SLAVERY IN HAITI

Slavery in Haiti takes the form of trafficking in persons. In fact Haiti is filed as a special case to the US government for a third consecutive year due to its transitional status (since President Aristide’s resignation) and the massive magnitude of human trafficking. People that are trafficked are usually used for labor, domestic or otherwise, and sexual exploitation. The dominant form of human trafficking in modern Haiti is the practice of using children for domestic service. These children are known as restaveks which is derived from 'rester avec' which means to stay with. While most people trafficked are put in urban households, some are sent to the Dominican republic where they are forced into agricultural servitude.

The practice of trafficking children is amongst the most exploited sectors in Haiti. Restavecs are given away or sold to others in order for their poor families to survive. Often the family is approached by a stranger who promises their child a better life with him rather than the family. The children are not paid and are usually abused. Usually when the child reaches the age of 12-13 they would run away from the home at which they serve, only to end up in a street gang or prostitution.
The police unit that is specified to protect children in Haiti does not address the situation of restaveks as there is no statutory penalty for those who commit the crime. The code being broken when committing said crime is The Labor Code of 1984.

The Labor Code of 1984 sets the minimum age for employment at 15 years for work in industrial, agricultural, or commercial enterprises, and establishes 14 years as the minimum age for apprenticeships. The Labor Code also bans hazardous work for minors and night work in industrial jobs for children under 18 years. Additional provisions regulate the employment of children ages 15 to 18 years and prohibit forced labor.
- United States Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor affairs

In 2003, under the presidency of Aristide, the government of Haiti passed a legislation prohibiting trafficking and revoking parts of the Labor Code. Another code being broken in the form of trafficking in persons is The Criminal Code. The Criminal Code prohibits the obtaining of minors for sake of prostitution. The institute of the government that should enforce the Labor Code is the Social Welfare and Research Institute which belongs to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, however, the collapse of the Aristide Regime in 2004 left Haiti with a government that lacked the recourses to address the massive magnitude of human trafficking and to enforce existing mechanisms. Even though the Haitian Government designated the IBESR (Social Welfare and Research Institute) to enforce labor laws and to eradicate child domestic labor, the budget is not large enough to carry out needed operations. Other ministries dedicated to implementing labor laws are those of justice, education, and foreign affairs. When Aristide was the president, MOLSA, or the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, had a hotline for child abuse victims. The hotline received over 700 calls and 83% of the victims were slaves at urban households. The abuses were beatings, rape and malnutrition. Following Aristide’s resignation and departure, the hotline was destroyed.
The IOM is a project funded by the US Government solely dedicated to ‘return and reintegrate victims of child trafficking’. So far 71 victims of trafficking have been assisted by the IOM.

The following is a link to a video which I was unable to embed.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5311464
- An undercover reporter, named Dan Harris, went to Haiti and set up a meeting with a human trafficker. He succesfully bought a young girl from Haiti within just ten hours. He captured the meeting through two small cameras. The video is, at first, commercials, but after that it will automatically play the Haiti video and when that finishes the player will shift directly into another video which is not a part of my report.



About 30,000 children are illegally taken into the Dominican Republic annually to work at plantations, as prostitutes, or other such occupations. Those working at plantations are usually boys.

Even though the US Government is attempting to aid Haiti’s problem of trafficking in persons it is still very much at large and is a delicate subject to touch upon as it is deeply rooted in the system and culture of Haiti.






BIBLIOGRAPHY

United States Department of Labor and Bereau of International Labor Affairs.
Haiti [Data file].
Retrieved from
http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2004/haiti.htm

Bureau of Democracy, HumanRights and Labor. Haiti [Data file]
Retrieved from
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41764.htm

Reliefweb. Assistance for children victims of human trafficking in Haiti [Data file]
Retrieved from
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/HMYT-6W6NSM?OpenDocument

Reliefweb. Haiti: Socio-Political Crisis OCHA Situation Report No. 14 [Data File].
Retrieved from
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/AllDocsByUNID/e495dc5b203af05585256ed6005e7d00

U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report. Haiti [Data File].
Retrieved from
http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Haiti.htm

Pictorial Story Map

FRIDAY MORNING- This picture was taken at the airport, after receiving our boarding passes. It was 5:00 in the morning yet everyone was more hyper than usual. I was not.

