The Universal Declaration of Human Rights covers all aspects of human life. This makes human rights one of the most diverse and flexible issue areas within FYSOP. This year, we have chosen to focus on the sub-areas of immigration and refugee rights, prison reform, human trafficking and girls empowerment.
Immigration and Refugee Rights
Immigrant: Come to the US by choice. They are persons who meet the US criteria for admission as an immigrant. In some cases these criteria include having a sponsor. The immigration program is primarily based on economics and opportunity – such as when there is a shortage of available workers and an immigrant is hired by a US company. An immigrant is not eligible for many of the services that are provided by the US government to refugees and asylees.
Refugee: Person who has been approved by the US Department of State to come to the US for safe haven. They are persons from around the world who have been persecuted because of their race, ethnic origin, religion, political ideology, or social group and were forced to flee their homeland to a neighboring country.
Asylee: Person who did not have the access to the refugee process. In some extreme circumstances – including being a victim of human trafficking – there is neither time nor opportunity to apply for refugee status and wait for approval. In such cases, when the person is already in the US, he/she must apply for asylum status, which has its own set of regulations and guidelines. If approved as an asylee, the person has access to essentially the same benefits as a refugee.
IDPs: Internationally Displaced Persons. IDPs have not crossed an international border to find sanctuary but have remained inside their home countries. Even if they have fled their homes for similar reasons as refugees (armed conflict, generalized violence, human rights violations), IDPs legally remain under the protection of their own government – even though that government might be the cause of their flight.
Immigration:
FAIR estimates that the immigrant population makes up about 14.5% of the total Massachusetts population.
The majority of immigrants in Massachusetts are from China (10%), former Soviet Union (8%), Dominican Republic (8%), Haiti (6%), India (5%), and Vietnam (5%).
67.8% of all immigrant settlements in Massachusetts are comprised of an average of 31 different nationalities, ranking the state as the seventh most popular location for immigrants.
Immigration Myths and Facts:
http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/immigration-myths-and-facts
Refugee:
Current issues in MA:
Immigrants make up 14% of Massachusetts’ population but 17% of our workforce
In Massachusetts, the number of foreign-born individuals eligible to vote from 2000 to 2006 increased by 28%, and this number will only continue to grow
Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick will not sign onto the Department of Homeland Security’s controversial finger-printing system citing a “lack of clarity” and inconsistent implementation of a national program that uses locally gathered fingerprinting information to verify the immigration status of those arrested in Massachusetts. The decision by Patrick to reverse course and not sign the memo follows similar actions taken by New York and Illinois.
Girls Empowerment
Subaru sponsors women’s surf festivals, the U.S. Women’s Triathlon Series, “Subaru Women’s Week” packages for skiers and even the Outstanding Woman in Science Award for the Geological Society of America.
Subaru takes corporate citizenship seriously. On their web site, Subaru Chairman Yoshio Hasunuma writes, “We are dedicated to support and improve the communities in which we live and work.”
But while Subaru is marketed heavily at women, the company is simultaneously making millions selling cars in Saudi Arabia – the only country on earth where women aren’t allowed to drive – much less ride a bike or go surf, run a triathlon, or ski on their own.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that bans women — both Saudi and foreign — from driving. Saudi women lack freedom of movement, which places an extreme burden on their lives. They lack a public transportation system and the most basic errands and medical appointments are missed due to the difficulty and expenses of arranging transportation. This also imposes obvious limits on educational and work opportunities. Their lack of this basic right to drive their own cars creates many safety risks for women on the roads, and relying on strangers as drivers has jeopardized the safety of women and children in many documented cases.
Sexualization of Girls in the Media
What About the Boys?
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/elim-disc-viol-girlchild/ExpertPapers/EP.3%20%20%20Barker.pdf
Boys can play an integral role in revolutionizing the way we think about creating healthy environments for girls.
Boys are socialized to see girls and women as sexually subservient:
“The socialization of boys and views about what men and women should and should not do are rooted in childrearing practices from the first moments of life onward. By the age of two or three, children imitate the behavior of same-sex family members. Family members usually encourage boys to imitate other boys and men, while discouraging them from imitating girls. Boys who observe fathers and other men being violent toward women, or treating women as inferior or as objects for their sexual pleasure and use may believe that this as “normal” male behavior.”
Human Trafficking
