one
day
story
she
rain
night
butterflies
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
God
Gardenias blooming, gardens growing
cardinals circling above my house, skeptical of the bird seed we put out, landing on the high and thin branches swaying in the wind,
Manoa mountains welcoming me home in all their power and glory
Nature is how I know God.
cardinals circling above my house, skeptical of the bird seed we put out, landing on the high and thin branches swaying in the wind,
Manoa mountains welcoming me home in all their power and glory
Nature is how I know God.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Bangladesh
The United Nations Millennium Goals were established to provide an action plan to reverse the effects of poverty, hunger and disease. This vision for what the world will look like by the year 2015 proposes intentional and significant social change. It requires that the World System of Societies will need to bring about social change collectively. The United Nations (UN) Millennium Goals include a range of strategies including environmental sustainability, ending hunger and poverty, and achieving universal primary education. These shifts in the prevailing sociocultural characteristics of nations are a far more significant challenge for some societies than for others. The likelihood of achieving these goals universally, based on the ecological-evolutionary theory, is determined not only by the relationships within a society and between societies, but the interactions between societies and their environments. Although the UN goals consider a better world, the interactions among societies and the environment create limitations to intentional social change.
In this paper I will apply ecological-evolutionary theory and prove the importance of the relationships within and between societies as well as the interactions of societies with the environment. Using Bangladesh as a regional case study, I will analyze and discuss three of the UN millennial goals -- environmental sustainability, ending hunger and poverty, and achieving universal primary education -- and discuss Bangladesh’s progress towards those goals and the limits to intentional social change.
Ecological-evolutionary and world system theories suggest that current patterns of interaction amongst nations affect development. Although Bangladesh has made remarkable progress towards achieving its goals as prescribed by the UN Millenium Goals (Mid-term Bangladesh Progress Report 2007), notably in ending hunger and poverty, its interdependence with other nations, notably in environmental sustainability, work against its ability to achieve and sustain forward progress.
Industrial countries currently emit about 10 times more carbon per capita than do developing countries. In 2005, Southern Asia produced 2.3 billion metric tons of carbon in comparison to Eastern Asia, which produced 6.1 billions of metric tons of carbon (Department of Public Information, United Nations). Approximately two-thirds of Bangladeshis are farmers who rely on agriculture (rice harvests), without the use of modern technologies, as the primary mode of subsistence. Bangladesh, as with many other countries in South Asia, emits far lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions than their industrial counterparts in Eastern Asia. According to its mid-term progress report for the achievement of its millennium development goals (2007), Bangladesh is one of the world’s lowest per capita carbon dioxide emitting countries. One of the overarching goals for environmental sustainability for all nations is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Under this measure, Bangladesh would therefore be considered a leader. Despite this, Bangladesh suffers from the drastic effects of climate change. The increase in flood and cyclone activity in the region draws attention to Bangladesh’s need for sustainable environmental protection.
Bangladesh is less than 40 ft. above sea level. It is estimated that if the sea level were to rise 3.28 feet, 50 percent of Bangladesh would be flooded (Ali, A 1996). From an Ecological-Evolutionary theory perspective, this is a good example of the relationship between different types of societies and how they affect each other. Although industrial societies (e.g., China and the United States) are primarily responsible for emitting most of the ozone-depleting gases, developing countries and poor people, such as Bangladesh, are the most vulnerable. Even if Bangladesh is more environmentally sustainable, using the measure of levels of greenhouse gas emissions, Bangladesh nevertheless suffers the devastating effects of climate change in large and disproportionate measure.
With climate change Bangladesh is becoming a “Water World”, meaning it is susceptible to monsoon rains and cyclones leading to devastating floods. With land and homes disappearing some Bangladesh propose that for every given amount of green house gasses emitted by the United States they have to take in a Bangladeshi family. Because of other societies and the environment affecting Bangladesh, their progress towards environmental sustainability is delayed. The flooding of Bangladesh means a loss of environmental resources, a potential loss in biodiversity, reduced access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and destroyed homes for many, creating more slum dwellers. The floods seriously affect agriculture, water and food security, human health, and shelter (Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan). With the rising sea level there will be more than 20 million climate refugees by 2030 (International Relations and Security Network). Intentional social change is affected by other factors. In this case the social change in other areas of the world affects Bangladesh’s social change and progress towards achieving the UN’s millennial goals.
