“As an innocent child I was led like a sheep to be slaughtered…I was taken to a very dark room and undressed.  I was blindfolded and stripped naked.”

“I was then carried by four strong women to the site for the operation.  I was forced to lie flat on my back by four strong women, two holding tight to each leg.  Another woman sat on my chest to prevent my upper from moving”

“….The pain was terrible and unbearable…I was badly cut and lost blood.  All those who took part in the operation were half drunk….After the operation, no one was allowed to aid me to walk….”

“Each time I wanted to urinate, I was forced to stand upright.  The urine would spread over the wound and would cause fresh pain…Sometimes I had to force myself not to urinate for fear of the terrible pain.”

“I was not given any anesthetic…nor any antibiotics to fight against infection.  Afterwards I hemorrhaged and became anemic.  This was attributed to witchcraft.”

According to Amnesty International, 135 million girls and women have undergone genital mutilation similar to what Hannah Koroma of Sierra Leone just described and another 6,000 young girls are estimated to endure the procedure every day.

The problem is most serious in Sub-Saharan Africa where 90% of the girls in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan are estimated to have been mutilated.  There are fifteen more countries in Africa where 50% or more of their girls have been mutilated.

There are four types of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).  Sunna circumcision involves the removal of the tip of the clitoris and/or clitoral hood.  Clitoridectomy is the removal of the entire clitoris; sometimes the adjacent labia are also removed; this operation is known as excision.

The most gruesome type of FGM is called infibulation or Pharaonic circumcision, in which a clitoridectomy and excision are performed and the outer labia are cut “to create raw surfaces which are then stitched together to form a cover over the vagina.”  A small opening is left to allow urine and menstrual blood to pass.

An estimated 85% of mutilations performed in Africa are clitoridectomies or excisions; the remaining 15% are infibulations.  According to Amnesty International, FGM usually takes place between the ages of four and eight.  The procedure is typically carried out by an older woman – not medically trained – with scissors, razor blades, or knives.

The equipment is rarely sterilized and anesthesia is not commonly used.  The girl is simply held, by one or more older women, with her legs open.  Importantly, these operations are often done on a group of girls; the same instrument is often used on the entire group.

According to Amnesty International, the immediate effects of FGM include hemorrhage, shock, and pain.  These symptoms can and have led to death.  Because the instrument is often used on several girls and rarely sterilized, HIV can and has been transmitted through FGM.

More commonly, clitoridectomy can cause intermittent bleeding, chronic infections, abscesses, and small benign tumors.  Excision commonly causes discomfort and extreme pain.

According to Amnesty International, infibulation can cause “chronic urinary tract infections, stones in the bladder and urethra, kidney damage, reproductive tract infections resulting from obstructed menstrual flow, pelvic infections, infertility, excessive scar tissue, keloids (raised, irregularly shaped, progressively enlarging scars) and dermoid cysts.”

All types of genital mutilation can adversely affect sexual fulfillment and damage sometimes caused by FGM increases the risk of HIV transmission during sex.

Infibulation also requires further operations after the girl is wed.  In order to have sex, the opening left after mutilation must be gradually dilated; this process is very painful.  Worse yet, in many cases cutting is necessary, in which case women may be damaged further by “unskillful cutting.”

Childbirth poses further risks as infibulated women have cesarean sections at higher rates.  For a vaginal birth the woman may have to be cut again or the baby may tear open the vaginal covering.  Often the woman is “reinfibulated to make them ‘tight’ for their husbands.”  According to religious tolerance.org, women may also be reinfibulated if their husband plans to be away for an extended period of time to prevent infidelity.

Female Genital Mutilation is commonly, and incorrectly, linked with Islam in many people’s minds.  FGM is a cultural practice.  While the practice does take place in some Muslim countries, it originated in Africa and predates Islam.  Furthermore, Islamic teachings forbid most types of FGM.

There are many reasons given for FGM, ranging from specious claims of health benefits to assertions that the practice enhances femininity (marked by docility and obedience) and the rather blunt reality that it “reduces a woman’s desire for sex, therefore reducing the chance of sex outside marriage.”  The most common reasons given are references to custom and tradition.  Older women subject young girls to mutilation because their mothers mutilated them.

