# data[].attributes.body
Link : https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/1200-alleged-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-cases-investigated-each-year-since-2017
Brief Write-up :
The number of animal cruelty and abuse cases in Singapore has been increasing each year. Some of these cases involve the pet owners themselves who have failed in their duty of care. I strongly feel that animals should be treated with love and care. As a community, we should keep a look out for such abuse cases and step in when necessary.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
1,200 alleged animal cruelty and abuse cases investigated each year since 2017

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
26 offenders have been jailed, another 40 charged in court and fined, 113 fined and 87 received warning letters. Read more at straitstimes.com.

# data[].attributes.headline
[TEMPLATE] My Social Cause : *insert your social cause here*

# data[].attributes.subject
[TEMPLATE] My Social Cause : *insert your social cause here*

# data[].attributes.body
Link : *insert your link here*
Brief Write-up : *insert your write-up here - Explain why your social cause is important and worth discussing about. (min. 50 words)*

# data[].attributes.headline
37's social cause: sustainability and the environment

# data[].attributes.subject
37's social cause: sustainability and the environment

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/capybaras-marsh-deer-anteaters-flee-argentina-wildfires-many-dont-escape-2517926
Brief Write-up: Global warming brought on by greenhouse gases collected in the atmosphere is inevitable and is important in keeping the planet warm, but it has been increasingly aggravated by human activity, and more so every passing year. This affects not only ourselves, but the plants and animals around us, who cannot adapt to the increasing temperatures and unforeseen weather conditions. I think it is crucial that we as a society work together to conserve the environment so as to slow down the greenhouse effect and minimise the resulting damage done to the Earth and its inhabitants.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
PASO DE LA PATRIA, Argentina: Wildfires in Argentina's north are forcing local species of wildlife including capybaras, marsh deer and anteaters to attempt to flee ahead of the flames, with many animals killed or injured while trying to escape as the fires spread.

The blazes in Corrientes province, which borders Paraguay, have burned through nearly 900,000 hectares of forest and pasture land, some 12 per cent of the region, including destroying habitats in the biodiverse Iberá Park wetlands.

"There are sectors of the Iberá where animals have been trapped," said Sofía Heinonen, executive director of Rewilding Argentina, a foundation that works to protect at-risk species.

"They usually have water as a refuge area, they always have the mountains, but in this case the extraordinary recent drought has caused many of the ravines, many of the lagoons and a large part of the mountains to be dry," Heinonen said.

Images show alligators, capybaras and marsh deer fleeing from the fire, with some burned. Heinonen said the foundation, which has reintroduced animals to the wild in Iberá, had found jaguars and bird species alive and brought them back to its centers.

Amid prolonged periods of drought, firefighters have been battling the blazes for some two months, which have caused millions of dollars of damage to ranch lands and farming business as well as putting plant and animal life at risk.

"Many animals fleeing from the fire are hit by vehicles, others are burned or have respiratory problems," said Eric Pelozo, in charge of rehabilitation at the Aguará Conservation Center, which is helping care for animals from Ibera.

He said some species like capybaras and deer were faster, helping them escape, while snakes and anteaters were more at risk. Many animals, he added, would have "nowhere to return once the fire is over."

"We are just beginning with the hard work of what is the rescue of animals burned or injured, both directly or indirectly by the effects of the fire," he said.

Heinonen, a biologist, said rains would eventually help restore the land, with grasslands recovering faster while huge swathes of burned forests would take far longer.

A United Nations report this week said the number of extreme wildfires is expected to rise 30per cent within the next 28 years, with climate change triggering droughts and farmers clearing forests, something Heinonen agreed was hitting Corrientes.

"What's happening now is extraordinary," said Heinonen, citing the impact of climate patterns like La Niña, which usually leads to lower rainfall in key parts of the South American country.

"We are facing an event of great dimensions never seen before and we understand that it is due to the global warming that the planet is suffering," she added.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Capybaras, marsh deer, anteaters flee Argentina wildfires; many don't escape

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
PASO DE LA PATRIA, Argentina: Wildfires in Argentina's north are forcing local species of wildlife including capybaras, marsh deer and anteaters to attempt to flee ahead of the flames, with many animals killed or injured while trying to escape as the fires spread. The blazes in Corrientes province, which b

# data[].attributes.headline
rannel's social cause: poverty and homelessness 

# data[].attributes.subject
rannel's social cause: poverty and homelessness 

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://www.povertyandhomelessness.org/homelessness/

Brief Write-up:
1 in 4 people worldwide live in conditioins that are harmful to their health, safety, properity and opportunities. We can define poverty as the state of not having enough resources to fulfill a person’s needs. It is largely caused by low-income levels and increasing costs. There is a strong correlation between poverty and homelessness as each one can be responsible for the other. Poverty prevents a person from affording a decent shelter over the long term. Some of the poorest nations in the world include Burundi, Chad, South Sudan and Central African Republic. Poverty can be reduced by increasing average incomes among the poor sectors of society. This can be achieved by increasing employment, strengthening social benefits, encouraging paid leaves, reforming immigration, and eliminating segregation in society.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Relative poverty is a measure contextualising annual income to cost of living demands and therefore has to do with low-income levels and the accumulation of cost of living stressors.

Absolute poverty describes individuals and families that are not able to provide basic necessities such as housing, food and clothing.

Classism will become this nation's most hurtful sore and, though it will intertwine, it will subsume all the other "isms". Poverty is mounting and, as a catastrophic crisis-in-waiting, it will tear at this nation.

Australia's pensioners will comprise a significant proportion of Australian poverty. Today, a pension averages annually about $22,000. It's already tough going if that is all one has. Poverty is the biggest issue.

I believe that the pension is trending to be worth the equivalent of $70 in present value in just 20 years time. That means the pension alone will mean dirt-poor living. Unless Australians have their home paid off by their retirement and $1 million saved in superannuation, they will live their last stretch of life in poverty.

Australia provides more than 400,000 social houses while around 170,000 families remain on the waiting lists. If social housing were to disappear, there would be millions more homeless Australians. In the decades ahead, millions more of such dwellings will be needed - but there is nothing to indicate that they will appear.

Future governments will resort to the worst types of tenements and to poverty-only precincts. That's guaranteed because present governments - federal, state, local - do just about jack to respond to homelessness and to address poverty.

I also argue that the national unemployment rate is not 5.5% but that it is above 20%, maybe even 35%, of working Australians. 10% of Australia's labour force is acutely underemployed and more than 1.1 million underemployed Australians are looking to work more hours per week.

The Northern Territory's homelessness rates are the worst in the nation and are at the higher end of the homelessness scales on the global spectrum. According to the ABS in 2012, 734 in every 10,000 Territorians are homeless. This is more than 7% of the Territory's people living homeless.

Outside of natural disasters and civil strife, that's one of the world's highest homelessness rates. When we disaggregate we find that the 7% translates to 12% of the Territory's Indigenous Australians living homeless.

Sadly, the Kimberley region describes a similar tale, where 638 per 10,000 of the population are homeless. But, once again, as the homeless population majorly comprises of Indigenous Australians, one in eight of the Kimberley's Indigenous Australians are homeless.

The Northern Territory has a homelessness rate 14 times the national average. There are regions of the Territory where the homeless comprise 15 to 30% of the local population. The East Arnhem has the highest homelessness rate at 28%.

Racism, call it institutional or structural, has disgraced this nation to the point of not lifting a finger to help our homeless and poverty affected brothers and sisters. But the future speaks of a time more torrid where this type of mass poverty will be experienced by millions of Australians. Classism will rear its ugly presence and become the new norm.

Imagine an Australia where 10% of its people are homeless, where a quarter of Australians live in extreme poverty and where between half to three-quarters of the Australian population live below the poverty line. It is coming.

Let's start with the truth: the real story - presently - is 300,000 homeless Australians, more than 100,000 homeless children, 25% Australians of working age who are unemployed and millions of Australians living in poverty.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Relative poverty is a measure contextualising annual income to cost of living demands and therefore has to do with low-income levels and the accumulation of cost of living stressors. Absolute poverty describes individuals and families that are not able to provide basic necessities such as housing, food and clothing.

# data[].attributes.body
link https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/causes-gender-inequality/

brief write up:
Around the world, women still have less access to education than men. 1/4 of young women 15-24 will not finish primary school. some countries Around the world give women the same legal work rights as men.
How society determines the differences and value of men vs. women plays a starring role in every arena, whether it’s employment or the legal system or healthcare. Beliefs about gender run deep and even though progress can be made through laws and structural changes, there’s often a pushback following times of major change.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Over the years, the world has gotten closer to achieving gender equality. There is better representation of women in politics, more economic opportunities, and better healthcare in many places of the world. However, the World Economic Forum estimates it will take another century before true gender equality becomes a reality. What drives the gap between genders? Here are 10 causes of gender inequality:

#1. Uneven access to education

Around the world, women still have less access to education than men. ¼ of young women between 15-24 will not finish primary school. That group makes up 58% of the people not completing that basic education. Of all the illiterate people in the world, ⅔ are women. When girls are not educated on the same level as boys, it has a huge effect on their future and the kinds of opportunities they'll get.

#2. Lack of employment equality

Only 6 countries in the world give women the same legal work rights as men. In fact, most economies give women only ¾ the rights of men. Studies show that if employment became a more even playing field, it has a positive domino effect on other areas prone to gender inequality.

#3. Job segregation

One of the causes for gender inequality within employment is the division of jobs. In most societies, there's an inherent belief that men are simply better equipped to handle certain jobs. Most of the time, those are the jobs that pay the best. This discrimination results in lower income for women. Women also take on the primary responsibility for unpaid labor, so even as they participate in the paid workforce, they have extra work that never gets recognized financially.

#4. Lack of legal protections

According to research from the World Bank, over one billion women don't have legal protection against domestic sexual violence or domestic economic violence. Both have a significant impact on women's ability to thrive and live in freedom. In many countries, there's also a lack of legal protections against harassment in the workplace, at school, and in public. These places become unsafe and without protection, women frequently have to make decisions that compromise and limit their goals.

#5. Lack of bodily autonomy

Many women around the world do not have authority over their own bodies or when they become parents. Accessing birth control is frequently very difficult. According to the World Health Organization, over 200 million women who don't want to get pregnant are not using contraception. There are various reasons for this such as a lack of options, limited access, and cultural/religious opposition. On a global scale, about 40% of pregnancies are not planned and while 50% of them do end in abortion, 38% result in births. These mothers often become financially dependent on another person or the state, losing their freedom.

#6. Poor medical care

In addition to limited access to contraception, women overall receive lower-quality medical care than men. This is linked to other gender inequality reasons such as a lack of education and job opportunities, which results in more women being in poverty. They are less likely to be able to afford good healthcare. There's also been less research into diseases that affect women more than men, such as autoimmune disorders and chronic pain conditions. Many women also experience discrimination and dismissal from their doctors, broadening the gender gap in healthcare quality.

#7. Lack of religious freedom

When religious freedom is attacked, women suffer the most. According to the World Economic Forum, when extremist ideologies (such as ISIS) come into a community and restrict religious freedom, gender inequality gets worse. In a study performed by Georgetown University and Brigham Young University, researchers were also able to connect religious intolerance with women's ability to participate in the economy. When there's more religious freedom, an economy becomes more stable thanks to women's participation.

#8. Lack of political representation

Of all national parliaments at the beginning of 2019, only 24.3% of seats were filled by women. As of June of 2019, 11 Heads of State were women. Despite progress in this area over the years, women are still grossly underrepresented in government and the political process. This means that certain issues that female politicians tend to bring up - such as parental leave and childcare, pensions, gender equality laws and gender-based violence - are often neglected.

#9. Racism

It would be impossible to talk about gender inequality without talking about racism. It affects what jobs women of color are able to get and how much they're paid, as well as how they are viewed by legal and healthcare systems. Gender inequality and racism have been closely-linked for a long time. According to Sally Kitch, a professor and author, European settlers in Virginia decided what work could be taxed based on the race of the woman performing the work. African women's work was "labor," so it was taxable, while work performed by English women was "domestic" and not taxable. The pay gaps between white women and women of color continues that legacy of discrimination and contributes to gender inequality.

#10. Societal mindsets

It's less tangible than some of the other causes on this list, but the overall mindset of a society has a significant impact on gender inequality. How society determines the differences and value of men vs. women plays a starring role in every arena, whether it's employment or the legal system or healthcare. Beliefs about gender run deep and even though progress can be made through laws and structural changes, there's often a pushback following times of major change. It's also common for everyone (men and women) to ignore other areas of gender inequality when there's progress, such as better representation for women in leadership. These types of mindsets prop up gender inequality and delay significant change.

Related: Take a free course on Gender Equality

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Over the years, the world has gotten closer to achieving gender equality. There is better representation of women in politics, more economic opportunities, and better healthcare in many places of the world. However, the World Economic Forum estimates it will take another century before true gender equality becomes a reality.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Have you changed/adopted any personal habits to become more environmentally friendly?

# data[].attributes.headline
30's Social Cause: Becoming more environmentally friendly

# data[].attributes.subject
30's Social Cause: Becoming more environmentally friendly

# data[].attributes.body
Link:
https://www.mili.eu/insights/top-social-causes-singaporeans-cared-about-in-2020?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8qb018-Z9gIVlB0rCh2CowUrEAAYAiAAEgJ6ZPD_BwE

Almost three-quarters of respondents indicated that they have changed or adopted personal habits to become more environmentally-friendly, most commonly reducing the waste they produce and recycling. Interestingly, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers registered the highest percentage of those who had made lifestyle changes this year, perhaps signifying that environmental causes are no longer just the concern of youths and young activists (think: Greta Thunberg).

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cnainsider/debate-race-racism-singapore-call-out-culture-chinese-privilege-2052166

write up: Recent reports of racist or religion-related incidents made to the authorities have risen: From 18 in 2018 to 31 in 2019 and 60 last year. However, only younger Singaporeans, minorities and those who are better educated — “are more aware about racism”. Also, the pandemic has made some impact on our consciousness. And one thing is that we’re more reliant now on social media as our reality because we’re cut off from physical realities and that people are sharing more openly about their experiences … telling us about these incidents of racism.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
SINGAPORE: His post about encountering racism went viral five years ago - Sani Sarip was in a cinema when a Chinese boy said he did not want to sit beside Malays.

Mr Sani struggled to react then and there, and it was also difficult to get him to come on CNA's groundbreaking documentary, Regardless of Race, to talk about racial problems in Singapore.

But recently when he was invited to a new Regardless of Race forum, held following a spate of racist incidents, he needed little persuasion. Something had changed.

"I feel a bit more comfortable speaking up against instances of racism, be it microaggressions or overt or covert racism," he said. "It's better to just speak up and make it known that ... I'm uncomfortable with you saying these things."
WATCH: Race, racism, privilege - What has changed in Singapore? (6:13)

He is not alone. The conversation about race is now "loud", and Singaporeans are "not shying away" from calling people out on racism, noted Dr Janil Puthucheary, chairman of OnePeople.sg, the national body promoting harmony.