These effects of the environment on Bangladesh affect poverty and hunger as well. Although Bangladesh’s poverty rate has fallen 20 percent since the 1990s, and it has achieved an average annual growth rate of 5 percent (Sandeep Mahajan 2007), the interactions within Bangladesh, with other societies, and with the environment pose further obstacles. Its economic growth has not sufficiently benefited the extreme poor (Mid-Term Bangladesh Progress Report 2007). The catastrophic climate destabilization (e.g., cyclones and monsoons) makes it difficult to harvest rice fields. It also makes it difficult to maintain land and homes. Despite efforts to improve its economy, Bangladesh remains a developing society. In 2008, its per capita income was $520 in comparison to the world average of $10, 200. In 2007 Southern Asia, 31 percent live below one dollar a day (CIA World Factbook 2007). In 2006 Southern Asia, 46 percent of children are underweight (Department of Public Information, United Nations). According to the World Bank, Bangladesh faces obstacles other than the environment. These factors include poor governance and weak public institutions, inefficient state-owned enterprises, a growth in the labor force that has outpaced jobs, inefficient use of energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms, political infighting and corruption.
In response, governments, non-governmental agencies, individuals, and other institutions consider and provide aid. However, this aid can lead to unintended consequences, and therefore unintended social change. There is ample evidence that when aid is given to a place that does not have good governance structures in place, resources such as money or food are not distributed to the people who are in need. Much of the well-intended aid is diverted to opposition and destabilization forces, development serving individual or special interests. Scarce resources that do not have a fair mechanism for distribution are fought over. Aid can become an incentive for violence. The lack of trust between governments and people creates a gap between those in power and civil society. Bangladesh continues to grapple with accepting aid from other nations, because of a fear of unintended consequences as well as a fear of quid pro quo. The ecological-evolutionary perspective suggests there is interdependency between all societies. Giving aid requires a deep understanding of the local economy, the political environment, and social systems.
The impacts of industrialized nations’ emission of greenhouse gases, leads to climate change. The resulting cyclones and monsoons in Bangladesh impede its progress in industrializing. The land is left unable to be tilled, crops destroyed and un-harvested, leading to poverty and hunger. Poverty makes it difficult for children to access education. Yet, achieving universal primary education is another one of the key strategies called for in the UN Millenium Goals.
The total net enrollment ratio in primary education in Southern Asia (2006) is a remarkable 88 percent (Department of Public Information, United Nations). Yet, the literacy rate in Bangladesh is 41% (2004) with a gender disparity of 50% literacy rates among men and only 31% among women (Human Development Report 2005). Now that Bangladesh is a “Water World,” its classrooms are boats. So, although intentional social change has been applied with much success and access to primary education is high, the quality of educational outcomes is poor.
There is a high correlation between education and gross domestic product (GDP). Education produces more skilled work and more innovation. On the other hand, poverty keeps many uneducated. All three of the UN millennial goals -- environmental sustainability, poverty and hunger, and education are interdependent with each other. Environmental sustainability is not achieved because of the acts and omissions of the industrialized nations, leading to climate change. The effects of climate change on industrializing nations impact the levels of poverty and hunger in those industrializing nations. The resulting high levels of poverty and hunger affect the likelihood that individuals can obtain primary education. Without primary education and quality of education, industrializing countries cannot achieve economic viability.
Knowing that the ecological-evolutionary theory is concerned with how a society interacts with itself, with other societies and the environment, explains the challenges in accelerating development in Bangladesh. The progress towards environmental sustainability, ending poverty and hunger, and universal primary education in Bangladesh is influenced by the history of the country, its relationship with other societies and its relationship with the environment. Attempts at intentional positive social change as a regional responsibility are limited by its interdependence with the world as a whole.
The act of attempting positive change, giving aid for example, may actually make things worse in the country if the aid is provided in a way that does not anticipate local politics, governmental structures, special interest agendas, and human relationships. This is why it is important for non-governmental organizations to understand the local political economy. Like non-governmental organizations, social movements can lead to unintentional social change as well. When you change one component of a society, it changes all other components. Will industrializing societies continue to supply aid for developing countries with the chance that the aid will never reach the people who need it?
Achieving low levels of greenhouse gas emissions, as another example, does not, in itself, result in regional improvement on the effects of climate change. Societies are interdependent of each other and together create a world system of societies. The whole world is connected through the actions and interactions of societies and their environments. Will the United States and China continue to emit green house gasses even if the effects are devastating worldwide?