Though the reasons for practicing FGM are well documented – if misguided – the original intent of the practice is not known.  Common sense would seem to suggest an attempt to control a woman’s sexuality or reproduction.  The nature of infibulation, in particular, seems to support this view.

Some, however, have drawn parallels between FGM and male circumcision.  They would argue that it is a cultural practice akin to face shaving, tattooing, foot-binding or other cultural practices associated with attracting a partner – but how many people die from shaving?

Regardless of why FGM originally emerged, it is a serious problem.  Young girls are, in essence, being tortured and permanently damaged against their will.  Not only is FGM an appalling violation of these girls’ human rights, it is a sickening reminder of the failure of the U.S. and other rich, industrialized countries’ unwillingness to protect them.

FGM is a tragic physical representation of the poverty and ignorance more than one billion people live with every day.  It is a reminder that, rather than be a powerful positive force in the world, build schools or economies, or fund rural education programs that could actually stop FGM, the United States consistently acts in the interest of immediate security concerns and maximization of American corporate profits.

Com passa sovint, ahir vaig ser penalitzada per fer les coses bé.

Des de fa molts anys faig servir transport sempre que puc. A St. Quirze, però, sembla que se’ns penalitzi per fer servir els Ferrocarrils Catalans: des que es va inaugurar l’ampliació del pàrquing de l’estació, mai no ha donat prou cabuda a tots els cotxes que el necessiten (i evidentment, amb la política d’urbanisme non-stop de St. Quirze, només fa que créixer la població i, per tant, la necessitat de més llocs d’aparcament a l’estació). Per això sempre hi ha un fotimer de cotxes aparcats fora de les línies blanques perquè hi ha molt d’espai desaprofitat, on hi caben diversos cotxes aparcats sense per això molestar la circulació (igual que passa a l’Autònoma, amb la diferència que a la UAB no es multa pq no hi ha policia).

Ahir vaig anar a l’estació cap a les 12 del migdia i, és clar, estava tot ple. Vaig deixar el cotxe al costat d’un altre aparcat “incorrectament”. En tornar de Barcelona em vaig trobar una multa de 60 EUR al retrovisor.

Avui he anat a l’oficina de Gestió Tributària i m’han dit que ja hi havia anat altra gent i no havien pogut fer el tràmit perquè encara no havien informatitzat les sancions.

Em sembla vergonyós que l’ajuntament de St. Quirze sancioni els ciutadans que agafen a diari el tren. Ara resulta que, per fer les coses bé, hi surts perjudicat.

Y mientras RENFE se lo mira… El consejo de administración de FGC decide comprar 24 nuevos trenes para incrementar la frecuencia en la línea Barcelona-Vallès. Su valor, 181 millones de euros

Los usuarios que usan el transporte público para desplazarse de Terrassa, Sabadell, Sant Cugat u otras poblaciones próximas tienen hoy otro motivo por el que descartar el servicio de RENFE.

Logo "Metro del Vallès"

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat aprobó el pasado día 3, la compra de 24 nuevos trenes para mejorar el servicio entre la primera y segunda corona metropolitana y la capital catalana. Las nuevas unidades, y atendiendo el  comunicado de prensa oficial, serán más confortables, aunque las prestaciones de velocidad no se incrementaran dado las características de la línea.

Como he citado en el post anterior, la Generalitat se hará cargo de Rodalies en enero de 2010 aunque teniendo RENFE contrato hasta 2012. Los planes de futuro a partir de esa fecha son inciertos, aunque muchos aplaudirían iniciativas como estas.

Recordar que, según la “ficha del operador FGC” de la revista especializada “Vía Libre” la puntualidad de los Ferrocarrils és del 99,65% (parece que RENFE no hace públicos esos resultados).

Aquí queda:

-          Comunicado de prensa FGC (en català).

-          Noticia Europa Press

-          Para comparar, Plan de renovación de Rodalies 2008-2015

on my way back from work on a friday

]]> http://smartlifestyles.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/female-genital-cutting/ Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:47:25 +0000 Brittany Alexander http://smartlifestyles.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/female-genital-cutting/

FGM/FGC is carried out with special knives, scissors, scalpels, pieces of glass or razor blades. Antiseptics are not generally used except when carried out by medical practitioners.

Female Genital Cutting (FGC/FGM) is partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other female genital organs.

