Cyber-Assignment
This is a link to an interview with Nicholas Kristof. Listen to the interview in light of what you have read so far. What is the impact of hearing directly from an author? What did you learn about Kristof or Half the Sky that you didn't already know? What impressed you most about his comments. Try to cite it in a paraphrase.
http://www.imow.org/economica/stories/viewStory?storyId=4719
Bring headphones to class on Thursdays.
This is a link to an interview with Nicholas Kristof. Listen to the interview in light of what you have read so far. What is the impact of hearing directly from an author? What did you learn about Kristof or Half the Sky that you didn't already know? What impressed you most about his comments. Try to cite it in a paraphrase.
http://www.imow.org/economica/stories/viewStory?storyId=4719
Bring headphones to class on Thursdays.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 8:40 AM
18 Comments:
Sherri Short
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50
12 February 2011
Hearing directly from Kristof really gave me a sense of how very passionate he is about trying to end the world-wide oppression of females.
I did not know that the couples children went with them to each country that they did research in for the book, or that one of their children was a girl. I was not aware of Kristof's outlook that the world could be better if larger numbers of women had more opportunities to make large-scale financial decisions. For example, Kristof mentions a ratio of how excess monies are typically spent by men (which included tobacco, alcohol and prostitution) and how women will typically re-invest excess monies into education for children in the family. I really admire that outlook.
I was most impressed with his view that women with more education further progress their communities overall by investing more into their children.
I watched the video that you recommended and I must say that it was more interesting to hear the narration of the Half the Sky book through the author than to read it. Nicholas Kristof does a good job promoting the book, and leaves one curious to know more. Apart from almost literally repeating certain passages in the introduction, Kristof mentions that one cannot always blame the men assaulting women. In some cases, other women, such as mothers-in-law, are promoting rape as a form of control in the family where they live. Also, it is interesting that the authors of the book are planning to launch a social game to reach larger audiences and spread awareness about this social problem.
For those of us who read the book, Kristof tries to lift our spirits by letting us know that instead of feeling depressed about these sad stories it is important to know that the work of some social entrepreneurs is changing the lives of many women that are affected by gender aggression. In this way he tries to involve us in this movement through a positive and encouraging message. He lets us know that any kind of active help can make a difference.
One comment that struck me is that people tend to think that the misery in developing countries is due to the lack of economic resources of their families, but according to the author that suffering is also influenced by poor decisions in these families about how to use the little money they have. Usually the father is the one who handles the money, and spends more on alcohol and tobacco than on education. The wife, on the other hand, tends to care more about the health and education of their children. If she receives training and access to jobs she will bring in more income, manage the family’s money better and be more economically productive in society. In other words, this has become known as the “girl effect”.
David Guzman
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50
12 February 2011
I watched the video that you recommended and I must say that it was more interesting to hear the narration of the Half the Sky book through the author than to read it. Nicholas Kristof, the author, does a good job promoting the book, and leaves one curious to know more. Apart from almost literally repeating certain passages in the introduction, Kristof mentions that one cannot always blame the men assaulting women. In some cases, other women, such as mothers-in-law, are promoting rape as a form of control in the family where they live. It is interesting that the authors of the book are planning to launch a social game to reach larger audiences and spread awareness about this social problem.
For those of us who read the book, Kristof tries to lift our spirits by letting us know that instead of feeling depressed about these sad stories it is important to know that the work of some social entrepreneurs is changing the lives of many women that are affected by gender aggression. In this way he tries to involve us in this movement through a positive and encouraging message. He lets us know that any kind of active help can make a difference.
One comment that struck me is that people tend to think that the misery in developing countries is due to the lack of economic resources of their families, but according to the author that suffering is also influenced by poor decisions in these families about how to use the little money they have. Usually the father is the one who handles the money, and spends more on alcohol and tobacco than on education. The wife, on the other hand, tends to care more about the health and education of their children. If she receives training and access to jobs she will bring in more income, manage the family’s money better and be more economically productive in society. In other words, this has become known as the “girl effect”.
Shameiko Porter
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50am
13 February 2011
Hearing directly from Kristof gives a more emotional side of the book, instead of being so informational. It gives a real face to the words written and read. I learned that Kristof co-wrote two other books with his wife. I did not know that he wpn two Pulitzer Prizes or that he and his wife were the first couple to ever receive the prize together. I also discovered he is a family man with three children. I was impressed that even though he has been in dangerous situations over seas, he stayed in foreign conutries just to get exposure of wrong doings in the world.
Zinaida Dzhilavdaryan
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1 A
14 February 2011
Nikolas Kristof’s Interview
Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn are Pulitzer Prize winners. They share the stories of women struggling for their lives. The book enlightened us about the problem of discrimination of women. We often hear news about people suffering from poverty and hunger. We know that in most developing countries women are often suffer from violence and abuse. This book shocked me with the amount of women abused, the age of girls being trafficked, and the indifference of the government and the police.