Social movements are a way of promoting social change. In order for social movements to change policy, they need to provide valid information to governments, as well as satisfying the goals of worthiness, unity, numbers and commitment. There are limits to intentional social change because the environment is unpredictable, societies have actions that unintentionally hurt or help other societies, and the history of societies places that society in a position that may be near or far from reaching progress (the UN goals). There are limits to intentional social change because changing policy or an aspect of society takes an active civil society, takes time, and may have unintentional consequences.
References
Ali, A (1996). "Vulnerability of Bangladesh to climate change and sea level rise through tropical cyclones and storm surges". Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 92 (1–2): 171–179.
Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2008 Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, September, 2008.
"CIA - The World Factbook -- Bangladesh." Welcome to the CIA Web Site Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 12 Mar. 2010..
Department of Public Information, United Nations. “United Nations Millennium Development Goals”. 2008. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
"Human Development Report". 2005. UNDP. http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/countries.cfm?c=BGD.
International Relations and Security Network (ISN).The Climate refugee Challenge, ReliefWeb, 2009-04-14
Lenski, Gerhard and Nolan, Patrick D. “Trajectories of Development: A Test of Ecological-Evolutionary Theory,” Social Forces, Vol. 63, No. 1. (Sept., 1984). University of North Carolina Press. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0037-7732%28198409%2963%3A1%3C1%3ATODATO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U
Millenium Development Goals Mid-Term Bangladesh Progress Report 2007. General Economics Division, Planning Commission, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, December 2007. http://www.undp.org.bd/library/publications/MDG_Mid-term_Progress_Report2007.pdf
Sandeep Mahajan, "Bangladesh: Strategy for Sustained Growth", Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, World Bank (July 26, 2007).
In this paper I will apply ecological-evolutionary theory and prove the importance of the relationships within and between societies as well as the interactions of societies with the environment. Using Bangladesh as a regional case study, I will analyze and discuss three of the UN millennial goals -- environmental sustainability, ending hunger and poverty, and achieving universal primary education -- and discuss Bangladesh’s progress towards those goals and the limits to intentional social change.
Ecological-evolutionary and world system theories suggest that current patterns of interaction amongst nations affect development. Although Bangladesh has made remarkable progress towards achieving its goals as prescribed by the UN Millenium Goals (Mid-term Bangladesh Progress Report 2007), notably in ending hunger and poverty, its interdependence with other nations, notably in environmental sustainability, work against its ability to achieve and sustain forward progress.
Industrial countries currently emit about 10 times more carbon per capita than do developing countries. In 2005, Southern Asia produced 2.3 billion metric tons of carbon in comparison to Eastern Asia, which produced 6.1 billions of metric tons of carbon (Department of Public Information, United Nations). Approximately two-thirds of Bangladeshis are farmers who rely on agriculture (rice harvests), without the use of modern technologies, as the primary mode of subsistence. Bangladesh, as with many other countries in South Asia, emits far lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions than their industrial counterparts in Eastern Asia. According to its mid-term progress report for the achievement of its millennium development goals (2007), Bangladesh is one of the world’s lowest per capita carbon dioxide emitting countries. One of the overarching goals for environmental sustainability for all nations is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Under this measure, Bangladesh would therefore be considered a leader. Despite this, Bangladesh suffers from the drastic effects of climate change. The increase in flood and cyclone activity in the region draws attention to Bangladesh’s need for sustainable environmental protection.
Bangladesh is less than 40 ft. above sea level. It is estimated that if the sea level were to rise 3.28 feet, 50 percent of Bangladesh would be flooded (Ali, A 1996). From an Ecological-Evolutionary theory perspective, this is a good example of the relationship between different types of societies and how they affect each other. Although industrial societies (e.g., China and the United States) are primarily responsible for emitting most of the ozone-depleting gases, developing countries and poor people, such as Bangladesh, are the most vulnerable. Even if Bangladesh is more environmentally sustainable, using the measure of levels of greenhouse gas emissions, Bangladesh nevertheless suffers the devastating effects of climate change in large and disproportionate measure.