This was also us at the airport, waiting at the gate. We were the only ones there as everyone else was eating at the cafe. To the left is Emilio, in the middle is Neff, and to the right is me- pretending to look through my bag so my face wasn't in the picture.

This image was taken in the plane. We were all near the wings of the plane(which scared me a little). I was sitting next to Georgia and in front of me was Emilio (I think)

After the flight we all got into a blue bus which took us to the hotel.

During this trip to the hotel many of us took photos, and for some reason were imitating accents. I for one do not find these things amusing after being stuck in a tube for one hour very high up in the air.

We arrived at the hotel, and there was a mirror on the ceiling in the lobby, which meant picture-time... again. The hotel was, to my distress, right next to the shadiest area of Athens, Omonia. We got to our room (thankfully ours was one of the bigger ones) and unpacked.

After about half an hour we got into a bus only to endure about three hours of an unbelievably boring tour of Athens. As you can see, we were pretty tired at that point.

We stopped at the Olympic Stadium, which I actually thought was interesting.

After looking at the stadium we got back into the bus, still exhausted. Even at the most boring part of the trip though, it was still mildly pleasant.

Then, with our tour guide, we went to the Acropolis.

To be honest I found the Acropolis disappointing. The Parthenon was under what looked like massive construction, and I found no interest in its story. Then again I am almost never amused by historic sites on a vacation.



After the tour, we returned to the hotel to rest. At first me and Neff made the stupid decision of staying in the hotel to order some room service or eat at the restaurant, except these services were not offered. We had to call Mimi and Emilio who returned to the hotel and altogether we went and found our lunch (We had to travel in groups of three).

SATURDAY

The first thing Saturday morning we went to the mall of Nerantziotissa. The mall was on the outskirts of Athens in Marousi. We traveled by metro (one of the scariest moments of my life). Once we got there me and Mimi searched for DVD's. Unbelievably, in the DVD store they had a Visconti collection, a Kurosawa collection, Columbo seasons, and they even had an Eisenstein collection. I, of course, very excited bought ALOT. After this Mimi, Neff, Emilio and I ate at Goodies.

We walked alot after going to the mall and went to a place called Monastiraki.


We then visited a Greek-Orthodox church that was under construction.

SUNDAY

On Sunday afternoon we walked up the Lycabetus hill to 'enjoy the panoramic view of Athens, Piraeus and the suburbs'. After this we went to a pleasant park(the image).

After going to the park we went to the Zappeion, which, if I understood correctly is where meetings are held.

I actually really enjoyed the Zappeion. We didn't see much other than a large room with a fountain in the middle, but I liked the balconies, and paintings. I would not mind in the least if I lived in that room. Outside the Zappeion there was a pleasant area with a fountain and benches.

After going to the Zappeion we went to an area called 'Anafiotika' which was just streets of shops. I enjoyed this portion of the trip because I bought a mask and presents for my mother and brother. We were supposed to eat but failed to find a cafe in time.

Agree/Disagree

All involved with politics should be reserved for adults.

I disagree with this statement to an extent. I don't think children should be directly involved with politics, but rather very well informed about it. Once children are well informed then perhaps their opinions should be thought about. Right now though, I do not think that we are learning enough about current situations and the system in which civilization works. Also, us children, usually are painfully immature and shouldn't be taken seriously anyway(personal opinion).

The troubles of all young people (besides money and class) are similar.

I do not agree with this statement, nor do I disagree. There are certain troubles that almost every young person has, such as grades and social conformity, but other troubles would originate from each individuals' surroundings. Those lucky enough to have a secure, rich environment would probably have less issues than a child born into a 'messed up' family. My thought is mainly this: each child has a different upbringing and environment so the troubles of children could vary tremendously.

