congo and many countries in Africa, Cameroon possesses substantial mineral resources but is struggling with its economic situation. Unemployment and healthcare are the two issues I would like to discuss about.

Youth Unemployment 

The country has one of the highest school attendance rates in Africa.  Among youths age 15-24 the literacy rate is 85.4% for males and 76.4% for females (UNICEF,2013) but  having a diploma or a high level of education does not always guarantee access to a job. Unemployment rate is at 15.5% and structural employment (mismatch between the jobs available and the skill levels) affects 3 out of 4 persons. So many young Cameroonians leave their country to study abroad and never go back because there are not enough work opportunities. 

Healthcare

Adequate funding is lacking to improve the healthcare situation of Cameroon; only 6 percent of government spending is focused towards healthcare. With such a low number to provide care for the substantial health issues, the country can hardly keep up with its patients. Many of these patients cannot afford the health care, therefore dying because they could no get the needed treatment (The Borgen project).

Think Globally-Act locally

There are so many things that could be done to resolve this like creating opportunities. For example,according to the World Health Organization,there is only one doctor for every 5,000 people in Cameroon and many young Cameroonians studying medicine in Europe. If they had the guarantee to get a job offer after they finish school I personally know a lot of them would return. Agricultural engineering could be developed since the country's natural resources are very well suited to agriculture and arboriculture but most agriculture is still done at the subsistence scale by local farmers using simple tools. This would not only employ thousands of persons but also make the economy flourish. There are many sectors that are neglected and the government needs to step up to provide for its people.

References

Statistics. UNICEF. 2013 Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/cameroon_statistics.html

Poverty in Cameroon. The Borgen Project. 2013 Retrieved from https://borgenproject.org/poverty-cameroon/

Shane Wrote:

Hello Class,

            This week is the week it seems! I am currently residing in Okinawa Japan, sadly I love this place and find nothing wrong with anything here so I will be talking about my hometown, Lakewood Washington. While growing up, there weren’t many interactive communities around to keep children or even young teens safe or enforcing students to go to school, let alone graduate from their high schools. In 2011, Clover Park High School, the local high school where I’m from, had a little over 60% graduation rate whereas in 2015, there was an all-time high of a 70% graduation rate and within the span of 5 years, there average of the graduation rates were 66%. Because of the lack of enforcement/encouragement by teachers, communities as well as clubs for students to join to further their knowledge amongst other things.

            Due to there not being enough enforcers as well as communities that students can believe in to help progress their careers and the knowledge, I feel that there would be a significant change in the students if they had more of an incentive as well as an activity center such as the boys and girls club where families who struggle with providing for themselves may go to in order to better their children and themselves. Families who also struggle with providing for themselves should be better accepted by those kinds of clubs as well, entrance fees and club fees pay a big problem to those families who have bright children, but due to circumstances where parents are not able to provide those fees, the children are then not only being let down by the community, but eventually themselves through thinking that their parent(s) can’t make enough for that child. Because of fees such as those clubs, students are then not able to better themselves due to the lack of funds, therefore the funds should be paid for by volunteering as well as donations, through this, families who have trouble providing, are able to send their students to the clubs where their children can better themselves.

            Don’t get me wrong though, this can happen internationally as well, due to low paying jobs, tax and high rent of houses or apartments, people are barely able to make ends meet. In Lakewood Washington, the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $1,147, electricity is $88, while the hourly pay is $11.50 at a tax rate of 6.5% and of course there are other factors that apply when you have an apartment as well, this was to name a few. The solutions were for families who have a harder time or even just communities to do volunteer work. The communities and the states could fund those clubs for adults/young teens to volunteer those in need of as well as give those students a possible learning experience/job experience as volunteer workers.

Thank You,

            Titherington, Shane

References

“Clover Park High School in Lakewood, Washington.” Clover Park High School in Lakewood, WA | StartClass, public-schools.startclass.com/l/96083/Clover-Park-High-School-in-Lakewood-Washington.

“Lakewood, WA Electricity Rates.” Electricity Local, www.electricitylocal.com/states/washington/lakewood/.

 “Lakewood, WA Rental Market Trends.” Apartments for Rent – RENTCafé, www.rentcafe.com/average-rent-market-trends/us/wa/pierce-county/lakewood/.