With climate change Bangladesh is becoming a “Water World”, meaning it is susceptible to monsoon rains and cyclones leading to devastating floods. With land and homes disappearing some Bangladesh propose that for every given amount of green house gasses emitted by the United States they have to take in a Bangladeshi family. Because of other societies and the environment affecting Bangladesh, their progress towards environmental sustainability is delayed. The flooding of Bangladesh means a loss of environmental resources, a potential loss in biodiversity, reduced access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and destroyed homes for many, creating more slum dwellers. The floods seriously affect agriculture, water and food security, human health, and shelter (Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan). With the rising sea level there will be more than 20 million climate refugees by 2030 (International Relations and Security Network). Intentional social change is affected by other factors. In this case the social change in other areas of the world affects Bangladesh’s social change and progress towards achieving the UN’s millennial goals.
These effects of the environment on Bangladesh affect poverty and hunger as well. Although Bangladesh’s poverty rate has fallen 20 percent since the 1990s, and it has achieved an average annual growth rate of 5 percent (Sandeep Mahajan 2007), the interactions within Bangladesh, with other societies, and with the environment pose further obstacles. Its economic growth has not sufficiently benefited the extreme poor (Mid-Term Bangladesh Progress Report 2007). The catastrophic climate destabilization (e.g., cyclones and monsoons) makes it difficult to harvest rice fields. It also makes it difficult to maintain land and homes. Despite efforts to improve its economy, Bangladesh remains a developing society. In 2008, its per capita income was $520 in comparison to the world average of $10, 200. In 2007 Southern Asia, 31 percent live below one dollar a day (CIA World Factbook 2007). In 2006 Southern Asia, 46 percent of children are underweight (Department of Public Information, United Nations). According to the World Bank, Bangladesh faces obstacles other than the environment. These factors include poor governance and weak public institutions, inefficient state-owned enterprises, a growth in the labor force that has outpaced jobs, inefficient use of energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms, political infighting and corruption.
In response, governments, non-governmental agencies, individuals, and other institutions consider and provide aid. However, this aid can lead to unintended consequences, and therefore unintended social change. There is ample evidence that when aid is given to a place that does not have good governance structures in place, resources such as money or food are not distributed to the people who are in need. Much of the well-intended aid is diverted to opposition and destabilization forces, development serving individual or special interests. Scarce resources that do not have a fair mechanism for distribution are fought over. Aid can become an incentive for violence. The lack of trust between governments and people creates a gap between those in power and civil society. Bangladesh continues to grapple with accepting aid from other nations, because of a fear of unintended consequences as well as a fear of quid pro quo. The ecological-evolutionary perspective suggests there is interdependency between all societies. Giving aid requires a deep understanding of the local economy, the political environment, and social systems.
The impacts of industrialized nations’ emission of greenhouse gases, leads to climate change. The resulting cyclones and monsoons in Bangladesh impede its progress in industrializing. The land is left unable to be tilled, crops destroyed and un-harvested, leading to poverty and hunger. Poverty makes it difficult for children to access education. Yet, achieving universal primary education is another one of the key strategies called for in the UN Millenium Goals.
The total net enrollment ratio in primary education in Southern Asia (2006) is a remarkable 88 percent (Department of Public Information, United Nations). Yet, the literacy rate in Bangladesh is 41% (2004) with a gender disparity of 50% literacy rates among men and only 31% among women (Human Development Report 2005). Now that Bangladesh is a “Water World,” its classrooms are boats. So, although intentional social change has been applied with much success and access to primary education is high, the quality of educational outcomes is poor.
There is a high correlation between education and gross domestic product (GDP). Education produces more skilled work and more innovation. On the other hand, poverty keeps many uneducated. All three of the UN millennial goals -- environmental sustainability, poverty and hunger, and education are interdependent with each other. Environmental sustainability is not achieved because of the acts and omissions of the industrialized nations, leading to climate change. The effects of climate change on industrializing nations impact the levels of poverty and hunger in those industrializing nations. The resulting high levels of poverty and hunger affect the likelihood that individuals can obtain primary education. Without primary education and quality of education, industrializing countries cannot achieve economic viability.
Knowing that the ecological-evolutionary theory is concerned with how a society interacts with itself, with other societies and the environment, explains the challenges in accelerating development in Bangladesh. The progress towards environmental sustainability, ending poverty and hunger, and universal primary education in Bangladesh is influenced by the history of the country, its relationship with other societies and its relationship with the environment. Attempts at intentional positive social change as a regional responsibility are limited by its interdependence with the world as a whole.