Is the reason for this, however, a matter of Singapore's racial harmony worsening? Besides biases, is Chinese privilege an issue? When and how should people be called out on racism?

Dr Puthucheary hosts a "special discussion" again about a "divisive issue". ( Watch it here.)
WHAT DIRECTION IS SINGAPORE TAKING?
For a couple of participants from the previous documentary, including Mr Sani, their experiences of racism indicate that change is not happening. In fact, data cited by Dr Puthucheary "suggest that things may be getting worse".

A survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) saw fewer respondents reporting that the occurrence of racist incidents was "not at all" frequent: From 79.2 per cent in 2012 to 65.7 per cent last year.

Meanwhile, reports of racist or religion-related incidents made to the authorities have risen: From 18 in 2018 to 31 in 2019 and 60 last year.

IPS principal research fellow Mathew Mathews thinks, however, that "we've always had to contend with racism". And what is clear recently is that some groups - younger Singaporeans, minorities and those who are better educated - "are more aware about racism".

"Among those groups, there are a lot more attuned to the fact that racism is an issue. They probably have heard it, paid attention to the news (and) become a lot more familiar with all the different discussions," he said.

"Previously something would've been dismissed as not being racist, but today, maybe people look at it and say, 'Well, it doesn't have to be something so in your face to be categorised as racism' - something that's casual but does hurt."
WATCH: Interracial couples react to viral racist video (4:43)

National University of Singapore sociologist Daniel Goh is another who thinks racism here is "endemic" and that microaggressions - small acts or remarks that discriminate, deliberately or by mistake, against someone from a minority group - "have been with us since 1965".

"But I think also ... the pandemic has made some impact on our consciousness. And one thing is that we're more reliant now on social media as our reality because we're cut off from physical realities," he said.

"That, I think, has also increased ... a lot more connections. And you see that people are sharing more openly about their experiences ... telling us about these incidents of racism."

Leianne Tan, who often comments online on race, cited Instagram groups like Minority Voices and Wake Up, Singapore as platforms where people are sharing experiences and feelings they did not voice out before "(for) fear of offending other people".

Now, however, "there's a whole new layer of complexity in racism" due to the "pressures of the pandemic" and "this whole international mix" of foreign workers and expatriates in Singapore, she added.

For Santosh Kumar - who works for an artificial intelligence platform dealing with conversations on race, among other things - the stories of microaggressions now being told have given him a "sense of anxiety".

As he fears confrontation, he "would probably just ignore" such an incident if it involves a stranger.

But not so for Mr Sani any longer. When he had a work-related spat recently, the person in question from another company "had to have the last word and said, 'Bye Indian,'" he recounted.

He emailed the company, but it turned out that the man was the owner. "(So) I informed the people I was working with (that) I didn't want to work with this kind of (person)," said Mr Sani.

Although the apology he had "demanded" never came, he felt that he had "said what (he) needed to say".

"I'd have reacted the same way if he'd said, 'Bye Malay' or 'Bye Chinese,'" Mr Sani added. "I hope he knows that what he did was wrong. And I hope he can reflect on it."

Shimma Abdul Rahim, who also participated in the previous documentary, hopes the call-out culture can be normalised in a productive way.

"We have casual racism, right?" she said. "But we can also casually say, 'Hey, I think this isn't right.' And it's okay for you to call (them) out instead of being scared that you're overly sensitive."

The way Mr Sani reacted - by "trying to get the understanding of the other party that his actions were deeply hurtful" - was "very calibrated", noted Associate Professor Goh.

"But he didn't get the response. And I think that kind of frustration ... puts him (at) a dead end. So what's he going to do? Is he going to (have to) post on social media?" said Assoc Prof Goh.

One "key thing", he added, is to "not respond with the same kind of racism".
THE EFFECT OF TERMING IT 'CHINESE PRIVILEGE'
The idea that members of a racial minority have it harder was something discussed in the previous documentary.

What has since gained currency, however, is the use of the term "Chinese privilege", which Assoc Prof Goh described as "very much borrowed from America, and a kind of mimicry of white privilege" without being adapted to the local context.

"It's used as a shortcut. And as a shortcut, it might be useful in certain circumstances," he said.

"But generally, if you apply it and weaponise it as a thing to throw back at the aggressors or to use as a blanket term, it's going to cut off conversations. That's the problem with it."

Dr Mathews thinks it is a fact that "there's some kind of privilege - that if you're part of the majority, then certainly there are some things that make it a little easier for you". This sometimes includes getting a job.

"At the same time, I think we'll have to be careful about how we label that. Throwing that term, Chinese privilege, very easily ... does have a way of stopping conversations," he agreed.

"It does put it as if one particular race, the dominant race - the Chinese - is the source of all the problems. And that shouldn't be the case. I don't think that framing helps."

The other side of the argument is that the majority may need to make the effort, as suggested in several commentaries, noted Dr Puthucheary, who is also a senior minister of state.

"But at which point does that extra effort become almost condescending ... not having its effect or having an effect of making things worse?" he asked.

What Chinese Singaporeans can do is to "offer allyship" and "validate" their friends' voices, replied Timothy Seet, who runs Unsaid, an organisation that uses art to engage conversations.

"Each time you hear someone else saying that 'this story isn't true', or 'they've got mental health issues and whatnot', be like, 'No, this is his or their lived experience,'" said the 28-year-old.

"These stories come from a place of truth and a place of past traumas as well. And I think it's, firstly, our responsibility to educate (ourselves) - there are resources out there. And also listen to the stories."

Like him, Ms Tan suggests that Chinese Singaporeans could "stand up for a friend". She also agrees that "Chinese privilege" exists but can understand why "some people might feel defensive": They do not want to be seen as bad people.

But quite apart from microaggressions committed against minorities, she highlighted "bigger issues", like discrimination against Indian renters and discrimination in employment, including by those who do not want Indians to tutor their children.

"So we do what we can in sharing stories and humanising people because, after all, we have Indian and Malay friends."

In his classes, Assoc Prof Goh teaches his students that "racism still exists", as do racial inequalities. "They have to face it and understand where it comes from," he said.

But other inequalities exist too, across different demographic segments like age, gender and class, he noted. "All these things interact to create a kind of privilege complex."

Raising awareness, however, is only the first step.

"We also encourage (students) to move towards interculturalism. Inter-Asian is the word we like to use ... to get people to share and understand each other's circumstances, histories and values and to start creating shared spaces," he said.

"This is actually built into our (Singaporean) DNA ... This was our founding fathers' kind of dream - the Rajaratnam notion of common spaces."
WATCH: Regardless of race: Will we ever get there? (49:46)

For a more cohesive society, then people must go "a little bit beyond" being vocal in calling others out on racism, to "pulling people along on that journey", suggested Dr Puthucheary.

"Regardless of race - will we ever get there? Probably not in my lifetime," he said. "But this is an aspiration that we've all pledged ourselves to as one people, and we can never stop trying."

Watch the Regardless of Race forum here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
New debate on race, racism in Singapore tackles call-out culture and 'Chinese privilege'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SINGAPORE: His post about encountering racism went viral five years ago - Sani Sarip was in a cinema when a Chinese boy said he did not want to sit beside Malays. Mr Sani struggled to react then and there, and it was also difficult to get him to come on CNA's groundbreaking documentary, Regardless of Race, to talk about racial problems in Singapore.

# data[].attributes.body
Brief write up: Racism is a big problem around the world. It is found that found that racism had a huge mental health impacts on young people who experience it, including: ongoing feelings of sadness, anger, depression and being left out, headaches, increased heart rate, sweating, trembling and muscle tension, a constant fear of being verbally or physically attacked, not wanting to go to school, having little or no trust in anybody apart from family. These impacts can reduce people's ability to work or study, and to achieve their future goals. Racism also affects people's general wellbeing when they are denied equal access to jobs, services and education. I feel that it is important that everyone has the same rights equally. There are no reasons or excuses for racism. It's just wrong. And in many cases, racism is against the law.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"If I wasn't hearing bad things about myself, I wouldn't think "oh, I'm a bad person, I can't do this, I am not going to do it". Whereas if no one said anything bad about me, I would push myself harder into doing things and knowing that I can do it, no matter what happens I will do it ... but I just can't."
- Ekta, 15

Racism can cause a lot of damage to both individuals and communities.

Individuals

A study of over 800 Australian secondary school students found that racism had huge mental health impacts on young people who experience it, including:

ongoing feelings of sadness, anger, depression and being left out

headaches, increased heart rate, sweating, trembling and muscle tension

a constant fear of being verbally or physically attacked

not wanting to go to school

having little or no trust in anybody apart from family. ¹

These impacts can reduce people's ability to work or study, and to achieve their future goals.

Racism also affects people's general wellbeing when they are denied equal access to jobs, services and education.

"Racism makes me question myself and why things have to be this way ... I wondered one day what it would be like to be white and how much better my life would probably be. That was a low point."
- Andrew, 19

Communities

Australia is now a very culturally diverse country - about half of us were born overseas or had one or more parents born overseas. When racial tensions develop, they don't just affect one or two of us - they affect us all... as neighbours, workmates, friends and fellow Australians.

Racism creates a society where people don't trust and respect each other.

When it's allowed to flourish, it lessens us as a people. Remember the Stolen Generations... the White Australia policy... these are the ugly times in our history. We need to be vigilant in making sure that these kinds of things are never allowed to happen again.

There are no reasons or excuses for racism. It's just wrong. And in many cases, racism is against the law. For more information, see the "What does the law say" factsheet.

If racism happens to you, find out what you can do in the "What can you do?" factsheet.

If you see racism happening at school, in public or online, stand up to it. There's lots of safe ways that you can help. Find out more in the "What you can do?" factsheet.

You can also get support or advice to deal with a difficult situation from organisations like Kids Helpline and ReachOut.com

Why is racism a problem? (PDF)

Why is racism a problem? (Word)

¹ Foundation for Young Australians, The Impact of Racism Upon the Health and Wellbeing of Young Australians: At a Glance (2009).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"If I wasn't hearing bad things about myself, I wouldn't think "oh, I'm a bad person, I can't do this, I am not going to do it". Whereas if no one said anything bad about me, I would push myself harder into doing things and knowing that I can do it, no matter what happens I will do it ...

# data[].attributes.headline
18's my social cause: protect community cats stop abusing them 

# data[].attributes.subject
18's my social cause: protect community cats stop abusing them 

# data[].attributes.body
link:https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/community-cats-cruelty-ang-mo-kio-spca-cases-animal-abuse-1823451

brief write up :this topic is worth talking about is because Animal cruelty has no place in our society and nobody should want to see a sentient being experience unnecessary pain or suffering people find out that This unfortunately not the first time Singapore has seen serial cruelty enacted against cats. Some of the past perpetrators have been prosecuted, while other cases involving multiple injured cats remain unsolved.Regardless of the reason for the abuse, animals rely on us to be their voices and advocates and this places a heavy responsibility on our shoulders.

Cruelty cases need to be solved faster so that more animals are not harmed.

and this show that animal is a big social cause due to the number of abuse cause by human toward the animal and animal are as life life so i think this topic worth the talk.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In other cases, the person may enjoy control over another being or be taking out their frustrations on an animal that cannot retaliate. Individuals may also displace their aggression from a human to an animal, or use cruelty as a means to threaten someone.

In 2020, a man was charged with animal cruelty for killing a kitten during an argument with his wife. He flung the animal against a cupboard and then picked it up and told his wife, "Look at this because of you". He then flung the animal on the floor and said to his wife, "If I can do this (to the cat), you I don't care". He later threw the kitten down the rubbish chute.

On social media, we also see cases where people post videos that they think are entertaining, seemingly trying to attract attention and obtain "likes" and "shares". Last year, a series of videos went viral in which youth were seen abusing frogs.

Profit has also driven some to commit horrendous acts of cruelty. "Crush" videos where people are seen literally crushing animals to death surface every now and then. These videos, associated with sexual fetishes, are produced overseas for an underground international market.

When it comes to community cats, it is also possible that abuse stems from a dislike or hatred of having these animals around.

It is not uncommon for us to hear of cases where community cat caregivers have been verbally abused by individuals who have asked them to stop feeding the cats. In some of these cases, the individuals have threatened to hurt the cats if the feeding doesn't stop.
WE NEED TO DO BETTER
Regardless of the reason for the abuse, animals rely on us to be their voices and advocates and this places a heavy responsibility on our shoulders.

Cruelty cases need to be solved faster so that more animals are not harmed. In the 2006 and 2007 Bedok case mentioned above, the community mobilised in a big way and it was through their efforts of patrols and constant monitoring that the case was solved and the perpetrator brought to justice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Commentary: Do we need to do more to protect our community cats?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In other cases, the person may enjoy control over another being or be taking out their frustrations on an animal that cannot retaliate. Individuals may also displace their aggression from a human to an animal, or use cruelty as a means to threaten someone.

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://www.britannica.com/topic/racism

Brief Write-up:
Racism, Any action, practice, or belief that reflects the racial worldview—the ideology that humans are divided into separate and exclusive biological entities called “races,” that there is a causal link between inherited physical traits and traits of personality, intellect, morality, and other cultural behavioral features, and that some “races” are innately superior to others. The idea of race was invented to magnify the differences between people of European origin in the U.S. and those of African descent whose ancestors had been brought against their will to function as slaves in the American South. By viewing Africans and their descendants as lesser human beings, the proponents of slavery attempted to justify and maintain this system of exploitation while at the same time portraying the U.S. as a bastion and champion of human freedom, with human rights, democratic institutions, unlimited opportunities, and equality.  Racism differs from ethnocentrism in that it is linked to physical and therefore immutable differences among people. In the last half of the 20th century several conflicts around the world were interpreted in racial terms even though their origins were in the ethnic hostilities that have long characterized many human societies (e.g., Arabs and Jews, English and Irish).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
racism, the belief that humans may be divided into separate and exclusive biological entities called "races"; that there is a causal link between inherited physical traits and traits of personality, intellect, morality, and other cultural and behavioral features; and that some races are innately superior to others. The term is also applied to political, economic, or legal institutions and systems that engage in or perpetuate discrimination on the basis of race or otherwise reinforce racial inequalities in wealth and income, education, health care, civil rights, and other areas. Such institutional, structural, or systemic racism became a particular focus of scholarly investigation in the 1980s with the emergence of critical race theory, an offshoot of the critical legal studies movement. Since the late 20th century the notion of biological race has been recognized as a cultural invention, entirely without scientific basis.

Following Germany's defeat in World War I, that country's deeply ingrained anti-Semitism was successfully exploited by the Nazi Party, which seized power in 1933 and implemented policies of systematic discrimination, persecution, and eventual mass murder of Jews in Germany and in the territories occupied by the country during World War II ( see Holocaust).

In North America and apartheid-era South Africa, racism dictated that different races (chiefly blacks and whites) should be segregated from one another; that they should have their own distinct communities and develop their own institutions such as churches, schools, and hospitals; and that it was unnatural for members of different races to marry.

