Top 10

1. The Haiti In Me by Ian 
           I think that Haiti's problem is the worst and should be immediately solved because people are at risk      here. Since the earthquake things have gotten worse and people continue to be at risk. 
2.Suadan & Its Rights by Jalimar
           Sudan has too much violence going on which is one of the worst problems. People in Sudan need to know how it feels to be free and have freedom. 
3. Together 4 Freedom by Shariemar 
           Women need to be respected and not be treated like they are nothing. They should be respected and most important, educated.  
4. Loving Our Rights by Valeria
         Children are one of the most important things in the world and they are taken advantaged of. They should be educated and not be used as soldiers instead. 
5. Fighting for Equality, Fighting for our Rights by Yvette 
          The government is just trying to destroy peoples' opinion, culture and religions.
6. Forever Tunisia by Adriana 
         They need help because the government is just giving them things they do not want.
7. Bits of Knowledge on Mexico by Angelica
         These people in Mexico need any help they can get. I think they need help and they should get it.
8. Jamaica by Giselle
         I fully support all these human rights and these people in Jamaica should support all of them too already.
9.  Indonesia by Anluishgie
        People, women, children, etc. are being abused  at any way possible and that has to stop.
10. Wilson;s Metal Blog by Wilson
        It is always under attack or attacking, this problem has to end before more people die. 

Human Rights

     The Human Rights in Kenya are being violated every day. One of the most shocking violations is that police use violence and torture during interrogations and as punishment of pretrial detainees and convicted prisoners. common methods of torture included whipping, burning with cigarettes, and beating with gun butts and wooden clubs. Other violatins include the right of freedom of speech, they arrest press and journalist which they shouldn't because they are just doing there job and expressing what is really going on to other people. I think that the worst one is the violatioon of women rights. Women are being raped every day and every day the amount of women being raped increases. 


   I think people should care more about these issues because they are just harming the world some more. Now people need more help then ever and these issues have to be solved. People should care about these issues because if they were in their shoes they would be asking everybody for help. They should imagine themselves trying to deal with these problems. These problems have to be solved immediately. 


Know More:
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/af/119007.htm
http://www.du.edu/korbel/hrhw/researchdigest/africa/WomensRights.pdf
http://www.hrw.org/en/africa

Proposal

I think that they should solve one of the most important problems. Women are being raped and the raping has doubled since the new president was elected. It is a major issue since women get raped so much it brings AIDS, HIV, etc. which brings death. Men in Kenya should learn how to respect women and women should learn how to protect themselves. I just think that it is the most important problem beause it just brings more death. 

History

Kenya Africa is located in East Africa. It started out with the Arabian settlers but then came the Portuguese and took over in 1948. After that the protectorate promoted settlement of the fertile central highlands by Europeans, dispossessing the Kikuyu and others of their land.  

In 1895 Britain's protectorate is formed and Kenya is named British East Africa. In World War I in 1914 200,000 Africans are recruited in Kenya by the British Army. One fourth of them dies. In 1921 the protectorate becomes Kenya and gets status of British Crown Colony. A British governor administrates the colony.

A political Kikuyu group called "Mau Mau" starts violent attacks on white settlers. Jomo Kenyatta is regarded to be leader of the "Mau Mau" and he is jailed the following year. The Mau Mau rebellion continues and Britain declares a state of emergency in Kenya. The leader of KLFA, general Dedan Kimanthi is captured by British troops with assistance from a loyal Kikuyu group. The Mau Mau are now without leadership.

In 1956 the Mau Mau warriors kills more Africans loyal to the British than white people. Around 50,000 British soldiers are set in against the rebellion. They burn down villages and carry out bomb attacks from airplanes. When the rebellion is finally put down a total of app. 12,000 Africans are killed -and only about 30 Europeans. 100,000 Africans are imprisoned. Then in 1957 Dedan Kimanthi is executed.

Kenya's second president was  Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi in October 6, 1978. In 1975 he launches a plan for protection of Rhinos in Kenya. In June 1982 the Republic of Kenya was declared to be a one party state by ruling party KANU. In August 1982 the Kenyan Airforce attempts a military coup. A few days pass in uncertainty and 120 people are killed. Then forces loyal to the government puts an end to the rebellion. Following the coup-attempt, 12 people are sentenced to death and 900 are jailed. 


http://crawfurd.dk/africa/kenya_timeline.htm
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2962.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12997138

Celebration of Culture

Etiquette: They are very kind and hospitable. They treat visitors with huge respect. they offer visitors food or tea and it is considered disrespectful if they decline. 


Celebrations/Holidays: New Years is celebrated on January 1 and Labor Day May 1. They also celebrate the anniversary of self rule, June 1, called Madaraka Day. On October 10, they commemarate the president's installation in office called Moi Day, in December 12 they celebrate Independence Day called Jamhuri Day. They also celebrate Jomo Kenyatta as the national hero in Kenyatta Day on October 20. They have festival with a large parade in he capital celebrated throughout the country called Haramee Day. 