The act of attempting positive change, giving aid for example, may actually make things worse in the country if the aid is provided in a way that does not anticipate local politics, governmental structures, special interest agendas, and human relationships. This is why it is important for non-governmental organizations to understand the local political economy. Like non-governmental organizations, social movements can lead to unintentional social change as well. When you change one component of a society, it changes all other components. Will industrializing societies continue to supply aid for developing countries with the chance that the aid will never reach the people who need it?
Achieving low levels of greenhouse gas emissions, as another example, does not, in itself, result in regional improvement on the effects of climate change. Societies are interdependent of each other and together create a world system of societies. The whole world is connected through the actions and interactions of societies and their environments. Will the United States and China continue to emit green house gasses even if the effects are devastating worldwide?
Social movements are a way of promoting social change. In order for social movements to change policy, they need to provide valid information to governments, as well as satisfying the goals of worthiness, unity, numbers and commitment. There are limits to intentional social change because the environment is unpredictable, societies have actions that unintentionally hurt or help other societies, and the history of societies places that society in a position that may be near or far from reaching progress (the UN goals). There are limits to intentional social change because changing policy or an aspect of society takes an active civil society, takes time, and may have unintentional consequences.
References
Ali, A (1996). "Vulnerability of Bangladesh to climate change and sea level rise through tropical cyclones and storm surges". Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 92 (1–2): 171–179.
Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2008 Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, September, 2008.
"CIA - The World Factbook -- Bangladesh." Welcome to the CIA Web Site Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.
Department of Public Information, United Nations. “United Nations Millennium Development Goals”. 2008. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
"Human Development Report". 2005. UNDP. http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/countries.cfm?c=BGD.
International Relations and Security Network (ISN).The Climate refugee Challenge, ReliefWeb, 2009-04-14
Lenski, Gerhard and Nolan, Patrick D. “Trajectories of Development: A Test of Ecological-Evolutionary Theory,” Social Forces, Vol. 63, No. 1. (Sept., 1984). University of North Carolina Press. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0037-7732%28198409%2963%3A1%3C1%3ATODATO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U
Millenium Development Goals Mid-Term Bangladesh Progress Report 2007. General Economics Division, Planning Commission, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, December 2007. http://www.undp.org.bd/library/publications/MDG_Mid-term_Progress_Report2007.pdf
Sandeep Mahajan, "Bangladesh: Strategy for Sustained Growth", Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, World Bank (July 26, 2007).
Thursday, March 4, 2010
delerium
Tired, i lay i bed.
i'm on the phone with my best friend.
i start laughing, cracking up
a couple seconds later it turns into crying.
Happiest to Saddest just like that.
my nose clogs up and i can't breathe.
i try to talk, and i squeal, a high pitched squeal. it
turns back into the uncontrollable laughter.
i sit on the floor, in front of the mini fridge reading the magnets
and the random sentences my roommate and i wrote a while back--Laughing hysterically because the sentences are that much funnier now.
"i flew fast for the win r storm follow ed me"
Laughing, sobbing, shooing my friend away.
no more talking for tonight.
i'm tired.
i can't breathe.
i'm tired and hysterical.
sleep now.
please.
i'm on the phone with my best friend.
i start laughing, cracking up
a couple seconds later it turns into crying.
Happiest to Saddest just like that.
my nose clogs up and i can't breathe.
i try to talk, and i squeal, a high pitched squeal. it
turns back into the uncontrollable laughter.
i sit on the floor, in front of the mini fridge reading the magnets
and the random sentences my roommate and i wrote a while back--Laughing hysterically because the sentences are that much funnier now.
"i flew fast for the win r storm follow ed me"
Laughing, sobbing, shooing my friend away.
no more talking for tonight.
i'm tired.
i can't breathe.
i'm tired and hysterical.
sleep now.
please.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
slow down
I messed with time tonight.
I slowed it down.
Slowed the music down.
When i was dancing i slowed the music down.
I filled out the movement even more,
i was in the zone,
a sign of a really good performance.
I slowed the music down and
felt in love and
felt alive and
felt beautiful.
I slowed it down.
Slowed the music down.
When i was dancing i slowed the music down.
I filled out the movement even more,
i was in the zone,
a sign of a really good performance.
I slowed the music down and
felt in love and
felt alive and
felt beautiful.
Monday, February 22, 2010
wet bird
A dampened bird
Desperately shaking water off
My heavy, weighted down wings
Droplets dart toward the ground
Ripples expanding in the space between
Me and the other side
Desperately shaking water off
My heavy, weighted down wings
Droplets dart toward the ground
Ripples expanding in the space between
Me and the other side
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