'This American Life' Podcast

Title – This American Life


Episode – 241: 20 Acts in 60 Minutes
Date – December 12, 2008
Time – Approx. 60 min.
Website - http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=241

Description of podcast: Instead of the regular "each week we choose a theme, and bring you three or four stories on that theme" business, this week we throw all that away and bring you twenty stories—yes, twenty—in sixty minutes. Inspiration for this week's show came from the Neo-Futurists, whose long-running Chicago show Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind promises 30 Plays in 60 Minutes every single weekend.

Why I picked this podcast?

The reason the title '20 acts in 60 minutes' stood out among all the other episodes of 'This American Life' is because my attention span is not one to be proud of. I do consider myself a patient person, however, the idea of 3 minute long interesting stories one after the other for 60 minutes both terrifies and intrigues me.

The entire 60 minutes of this podcast is dedicated to all the stories that are 'stories that cant be used on the show because they are too short' . This idea comes from a group called the Neo-Futurists, as stated in the description.
I think this is a fascinating subject to base a radio show on, as every individual has a story to share, and I enjoyed listening to random stories of the everyday citizen. In this case, however, the stories were retrieved from living the 'American life'. I think that through these stories I learnt quite a lot about the American culture and life, such as, what people would consider odd, and what human acts or behaviours would go observed by others.
The first story is told by the actor Tate Donovan(The OC, Friends). In this story Tate Donovan shares an embarassing story in which a young boy and his date asked for a photograph which is misunderstood by Donovan.
Another story was written by an author who usually writes much longer stories. The entire podcast goes on to share individuals' most interesting experiences. My favourite short story was the very last one. This was the one short story narrated by Ira Glass about a play he went to that was written and acted by young girls in juvenile halls. They acted out musicals about their life and at the end all sang an apology to their mothers, who were in the audiences. The reason this was my favourite podcast because it included insight on the psychology of young juvenile delinquents. Overall i thought this was a good podcast and worth listening to.

Dating Advertisement

Gollum

1. Mentally Special
- Gollum talks to ring

2. Likes- companions
- Anthropomorphizes an object (the ring)
3. Likes- Riddles
- Challenged Bilbo to a 'riddle battle' rather than to just eat him.

4. Dislikes- Sunlight
- Does not leave his cave, in which he lives alone
5. Dislikes- The bending of rules
- Gets mad when Bilbo cheats in the 'riddle battle'.


Gollums and Precious seeking friends.

Precious and I is looking for a friend. We's looking for female, male, or jewelery. We are very special, mentally. We are thin, like models, and have very pale skin . We likes riddles and naice friends, we dont like light. We hates light, it burns our eyeses. We also hates cheaters, very much. We are seeking anythings alive or metal. We do not, however, like birds, they scares me and precious very much.
Our schedule consists of rowing and reading books. Precious's favourite book is Lady Chatterly's Lover and mines is Emma. Anybodies interested can contact us at 000 3562 342113.

On The Air, Unaware

Director: Peter Weir
Writer: Andrew Niccol
Language: English
Stars: Jim Carrey, Noah Emmerich, Laura Linney, Natascha McElhone


The Truman Show is a Peter Weir movie made in 1998. It is about a man, whose name is Truman Burbank, who lives in an artificial environment(a man made island covered by a dome). He is on the air and everyone who is in the set are actors, Truman however, does not know this. The set is filled with cameras which follow Truman around, he has no privacy, and yet he is trapped in a man made world. The plot of this movie is Truman's unfolding realization that he lives, not a life of his own, but a construct devised by someone else for the entertainment of many. Paranoia and feelings of insanity set in when he starts becoming suspicious that something is not right with his world.

I thought this movie questioned many things, it suggested and contained several thoughts and ideas, and it was very powerful. In my opinion there were 5 concepts circling the storyline of the movie.

