MARRIAGE = LOVE

Ever since I was born I have been taught to be tolerant, and respectful to others. No matter their race, religions, values. I have always also thought that freedom is a very important part of life. The freedom to choose what you want to do, who you want to be, I find these things essential in ones life to find happiness. I think that tolerance, respect and freedom are basic values that a society need to support same- sex marriages. I believe that same- sex marriages are a great way of advancing in a free society. I think this because it finally gives the right to people that are homosexual to create a family.

In 2005, the government in Spain approved of a law that allowed homosexuals to get married, and to adopt. There was also a big conflict in between the government and the church in Spain, who was completely against this law, and found it preposterous, since it's against the bible. However the government decided to approve of this law. I think that this is one of the best laws that has been approved in Spain. I think that by allowing same- sex marriages it gives the freedom to everyone to form a family, and be happy. I think that it also educates people in a country to treat people with respect and to be tolerant. I also think that it teaches people that the most important isn't if you like men or women, but if you love that person and want to form a family with them, no matter their gender.

Most of the people that think that same-sex marriage is wrong because they have not grown up with tolerances being one of the basic values in their life, they feel uncomfortable with this since they never being taught that homosexuality is okay, and that because you are gay, doesn't mean you aren't okay. What does it matter who you love, or who you choose to spend your life with? I understand that some people do not support the idea of homosexuality, but that does not mean that you cannot respect it.

Another reason why I think that people do not approve of gay marriage is because the believe that marriage is defined man and woman, and not two men, or two women. I personally believe that marriage means love and commitment, and that can be found in two men, or two women.

There are only ten countries in the world that have been open, and tolerant enough to make same-sex marriage legal. I hope that in the future, more and more countries sum into this idea and let people who also love each other get married, and adopt. I hope this because I believe that same-sex marriages are a great way of advancing into a free society

We Are Women, Hear Us Roar

During many years, there has been sexism, or also called gender discrimination. Women, have been treated horribly. Luckily our culture now a-days has made a huge progress over the last few decades against this, but the sad truth is that a lot of women are still affected daily by this form of discrimination.

One of the ways that gender discrimination is portrayed in the world now a days is with sex trafficking. In many very poor countries children (specially girls), do not get an education. Their families need money to be able to sustain the whole family. They often use their children to work at farms to earn money, however normally working at farms is a hard labour that doesn't give of enough salary. These families become easy prays for sex traffickers, and they often have to send their kid to become prostitutes. In Thailand the sex trade is on the rise, and this is one of the jobs most people live of. " When I was at work, fifty percent of me hated what I was doing, but the other fifty percent wanted to stay because I had to earn money for my family", said a fourteen year old girl, that was a victim of sex traffic in South East Asia. The pressure that these girls are being put to is of life or death, since without the money, her whole family cant live. This shows gender discrimination, because this is showing, how some people use girls as a business, selling their bodies to other men, and even if this is mostly against their will they still are forced into working at this.

Another way that gender discrimination is shown very frequently is in the workplace. There is research that shows that women often get paid less than men do for the same work. There are studies that show that women working 41-44 hours per week earn 84 percent of what men earn working for the same hours at the same job. The more hours they work for the worst this problem gets. There are also plenty of cases of women getting fired because they had a maternity leave. Since this costs to much for the business they decide to fire her. This shows gender discrimination because women and men should be able earn the same for the same amount of work that they do, and they not paying women the same is a unfair way to show sexism. Also firing women because of a maternity leave is horrible, because women should be able to have children and form a family at the same time as have a decent job. Women should be happy about having children, and be treated with respect about it, not punish them by taking away their salary.

Another example of gender discrimination that has recently caught my interest has been that in Saudi Arabia, it is forbidden for women to drive. Only men are around to drive women around, but they can't drive women they don't know. So in other words, women are not allowed to drive around town, or use taxis and buses since the drivers don't have any relation with them. They can only use a car if a man that they know is driving it. This completely makes it impossible for women to be independent. I think that that it's insane the fact that in the 21st century there are still countries that are in such a regressive when it comes to gender equality. I completely support all the women that are protesting against this and that are trying to make a change about sexism in their country, but also making this public to the world so everyone can see how important it is to treat all genders the same.

I hope that this shows some people that it is really important to be respectful to both males and females with equality and respect. I think that the world would benefit a lot from that behavior. All I hope is that I live to see equality make this a better world Gender equality is more than an a goal in itself. It is a percondion for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance" - Kofi Annan.

One Earth One Chance

Every morning, I wake up using a electronic alarm clock, then I take a shower, I use shampoo’s that come in a plastic bottle. Then I use a plastic tooth brush, and as the end goes by I consume more and more of everything.

I understand that our society has adapted them self’s around the use of plastics, cans, boxes and many other containers. We have also learned to live with the use of electricity, and living without it would be impossible. But don’t you think that we have also learned and adapted our society into over using these things? Maybe we are using way to much plastic, maybe we are using way to much cans? However the worst thing about his over use of materials is the consequence. What happens when we throw our soda can to the trash? Where does that later go? All of this trash is later released into the ocean, and it kills millions of animals. In fact, this is one of the most typical reasons why many sea animals have died. So why don’t we recycle more? The idea is, to reuse materials that are no longer needed and convert them into something else that can be used. It reduces the number of materials that factories have to make, and pollutes less.