Historically, those who openly professed or practiced racism held that members of low-status races should be limited to low-status jobs and that members of the dominant race should have exclusive access to political power, economic resources, high-status jobs, and unrestricted civil rights. The lived experience of racism for members of low-status races includes acts of physical violence, daily insults, and frequent acts and verbal expressions of contempt and disrespect, all of which have profound effects on self-esteem and social relationships.

Racism was at the heart of North American slavery and the colonization and empire-building activities of western Europeans, especially in the 18th century. The idea of race was invented to magnify the differences between people of European origin and those of African descent whose ancestors had been involuntarily enslaved and transported to the Americas. By characterizing Africans and their African American descendants as lesser human beings, the proponents of slavery attempted to justify and maintain the system of exploitation while portraying the United States as a bastion and champion of human freedom, with human rights, democratic institutions, unlimited opportunities, and equality. The contradiction between slavery and the ideology of human equality, accompanying a philosophy of human freedom and dignity, seemed to demand the dehumanization of those enslaved.

By the 19th century, racism had matured and spread around the world. In many countries, leaders began to think of the ethnic components of their own societies, usually religious or language groups, in racial terms and to designate "higher" and "lower" races. Those seen as the low-status races, especially in colonized areas, were exploited for their labour, and discrimination against them became a common pattern in many areas of the world. The expressions and feelings of racial superiority that accompanied colonialism generated resentment and hostility from those who were colonized and exploited, feelings that continued even after independence.

Since the mid-20th century many conflicts around the world have been interpreted in racial terms even though their origins were in the ethnic hostilities that have long characterized many human societies (e.g., Arabs and Jews, English and Irish). Racism reflects an acceptance of the deepest forms and degrees of divisiveness and carries the implication that differences between groups are so great that they cannot be transcended.

Racism elicits hatred and distrust and precludes any attempt to understand its victims. For that reason, most human societies have concluded that racism is wrong, at least in principle, and social trends have moved away from racism. Many societies have begun to combat racism by raising awareness of racist beliefs and practices and by promoting human understanding in public policies, as does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, set forth by the United Nations in 1948.

In the United States, racism came under increasing attack during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, and laws and social policies that enforced racial segregation and permitted racial discrimination against African Americans were gradually eliminated. Laws aimed at limiting the voting power of racial minorities were invalidated by the Twenty-fourth Amendment (1964) to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited poll taxes, and by the federal Voting Rights Act (1965), which required jurisdictions with a history of voter suppression to obtain federal approval ("preclearance") of any proposed changes to their voting laws (the preclearance requirement was effectively removed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 [ see Shelby County v. Holder]). By 2020 nearly three-quarters of the states had adopted varying forms of voter ID law, by which would-be voters were required or requested to present certain forms of identification before casting a ballot. Critics of the laws, some of which were successfully challenged in the courts, contended that they effectively suppressed voting among African Americans and other demographic groups. Other measures that tended to limit voting by African Americans were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders, partisan gerrymanders aimed at limiting the number of Democratic representatives in state legislatures and Congress, the closing of polling stations in African American or Democratic-leaning neighbourhoods, restrictions on the use of mail-in and absentee ballots, limits on early voting, and purges of voter rolls.

Despite constitutional and legal measures aimed at protecting the rights of racial minorities in the United States, the private beliefs and practices of many Americans remained racist, and some group of assumed lower status was often made a scapegoat. That tendency has persisted well into the 21st century.

Because, in the popular mind, "race" is linked to physical differences among peoples, and such features as dark skin colour have been seen as markers of low status, some experts believe that racism may be difficult to eradicate. Indeed, minds cannot be changed by laws, but beliefs about human differences can and do change, as do all cultural elements.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Racism | Definition, History, Laws, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Racism, the belief that humans may be divided into separate and exclusive biological entities called 'races'; that there is a causal link between inherited physical traits and traits of personality, intellect, morality, and other cultural and behavioral features; and that some races are innately superior to others.

# data[].attributes.headline
Stella's social cause : Deafness in people in society 

# data[].attributes.subject
Stella's social cause : Deafness in people in society 

# data[].attributes.body
Link : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/mexican-teen-develops-app-help-deaf-sister-communicate-2416921

Write up : An estimated 4.6 million Mexicans are deaf or hard-of-hearing, according to Mexico's statistics agency. There is a chronic shortage of certified MSL interpreters, though many Mexicans act as unofficial interpreters for deaf or hard-of-hearing family members.

Deafness is a topic to talk about because not all children and adults are getting support for their deafness. We all should support each other , leaving no one behind as we all are humans , even with disabilities. We all should be treated fairly regardless of what illness.

It is worth discussing as not many people know about the lives of people with disabilities in general. We should all raise awareness about it so that people are educated about it and understand more about deafness and can sympathize with those who have it.

# data[].attributes.body
Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wmFXW-HkU0

Link:https://www.lcms.org/social-issues/child-abuse

Brief write up: Parenting skills or family support make the pressures of caring for a child overwhelming, and can cause child abuse.Also,parents may not know how to care for their child or may believe it is acceptable to use excessive physical force to discipline or punish a child.Child abuse often start from a small punishment to an actual abuse, including violence.Of course there are different types of child abuse such as physical, emotional, or psychological and sexual abuse.Most of the child abuse cases is related to physical abuse.Abuse impact the child's growth negatively,As a result,abused children can suffer intense emotional damage and can develop severe social problems.

# data[].attributes.headline
YaHui's social casue: environmental problems

# data[].attributes.subject
YaHui's social casue: environmental problems

# data[].attributes.body
https://open.lib.umn.edu/socialproblems/chapter/15-3-the-environment/

Brief Write-up:
Environmental problems are largely the result of human behavior and human decision making. Environmental inequality and environmental racism are significant issues. Within the United States and around the world, environmental problems are more often found where poor people and people of color reside. Environmental factors include temperature, food, pollutants, population density, sound, light, and parasites. The diversity of environmental stresses that have been shown to cause an increase in asymmetry is probably not exclusive; many other kinds of stress might provide similar effects.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing edition, 2015. This edition adapted from a work originally produced in 2010 by a publisher who has requested that it not receive attribution.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At first glance, the environment does not seem to be a sociological topic. The natural and physical environment is something that geologists, meteorologists, oceanographers, and other scientists should be studying, not sociologists. Yet we have just discussed how the environment is affected by popul…

# data[].attributes.body
Link : https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/30-per-cent-spike-in-child-abuse-cases-last-year-with-sharp-rise-in-physical-and-sexual
Brief Write-up : From statistics, number of child abuse cases has been increasing over the years. Victims of child abuse suffer from physical and emotional abuse and severe neglect. Most victims however, chose to stay silent as they fear of being judged. This results in many unreported child abuse cases. After seeing cases of child abuse I strongly believe and feel that all children are to be treated equally and they all deserve to be loved and be care for. Hence I feel that there is a need to raise public awareness so that more people will step in and help more victims of child abuse.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
30 per cent spike in child abuse cases last year, with sharp rise in physical and sexual abuses

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SINGAPORE - The number of children who were abused by a family member spiked by 30 per cent last year, with sharp increases in physical and sexual abuse cases. . Read more at straitstimes.com.

# data[].attributes.body
Link:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-mental-health-awareness-stigma-conditions-depression-1973166

Brief Write-up:
Although more people are becoming more aware about more commonly talked about mental health, people still have those stigma attached to certain rarer conditions like schizophrenia. Sometimes, people don't even know that there are other mental conditions apart from depression which we are all so familiar with. It makes it hard for those diagnosed with those mental issues to be open about their conditions because they are afraid of being judged or shun away by their family and friends. There are quite a lot of people with mental conditions that do not seek help because they are afraid it would affect their career or studies. I strongly believe that we should help them and be by their side whenever we can to support them because they are already struggling and do not need more people to weigh them down.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
He added that there is also the possibility of physical self-harm among those with BPD, which is also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD).

"Another symptom we pick up is they will cut themselves. In the emergency department, when you see someone with a lot of scars on their forearm, the patient might have BPD," he said.

"But society doesn't know much about BPD; they think it's just depression. The self-laceration is a very unique sign. When you ask someone with BPD why they cut themselves, they usually don't say they want to end their life. They want to experience the emotional pain they've had in the past."

Dr Ho, however, reinforced that while some people might possess the traits of BPD, having a personality disorder is more than just checking off these traits.

"Having a personality disorder means that the traits become so strong that the person has interpersonal problems. These problems affect their life, whether it's family, work or study," he said.

Similarly, the stigma attached to schizophrenia - a psychotic disorder - prevails in Singapore.

According to a 2016 Singapore Mental Health Study released by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) on May 21, about one-third of the population who have been diagnosed with psychotic disorders had a diagnosis of schizophrenia at some point in their lives. This makes schizophrenia the most common psychotic disorder here.

The results were part of the first nationwide study to examine the prevalence of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders among those living in Singapore aged 18 and above, their associated factors, and the treatment gap of the disorders.

Despite the prevalence of schizophrenia, public understanding is lacking, with people with the condition being perceived as "dangerous or as individuals incapable of managing themselves", said Ms Lim Lay Keow, a senior case manager at the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme at the Department of Psychosis in IMH.

"Schizophrenia is still sensationalised by the media. The accessibility to smart phones allow for photo or video taking of a person in distress, subjecting them to be judged online."

This behaviour, Ms Lim noted, doesn't just make it difficult for those with schizophrenia to disclose their condition for fear of discrimination. It also results in self-stigmatisation, where the person with schizophrenia finds it difficult to "differentiate themselves from the condition".

The deeply entrenched stereotypes about schizophrenia also make it harder for the public to understand that schizophrenia is "not a personality flaw but a disease of the brain", she added.
YOUTH MORE CANDID, BUT STIGMA REMAINS
Even before the pandemic last year, younger people were increasingly open about their mental health on social media, with some talking about therapy sessions or situations where their mental health conditions might flare up.

But Ron Yap, who was diagnosed with OCD three years ago, said this conversation doesn't translate into less stigma for all conditions.

"While there has been more conversation for disorders like generalised anxiety disorder and depression, there's still stigma surrounding more uncommon disorders, like OCD," the 23-year-old said.

"Even though non-sufferers (of anxiety disorders and depression) will never experience the depths of pain and discomfort those conditions cause, they can at least get a rough, if imperfect, idea of what it's like to suffer, by taking the times in which they experienced anxiety or sadness and amplifying the intensity and duration."

But with OCD, the 23-year-old said, "It's harder to fathom how and why someone would wash their hands 50 times to the point of breaking their skin, go to the bathroom 20 times before bed or dwell on a distressing thought for a whole day to the point of paralysis."

To a non-sufferer, he added, such behaviour is "simply irrational, and even insane, and this impression hinders one's ability to empathise with the sufferer".

Ron, who runs the Instagram account @mentalhealthceo, believes misconceptions about OCD don't help, such as that there's only one type of OCD "exemplified by someone who obsessively washes their hands or clothes over and over again".

"OCD and its rituals can manifest in countless different forms. I know someone who has to eat their food in a certain order, otherwise they wouldn't be able to consume the meal at all," he said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The rise of mental health awareness - and the stigma that remains attached to certain conditions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SINGAPORE: It's been five years since Sabrina Ooi, 30, attempted suicide - and two since she penned a blog post discussing her attempt.

# data[].attributes.headline
Chloe Ho (8) social cause: Mental health

# data[].attributes.subject
Chloe Ho (8) social cause: Mental health

# data[].attributes.body
Link:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-mental-health-awareness-stigma-conditions-depression-1973166

Brief write up:
Just because people are now more open about speaking out on mental health issues, does not mean that the stigma around it has disappeared. People who are struggling with mental health issues are often seen as 'attention seeking' or 'overreacting'. They also worry that their diagnosis might affect their employment and appraisal, while those serving National Service worry about being negatively evaluated by their peers. I feel that it is unfair to judge people on things that they have no control over, therefore i think that this is a cause worth discussing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
He added that there is also the possibility of physical self-harm among those with BPD, which is also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD).

"Another symptom we pick up is they will cut themselves. In the emergency department, when you see someone with a lot of scars on their forearm, the patient might have BPD," he said.

"But society doesn't know much about BPD; they think it's just depression. The self-laceration is a very unique sign. When you ask someone with BPD why they cut themselves, they usually don't say they want to end their life. They want to experience the emotional pain they've had in the past."

Dr Ho, however, reinforced that while some people might possess the traits of BPD, having a personality disorder is more than just checking off these traits.

"Having a personality disorder means that the traits become so strong that the person has interpersonal problems. These problems affect their life, whether it's family, work or study," he said.

Similarly, the stigma attached to schizophrenia - a psychotic disorder - prevails in Singapore.

According to a 2016 Singapore Mental Health Study released by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) on May 21, about one-third of the population who have been diagnosed with psychotic disorders had a diagnosis of schizophrenia at some point in their lives. This makes schizophrenia the most common psychotic disorder here.

The results were part of the first nationwide study to examine the prevalence of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders among those living in Singapore aged 18 and above, their associated factors, and the treatment gap of the disorders.

Despite the prevalence of schizophrenia, public understanding is lacking, with people with the condition being perceived as "dangerous or as individuals incapable of managing themselves", said Ms Lim Lay Keow, a senior case manager at the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme at the Department of Psychosis in IMH.

"Schizophrenia is still sensationalised by the media. The accessibility to smart phones allow for photo or video taking of a person in distress, subjecting them to be judged online."

This behaviour, Ms Lim noted, doesn't just make it difficult for those with schizophrenia to disclose their condition for fear of discrimination. It also results in self-stigmatisation, where the person with schizophrenia finds it difficult to "differentiate themselves from the condition".

The deeply entrenched stereotypes about schizophrenia also make it harder for the public to understand that schizophrenia is "not a personality flaw but a disease of the brain", she added.
YOUTH MORE CANDID, BUT STIGMA REMAINS
Even before the pandemic last year, younger people were increasingly open about their mental health on social media, with some talking about therapy sessions or situations where their mental health conditions might flare up.

But Ron Yap, who was diagnosed with OCD three years ago, said this conversation doesn't translate into less stigma for all conditions.

"While there has been more conversation for disorders like generalised anxiety disorder and depression, there's still stigma surrounding more uncommon disorders, like OCD," the 23-year-old said.

"Even though non-sufferers (of anxiety disorders and depression) will never experience the depths of pain and discomfort those conditions cause, they can at least get a rough, if imperfect, idea of what it's like to suffer, by taking the times in which they experienced anxiety or sadness and amplifying the intensity and duration."

But with OCD, the 23-year-old said, "It's harder to fathom how and why someone would wash their hands 50 times to the point of breaking their skin, go to the bathroom 20 times before bed or dwell on a distressing thought for a whole day to the point of paralysis."

To a non-sufferer, he added, such behaviour is "simply irrational, and even insane, and this impression hinders one's ability to empathise with the sufferer".

Ron, who runs the Instagram account @mentalhealthceo, believes misconceptions about OCD don't help, such as that there's only one type of OCD "exemplified by someone who obsessively washes their hands or clothes over and over again".