Food Customs: For special occasions, it is customary to kill and roast a goat. Other meats, including sheep and cow, are also served at celebrations. The special dish is called nyama choma, which is "burnt meat."


Religion: In traditional religions, diviners are believed to have the power to communicate with the spirit world, and they use their powers to cure people of diseases or evil spirits. Diviners are also called to help bring rain during times of drought. Sorcerers and witches are also believed to have supernatural powers, but unlike the diviners they use these powers to cause harm. It is the job of the diviners to counter their evil workings.

Rituals and Holy Places: Among the Masai, the beginning of the rainy season is observed with a celebration which lasts for several days and includes singing, dancing, eating, and praying for the health of their animals. For the ritual dances, the performers die their hair red, paint black stripes on their bodies, and don ostrich-feather headdresses. 

   -The Kikuyu mark the start of the planting season with their own festivities. Their ceremonial dances are     often performed by warriors wearing leopard or zebra skin robes and carrying spears and shields. The   dancers dye their bodies blue, and paint them in white patterns.

   -Initiation ceremonies are important rites of passage, and they vary from tribe to tribe. Boys and girls undergo separate rituals, after which they are considered of marriageable age. Kikuyu boys, for example, are initiated at the age of eighteen. Their ears are pierced, their heads shaved, and their faces marked with white earth. Pokot girls are initiated at twelve years old, in a ceremony that involves singing, dancing, and decorating their bodies with ocher, red clay, and animal fat.

   -Weddings are important occasions throughout the country, and are celebrated with up to eight days of    music, dance, and special foods.

  Death and the Afterlife: At death, Kenyans believe that one enters the spirit world, which has great   influence in the world of the living. Many Kenyans believe in reincarnation, and children are thought to be the embodiment of the souls of a family's ancestors.

Arts: Kenya is known for its sculpture and wood-carving, which often has religious significance. Figures of ancestors are believed to appease the inhabitants of the spirit world, as are the elaborately carved amulets that Kenyans wear around their necks. In addition to wood, sculptors also work in ivory and gold. Contemporary sculptors often blend traditional styles with more modern ones.

   -Artists also create the colorful masks and headdresses that are worn during traditional dances, often   fashioned to represent birds or other animals. Jewelry is another Kenyan art form, and includes elaborate silver and gold bracelets and various forms of colorful beadwork.

  -In some tribes, including the Kikuyu and the Luhya, women make pottery and elaborately decorated baskets.

Dance: Dancing is an important part of Kenyan culture. Men and women usually dance separately. Men perform line dances, some of which involve competing to see who can jump the highest. Dance is often an element of religious ceremonies, such as marriage, child naming, and initiation. Costume is an important element of many traditional dances, as are props: dancers often don masks and carry shields, swords, and other objects.

Music: The music of Kenya is polyrhythmic, incorporating several different beats simultaneously. The primary instruments are drums but lutes, woodwinds, and thumb pianos are also used. Singing often follows a call-and-response pattern, and singers chant rhythms that diverge from those played on the instruments. Kikuyu music is relatively simple; the main instrument is the gicandi, a rattle made from a gourd. Other groups, such as the Luhya, have more complex music and dance traditions, incorporating a variety of instruments.

More Info:
http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Kenya.html
http://www.africaguide.com/country/kenya/culture.htm
http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/kikuyu.htm

Kenya, Africa

Country Overview

Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania  

Population: 41,070,934

Religion: 45% Protestants, 33% Indigenous Beliefs, 2% Others

Language: English and Kiswahili (official), indigenous languages

Birth Rate: 33.54 births/1,000 population

Death Rate: 8.93 deaths/1,000 population

Ethnic Groups: 22% Kikuyu, 13% Luo, 14% Luhya, 12% Kalenjin, 11% Kamba, 6% Kissii, 6% Meru, 15% other African, 1% non-African

Literary Rate: 85% total population, 90.6% male, 79.7% female

Education Expenditures: 7% GDP

Government Type: Republic

Unemployment Rate: 40%

Population below poverty line: 50%

Legal System: Based on Kenyan statutory law, Kenyan and English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991.

Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal 

Industries: Small-scale consumer goods, agricultural products, horticulture, oil refining; aluminum, steel, lead; cement, commercial ship repair, and tourism. 

Industrial production: 4% growth rate

Communication: 664,100 telephone main lines in use, 19.365 million mobile cellular, 47,676 internet hosts, and 3.996 million internet users.

Military Branches: Kenya Armed Forces-Kenya Navy and Kenya Air Force. The ages and obligations are 18-26 years of age for voluntary service,under 18 with parental consent, with a 9 year obligation; applicants must be Kenyan citizens and provide a national identity card and a school-leaving certificate.

Transnational Issues: Served as an important mediator in brokering Sudan’s north-south separation in February 2005

-Provides shelter to almost a quarter of a million refugees, including Ugandans who flee across the border periodically to seek protection from Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.

-Works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists; the boundary that separates Kenya’s and Sudan’s sovereignty is unclear in the “Ilemi Triangle”, 

which Kenya has administered since colonial times. 

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ke.html