In the interview Chrristof talks about investing in women, and how it can help the developing countries reach their economic potential. As women play a great role in educating the next generations, unleashing their potential benefits the whole country. It amazed me that he is so devoted to helping women, how he is trying to reach out to attract people to this problem. Sometimes we think that if government cannot fight the problem, we are helpless. But the book and the life experience of the author proves that everything is possible. I heard some people saying that the book is too depressing and hard to read. I will agree that some parts of the book are not easy to read. But I think that it helps to look in the lives of the women closely and understand how they feel. And the main advantage of the book, as I believe, is that it teaches us compassion, and helps understand that everyone can make difference. Nicholas Kristof believes that even children should be introduces to this book, as it will teach them empathy.
I admire all the people mentioned in the book, along with leaders of non-profit organizations and authors of the book, who traveled long miles, spend great amount of time rescuing women from brothels, told their stories, and initiated changes in the societies where rape and violence are regular. The book is showing that women faced oppression are not victims, that they are incredibly brave. Every story in the book has an example of strength and resistance. I think that the book will support all the women and the men in the fight for equity.
Angela M. Vasquez
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
February 14, 2011
Interview with Nikolas Kristof
Watching the interview with Nikolas Kristof was refreshing. I do not normally associate a man with being compassionate towards a woman, especially a poor woman from another country that he does not know. He seems to be very passionate about what he does and that alone make me more interested in reading the rest of the book. From watching the interview I can tell that he did not just write a book, but by writing this book he is trying to make a difference. They discussed the two girls he bought in Cambodia and returned them to their home. He mentioned that he had recently visited one of the girls and that she was doing well. I thought it was nice that he is keeping in touch with some of the girls that were interviewed in the book. They also discussed the girl effect and how investing in women and girls will benefit society. He said that men tend to spend money on sex, tobacco, alcohol, and gambling, while women on the other hand, spend on education for their children and younger family members. I think this idea makes a lot of sense because women are very giving and are more nurturing than men. Another thing I found interesting is the psych studies that have been done. He said that CEO’s that have been interviewed are always positive even when their company is not doing well. A humanitarian on the other hand make things seem as though they are horrible and make the issue seem like a non-rewarding cause. He said the studies show that people want to get involved in a rewarding cause. The want to be involved in something that will make them feel happy and make them feel like that are making a difference. I think this is very true. Doing something good make you feel good.
Overall I enjoyed watching the interview. It makes me look forward to reading the rest of the book.
Morgan LaPorte-Hilliard
9:00-9:50am
English 1A
Watching Nicholas Kristof speak about his book was very moving. I am Very pleased to see That not only has some adressed opression and abuse of women but that it is a man. I was very impressed to learn that he involves his children. This give them a chance to carry the torch into their geneartion. I like how he explains that providing women with dignified means to earn money can improve the economy of the country due to the fact that women tend to re-invest in their community through venues like education. I am very glad he is encouraging others to get invlved, because when people join together a lot can be accomplished. We as americans have become to reliant on our government. I feel that it was important of him to try to garner support for such an important issue.
Cody Henneman
Professor Sabir
English 1A
14 February 2011
The thing that caught my attention right of the start was the fact that the interviewer asked how it is like to work with a spouse on such a project as "Half the Sky". I never thought of it, but being partners in everything does seem like it would lead to a downfall. But then again Kristof really puts it in perspective. I think that a lot of things are better than they seem whenever you put them in perspective. Also, I think another reason why they can make it work is the fact that they know what each of them have been through. They hold a really strong connection that way. The thought never occurred to me that being a work partner with a spouse could be great, but all it takes is a little perspective.
What I learned from this interview that I didn't know from the book was the fact that Kristof would buy the girls in the brothels and take them home to their home country. I thought that this was very noble. The girls were cheap too. Perhaps the United States government could give them money to free these girls. However that would solve nothing. Only put more money in the brothels.
What impressed me about this interview is when Kristof contrasted a CEO of a company to a humanitarian. He said that CEO's see the bright side of bad things happening in a way that they say that it will end soon. However humanitarians see things as they are, and see that everything is going down the drain in the world today.