"OCD and its rituals can manifest in countless different forms. I know someone who has to eat their food in a certain order, otherwise they wouldn't be able to consume the meal at all," he said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The rise of mental health awareness - and the stigma that remains attached to certain conditions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SINGAPORE: It's been five years since Sabrina Ooi, 30, attempted suicide - and two since she penned a blog post discussing her attempt.

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-mental-health-awareness-stigma-conditions-depression-1973166

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svw1RbKpyDI

Brief Write up:
-The Covid-19 pandemic revealed a need for more mental health support, with an increase in people calling in to mental health helplines.
-Because of the virus, many people have faced loss of income, having difficulty to find a job that can help stabilise their income. This condition causes extreme and unusual shifts in mood, energy, concentration, and activity levels that affect one’s ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

# data[].attributes.headline
35's Social cause: polarisation in singapore.

# data[].attributes.subject
35's Social cause: polarisation in singapore.

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/in-focus-social-media-polarisation-singapore-online-discourse-2085511

brief write up:

Finding moderate comments can be difficult, whether in the pro- or anti-establishment camp, as many discussions get emotional or turn into personal attacks very quickly.

Snap judgments are often effectively expressed through online slang, such as "boomer" and "snowflake", but language can also hinder communication, especially if these terms lead to trolling.

Beyond government policies and hate speech laws by technology companies, civil online discourse boils down to individual action.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jeet (9) Social Cause : Environmental Sustainability

# data[].attributes.subject
Jeet (9) Social Cause : Environmental Sustainability

# data[].attributes.body
Link :
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/sporeans-highly-aware-of-environmental-issues-but-adoption-of-green-practices
Brief write up :
An average Singapore is well aware about CLIMATE CHANGE. A survey was carried out on how much the average Singaporean knew about Climate Change. The results were very promising. Results showed that Singaporeans had a high awareness of the environmental issues. Very many Singaporeans are aware and the article specifies the that the people who took the survey wanted to make a change and reduce their carbon footprint and red meat consumption. Before COVID 19, Climate Change was on the cover page of every broadsheet but now people have turned a blind eye on this detrimental issue. I believe that if we don't start now or if we haven't started conserving and reducing our carbon footprint it might be too late.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
S'poreans highly aware of environmental issues but adoption of green practices lags: OCBC climate index

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The average Singaporean is highly aware of environmental issues, adopts many green practices some of the time, and advocates some of these issues and practices to friends and family. Read more at straitstimes.com.

# data[].attributes.headline
14's social cause: Cleft Lip and Palate awareness

# data[].attributes.subject
14's social cause: Cleft Lip and Palate awareness

# data[].attributes.body
link: https://healthtalk.org/cleft-lip-and-palate/social-interaction-and-public-awareness-of-cleft

Brief write-up:
A cleft lip and palate is when the lip or roof of the mouth is deformed. Due to this lip deformity, the society can view you negatively on your physical appearance. Sometimes, cleft lip can be so bad that speech is affected.
In the article, it shows short video clips of parents explaining their child's experiences with cleft lip. Many mention they get bullied often or get stares. The parents also wanted their children to keep their cleft lip and not do surgery as the price was too expensive. I believe that this topic should be discussed more often, and we should donate a few dollars to improve people's lives with this deformity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Social interaction and public awareness of cleft

A child or adult born with a cleft lip and/or palate may be the subject of attention and may experience comments and sometimes negative attitudes from others. These comments may be a response to the way somebody with a cleft lip looks or a response to differences in speech and the hearing difficulties associated with having a cleft palate (see 'Speech, language and hearing').

Parents were aware of comments about cleft lip and/or palate even before the baby was born or soon after the baby was born and when they went out in public for the first time. Most parents we spoke to found that the best way with dealing with comments is to be open and honest and explain what a cleft is and how it can be treated. Because most of the parents we spoke to had had little experience of cleft until their own child was born with the condition, this made them more understanding of the comments and behaviours of others (see 'Telling other people'). Some spoke about celebrities they were aware of who had been born with a cleft (such as the actor Joaquin Phoenix).

Most of the new parents we spoke to had experienced negative comments from members of the public both before a cleft lip was closed or following surgery for lip closure. Most families believed that the negative comments were partly due to a lack of awareness of cleft related issues rather than targeted bullying. All of the parents we spoke with believed that the closure of a cleft lip and other surgical interventions that can alter a child's cosmetic appearance (see also 'Cleft treatment pathway') should be pursued because they felt society puts a high value on looks. They believed that such values could determine future interactions with others as well as the child's development and opportunities throughout life.

Young children tend to be inquisitive: they may ask a child with a visible cleft why they look different and they might stare at a baby in a pram. Some parents said that they would prefer to be asked outright about the cleft rather than have their child stared at because they look or sound different.

Mary Y did not experience any negative comments when her son was born but believes there is still a case for raising public awareness regarding cleft issues.

Text only

Read below

I didn't have. I think some, I know that some, some mums find difficulties to take babies to, to public, you know, to go for shopping. You know, you know, we were determined, you know... you know, we will, will be just like normal. You know, we took... I took everywhere. Because I had an older son, well he was only 3, so I said, "Well I can't, you know, not do stuff with my older son, he's only 3: I'm going to do exactly the same as I did, go to all this mother and toddler's group with, with a baby." That was all pre-surgery, so there was a cleft there, and his cleft was quite wide, you know. So I went everywhere: I never had any unkind comments.

I even once I had when I was just walking with my pushchair, and there was one mum she said, "Oh, oh you have a baby with a cleft. Could I have just a quick, quick peek, see how is he? Because my son was born with a cleft."

Oh OK.

So I thought, "OK." So there wasn't any I mean people will ask the question, you know, but it wasn't in any... oh any rude or unkind comments; they were more like, you know... if I can... for me it was more like, you know, if I can educate them.

Yeah sure.

You know, it's...

So it was quite an open experience?

Yeah for me it was open. For some mums maybe it's not some days. But that's... I didn't have, we didn't have that problem. You know, as I said, we went out everywhere and we, and I think it's just... if any problem I would have that will be if people will call it harelip.

Then I would just I would correct them. I would say it's the term that we use now is cleft lip.

Yeah.

And that's the only thing, you know, sometimes. But I think it's less and less now people will use the harelip.

Yeah.

And I... I don't like that comment. But I think... people need to be educated and I would, I would, you know, sort of just in a nice way I'd say, "Well actually it's a cleft. And why not hare, you know, you don't call, you know, because, you know... it's a wrong way to describe it." That's the only thing, you know, if anybody would make any, any sort of comment that I had to sort of correct them.

OK.

I think it's important, public awareness, yes what is I think is lacking, because I think it's a lot of people are... very misinformed, and I think I think we need to raise more awareness, positive experience I think.

The individuals we spoke to who were born with a cleft and also parents were aware of negative comments from members of the public at all stages of life. Most of the parents we spoke to had children who had experienced bullying, particularly at secondary school.

Last reviewed June 2017.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cleft Lip and Palate - Social interaction and public awareness of cleft

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A child or adult born with a cleft lip and/or palate may be the subject of attention and may experience comments and sometimes negative attitudes from others. These comments may be a response to the way somebody with a cleft lip looks or a response to differences in speech and the hearing difficulties associated with having a cleft palate (see 'Speech, language and hearing').

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.talkspace.com/blog/why-is-mental-health-important/

mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. this is why having good mental health is important as it affects how we think, feel, and act as we cope with life. mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood to adulthood. especially for students, mental health problems can impact our academics and success. having poor mental health contributes to lack of motivation and problems focusing which can lead to failing grades.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Why is Mental Health Important?

Positive mental health is crucial in today's world, as it profoundly influences every aspect of our lives. Mental health can impact our thoughts, actions, and interactions. It empowers us to navigate challenges, build meaningful relationships, and make informed decisions.

Reasons to care for mental health

Maintaining a positive mental health and treating any poor mental health conditions is crucial to stabilizing constructive behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. Focusing on mental health care can increase productivity, enhance our self-image, and improve relationships.

Nurturing mental health doesn't just improve our daily functioning, but it can also help us control - or at least combat - some of the physical health problems directly linked to mental health conditions. For example, heart disease and stress are related, so managing stress might have a positive outcome on heart disease and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Other benefits of taking care of our mental health can include:

Improving our mood

Reducing our anxiety

Creating an enhanced sense of inner peace

Thinking more clearly

Improving our relationships

Increasing our self-esteem

"Our mental health is something that impacts our eating and sleeping habits and has a lot to do with our physical health as well. It is important to address our mental health needs, or oftentimes we will feel the impact of it in other areas of our health as well."
Talkspace therapist Bisma Anwar, LMHC

Beyond everything else we've already discussed, being mentally healthy can significantly impact our psychological, emotional, and social well-being. It directly affects our mental well-being and how we feel and act on a daily basis. Mental health is a major factor in a healthy lifestyle when we make difficult choices, deal with stress, and relate to other people in our world.

Yet, mental health isn't just something we can deal with once and then get over. It's important in every stage of our life. From infancy all the way into adulthood - mental health is something we need to be cognizant of and handle with care.
Having a solid foundation when it comes to mental health means you can:

Have productive, healthy relationships

Cope with daily stress in life

Establish a positive sense of self

Stay motivated and physically active, and healthy

Be more productive at work and school

Make meaningful connections and contributions to the community

Realize and work towards achieving your full potential

Why Should We Spread Mental Health Awareness?

By making a concerted effort to spread mental health awareness, we can work to de-stigmatize how we think about, approach, and identify mental health issues in our society.

Having those tough conversations and admitting there's a problem means we can come up with a solution. We can start removing the shame and fear that are often associated with topics surrounding poor mental health. Doing so can increase the likelihood of someone reaching out when they need help.

Asking for help is a sign of strength. Working together allows us to begin building a foundation that respects and honors the importance of good mental health.

Another benefit to focusing on mental health awareness is that it can make signs and symptoms of certain conditions more well-known. Early intervention is predictive of how successful mental health treatment will be for many conditions. The earlier someone is diagnosed and begins treatment, the more likely it is that they'll be able to manage their condition and improve their mental health.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why is Mental Health Important? - Talkspace

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mental health awareness is more important than ever with 1 in 5 adults experiencing a mental health condition. Learn about the importance of mental health.

# data[].attributes.headline
chloe chua's social cause : child abuse 

# data[].attributes.subject
chloe chua's social cause : child abuse 

# data[].attributes.body
Approximately 4 million cases of child abuse and neglect involving almost 7 million children are reported each year. Although it is common in society, some cases have not been reported. I feel that all children should live in an environment where they feel safe and loved. As a community, I think that it is important to understand how to help children who have been abused, and reduce the risks of child abuse.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Number of child abuse cases in S’pore investigated last year highest in 10 years

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Physical abuse cases made up the bulk of probes last year, but neglect saw the sharpest rise.
. Read more at straitstimes.com.

# data[].attributes.body
link: https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality

brief write up: In some countries, girls do not have the chance to attend school unlike boys. even if they do get the chance to attend school, many girls receive less support than boys to pursue the studies they choose, a reason why this happens is because safety, hygiene and sanitation of girls are highly neglected, causing them to not be able to attend classes regularly. As a result, nearly 1 in 4 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are neither employed nor in education or training – compared to 1 in 10 boys.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Girls and boys see gender inequality in their homes and communities every day - in textbooks, in the media and among the adults who care for them.

Parents may assume unequal responsibility for household work, with mothers bearing the brunt of caregiving and chores. The majority of low-skilled and underpaid community health workers who attend to children are also women, with limited opportunity for professional growth.

And in schools, many girls receive less support than boys to pursue the studies they choose. This happens for a variety of reasons: The safety, hygiene and sanitation needs of girls may be neglected, barring them from regularly attending class. Discriminatory teaching practices and education materials also produce gender gaps in learning and skills development. As a result, nearly 1 in 4 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are neither employed nor in education or training - compared to 1 in 10 boys.

Worldwide, nearly 1 in 4 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are neither employed nor in education or training - compared to 1 in 10 boys.

Yet, in early childhood, gender disparities start out small. Girls have higher survival rates at birth, are more likely to be developmentally on track, and are just as likely to participate in preschool. Among those who reach secondary school, girls tend to outperform boys in reading across every country where data are available.

But the onset of adolescence can bring significant barriers to girls' well-being. Gender norms and discrimination heighten their risk of unwanted pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, and malnutrition. Especially in emergency settings and in places where menstruation remains taboo, girls are cut off from the information and supplies they need to stay healthy and safe.

In its most insidious form, gender inequality turns violent. Some 1 in 20 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 - around 13 million - have experienced forced sex. In times of both peace and conflict, adolescent girls face the highest risk of gender-based violence. Hundreds of millions of girls worldwide are still subjected to child marriage and female genital mutilation - even though both have been internationally recognized as human rights violations. And violence can occur at birth, like in places where female infanticide is known to persist.

Some 1 in 20 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 - around 13 million globally - have experienced forced sex in their lifetimes.

Harmful gender norms are perpetuated at the highest levels. In some countries, they become entrenched in laws and policies that fail to uphold - or that even violate - girls' rights, like laws that restrict women from inheriting property. Boys also suffer from gender norms: Social conceptions of masculinity can fuel child labour, gang violence, disengagement from school, and recruitment into armed groups.

Despite major hurdles that still deny them equal rights, girls refuse to limit their ambitions. Since the signing of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995 - the most comprehensive policy agenda for gender equality - the world has seen uneven progress.

More and more girls are attending and completing school, and fewer are getting married or becoming mothers while still children themselves. But discrimination and limiting stereotypes remain rife. Technological change and humanitarian emergencies are also confronting girls with new challenges, while old ones - violence, institutionalized biases, poor learning and life opportunities - persist.

That's why girls from all walks of life are boldly raising their voices against inequality. Girl-led movements are stopping child marriage and female genital mutilation, demanding action on climate change, and trail-blazing in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) - asserting their power as global change-makers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Equal rights and opportunities for girls and boys help all children fulfil their potential.

# data[].attributes.body
Link:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/arms-control/gun-violence/

Write up:
Gun violence is a contemporary global human rights issue. Gun-related violence threatens our most fundamental human right, the right to life. Gun violence is a daily tragedy affecting the lives of individuals around the world. More than 500 people die every day because of violence committed with firearms. Anyone can be affected by firearm violence but in certain situations gun violence disproportionately impacts communities of different races, colour, gender or even groups of people who are disparaged. The mere presence of firearms can make people feel threatened and fearful for their lives with severe and long-term psychological effects on individuals and whole communities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Overview

Gun violence is a daily scourge that threatens our most fundamental right: the right to life. More than 600 people die every day as a result of firearms violence, which is driven in part by easy access to firearms - whether legal or illegal.

Anyone can be affected by gun violence, but it often disproportionately impacts people of colour, men and boys in deprived communities, and other marginalized groups. Domestic violence involving firearms also puts women at heightened risk of death or life-changing injuries.

Sometimes, the mere presence of firearms can make people feel threatened and fearful for their lives. They may be too afraid to attend schools or health facilities. Community-wide gun violence may prevent services from fully functioning, which can harm access to education or healthcare.