“The practice of FGC as damaging to women both physically and emotionally. FGC is typically done without anesthesia or antibiotics. In some regions, midwives in the community perform FGC, but in many cases, people who are not medically trained perform it.” -The World Health Organization (WHO)

FGC is usally performed females between the ages of 4 and 12.

The reasons behind FGC are complex. Parents who support FGC believe that having it done will empower their daughters, ensure their ability to get married and protect the family’s reputation. FGC is performed as a rite of passage into womanhood. It also is performed to preserve a woman’s chastity by restraining her sexual behavior.

More than 130 million girls and women have received FGC.

FGC can cause many health problems, such as bleeding, infection, pain, problems going to the bathroom, problems with gynecological health, and psychological and emotional stress.

In the U.S. there is a Federal law that makes the practice of FGC on anyone younger than 18 years of age illegal within this country. It is a felony punishable by fines or up to a 5-year prison term.

For more information on FGC, visit these websites:

http://womenshealth.gov/faq/female-genital-cutting-EASY.cfm

http://www.who.int/health_topics/female_genital_mutilation/en/

For literature on this issue, contact:
The Population Information Program of the Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Programs, The FGM Resource Group, POPLINE,
111 Market Place, Suite 310
Baltimore, MD 21202-4012
Telephone: (410) 659-6300
Internet Address: http://www.jhuccp.org

Com muita chuva mas muito bem organizado, o 4º Encontro de Cicloturistas – CICLOSINOS realizado na Pequena Cidade de Picada Café, atraiu 150 atletas das modalidades de Ciclismo e Maratona, além de um passeio pela região no sábado à tarde.
Destaque pela participação dos atletas mesmo com uma chuva que fez alagar casas e encher Rios; Debora Gerhard nossa atleta profissional, correu na categoria Sub-30 Homem, conquistando a 4º colocação; já na categoria MTB Maratona, Marcelo Indicatti venceu com o tempo de 1h.53min., chegando na segunda colocação seu amigo de equipe Felipe kuver. A equipe CicloSinos coordenado pelo ciclista Gilberto foi perfeita, dando apoio para FGC nos dois dias de evento.

Fotografies de l’estació de Volpelleres a setembre de 2009.

Segons cugat.cat, ” L’estació de Volpelleres serà una realitat l’estiu que ve, sis mesos abans del previst”.

Diu la nota:

“Ho ha assegurat el conseller de Política Territorial i Obres Públiques de la Generalitat, Joaquim Nadal, durant una visita d’obres, on ha dit que estarà en funcionament sis mesos abans de la previsió inicial, que era per a finals del 2010. L’estació comptarà amb dos pàrquings per a 400 places i una connexió amb l’estació de Renfe”.

Suposem que  això de l’estació de Renfe deu ser un lapsus. L’estació pertany a Adif, Renfe és una companyia d’explotació de trens.

El projecte preveu que la línia de la costa Barcelona-  St. Vicenç de Calders passi per sota de la ronda ibèrica de Vilanova i la Geltrú.

Amb la rehabilitació de l’estació de Cubelles s’ha filtrat a la premsa, concretament a la redacció de l’Espigall Digital, el projecte de transport ferroviari a la capital de la comarca del Garraf. Sembla que finalment es durà a terme el rumor, que des de ja fa uns anys corre pels canals informals de comunicació de la vila, sobre la desviació de la línia de tren passant per una ubicació diferent a l’actual.

Just després de Sitges, l’actual L2 de rodalies de Barcelona s’endinsarà pel municipi de St. Pere de Ribes vorejant la c-31 fins a l’alçada de les pistes d’atletisme, moment en el qual passarà a ser soterrada. Aquesta creuarà la ciutat per sota la ronda ibèrica fins passada la urbanització del Tenis, on serà de nou descoberta, anant a buscar l’actual traçat passat el Racó de Santa Llúcia, i entrant com fins ara dina la població veïna de Cubelles.

Traçat de la futura línia de tren al seu pas per VnG

Es preveu ubicar l’estació davant l’Hospital Comarcal Sant Antoni Abat, a l’altre banda de la ronda, creant-hi un aparcament de 8 pisos, i deixant-la ja equipada per la futura línia de Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat que enllaçarà la ciutat amb Vilafranca del Penedès.

Amb aquest projecte s’està valorant fer més d’una estació a la ciutat i, a llarg termini, crear-hi una xarxa de metro.