Andrew Duong
Professor Sabir
English 1A
9:00AM - 9:50AM
Interview with Nicholas Kristof
Watching Nicholas Kristof's interview was incredibly eye opening. It gave me a true sense of how very serious Kristof is about the abuse of women around the world. I think the impact of hearing directly from the author himself is truly inspiring. Rather than just reading what the author wrote, listening to him verbally seems to make it one hundred and ten percent more real. The reading of Half the Sky was already extremely shocking, but I did think of it to be exaggerated such as with the statistics provided in the context. Now that I am able to hear it upfront from Kristof himself, I believe it to be factual. I learned a lot more just by hearing directly from the author. These abuses are not a joke and really are happening around the world. Kristof mentions how step fathers and such would just sell their daughter to the brothels because of their gender. Apparently, females are not as worthy as males and thus, do not get the same treatments such as medically or educationally. I mean, it is just shocking that the outside world would view females like this. It is also ironic to me that the outside world are ideologically more concerned with being moral but yet their actions to females are awfully immoral. I find Kristof's comments to be extraordinarily inspirational. He travels from county to country interviewing all kind of victims in an attempt to find a better understanding of what is really going on with all this trafficking and such. The information that he gathers will be brought upon the more fortunate people in hope that they find a way to help.
Julie Phoukeo
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
14 February 2011
Interviews with Nicholas Kristof
When I was watching Nicholas Kristof’s interview, it was well spoken and inspiration. The impact of hearing directly from the author was that he was passion and having the courage to help those young girl and women from the brothels. It showed that he really cared about his work because it stands out throughout the book. The stories are shocking and sad and there were a lot of information that I’ve never thought about or come cross too. They really are trying to make the world a better place for the young girls and women.
I did not know that from Kristof’s experience in China, he states the statistics that every years thirty nine thousands baby girl are dying because they do not get the same quality to health and food as to boys does. In many countries girls are denied education just because they are girls. The health of women, girls, and mothers is of little to no value in many cultures, to say nothing of their freedom. I was impressed the most about his comment that his parenting teaching to have his girl go through the brothel and what go on in there. I think it is good to know what go on and still continue to this day.
Ronald Parker
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
17 February 2011
Watching Nicholas Kristof speak about his book was very moving. It gave me a true sense of how very serious Kristof is about the abuse of women around the world. I think the impact of hearing directly from the author himself is truly inspiring. Rather than just reading what the author wrote, listening to him verbally seems to make it one hundred and ten percent more real. They also discussed the girl effect and how investing in women and girls will benefit society. He said that men tend to spend money on sex, tobacco, alcohol, and gambling, while women on the other hand, spend on education for their children and younger family members. I think this idea makes a lot of sense because women are very giving and are more nurturing than men.
What impressed me about this interview is when Kristof contrasted a CEO of a company to a humanitarian. He said that CEO's see the bright side of bad things happening in a way that they say that it will end soon. However humanitarians see things as they are, and see that everything is going down the drain in the world today.
Jeffrey To
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
Watching the interview of Nicholas Kristof was very inspiring. He talks about his experience in China and how it affected him to making the world a better place. He heard thousand of girls die in china due to poor health care and wanted to advocate what is happening in the world. He wanted to advocate and let other people know what is happening in third world country in modern times. Hearing this, want me to read the book more and learn about the poor inequality girls are receiving because of their gender. He wants to expose what governments in third world countries are hiding.
I learn a lot about the author and the book. I learn His wife and he had the same goal and wanted to help girls get education and a better life while at the same time starting a family of his own. Before finishing the book Half the Sky, I learned boys are treated better and has priority over girls in a lot of country. And parents have a preference when it comes to girl or boy.
The most impressing thing about his comments are he was briefly a slave owner and bought some slaves and told his experience of how he bought a slaves and wondered was it legal. I found it impressing he bought a slave and returned the girl to the family. I made a difference in that prostitute life when he bought her. He spends a lot of his time around Asia to help girls and notice the wrong thing things going on which is impressive to me. He took the time to expose when is happening and tired to stop it. He memorizes a lot of the victim and their stories which is surprising.
After finishing the interview I have a new motive to read the book. Listening to the interview makes me more curious about the ending of the book. I like how he said, “learn from your failures.”
Vanessa Dilworth
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50am
25 February 2011
Nick Kristoff Unveiled
Watching Nick Kristoff for the first time in an interview with the International Museum of Women and the World Affairs in Council in San Francisco was very enlightening. While viewing I saw how passionate he was about helping abused third world women These women endure modern day slavery inside brothels, are raped as a weapon of war, and children die or themselves as a result of inadequate prenatal care. The third world countries he goes to are India, Cambodia, and parts of Africa such as Kenya. These women’s genders are the cause of their suffering.
In much of the developing world there are many cultures and religious practices that look upon woman as beneath a man. Such as in Kenya, if a woman is raped she is looked upon as spoiled in a sense, therefore the man that has raped her will have a better chance at marrying her and that is often the cause in this country. In Congo a majority of woman are raped in an effort to break the social structure of their tribe and bond amongst themselves by committing heinous crimes. In Ethiopia pregnant women do not have the money to get prenatal care and many of them are as young as 15 when they conceive therefore their pelvic bones are not developed enough to push out the baby’s head causing them to urinate on themselves and develop fistula.