The vast majority of gun violence occurs outside of armed conflict settings. A significant proportion - in some states more than half - of firearm deaths are caused by suicide and accidents.

Our human rights are not protected if our leaders fail to tackle and end the epidemic of gun violence and gun deaths.

Previous Next

What is gun violence?

Gun violence is violence committed with firearms, such as handguns, shotguns, or semi-automatic rifles. More than 600 people are estimated to die every day from gun violence with two-thirds of gun-related deaths, including suicides, occurring in just six countries (in descending order): Brazil, the USA, Venezuela, Mexico, India and Colombia.

Up to 71% of all homicides globally involve gun violence. The majority of victims and perpetrators are young men, but women are at particular risk of violence from an intimate partner possessing a firearm. Sexual violence can also be perpetrated at gunpoint.

Firearms cause devastating injuries that leave a lasting impact on mental and physical health. Some gunshot victims need intensive, lifelong care. Others may lose their ability to work. Many have little or no access to programmes that offer adequate long-term care and rehabilitation.

How many guns are there?

More than 1 billion firearms are in circulation globally. The vast majority - 85%- are in the hand of private individuals, 13% are in military arsenals and 2% are owned by law enforcement agencies.

Gun violence committed by private individuals is typically concentrated in low-income urban neighbourhoods with high levels of crime, including drug trafficking. Many of these areas are blighted by inadequate policing or policing which does not comply with international standards on human rights and law enforcement, and a lack of access to public services.

Therefore, easy access to and proliferation of firearms, combined with socio-economic factors, can have a harmful impact on the community's full range of human rights.

Gun violence and the right to health
Gun violence can rob people of their lives, health and right to healthcare.
People living in communities plagued by firearm violence may find it difficult or even dangerous to access health care facilities. This is especially true in areas where neighbourhoods are partitioned by armed criminal gangs or subject to curfews due to insecurity.

Gun violence can also deter local authorities and NGOs from setting up community health services, and contributes to poor staff retention. Survivors of domestic violence often do not have the essential psychological support or safe accommodation they need in neighbourhoods wracked by firearm violence.

The psychological toll from rampant gun violence is often heavy, particularly for victims, their family members and those who have witnessed shootings. Survivors may be left with debilitating and life-changing injuries which require long-term medical and social care.

Gun violence and the right to education

Mass shootings and other firearm violence can disrupt children's education and make students' journeys to and from school dangerous.

Endemic gun violence damages the learning environment by disrupting school attendance and rates of retention, and makes it harder to recruit and retain teaching staff.

This can, in turn, lead to poorer outcomes for students in terms of employment and income. It can also perpetuate cycles of deprivation, crime and violence.

Gun violence exacerbates the impact of systemic discrimination.
In 2020, 60.9% of the 19,995 people killed by gun homicide in the US were African Americans, despite African Americans making up just 13% of the US population.

Black men and boys aged 15-34 are more than 10 times more likely to die from firearm homicide than white men and boys of the same age group.

Failure to address systemic discrimination; failure to keep firearms out of the hands of those most likely to misuse them; and a failure to invest in gun violence prevention programmes all contribute to this crisis.
Women facing domestic violence and children are also disproportionately affected by gun violence.
In 2020, the ratio of women in the Caribbean killed in gun violence was more than three times the global average. In the USA, guns are now the leading cause of death for children. Furthermore, between 2% and 7% of all injuries treated at US paediatric trauma centres are gun-related.

Gun Violence Figures Worldwide

How can governments stop gun violence?

Effectively implemented gun regulation and evidence-based violence prevention projects can stop the carnage.

As a first step, states should recognize firearm violence as a threat to people's human rights, in particular their rights to life, to physical integrity and security of person, and to health.

Gun regulation and gun licences

States can set up some basic systems to regulate how private individuals can own and use firearms and ammunition to prevent them from using firearms to abuse human rights.

International standards recommend prohibiting any possession of firearms without a licence; that states should register all firearms; and that unlicensed possession should be treated as a criminal offence.

A firearms licence should be subject to certain criteria. For example, the applicant should undergo a comprehensive background check to identify any risks, such as:

a criminal record - especially for violent behaviour in the home or community; history of gender-based, sexual or domestic violence;

history of problematic use of drugs/alcohol, emotional issues, mental health conditions and

any other circumstances which heighten the risks of the harm to self or others using firearms.

Gun licences should be time-limited and training on how to use the weapon should be mandatory. The number and type of weapons that an individual can possess should also be strictly limited in line with the principles of necessity and credible justification.

Some firearms and ammunition represent an unacceptable level of risk to public safety and should be banned for personal use. These should include, at a minimum, fully automatic firearms, semi-automatic assault rifles, semi-automatic shotguns and semi-automatic submachine guns.

Does gun reform work?

Yes, gun reform works. Almost all countries regulate gun acquisition, possession and use in some form. Most do this by licensing users and registering firearms.

Gun reform works in parts of the world where there are strict controls on access to firearms and well-enforced firearms regulations. This is the case for much of Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia. For example, in Japan, South Korea and Singapore, the rate of firearm violence is extremely low.

What does Amnesty do about gun violence?

Amnesty International is campaigning to strengthen regulations on firearm sale, transfer, use and possession. We support the creation of evidence-based violence reduction programmes in communities with persistently high levels of firearms violence.

You can stand up and remind our leaders of their obligation to keep us safe. You can play a crucial role in campaigning and protesting against gun violence and making it clear to governments that they must tackle this through strict controls on guns and effective interventions in communities suffering high levels of gun violence.
You have the power to tell governments that by using gun laws, we can all live safely and without fear - which is our right.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We have the right to be safe from gun violence.

# data[].attributes.headline
36's social cause: disability and chronic disease

# data[].attributes.subject
36's social cause: disability and chronic disease

# data[].attributes.body
link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4596173/
Brief write-up:
Disability is commonly viewed as a problem that exists in a person’s body and requires medical treatment. The social model of disability, by contrast, distinguishes between impairment and disability, identifying the latter as a disadvantage that stems from a lack of fit between a body and its social environment. This paper describes the social model of disability and then considers how it might deal with chronic disease or impairment and why medical professionals should learn about disability perspectives to improve their practice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Abstract

Disability is commonly viewed as a problem that exists in a person's body and requires medical treatment. The social model of disability, by contrast, distinguishes between impairment and disability, identifying the latter as a disadvantage that stems from a lack of fit between a body and its social environment. This paper describes the social model of disability and then considers how it might deal with chronic disease or impairment and why medical professionals should learn about disability perspectives to improve their practice.

Keywords: Disability, Impairment, Chronic disease, Social model

Introduction

A standard medical approach, indeed a common lay-person's approach, to thinking about disability involves viewing it as a problem that exists in a person's body. As a consequence, that individual is thought to require treatment or care to fix the disability, to approximate normal functioning, or perhaps as a last measure, to help the individual adapt and learn to function despite the disability [ 1]. So construed, disability is primarily an individual's medical problem in need of treatment. As disability scholar Liz Crow notes, this medical model of disability holds that "a person's functional limitations (impairments) are the root cause of any disadvantages experienced and these disadvantages can therefore only be rectified by treatment or cure" [ 2]. No doubt, many individuals with musculoskeletal disorders present themselves in the clinic as people looking for a cure, a treatment, or help dealing with their condition. But, as with many chronic conditions, many of them will not find a cure nor will they find complete relief for the symptoms they experience. Recognizing how their lives may be disabled-and what can be done about that-involves taking a closer look at what we mean by disability and its attendant disadvantages.

Effects of the medical model of disability

One result of the common medical understanding of disability is that people with disabilities often report feeling excluded, undervalued, pressured to fit a questionable norm, and/or treated as if they were globally incapacitated. People with disabilities often express frustration when they are met with pitying attitudes or incredulity if they speak about anything positive related to living with their conditions. Many memoirs and books now attest to this common experience (e.g., Encounters with Strangers [ 3], Waist-High in the World [ 4], Moving Violations [ 5], The Rejected Body [ 6]). For many people with disabilities, the main disadvantage they experience does not stem directly from their bodies, but rather from their unwelcome reception in the world, in terms of how physical structures, institutional norms, and social attitudes exclude and/or denigrate them. As Lois Keith remarks, "Doing disability all day long can be an exhausting process. I don't mean having an impairment, in my own case not being able to walk. Like most disabled people I can deal with this. I mean having to spend a significant part of each day dealing with a physical world which is historically designed to exclude me and, even more tiring, dealing with other people's preconceptions and misconceptions about me." [ 7]

The social model of disability

In response to the traditional medical model of disability, disability activists and scholars have offered a social model of disability [ 8], which relies on a relatively sharp distinction between impairment and disability. Within the social model, impairment is understood as a state of the body that is non-standard, defined as "lacking part of or all of a limb, or having a defective limb, organ or mechanism of the body" ([ 8], p. 22). As such, impairment may or may not be met with a negative evaluation by its possessor [ 9]. People who are blind from birth, for instance, often understand their blindness as a neutral way of being, rather than as a deficit or a problem. Consider Deborah Kent, who reports that "...from my point of view, I wasn't like a normal child - I was normal. From the beginning I learned to deal with the world as a blind person. I didn't long for sight any more than I yearned for a pair of wings...I premised my life on the conviction that blindness was a neutral characteristic" ([ 10], p. 57-58). Similarly, and even in regard to acquired impairment, Oliver notes that "impairment is, in fact, nothing less than a description of the physical body." ([ 8], p. 35) Disability, by contrast, is the "disadvantage or restriction of activity caused by a contemporary social organization which takes no or little account of people who have physical impairments and thus excludes them from participation in the mainstream of social activities" ([ 8], p. 22). The point of making and emphasizing this distinction is to show how much and sometimes all of what is disabling for individuals who have impaired bodies has to do with physical and/or social arrangements and institutional norms that are themselves alterable (e.g., stairs vs. ramps; presentation of data using only auditory means vs. universal design for communication, restrictive definitions of job requirements vs. expansive accommodations for different modes of performing work, etc.). People with impairments of a particular kind may be in a minority [ 11], but they are typically not thereby rendered incapable of work and social relationships. They need a more inclusive framework in which to participate.

In addition to pointing to the tangible environmental and structural changes that could be made to be more inclusive for people of differing body types, the social model of disability focuses attention on the attitudinal obstacles faced by people with non-standard bodies. Other people's expectations about quality of life, ability to work, etc. for a person with a disability not only affect the ways in which physical structures and institutional norms are made and sustained (based on presumptions about inability to perform), but also can create additional disability by making it harder for such individuals to feel good about themselves. For instance, Jenny Morris raises concerns about how "all the undermining messages, which we receive every day of our lives from the non-disabled world which surrounds us, become part of our way of thinking about ourselves" [quoted in 7, p. 22].

The impairment/disability distinction is powerful in lending support to people with disabilities who face unjust treatment and the tendency to medicalize their problems. In the words of one disability activist, it tells us that "ableism needs the cure, not our bodies." [quoted in 12, p. 18]. Indeed, as Crow acknowledges, the social model has done wonders for the disability rights movement. "It has enabled a vision of ourselves free from the constraints of disability (oppression) and provided a direction for our commitment to social change. It has played a central role in promoting disabled people's individual self-worth, collective identity, and political organization. I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that the social model has saved lives" ([ 2], p. 207).

We should not, however, lose sight of the fact that people living with impairments can experience negative effects tied more directly to their bodily conditions. People with impairments that involve, for example, fatigue, pain, depression, or chronic illness may want both to overcome social barriers and discrimination that oppress all people with disabilities, and to voice their desire to remove or address the troubling accompaniments of their impairments, through medical or other means. They may want attention to what have been called "impairment effects" [ 13]. No doubt, many medical professionals who might be sympathetic to the disability rights movement in general also see the downside of impairment effects and aim to address them with their medical expertise.

The social model of disability in medical practice

So how might a medical professional appropriately integrate the social model of disability into practice, particularly in relation to disorders that are often chronic in nature? Several scholars have articulated important aspects of this integration [e.g., 14, 15]. Two additional points are worth exploring here. First, we must ensure that medical professionals talk candidly about negative impairment effects while maintaining full respect for individuals with disabilities and fighting for disability justice, for full inclusion of people with disabilities in society. Second, perhaps, we should think more openly about how we understand the place of chronic illness in the disability/impairment distinction.

Recognizing impairment effects without sanctioning disabling practices

Discussion of the negative effects of impairment was, for a long time, excluded from disability rights writing, in large part because of the worry that acknowledging such realities would undermine the important work of addressing disability oppression and discrimination. The gains made by the disability rights movement are still fragile and partial [ 16]. Given the pervasiveness and depth of belief in the medical model, people with disabilities may hesitate to acknowledge publicly any difficulties they experience. Jenny Morris expresses the worry this way: "For many this feels a very dangerous thing to say, in that we feel it makes us vulnerable to non-disabled people turning round and saying - 'there you are then, we always knew that your lives were awful because of illness or incapacity, we always knew what a tragedy it is'." ([ 3], p. 13). As a consequence, concerns about the negative side of impairment are sometimes discussed among people with disabilities privately, but rarely voiced in the public realm.

Reassurance and demonstrated practice that disabled people can talk about negative impacts of impairment in the clinic as well as in public, without fear of being treated as inferior, is central to treating people with disabilities justly. This may require education regarding disability rights and disability pride. Physician Kristin Kirschner, for instance, sees disability studies as a way to help enact a more biopsychosocial model of medicine and to address the troubling legacy of medicine and bioethics in respect to disability: "ignorance, lack of attention to and training about disability, top-down goal setting and decision making, resource and power inequities, and so on" ([ 17], p. 60). Calls for cultural competency in medicine might expand to consider disability competency as well [ 18].

The social model reminds us to be careful about what we presume to be irremediable through social change and to question the ways in which we currently understand disability. Challenging standard definitions of disability and impairment will require listening carefully to the experiences of people living with those impairments and thinking creatively about possibilities for inclusion, accommodation, and accessibility.

Rethinking chronic illness

How much could social change-even radical social change-actually impact the disadvantages of living with a condition like chronic pain? Can the social model of disability really handle chronic illness? Susan Wendell, a philosopher who lives with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), challenges readers to think carefully about their intuitions. On the one hand, Wendell argues in favor of ending ableism and working to address the oppression and discrimination experienced by people with all kinds of disabilities. On the other hand, she also would welcome a cure for her condition. Her position, set forth originally in her book The Rejected Body:

"I want to have more energy and less pain, and to have a more predictable body; about that there is no ambivalence....Yet I cannot wish that I had never contracted ME, because it has made me a different person, a person that I am glad to be, would not want to have missed being, and could not imagine relinquishing, even if I were 'cured.' ... I would joyfully accept a cure, but I do not need one." ([ 6], p. 83-84)

In a subsequent paper, Wendell reports that her readers have expressed surprise at this statement [ 12]. If she would welcome a cure, then how can she believe that contracting ME is something worth experiencing? Is she just trying to make herself feel better, given the lack of available cure? Isn't the impairment itself really her problem rather than societal attitudes or barriers?