One is the recognition, or difference between a public life and a private life. When Truman thinks he is leading a private life he is balanced but when he begins to suspect that he is living a public life and his sense of privacy is stripped away, his sanity and emotional state begins to crumble. Everything that an individual considers sacred in life, such as the sense of freedom, the sense of boundaries(emotional and physical), collapses.
The second lies in the idea of a man being trapped, of a fake world with fake characters. Truman was treated like an experiment, he was influenced to think a certain way. For example when he was young his 'father' 'died' in a storm when they were both on a boat. This made Truman to have a fear of water so this way he would never be brave enough to cross the sea or to travel elsewhere. Christoff who was the man that directs the 'Truman show' really plays God in 'Truman's World'. Also he regulates the weather, the day, the night. The surroundings he created purposely manipulated Truman into thinking a certain way, acting a certain way, and doing other such things. There are certain moments in the film where one really feels the impact of the island being a stage, is when all of the people are standing motionless in 'first positions' waiting for Truman to come and to begin the 'play'. One thing Christof says when asked why Truman believes this world he has been put in is: We accept the reality of the world of which we are presented.
The third is the way the set attempts to mirror a Utopian society. The first thing one notices about the set of The Truman Show is the way it is like an imitation of the 1950's in America. In this world Truman lives the classic lifestyle. This is very obviously expressed through the clothes that the actors are wearing, the 'perfect' housewife, and the classical music which is on the radio all the time. Also this world has a need to be normal, it is clearly the only function of this fake environment- to be normal. This 'normal' element brings me to another idea of this movie, and that is if Truman's world represents ours in a way, and Truman represents us. Could this whole charade be a symbol of authority that restricts an individual from thinking freely? Not being normal supposedly scares authorities and one who thinks differently, or steps out of line is a threat. When Truman begins to notice that everything is consistent, and equal, he immediately fights that and tries to do something out of the ordinary, by suddenly deciding to drive to Atlantic city. One thing he shouts out is "I'm being spontaneous, somebody help me!". I think also he is curious to see what will happen when the continuity of this expected consistence is interrupted or when he steps out of line.
The fifth thought is a very strong statement about entertainment. The fact that people are entertained by the surveillance, and trapping, of an unsuspecting man is rather haunting. In fact the only factor which doesn't make it extreme voyeurism is that the audience is watching something which was built and set up to be watched. Also the fact that a human was legally bought by a corporation for the sake of entertainment is also a scary scenario. In this sense I think the movie is very ahead of it's time and is also a theory as to where the entertainment business is headed.

I enjoy this movie very much and consider it as one of the masterpieces. The setting, atmosphere, camera, and lighting all worked very well. I also greatly admired the acting of this movie, specifically Ed Harris who played Christof. The music was also very powerful, often off setting the underlying emotional mood of the film, it was either very strong and intense, or it would be light classical music. In the beginning we watch the events in this movie the same way the audience of 'The Truman Show' watch the events. We did not have any extra insight, however later on our insight evolved as we began to watch the people who were watching the show. There was really nothing about the film which i found negative or faulty.

When we first see Truman he is used to his environment, he doesn't really stand out, he is still mentally adolescent and does not think freely or philosophically. When he begins to question everything in his life he grows tremendously. His wife Meryl is the perfect housewife from the fifties. She is uptight, always smiles, and is painfully annoying. The actress, however, who is only shown to us in a short interview where she talks about her character in the Truman show, is rather idiotic, and the usual hollywood actress. One realizes this when she talks about her life as Meryl being a 'noble' life. Marlon is Truman's best friend, and for a while he keeps Truman sane and relatively balanced.

My final comment would be to recomend this movie to anyone who has not seen it. The way Peter Weir filmed this movie is spectacular and thought provoking. It poses many questions about existance, reality, and Utopia.I thought this movie made several very powerful statements, and was overall brilliant. It is definitely worth seeing.

This isn't exactly the trailer of the movie but rather the trailer for the show 'The Truman Show' which was shown during the movie.

The Daily Prophet

Recent explorations have discovered a new, and identical, Earth. After many debates between the World's most powerful people, they have come to a decision to move the entire population(that can afford it) to this planet. Thankfully the cost will only be around $500,000 a ticket. We also assume that by the time we screw up that planet, we'll find another one just like it!