While watching Nick I heard many stories about his travels to these different countries. One story in particular that really struck me was how shocked he was to the nonchalant gesture of one brothel owner giving him a receipt for purchasing one of his prostitutes. I also saw the happiness in his eyes as he spoke of a young Punjab woman, Mukhtar Mai who endured rape by the verdict of her village tribal assembly after her brother was wrongfully accused of having sex with one of their relatives and got compensated by President at that time, Pervez Musharraf, in the amount of $8,300. With this money she built a school in her community and enrolled in it.
His stories told of horrific acts against woman and their miraculous triumph over their adversaries. He asks us to open our hearts and join the many others in the healing of these women and ending the 21 century’s most devastating quandary.
Vanessa Dilworth
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50am
25 February 2011
Nick Kristoff Unveiled
Watching Nick Kristoff for the first time in an interview with the International Museum of Women and the World Affairs in Council in San Francisco was very enlightening. While viewing I saw how passionate he was about helping abused third world women These women endure modern day slavery inside brothels, are raped as a weapon of war, and children die or themselves as a result of inadequate prenatal care. The third world countries he goes to are India, Cambodia, and parts of Africa such as Kenya. These women’s genders are the cause of their suffering.
In much of the developing world there are many cultures and religious practices that look upon woman as beneath a man. Such as in Kenya, if a woman is raped she is looked upon as spoiled in a sense, therefore the man that has raped her will have a better chance at marrying her and that is often the cause in this country. In Congo a majority of woman are raped in an effort to break the social structure of their tribe and bond amongst themselves by committing heinous crimes. In Ethiopia pregnant women do not have the money to get prenatal care and many of them are as young as 15 when they conceive therefore their pelvic bones are not developed enough to push out the baby’s head causing them to urinate on themselves and develop fistula.
While watching Nick I heard many stories about his travels to these different countries. One story in particular that really struck me was how shocked he was to the nonchalant gesture of one brothel owner giving him a receipt for purchasing one of his prostitutes. I also saw the happiness in his eyes as he spoke of a young Punjab woman, Mukhtar Mai who endured rape by the verdict of her village tribal assembly after her brother was wrongfully accused of having sex with one of their relatives and got compensated by President at that time, Pervez Musharraf, in the amount of $8,300. With this money she built a school in her community and enrolled in it.
His stories told of horrific acts against woman and their miraculous triumph over their adversaries. He asks us to open our hearts and join the many others in the healing of these women and ending the 21 century’s most devastating quandary.
Tyler Mecozzi
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8a.m.
25 February 2011
Watching Kristof gave me a real sense of the atrocities women face all over the world. He also informed me of the governmental spending overseas in Pakistan. 11 billion dollars has been spent since 9/11 to support their male troops to fight India, not to help their community flourish
He speaks about how he was a slave owner. He bought them brought them from brothels to interview them and return them back to their homes. He purchased both for a little over 350 dollars and was given a receipt from the brothel owner. One of the women returned home and married; the other ran back to the brothel after a few days. She was addicted to meth; a drug the brothel gives their women to induce sexual desires and addict them to the brothel.
The Girl Effect is spoken throughout the piece. How if you educated a woman, she will most likely help others around her. Whereas if you gave money to a man, he would quickly spend it on beer and prostitutes. Hearing his interview allowed me to know the author of Half the Sky more personally and showed me that he knew the issues that he wrote about.
Adalie Villalobos
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-9am
25 February 2011
Interview with Nicholas D. Kristof
As I was watching Nicholas Kristof’s interview, it showed me how inspired and driven he is by these young women. The stories in the book bring many emotions to the mind. Kristof and WuDunn are showing the world that something can be done about trafficking and the abuse of young women everywhere.
Every years thirty nine thousands baby girl are dying because they do not get the same quality to health and food as to boys do and that is not right in any way. In the book, girls are denied education just because their gender. Education should not be deprived from anyone and children should have a chance to educate themselves no matter who they are.
Adrieanna Williams
English 1A/8 o'clock
16 March 2011
Nicholas D. Krisnof Vidoe
While watching the video I thought it was great to see the man who has helped so many women and children. He spoke with such passion. This man has traveled all over the world and risked his life to save women and children from some of the most horrific places. It was nice to hear him reiterate some of the topics he covered in his book such as the importance of empowering women. You can tell that this is his life works and he is proud to be a pert of something that he knows is directly helping someone. He is a true inspiration .
Vanessa Rocha
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8AM
20 March 2011
It is a long video but worth it is worth watching it; it is very interesting how passionate and brave he is. The authors want to encourage the world to take a stand to help this women worldwide, and the first step to take is to educate them, as a quote he said, if you educate a girl you are educating a "village” but if you are educating a boy, you are educating an individual. The authors deserve recognition for their job and honor. If it was not for this book, many of us would still not know about these horrific problems.
Post a Comment
<< Home