To help explain her somewhat complicated position, Wendell considers a new distinction: healthy vs. unhealthy disabled. The healthy disabled are those who have bodily conditions that are "stable and predictable for the foreseeable future," who consider themselves healthy, and whose medical needs are typical for a person of their age. Someone who is deaf, paraplegic, or living with down syndrome may readily fit this description. Of course, one who is healthy disabled need not remain in that category continuously, but Wendell suggests that the broad distinction may nonetheless be useful. The unhealthy disabled, by contrast, have conditions that require medical treatment, that if untreated or untreatable cause individuals to feel ill and unable to take advantage of otherwise available opportunities, and that may fluctuate rapidly.

Having made the distinction, we might be tempted to think of the healthy disabled as clearly falling within the bounds of the social model, but perhaps not the unhealthy disabled. Wendell cautions against this move. She wants us to think broadly about the experience of all kinds of impairment, with careful attention to its diverse forms, meanings, and effects. She advocates acknowledgement not only of what is valuable about impairment (e.g., advances in understanding the structure and contentious nature of what is "normal" and what can be done to accommodate difference, rethinking of self-identity and social values, experience of and appreciation for alternative modes of functioning, etc.) but also what can be troubling about it (pain, fatigue, insecurity of health, etc.).

Part of this project requires rethinking the nature of illness itself. Why should we be willing to acknowledge that living without a limb is an acceptable form of human diversity [ 19], while living with an illness is not? Wendell asks, for instance, "Is illness by definition an evil, or have we made less progress in recognizing chronic illnesses as potentially valuable differences than we have in relation to other disabilities?" ([ 12], p. 30) If we see deafness and paraplegia as different but not necessarily lesser ways of being in the world (if we can celebrate them as distinctive ways of being that may even sanction a certain kind of cultural pride), then why not do the same for chronic illness or "unhealthy" disabilities? They too promote different ways of understanding and appreciating the world, of conceiving the self, of questioning the foundations of "normal." For most people, the difference has to do with suffering, physiological or mental suffering that cannot be remedied by social change. But Wendell carefully parses the significance of suffering, noting that "although most of us want to avoid suffering if possible, suffering is part of some valuable ways of being." ([ 12], p. 31). Some conditions of the body may be inseparable from physiological suffering (e.g., living with chronic pain or nausea), but the ways of life that people form within them may be quite valuable, and the suffering they experience may play some significant constituent role in what brings the value. Perhaps, not all who live with such conditions long to be rid of them given the chance; others would welcome the opportunity to eliminate the suffering, but might still value the perspective they have gained through it. As Wendell notes, "there are, I think, many versions of disability pride." ([ 12], p. 31).

Conclusion

The social model of disability points to several ethical considerations for health care professionals. First, many impairments and their effects that are presumed by the non-disabled to be quite negative may not be experienced as such by people with disabilities, or at least not in the ways the non-disabled presume. Listening to and engaging openly with the testimony of people with impairments is important. Non-disabled frames of reference have their own epistemic limitations. Consider the words of Harriet McBryde Johnson, a lawyer, sometime politician, and disability rights activist who employed a personal care attendant for much of her life. In her collection of essays, Too Late to Die Young, she remarked on how the kind of daily personal care for the body she relied upon is not undignified, but in many respects a deep form of comfort and connection that makes her wonder about the oddity and loneliness of a supposedly fully independent life. She says "I sometimes think how strange it would be to do these morning things in solitude as non-disabled people do, and to regard, as many of them do, a life like mine as a dreadful and unnatural thing. To me it is so natural to feel the touch of the washcloth-covered hands on flesh that is glad to be flesh, to rejoice that other hands are here" ([ 20], p. 251).

Second, even when the experience of impairment is negative, the reasons for the negative experience are often quite different from what the non-disabled presume. Again, many autobiographical accounts of living with impairments and fighting the disadvantages of disability explicitly point out that the main and sometimes the only disadvantage of the impairment is not physiological, but social; the ugly and unwelcoming attitudes of others, the strict insistence on the standard modes and levels of functioning, and the physical impediments to access all make people suffer. In this respect, the social model is very powerful at pointing to the ways that social norms can be disabling.

Third, even when the experience of impairment is negative and for reasons closely tied to the impairment itself (and not due strictly to social barriers), it still may not be overwhelmingly negative. As Wendell points out so well, suffering is something we generally seek to avoid if possible, but suffering is also an inevitable accompaniment of some quite valuable ways of being [see also, 21]. Attending more carefully to the negative aspects of some impairments that seemingly cannot be accommodated or remedied may spur greater research, not just for ways to "cure" but also for social and technological ways to facilitate inclusion.

Finally, given that impairment is often not what it is presumed to be, we should be wary of our tendency to fear it as mightily as we often do. Presuming that we live long enough, we will all, eventually, be impaired in one way or another, if we are not already. Learning to accept this fact will not only perhaps help to eliminate the us/them divide that continues to segregate many people with disabilities in social life but could be used to diminish the desperation with which many people seek the elusive state of perfect health. Reducing our fear doesn't mean that we cannot take measures to prevent impairment, only that we recognize how we can learn to live with them when they inevitably come, and how making social accommodations now will be beneficial to all of us in the long term.

Crow remarks that disability pride comes "not from 'being disabled' or 'having an impairment' but out of our response to that. We are proud of the way we have developed an understanding of the oppression we experience, of our work against discrimination and prejudice, of the way we live with our impairments." ([ 2], p. 223). This kind of pride surely does not require ignoring the negative side of some impairments, just as it need not involve "supercrip" stories of overcoming personal tragedy. It comes from the hard work of making the world a better and more just place for everyone, no matter what their bodily conditions may be. The social model of disability deserves more uptake within medicine.

Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

Conflict of Interest

Sara Goering declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Footnotes

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Ethics

References

12. Wendell S. Unhealthy disabled: treating chronic illnesses as disability. Hypatia. 2001;16(4):17-33. doi: 10.1111/j.1527-2001.2001.tb00751.x. [[ CrossRef] Google Scholar]

15. Evans J. Why the medical model needs disability studies (and Vice Versa). Disabil Stud Q. 2004;24(4).

Articles from Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine are provided here courtesy of Humana Press

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rethinking disability: the social model of disability and chronic disease

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Disability is commonly viewed as a problem that exists in a person's body and requires medical treatment. The social model of disability, by contrast, distinguishes between impairment and disability, identifying the latter as a disadvantage that ...

# data[].attributes.body
link
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/suicide-mental-health-singapore-depression-help-sos-imh-2182036

brief writeup:
There is much guilt and shame when talking about one’s own suicidal thoughts, and this often deters those who are experiencing them from talking about it and seeking help.Suicidal ideation can vary from fleeting and unwanted thoughts to a preoccupation with death

The first step is identification of the “symptoms”. It is important not to brush off mental health distress and suicidal ideation as being a symptom of weakness or a matter of choice.

Identifying these symptoms as being genuine expressions of problems is a “key step” to helping someone in distress. These symptoms, if unaddressed, can lead to serious consequences, such as suicide, I feel like one should be able to express their problems and seek help to resolve it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE

This is a belief that talking about suicide increases a person's risk of suicide, but studies have shown that this is not true, said Dr Kudva.

It is key to work to "dispel the myths that surround suicide" - by acknowledging that it is not a rare occurrence, and that talking about it does not lead to someone becoming suicidal, he added.

"Sharing stories of those who once had suicidal thoughts, who sought help and are now better, is crucial to instilling hope among those who are presently suffering from such thoughts," he explained.

"This is especially important as hopelessness is viewed as an important risk factor for suicide. The key message is that suicidal ideation is common, it is not something to be ashamed about, it is transient, and that help is available."

Figures from the study showed that suicide ideation was 3.6 times more likely among people in the 18 to 34 age group compared to people aged 65 and above.

This "association of suicidality" with younger age is "notable", said Dr Kudva, adding that suicide is the leading cause of death among those aged 10 to 29 in Singapore.

There must be an acknowledgement "at the societal level" that mental health issues are common and that it is not a taboo subject, he noted.

Both Dr Kudva and Mr Tan agree that mental health education in schools is important, as are community campaigns.

"Mental health literacy will improve once we start having an open conversation about mental health, and I believe that we are beginning to have this conversation is Singapore. This is certainly a step in the right direction," Dr Kudva said.

Mr Tan said that while that has been increased understanding on mental health related topics, there are still many who have "inaccurate beliefs about mental health" or judge those who have a mental health condition.

"Conversations need to start by first debunking myths as well as starting to talk about suicide openly," he added.

WHAT THE STUDY LOOKED AT

The study on suicidality was derived from the second Singapore Mental Health Survey. It involved face-to-face interviews, conducted between 2016 and 2018, with 6,126 participants aged 18 years and above.

"To establish the prevalence of suicidality, the study used the 'Suicidality' module of the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview," explained IMH.

Participants were asked a series of questions to determine if they had ever seriously thought about suicide, made a plan or attempted suicide.

Data on their physical health conditions, including hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, chronic pain, cancer and diabetes, their mental disorders, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and alcohol use disorder, as well as socio-demographic information were also collected.

The results showed there are socio-demographic reasons and illness-related risk factors for suicidality.

"While in general and in our study, the majority of individuals with suicidal ideation do not go on to make suicide attempts, it is nevertheless a risk factor for suicide attempts," said Dr Mythily.

"We also know that previous suicide attempts are an important risk factor for suicides, and may result in subsequent attempts and even death, if not addressed adequately.

"The identification of risk factors of suicidality thus provides an opportunity to intervene early thereby lowering the risk of suicides in the population."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mental health awareness, not dismissing concerns the first steps in helping loved ones with suicidal thoughts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SINGAPORE: Awareness of the warning signs and not dismissing concerns are the first steps in helping someone who might have suicidal thoughts, experts have told CNA. "There is much guilt and shame when talking about one's own suicidal thoughts, and this often deters those who are experiencing them from

# data[].attributes.body
Link:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/rising-child-abuse-cases-community-intervention-singapore-msf-851896

Brief write up:
Child abuse has been around since the dawn of time and only recently have people started standing up for it.Child abuse could also give trauma to them early on, hence, ruining their adulthood.That is why I feel this is important to stand up for.

Child abuse In 2014, there was a total of 381 cases investigated by MSF’s Child Protective Service. The figure went up to 551 in 2015, and 873 in 2016. The number edged up to 894 in 2017, before jumping to 1,163 last year. For this year, it is estimated that the number of cases would reach more than 1,000, similar to 2018.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
According to experts, child abusers often face stressors such as a history of abuse or neglect as a child, financial difficulties, unemployment, marital woes, mental health issues and substance abuse.

Ms Serene Tan, director of Big Love Child Protection Specialist Centre, said: "These multiple stressors may make it difficult for the caregivers or parents to focus or prioritise the needs and safety of the children, thus resulting in caregivers and parents engaging in unhelpful or unhealthy ways of parenting and managing the children."

Agreeing, Ms Ng from Heart@Fei Yue added that these issues also "lower the capacity of the parent to tolerate his child".

Those who have suffered violence or neglect during their own childhood are also more susceptible to becoming abusive adults themselves, the experts reiterated.
HOW CASES ARE HANDLED
MSF receives referrals of suspected child abuse from various sources, such as social service agencies, law enforcement agencies, schools, hospitals and even members of the public.

The ministry's existing network of welfare centres includes HEART@Fei Yue and Big Love, which see moderate to low-risk child protection cases.

Heart@Fei Yue introduced its Triage system in 2014, which allows family service centres (FSCs) to refer cases straight to the agency after checking the case against the child abuse reporting guide and the specific screening guide - standard tools to decide the severity of cases.

Both centres also receive referrals from members of the public through their hotlines.

When they receive a referral, they ascertain and assess the safety of the child concerned to determine if he or she can remain in the care of the caregivers or parents, as well as the support and services required for the child, said Ms Tan of Big Love.

Big Love handled 365 cases from April last year to March this year - similar to the number of cases it saw between April 2017 and March last year.

The latest figures are a big jump from earlier years when it handled 252 cases between April 2016 to March 2017, and 177 cases between April 2015 and March 2016.

The welfare centres also reach out to schools, student care or childcare services as well as healthcare institutions for example, to ensure that at-risk families receive other forms of support and intervention to keep their children safe at home.

Pre-school teachers Wajiha Begum, 23, and Fatin Natasha, 21, said that signs of child abuse include marks on the body and a drastic change in behaviour.

Ms Fatin said that when changing a child's diapers, she would also look out for red marks or bruises in between the thighs, as well as blood. This could help determine if the child has been sexually abused.

Both teachers said they will usually question the child first before informing the parents. However, if the parents are suspected to be the perpetrators, the teachers will raise the issue with their centre's principal, who will subsequently alert the authorities.

Sometimes the mere intervention of teachers might have a deterring effect and that is why teachers can play a big role in detecting something is amiss, said Ms Fatin.

She added: "There must be an increase in awareness of child abuse not just among educators, but in our community as well because this can lead to earlier interventions."

In response to queries, the National Institute of Early Childhood Development said it raises awareness among pre-school education trainees based on existing guidelines by MSF. The trainees are also equipped with foundational information on how to identify signs of child abuse and neglect, and what the reporting procedures are.

In cases where the child is deemed to be at risk of abuse, alternative placement may also be recommended if the caregivers or parents are unable to keep the child safe, said Ms Tan. These include situations where the parent or caregiver has serious mental health concerns or there is spousal violence within the family.

When there is no parent to care for the child, such as when both are arrested and imprisoned, the Child Protective Service will place the child with extended family members who are able to provide adequate care, said the MSF spokesperson.

If this is not possible, the Child Protective Service will consider placing the child with an MSF-registered foster parent or in residential care, which it checks on regularly.

Residential care provides a more targeted, intensive and specialised intervention for children and young persons with higher emotional and behavioural needs, the MSF spokesperson said.

MSF's fostering scheme - an alternative care arrangement for children in need of a conducive home environment - is usually a short-term arrangement to meet the child's needs.

Foster parents are provided with an allowance, which helps to defray the child's daily expenses.

Recent amendments to the CYPA allow foster parents to make day-to-day decisions for the child. Under the new Enhanced Care and Protection Order, they can also make more substantial decisions. For example, foster parents will be able to make medical decisions with the MSF's authorisation and in consultation with medical practitioners.

As of June, there were 542 children in foster care and 607 children in residential care.

For parents who are incarcerated, the Child Protective Service will assess whether it is safe for their child to be returned to them after their release.

"In situations where progress has been made and reunification is assessed to be timely and appropriate, increased contacts between the child and parents will be arranged through supervised meetings, outings and trial periods of home stay," said the MSF spokesperson.

Ms Cheryl Ang, a senior child protection officer, said some parents would defend their actions as acts of discipline, and question the involvement of the Child Protective Service.

"At times, parents perceive that (the Child Protective Service) is undermining their parental authority and wants to break up families," she said. "The denial of harm impedes our ability to work with the family on case plans that ensure the child's safety at home."

There has been an increasing number of cases with different types of abuse taking place within a family. These include physical abuse, family violence and intergenerational abuse where abuse victims inflict violence on their own children.

These families may require more intensive intervention as there are many issues to address, Ms Ang added.