In the ISKL community there are a lot of ways of recycling. In school, there are a lot of special trash cans where you can put different materials and then they will be recycled. There is also a recycling meet on a Saturday once a month, so you can take all of the materials you want to recycle and deposit them in bins where they will be later recycled. I think this is a great idea because this is giving everyone a chance to participate in something that can help the environment. I encourage people to take part on these meets, because such a simple gesture can really make a big difference.

Another way that in ISKL we really help the environment is by composting. This is a process of recycling food waste by decomposing organic material into a rich soil. In other words, to make rich soil out of food waste. Good idea right! Later you can use this soil to plant new plants. I think this is a great idea, because it is reusing waste, and was just going to be buried into earth and never be used, now it has a chance of becoming use full.

So I encourage you to think more the next time you throw your trash into the wrong trash can and throw it into the recycle bin. A simple step can do a lot. Remember, this is our earth, and our duty to keep it clean.

Peace and Love

Every twenty first of September peace reigns on Earth. For one day, there are no guns shooting, no people suffering, and no children dying. It is one day, in which we all respect each other and live in harmony with each other. There is no violence or hatred.

All my life, I have lived in different countries across the world. Some more pacific than others. However, this has tought me that despite differences I might have with the different cultures or believes, I should respect everyone, and live in peace with everyone, and everyone can make peace in there "eco-system". It's as simple as not annoying your brother, or being nice to someone at school. Its a simple step, but a step that might lead everyone around you to follow, and in time, who knows, everyone might be in peace with each other and everyone should start peace, because, " Nobody can bring you peace but yourself."-Ralph Waldo Emerson

One person that has proven to the world that peace is something to stand up for, is a man called Wang Wellin, but mostly known as "The Tank Man". He was a nineteen year old student in China. One day, he stood in front of a column of tanks when they were going to remove the protestants from the streets. He blocked the way of the tanks, and got them to leave there task. I admire this act of peace, since I think that it takes a lot of courage to stand up against a government and oppose against what they want. He risked his life to show the people that peace was the correct idea, and not war and violence. The man videotaped his peaceful protest and and achieved a world-wide recognition.

Another very famous peace movement was the "Bed-In" that took place on the 20th of March 1969 during the Vietnam war by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. What they did, was that they spent there honey moon in bed. They invited the world press into there room everyday. The couple just sat on there bed, with peace signs above there heads, and sang songs about peace. I see this as a very impressive way to promote peace, since they got there message around there world. Also I think that they fact that they were very famous also got there fans to believe in peace as well. They showed a non- violent way of protesting against the Vietnamese war, and at the same time promoted peace.

Many famous individuals have tried to make this idea, something that exists. They have tried to make peace something that actually happens. I am not famous, but I still encourage you all to try and live in peace. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, if you are famous or not, all that matters is that you promote it in your own way. " All were saying in give peace a chance"- John Lennon

Sources: www.wikipedia.com , www.brainyquote.com

A Perfect New World

Imagine having a new world to start. A world where everything could just be how you wanted it to be, and it was yours to create. You could create a perfect utopia, were everyone lived in peace and i happiness. No one fought, and everyone loved each other. A world very different to ours, where people bomb each other over a piece of land, or were genocide happens because of your skin color. If I were to start a new world, that wouldn't know of the existence of these atrocities, I would make it a multi-cultural world. The principal reason that I would choose to do that would make it a more tolerant world. For example in Nazi Germany, the principal reason of the holocaust was that a group of people with different religious opinions and race disliked another group of people, because of there religion, culture, race and believes. If a world were everyone accepted different religions, races and cultures existed, people would be able to respect and love each other. It would prevent people from hate, and disdain. Things like racism wouldn't exist, and they would be replaced with tolerance and people would be more open minded.

The Hunger Games Assessment

For my Hunger Games Assessment I did three things:

A Propaganda brochure

An identity chart about Katniss.

A fashion design.

The propaganda brochure I did was about sponsoring the tributes for district twelve, Petta Melmark and Katniss Evedeen. It showed some charastics about the tributes promote them. I wanted to show that it was important for the tributes that they had sponsors and that they had to give the best impression that they could so that they would be helped during the arena.

I did an identity chart about Katniss because I wanted to show all the characteristics

form the character. I decided to do it because I found it very interesting and because I think it is important since she is the main character.

I did a fashion design to show how the outfits that Katniss wore. I also wanted to show quotes about the dresses to. I also wanted to do it because I found it a creative way of completing the assignment.

Luttrell Psalter pictures a scene from the Middle Ages that is included in the old testimony of the Bible. It shows the three different social classes, the Kings, one of the upper classes. The priests, a high class as well. And peasants, the lowest class. This piece of art is considered a primary source since it's the closest thing to a photograph that we are able to find from that era. This document is unique because, even though it wasn't the first document to show the rural life at that time, it is filled with amazing details about everything during that period in history.