General Motors stock, destined to become worthless as the result of its bankruptcy, gained 43% today before trading was halted at 2:00 p.m. Experts profess bewilderment at the phenomenon (which actually happens all the time down there in the canyons) but as one pointed out, “someone’s making a lot of money on this.” It’s cruel to say so after he’s become such a friend of this blog but I did mention last week that Noel’s Fairfield Greenwich Group restarted operations last week, ostensibly to wind up its matters. Is it too far a stretch to imagine Walt having one more go at his Round Hill Club friends at the bar, offering them a “sure fire, can’t miss” investment opportunity?

A week ago I got this email from a Meeting in Pennsylvania who had some questions about the song “Friend Speaks My Mind” after I performed for them this past April. Their questions were not uncommon, and so I took the time to respond carefully and in depth and am re-posting the response here. Hope it is helpful.

Here is the original email:

Dear Jon Watts,

Sadsbury Friends Meeting enjoyed your time with us in April. Thanks for that!

In the time since then some of us are wondering about a line in a refrain from one of the songs you sang for us.

“I’m not a Christian
I’m a Quaker
I live a Christ-centered life
But Jesus is not my saviour”

Some of us are curious as to your definition of “Christian” in the context of that refrain. (We plan to discuss this at an adult forum in a few weeks.)

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Connie
Sadsbury Monthy Meeting

And my response:

Hi Connie!

Sorry to take a while with this response… I have been busy in the recording studio.

The song that you’re referring to is “Friend Speaks My Mind”, which is available to listen to for free at http://www.myspace.com/jonwattsmusic (and can be downloaded for a dollar on itunes or http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/wattsjon). The chorus begins:

“I’m not a Christian
but I’m a Quaker
I’ve got Christ’s inner light
but he’s not my savior”

I’m am very glad to hear that the lines have sparked discussion in your Meeting. I am pulled into conversation about the topic often, as it deals with a somewhat touchy subject in FGC Quakerism.

My process for writing the song was to think back to my adolescence growing up in Young Friends in FGC and other Quaker organizations and to try to capture the attitude towards Christianity that – though rarely spoken this brazenly – is pervasive.

Judging from the number of Quakers from across the generational spectrum who approach me in solidarity with these particular lines, I would venture to say that I hit the nail on the head.

Thus – and I hope it doesn’t sound like I am dodging your question – the song is not about me, but rather, it’s about modern FGC Quakerism and a relatively common FGC approach to Christianity.

So what might be perhaps more valuable than asking me how I define the word “Christian” in the song is to create a space for members of your Meeting or discussion group who identify with those lines to explain their personal connection.

“What makes a person a ‘Christian’?” is a great question to start off with! Some other queries that might be valuable to explore are:

• What is your inward reaction when someone asks you if Christ is your savior? (or says that Christ is theirs?)
• In your practice, what is the relationship between the Quaker concept of the “inner light” and Christianity? (if there is one)
• Can Quakerism thrive without Christianity?

…and we’re just getting started! Again, this is a very valuable discussion and I’m glad to see you engaging with it. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to support your process.

in peace
Jon Watts

Friend Speaks My Mind Lyrics Here

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Cataluña regala hoy a todos sus clientes una recopilación de cuentos de la escritora catalana Mercé Rodoreda titulada “En el tren y otros cuentos”y concebida expresamente para celebrar la festividad de Sant Jordi, Día del Libro. Este es el cuarto año consecutivo que FGC desarrolla esta iniciativa. En esta ocasión, la obra escogida es una recopilación de cuentos de la escritora catalana Mercé Rodoreda, una publicación propia para la que la operadora ha contado con la colaboración de Ediciones 62 y el patrocinio de Alstom. Esta es la contribución de FGC a la conmemoración del centenario del nacimiento de la escritora, que coincide con la clausura del programa de actos que se ha desarrollado en torno a la autora catalana más universal.

El libro, del que se han editado 15.000 ejemplares, se distribuirá entre los viajeros de las líneas Barcelona-Vallés, Llobregat-Anoia, Lérida-La Pobla de Segur y las del cremallera de Montserrat y de Vall de Nuria, así como la del Tren del Cemento.