In September, an amendment to the CYPA was also passed in Parliament which allows the authorities to intervene in cases of abuse involving young children.

The age limit of what is considered a young person was also raised from 16 to 18.
ROLE OF COMMUNITY
While laws have been tightened and more official resources set aside to deal with the problem, these alone will not be sufficient to stop child abuse.

The community at large, especially neighbours and relatives, have an important role to play in responding to victims' cries of help - sometimes, literally.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Big Read: Amid rising child abuse cases, the community needs to step up and be 'busybodies'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
According to experts, child abusers often face stressors such as a history of abuse or neglect as a child, financial difficulties, unemployment, marital woes, mental health issues and substance abuse.

# data[].attributes.headline
grace's social cause: The rise of mental health awareness 

# data[].attributes.subject
grace's social cause: The rise of mental health awareness 

# data[].attributes.body
Link : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-mental-health-awareness-stigma-conditions-depression-1973166

Brief Write-up : Suicide prevention agency Samaritans of Singapore saw an increase of more than 22 per cent in the number of calls attended to on their 24-hour hotline in March 2020 as compared to that of the same period in 2019. Yet, despite more people seeking help for their mental health over the past year, and the increasing awareness around conditions like anxiety or depression, other conditions remain difficult to disclose, said seven individuals who spoke to CNA.

Some of these conditions are bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), borderline personality disorder (BPD) and schizophrenia.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
He added that there is also the possibility of physical self-harm among those with BPD, which is also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD).

"Another symptom we pick up is they will cut themselves. In the emergency department, when you see someone with a lot of scars on their forearm, the patient might have BPD," he said.

"But society doesn't know much about BPD; they think it's just depression. The self-laceration is a very unique sign. When you ask someone with BPD why they cut themselves, they usually don't say they want to end their life. They want to experience the emotional pain they've had in the past."

Dr Ho, however, reinforced that while some people might possess the traits of BPD, having a personality disorder is more than just checking off these traits.

"Having a personality disorder means that the traits become so strong that the person has interpersonal problems. These problems affect their life, whether it's family, work or study," he said.

Similarly, the stigma attached to schizophrenia - a psychotic disorder - prevails in Singapore.

According to a 2016 Singapore Mental Health Study released by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) on May 21, about one-third of the population who have been diagnosed with psychotic disorders had a diagnosis of schizophrenia at some point in their lives. This makes schizophrenia the most common psychotic disorder here.

The results were part of the first nationwide study to examine the prevalence of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders among those living in Singapore aged 18 and above, their associated factors, and the treatment gap of the disorders.

Despite the prevalence of schizophrenia, public understanding is lacking, with people with the condition being perceived as "dangerous or as individuals incapable of managing themselves", said Ms Lim Lay Keow, a senior case manager at the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme at the Department of Psychosis in IMH.

"Schizophrenia is still sensationalised by the media. The accessibility to smart phones allow for photo or video taking of a person in distress, subjecting them to be judged online."

This behaviour, Ms Lim noted, doesn't just make it difficult for those with schizophrenia to disclose their condition for fear of discrimination. It also results in self-stigmatisation, where the person with schizophrenia finds it difficult to "differentiate themselves from the condition".

The deeply entrenched stereotypes about schizophrenia also make it harder for the public to understand that schizophrenia is "not a personality flaw but a disease of the brain", she added.
YOUTH MORE CANDID, BUT STIGMA REMAINS
Even before the pandemic last year, younger people were increasingly open about their mental health on social media, with some talking about therapy sessions or situations where their mental health conditions might flare up.

But Ron Yap, who was diagnosed with OCD three years ago, said this conversation doesn't translate into less stigma for all conditions.

"While there has been more conversation for disorders like generalised anxiety disorder and depression, there's still stigma surrounding more uncommon disorders, like OCD," the 23-year-old said.

"Even though non-sufferers (of anxiety disorders and depression) will never experience the depths of pain and discomfort those conditions cause, they can at least get a rough, if imperfect, idea of what it's like to suffer, by taking the times in which they experienced anxiety or sadness and amplifying the intensity and duration."

But with OCD, the 23-year-old said, "It's harder to fathom how and why someone would wash their hands 50 times to the point of breaking their skin, go to the bathroom 20 times before bed or dwell on a distressing thought for a whole day to the point of paralysis."

To a non-sufferer, he added, such behaviour is "simply irrational, and even insane, and this impression hinders one's ability to empathise with the sufferer".

Ron, who runs the Instagram account @mentalhealthceo, believes misconceptions about OCD don't help, such as that there's only one type of OCD "exemplified by someone who obsessively washes their hands or clothes over and over again".

"OCD and its rituals can manifest in countless different forms. I know someone who has to eat their food in a certain order, otherwise they wouldn't be able to consume the meal at all," he said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The rise of mental health awareness - and the stigma that remains attached to certain conditions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SINGAPORE: It's been five years since Sabrina Ooi, 30, attempted suicide - and two since she penned a blog post discussing her attempt.

# data[].attributes.headline
38 Shafin's social cause: importance of learning sign language.

# data[].attributes.subject
38 Shafin's social cause: importance of learning sign language.

# data[].attributes.body
Lonk: https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52606-Why-you-should-learn-sign-language-in-the-new-year

Write-up: I feel that schools should teach students to learn sign language so that we can communicate with people who incapable of hearing, making them feel more included in society. We should discuss the importance of learning sign language, as if we do not communicate with those who are incapable of hearing, we may not be able to share or listen to their stories and experiences, making them feel less "human".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Not only is learning a second language good for your brain, it's also a great way to expand your communication skills. This is especially true for American sign language, which is the fifth most-used language in the U.S.

What is sign language?

American Sign Language is one of the most
common languages used in the U.S.

Juan Pablo de Bonet is credited with publishing the first sign language instructional book for the deaf in 1620. The book was based on the work of Girolamo Cardano, an Italian physician, who believed that it wasn't necessary to hear words in order to understand ideas.

To clarify, there is a big difference between ASL as a language versus signed English. Those who speak ASL fluently use their eyes, hands, face and body. The vocabulary and grammar of ASL is also different from English. As a result, learning to speak ASL as a language will be more demanding than just learning to communicate with signs and fingerspelling.

Who uses sign language?

Some experts argue early man likely used signs to communicate long before spoken language was created. And while we've all come a long way since then, whether you've pressed your index finger against your lips to hush a noisy child, raised your hand to hail a cab, or pointed to an item on the menu, you've used sign language in its simplest form.

Anywhere from 500,000 to two million speak American Sign Language (ASL) in the United States alone. It's the fifth most-used language in the United States behind Spanish, Italian, German and French. While that ranking varies depending on the source, it should definitely be considered as one of your options if you're looking to learn a second language.

Related: Being Deaf gives this clinical audiologist a unique perspective

The Deaf dommunity

American Sign Language is the primary language of many North Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing and identify as part of the Deaf community. Not only is ASL different from signed English, it is also as different from its European counterpart as English is to French. Much like those with normal hearing can detect accents from different parts of the country, those who speak ASL can also detect geographical dialects and slang.

Parents

As many as 90 percent of deaf children are born to hearing parents, which can make learning sign language a family affair. Parents who learn ASL along with their child often find it easier to communicate on a deeper level with their deaf child. Studies also indicate when a child who is deaf or hard of hearing learns ASL, their ability to learn their native language improves. The same is true of learning to lipread.

Some parents of normal hearing children teach their infants signed English. Advocates believe babies can learn to communicate their needs - such as being hungry or thirsty - through the use of signs before they are able to speak. Scientists believe children who learn a second language when they are very young develop better language skills. Due to its visual nature, sign language is a great tool for early readers and enhances spelling skills.

Professionals

If you're employed, learning ASL may enhance your career and give added benefit to the workplace.

Educators. Today more than ever it's common for educators to have children who are deaf or hard of hearing in their classroom. Many opt to learn ASL for this reason alone; however, others decide to become certified to teach ASL in the public schools. Educators with ASL teacher certification are qualified to teach ASL to both hearing and deaf students.

First responders. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic health condition facing older adults. As the population ages and the incidence of hearing loss increases, sign language becomes more and more relevant - especially in emergency situations when communicating with someone who is deaf or hard of hearing is critical.

Service providers. Social workers, counselors, psychologists and medical professionals are also finding it beneficial to learn sign language. In fact, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that hospitals provide an appropriate means of communication to any patient, family member or visitor who is deaf or hard of hearing. The ADA also covers legal, education, law enforcement and employment systems.

Athletes

Baseball aficionados may be interested in learning that the signals baseball players use to communicate with each other are the result of a deaf baseball player by the name of William "Dummy" Hoy who played for the Chicago White Sox in the early 1900s. Since umpires shouted all the calls at that time, Dummy and his third-base coach worked out a series of signals to communicate balls and strikes. The practice caught fire and soon became common use among players, managers and umpires.

Today, most every major sport uses some type of sign language between coach and player. Not only does it keep the other team guessing, it also provides a great way to communicate strategy when fans are making it difficult to hear.

Why you should learn sign language

It's growing in popularity.

Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ASL has become one of the most popular language classes in colleges and universities. These top universities for Deaf students excel at providing services and meeting the specific needs of the Deaf community.

Learning a second language is good for your brain health.

Swedish scientists discovered that learning a foreign language can actually increase the size of your brain. Scientists also know that people who speak more than one language fluently have better memories and can delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

The rewards are immeasurable.

When someone you love can't hear, ASL is a great way to communicate in a rich, meaningful way. It's also the best way to develop awareness and sensitivity to the Deaf culture, a community of non-hearing individuals which number more than one million in the United States alone. Whether you teach your baby to sign or learn ASL to communicate with a deaf friend or family member, you are using a full-bodied form of communication that will enhance your relationship as it improves your mind and spirit.

Ready to get started? Check out some of our favorite smartphone ASL apps.

Debbie Clason holds a master's degree from Indiana University. Her impressive client list includes financial institutions, real estate developers, physicians, pharmacists and nonprofit organizations. Read more about Debbie.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Not only is learning a second language good for your brain, it's also a great way to expand your communication skills. This is especially true for American sign language, which is the fifth most-used language in the U.S. Juan Pablo de Bonet is credited with publishing the first sign language instructional book for the deaf in 1620.

# data[].attributes.headline
Deniz(18) social cause: Income Inequality

# data[].attributes.subject
Deniz(18) social cause: Income Inequality

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/01/1055681

Brief write - up:
Study shows that the richest one per cent of the population are the big winners in the changing global economy, increasing their share of income, while at the other end of the scale, the bottom 40 per cent earned less than a quarter of income.

One of the consequences of inequality within societies, is slower economic growth. In unequal societies, with wide disparities in areas such as health care and education, people are more likely to remain trapped in poverty, across several generations.

Between countries, the difference in average incomes is reducing, with China and other Asian nations driving growth in the global economy. Nevertheless, there are still stark differences between the richest and poorest countries and regions: the average income in North America, for example, is 16 times higher than that of people in Sub-Saharan Africa.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The World Social Report 2020, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), shows that income inequality has increased in most developed countries, and some middle-income countries - including China, which has the world's fastest growing economy.

The challenges are underscored by UN chief António Guterres in the foreword, in which he states that the world is confronting "the harsh realities of a deeply unequal global landscape", in which economic woes, inequalities and job insecurity have led to mass protests in both developed and developing countries.

"Income disparities and a lack of opportunities", he writes, "are creating a vicious cycle of inequality, frustration and discontent across generations."

'The one per cent' winners take (almost) all

The study shows that the richest one per cent of the population are the big winners in the changing global economy, increasing their share of income between 1990 and 2015, while at the other end of the scale, the bottom 40 per cent earned less than a quarter of income in all countries surveyed.

One of the consequences of inequality within societies, notes the report, is slower economic growth. In unequal societies, with wide disparities in areas such as health care and education, people are more likely to remain trapped in poverty, across several generations.

Between countries, the difference in average incomes is reducing, with China and other Asian nations driving growth in the global economy. Nevertheless, there are still stark differences between the richest and poorest countries and regions: the average income in North America, for example, is 16 times higher than that of people in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Four global forces affecting inequality

The report looks at the impact that four powerful global forces, or megatrends, are having on inequality around the world: technological innovation, climate change, urbanization and international migration.

Whilst technological innovation can support economic growth, offering new possibilities in fields such as health care, education, communication and productivity, there is also evidence to show that it can lead to increased wage inequality, and displace workers.

Rapid advances in areas such as biology and genetics, as well as robotics and artificial intelligence, are transforming societies at pace. New technology has the potential to eliminate entire categories of jobs but, equally, may generate entirely new jobs and innovations.

For now, however, highly skilled workers are reaping the benefits of the so-called "fourth industrial revolution", whilst low-skilled and middle-skilled workers engaged in routine manual and cognitive tasks, are seeing their opportunities shrink.

Opportunities in a crisis

As the UN's 2020 report on the global economy showed last Thursday, the climate crisis is having a negative impact on quality of life, and vulnerable populations are bearing the brunt of environmental degradation and extreme weather events. Climate change, according to the World Social Report, is making the world's poorest countries even poorer, and could reverse progress made in reducing inequality among countries.

If action to tackle the climate crisis progresses as hoped, there will be job losses in carbon-intensive sectors, such as the coal industry, but the "greening" of the global economy could result in overall net employment gains, with the creation of many new jobs worldwide.

For the first time in history, more people live in urban than rural areas, a trend that is expected to continue over the coming years. Although cities drive economic growth, they are more unequal than rural areas, with the extremely wealthy living alongside the very poor.

The scale of inequality varies widely from city to city, even within a single country: as they grow and develop, some cities have become more unequal whilst, in others, inequality has declined.

Migration a 'powerful symbol of global inequality'

The fourth megatrend, international migration, is described as both a "powerful symbol of global inequality", and "a force for equality under the right conditions".

Migration within countries, notes the report, tends to increase once countries begin to develop and industrialize, and more inhabitants of middle-income countries than low-income countries migrate abroad.

International migration is seen, generally, as benefiting both migrants, their countries of origin (as money is sent home) and their host countries.

In some cases, where migrants compete for low-skilled work, wages may be pushed down, increasing inequality but, if they offer skills that are in short supply, or take on work that others are not willing to do, they can have a positive effect on unemployment.

Harness the megatrends for a better world

Despite a clear widening of the gap between the haves and have-nots worldwide, the report points out that this situation can be reversed. Although the megatrends have the potential to continue divisions in society, they can also, as the Secretary-General says in his foreword, "be harnessed for a more equitable and sustainable world". Both national governments and international organizations have a role to play in levelling the playing field and creating a fairer world for all.

Reducing inequality should, says the report, play a central role in policy-making. This means ensuring that the potential of new technology is used to reduce poverty and create jobs; that vulnerable people grow more resilient to the effects of climate change; cities are more inclusive; and migration takes place in a safe, orderly and regular manner.

Three strategies for making countries more egalitarian are suggested in the report: the promotion of equal access to opportunities (through, for example, universal access to education); fiscal policies that include measures for social policies, such as unemployment and disability benefits; and legislation that tackles prejudice and discrimination, whilst promoting greater participation of disadvantaged groups.