Igual que el resto volúmenes de esta colección, “En el tren y otros cuentos” está especialmente concebido para poder ser leído en desplazamientos cortos. Es una selección de ocho cuentos a través de los que queda representada toda la trayectoria de madurez literaria de la autora. Los dos cuentos que abren la selección, “En el tren” y “La sangre”, pertenecen a la obra “Veintidós cuentos” (1957). También hay textos de sus dos libros más reconocidos en el terreno de la narrativa corta -“Mi Cristina y otros cuentos” (1967) y “Viajes y flores” (1980)- y el volumen se cierra con “La estación”, el último cuento publicado por Rodoreda en una revista antes morir.

Esta publicación es el sexto volumen de la colección de libros para viajeros de FGC, que se inició el 11 de septiembre de 2005 y está integrada por los siguientes títulos: “Invitación a la poesía: cincuenta poemas esenciales de la lengua catalana”; “El Pueblo”, de Miquel Martí y Pol; “Cataluña en verso: mil años de historia a través de la poesía”; “Paisajes, la mirada de los escritores” y “La poesía catalana según Pere Gimferrer”.

Depending on where you live, one trillion is somewhere between 1,000,000,000,000 (12 zeros in short scale countries), and 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 (18 zeros in long scale countries). Either way, its hard to comprehend how much that really is. This should help for at least the first 12 zeros. For people in long scale countries, 12 zeros means one billion.

Quem quiser dar uma olhada nas fotos e resultados da Volta de Gravataí, pode entrar no link abaixo.
http://magliarosa.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/volta-de-gravatai-final/

Foi realizada no sábado passado a 1º etapa do Campeona Gaúcho de Ciclismo em Campo Bom; a Equipe da ACZS conquistou o 3º (lagartixa) e 4º (Fernando) lugar na categoria Master A, em 5º chegou Everson Ribas (DuduBike).
Vamos agora esperar a segunda etapa que vai ser em Sapiranga.

Já esta no site da Federação Gaúcha de ciclismo o calendário de provas de Maratona.
Semana retrasada iniciou-se em Barra do Ribeiro a 1º etapa, na Elite quem faturou foi Rodrigo Sartori da APEG – Gravataí.
Também foi minha primeira participação com Diretor, comissário, montador, carregador e outras coisas mais, porque?
tá achando que organizar uma prova é fácil !!!!

TITLE: Female Circumcision Shadow Box,you can find this piece for sale on my site here uglyart.net
MEDIUM: Mixed Media ,sculpted objects,natural objects and found objects.Shadow Box Photos by http://www.Alas Vera.com
SIZE: 8 X 10
STATUS:For Sale 300.00
NOTE: For more info on the horrors of female genital mutilation against young girls you can visit Care.org

Em assembléia geral ordinária ocorrida na noite desta ultima segunda-feira, 22 de Dezembro, foi eleita por aclamação a nova diretoria da Federação Gaúcha de Ciclismo.

A única chapa concorrente, “União pelo Ciclismo” tem como Presidente o Sr. Marcos Lorenz e como vice-presidente o Sr. Eduardo Kohlrausch, que também irá ocupar o cargo de Diretor de Ciclismo.

Além deles, fazem parte da diretoria o Sr. Paulo Roberto de Souza Alves, diretor de Mountain Bike e a Sra Carina Benckenstein, mais nova Secretária da Federação, assumindo o lugar do Sr. Guilherme Wilhelms.

Além disso, também fez parte da Assembléia à prestação de contas referente aos anos 2005, 2006, 2007 e 2008 da atual gestão, que foram aprovadas pelo Conselho Fiscal e pelos representantes dos Clubes e Associações com direito a voto que estavam presentes.

Vall de Núria celebrará este próximo fin de semana el centenario del esquí en el Vall de Ribes con actividades para toda la familia. La celebración empezará el sábado 20 de diciembre a las 10 de la mañana con una Slalon Paralela, una competición a dos mangas por categorías mientras que el domingo por la mañana, tambien a partir de las 10, se celebrará la gincana “Los primeros esquiadores”. Las dos pruebas están abiertas a todo el mundo.

Además, durante todo el fin de semana el precio de los forfets sera reducido: 3 euros y las diferentes actividades que se podrán realizar en la estacion tambien costaran 3 euros. Las actividades son:

- Salidas con raquetas de nieve, parque lúdico, tiro con arco, visitas guiadas a la estación, visitas a las instalaciones de nieve artificial y a la máquina quitanieves.