While action at a national level is crucial, the report declares that "concerted, coordinated and multilateral action" is needed to tackle major challenges affecting inequality within and among countries.

The report's authors conclude that, given the importance of international cooperation, multilateral institutions such as the UN should be strengthened and action to create a fairer world must be urgently accelerated.

The UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which provides the blueprint for a better future for people and the planet, recognizes that major challenges require internationally coordinated solutions, and contains concrete and specific targets to reduce inequality, based on income.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rising inequality affecting more than two-thirds of the globe, but it's not inevitable: new UN report

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Inequality is growing for more than 70 per cent of the global population, exacerbating the risks of divisions and hampering economic and social development. But the rise is far from inevitable and can be tackled at a national and international level, says a flagship study released by the UN on Tuesday.

# data[].attributes.headline
Cherelle's social cause: LGBTQ+ rights in Singapore

# data[].attributes.subject
Cherelle's social cause: LGBTQ+ rights in Singapore

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-singapore-election-lgbt-idUSKBN2490GS

The LGBTQ+ community is something that many Singaporeans are not talking about, as many traditional people think that it is unnatural to be attracted to someone not of the opposite gender. Many Singaporeans, including political leaders, are unwilling to address this topic, which leads to many LGBT couples to be at an unfair disadvantage in terms of legal marriage, taxes, housing, or even showing public affection. The LGBTQ+ community is not acknowledged, which means that the community will continue to be ignored for a long time. Spreading awareness of this will allow LGBTQ+ couples be able to be treated as fairly as straight couples in Singapore.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Among a record eleven parties set to contest Singapore's election on Friday, there has been virtual silence on one of the conservative city-state's most controversial issues, gay rights.

Advocacy groups have stepped up awareness campaigns with scorecards for politicians and online rallies in recent weeks over what they see as everyday discrimination that stems from a rarely-used, colonial-era law banning sex between men.

But for some gay Singaporeans, casting their vote in the mandatory July 10 ballot will serve as a reminder that they have few political allies on one of the issues that matters most to them.

"It's a non-topic with the parties, the choices we have," said Victor Ong, a 44-year-old Singaporean who lives with his British husband Harry, whom he married four years ago in London, and their amber-coloured cat Whisky.

"As much as I want to make my decision based on their stance on that, there isn't any material to work with."

Ong's marriage is not recognised in Singapore, meaning the couple are not eligible for some benefits like housing and tax. They also say they avoid public displays of affection due to worries about social norms shaped by the 377A law which effectively criminalises them.

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has previously called the law an "uneasy compromise" as society "is not that liberal on these matters".

There is no mention of gay rights or 377A in the manifesto of his People's Action Party, which has ruled Singapore since independence in 1965 and is widely-expected to be returned to power, or that of any other party in the election.

Of the four main parties contesting, only the new Progress Singapore Party responded to a request for comment. A spokesman said it did not object to removing criminal punishment for homosexuals but the debate over 377A was a "proxy combat zone" for other issues like family structures and marriage.

Political analyst Loke Hoe Yeong said the issue was considered "political suicide" for parties who feel they will be punished by either conservative or liberal voters.

Yet advocacy groups do sense a growing awareness around the issue, especially after India repealed a similar law in 2018.

"That tacit acceptance of the status quo is giving way to a sense of frustration amongst the younger voters," said Clement Tan of Pink Dot SG, which hosted an online rally last month for Singapore's LGBT community.

An ally has also emerged in Lee Hsien Yang, the prime minister's estranged brother and son of the city-state's modern day founder Lee Kuan Yew, who has become an increasingly vocal critic of the government in the run up to the vote.

"The tidal wave against discrimination on sexual orientation has swept across the world," Lee, whose son is gay and married overseas, told Reuters.

"The British, from whom we 'inherited' 377A, have repealed it decades ago. A repeal merely decriminalises and ends this discrimination."

Nearly 70 countries around the world criminalise gay sex, mainly in Africa and the Middle East.

Another rights group Sayoni changed tack ahead of this election. With parties mum on the issue, they decided to score individual politicians on their LGBT stance by reviewing public comments they had made and ranking them from A to F.

Ong says he will vote on Friday based on "basic needs" but he hopes that the future will bring change from a younger generation more supportive of gay rights.

"We are sons and daughters of Singapore, whether we are gay or straight, and to vote, I think it should be accounted for."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
advocacy groups / pressure groups / lobbies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Gay rights: the taboo subject in Singapore's election

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Among a record eleven parties set to contest Singapore's election on Friday, there has been virtual silence on one of the conservative city-state's most controversial issues, gay rights. Advocacy groups have stepped up awareness campaigns with scorecards for politicians and online rallies in recent weeks over what they see as everyday discrimination that stems from a rarely-used, colonial-era law banning sex between men.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
a gay man in Singapore found acceptance in Australia

# data[].attributes.headline
Qian Ying(21)'s social cause:lgbt rights

# data[].attributes.subject
Qian Ying(21)'s social cause:lgbt rights

# data[].attributes.body
Link:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/24/how-a-gay-man-from-singapore-found-acceptance-in-australia

Brief Write-up:
In Singapore, LGBTIQ people remain subject to Section 377A of the nation’s Penal Code, a 1938 law that criminalises sex between men as an “act of gross indecency” punishable with as much as two years in prison.In 2007, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that his government would not “proactively enforce” 377A, but during Row’s time in the city-state, the situation was very different.

“You didn’t talk about [being gay],” he said. “You didn’t want to ‘out’ yourself because you would make yourself vulnerable and open to abuse, or worse – trouble with the police.”

“That fear is something you absorb, and it becomes part of your identity and affects the way you live your life.”

I think that being gay should not be a crime,and Singapore should legalize gay marriage.(personal opinion:)

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://info.populationmedia.org/blog/overpopulation-cause-and-effect#:~:text=The%20Effects%20of%20Overpopulation&text=More%20people%20means%20an%20increased,large%2Dscale%20disasters%20like%20pandemics.

Write up:
Overpopulation is an issue. Today the Earth is home to more than 7.8 billion people. By 2100 the population is on track to hit 10.8 billion, according to the United Nations — and that’s assuming steady fertility declines in many countries. Interestingly, if extra progress is made in women’s reproductive self-determination, and fertility falls more than the United Nations assumes is likely, the population in 2100 might be a relatively smaller 7.3 billion. However, if the birth rate continues to outmatch the death rate, this will lead to overpopulation. More people means an increased demand for food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and more. And all that consumption contributes to ecological degradation, increased conflicts, and a higher risk of large-scale disasters like pandemics.  Although female access to education has increased over the years, the gender gap remains. Roughly 130 million girls worldwide are out of school currently, and an estimated 15 million girls of primary school age will never  learn to read and write, compared with 10 million boys. Increasing and encouraging education among women and girls can have a number of positive ripple effects, including delayed childbearing, healthier children, and an increase in workforce participation. Plenty of evidence suggests a negative correlation between female education and fertility rates. If increased female education can delay or decrease fertility and provide girls with opportunities beyond an early marriage, it could also help to mitigate current population trends. A solution I have which may not ethical but could probably work is to have a law that kills all babies that were given birth by a mother under 21. It can probably reduce birth rate by quite a fair margin.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Conversations about overpopulation can quickly become controversial because they beg the question: Who exactly is the cause of the problem and what, if anything, should be done about it? Many population experts worry discussions around overpopulation will be abused by small-minded people to suggest some are the "right people" to be on the planet (like themselves), and some people are "the wrong people" (usually people in poverty, people of color, foreigners, and so on-you get the drift). But there are no "right" or "wrong" people on the planet, and discussing the problems of global overpopulation can never be an excuse, or in any way provide a platform, for having that type of conversation.

Each human being has a legitimate claim on a sufficient and fair amount of Earth's resources. But with a population approaching 8 billion, even if everyone adopted a relatively low material standard of living like the one currently found in Papua New Guinea, it would still push Earth to its ecological breaking point. Unfortunately, the "average person" on Earth consumes at a rate over 50% above a sustainable level. Incredibly, the average person in the United States uses almost five times more than the sustainable yield of the planet.

When we use the term "overpopulation," we specifically mean a situation in which the Earth cannot regenerate the resources used by the world's population each year. Experts say this has been the case every year since 1970, with each successive year becoming more and more damaging. To help temper this wildly unsustainable situation, we need to understand what's contributing to overpopulation and overconsumption and how these trends are affecting everything from climate change to sociopolitical unrest.

The Causes of Overpopulation

Today the Earth is home to more than 7.8 billion people. By 2100 the population is on track to hit 10.8 billion, according to the United Nations - and that's assuming steady fertility declines in many countries. Interestingly, if extra progress is made in women's reproductive self-determination, and fertility falls more than the United Nations assumes is likely, the population in 2100 might be a relatively smaller 7.3 billion.

For now, the world's population is still increasing in huge annual increments (about 80 million per year), and our supply of vital non-renewable resources are being exhausted. Many factors contribute to these unsustainable trends, including falling mortality rates, underutilized contraception, and a lack of education for girls.

Falling Mortality Rate

The primary (and perhaps most obvious) cause of population growth is an imbalance between births and deaths. The infant mortality rate has decreased globally, with 4.1 million infant deaths in 2017 compared to 8.8 million in 1990, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This is welcome public health news, of course.

At the same time, lifespans are increasing around the world. Those of us who are alive today will likely live much longer than most of our ancestors. Global average life expectancy has more than doubled since 1900, thanks to advancements in medicine, technology, and general hygiene. Falling mortality rates are certainly nothing to complain about either, but widespread longevity does contribute to the mathematics of increasing population numbers.

Underutilized Contraception

The global fertility rate has fallen steadily over the years, down from an average of 5 children per woman in 1950 to 2.4 children per woman today, according to the UN Population Division. Along with that promising trend, contraceptive use has slowly but steadily increased globally, rising from 54% in 1990 to 57.4% in 2015. Yet, on the whole, contraceptive use is still underutilized. For example, according to the WHO, an estimated 214 million women in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy are not using modern contraceptives.

These women aren't using contraceptives for a variety of reasons, including social norms or religious beliefs that discourage birth control, misconceptions about adverse side effects, and a lack of agency for women to make decisions around sex and family planning. An estimated 44% of pregnancies were unintended worldwide between 2010-2014. Getting more women the access and agency to utilize family planning methods could go a long way in flattening the population curve.

Lack of Female Education

Although female access to education has increased over the years, the gender gap remains. Roughly 130 million girls worldwide are out of school currently, and an estimated 15 million girls of primary school age will never learn to read and write, compared with 10 million boys.

Increasing and encouraging education among women and girls can have a number of positive ripple effects, including delayed childbearing, healthier children, and an increase in workforce participation. Plenty of evidence suggests a negative correlation between female education and fertility rates.

If increased female education can delay or decrease fertility and provide girls with opportunities beyond an early marriage, it could also help to mitigate current population trends.

The Effects of Overpopulation

It is only logical that an increase in the world's population will cause additional strains on resources. More people means an increased demand for food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and more. And all that consumption contributes to ecological degradation, increased conflicts, and a higher risk of large-scale disasters like pandemics.

Ecological Degradation

An increase in population will inevitably create pressures leading to more deforestation, decreased biodiversity, and spikes in pollution and emissions, which will exacerbate climate change. Ultimately, unless we take action to help minimize further population growth heading into the remainder of this century, many scientists believe the additional stress on the planet will lead to ecological disruption and collapse so severe it threatens the viability of life on Earth as we know it.

Each spike in the global population has a measurable impact on the planet's health. According to estimates in a study by Wynes and Nicholas (2017), a family having one fewer child could reduce emissions by 58.6 tonnes CO2-equivalent per year in developed countries.

Increased Conflicts

The scarcity brought about by environmental disruption and overpopulation has the potential to trigger an increase in violence and political unrest. We're already seeing wars fought over water, land, and energy resources in the Middle East and other regions, and the turmoil is likely to increase as the global population grows even larger.

Higher Risk of Disasters and Pandemics

Many of the recent novel pathogens that have devastated humans around the world, including COVID-19, Zika virus, Ebola, and West Nile virus, originated in animals or insects before passing to humans. Part of the reason the world is entering " a period of increased outbreak activity " is because humans are destroying wildlife habitats and coming into contact with wild animals on a more regular basis. Now that we're in the midst of a pandemic, it has become clear how difficult it is to social distance in a world occupied by nearly 8 billion people.

What Can Be Done?

When addressing overpopulation, it's crucial to take an approach of providing empowerment while mobilizing against anybody advocating for the use of coercion or violence to solve our problems. The combined efforts of spreading knowledge about family planning, increasing agency among women, and debunking widely held myths about contraception will measurably change the trajectory of the world's population.

As we carry out our work at Population Media Center (PMC), we see first-hand that spreading awareness about family planning methods and the ecological and economic benefits of having smaller families can change reproductive behavior. For example, listeners of our Burundian radio show Agashi ("Hey! Look Again!") were 1.7 times more likely than non-listeners to confirm that they were willing to negotiate condom use with a sexual partner and 1.8 times more likely than non-listeners to say that they generally approve of family planning for limiting the number of children.

At PMC we harness the power of storytelling to empower listeners to live healthier and more prosperous lives, which in turn contributes to stabilizing the global population so that people can live sustainably with the world's renewable resources. Discover how PMC is taking action against overpopulation today!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Conversations about overpopulation can quickly become controversial because they beg the question: Who exactly is the cause of the problem and what, if anything, should be done about it?

# data[].attributes.headline
1's social cause: Low-income and vulnerable groups

# data[].attributes.subject
1's social cause: Low-income and vulnerable groups

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cnainsider/covid19-singapore-low-income-families-comcare-unemployment-768146

Write up:
In 2020, with the Covid-19 outbreak, many low-income families were hit with unemployment, as most had a sole breadwinner in a job industry which was heavily affected. However, these families are receiving ComCare assistance of S$1,470 cash a month, along with help with rent, utilities and conservancy charges. Even so, they can’t help but worry about how long they can go on without work.

However, are these families receiving enough assistance? In Singapore, some 52,000 households live in government-subsidised rental flats. Social Service agencies have been reaching out to these families, providing them with funds for daily life. Along with help from the community, many low-income families – already receiving food rations or groceries from Beyond Social Services (BSS) or other help groups – have also been linked up with food charities Food From The Heart and Free Food For All. The Temasek Foundation announced that more than 300,000 free meals would be provided to vulnerable families and individuals.

But none of this has fully allayed the longer-term fears of the families, with the COVID-19 pandemic still causing uncertainty. For many families, finding work is still the main imperative. Some might not even get their jobs back, or find new jobs after the measures have been lifted.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If it is for months, how? If there is nothing at all, how?

Then there's Jeff, 50, who has four children and one grandchild to support. He used to make a living ferrying schoolchildren as a bus driver, but then the schools closed.

All that weight on his shoulders, plus the constant noise of the children in the confines of their two-room rental flat, sometimes pushes him to lose his temper.

"Working to make money for my family, that's my responsibility. Because of the virus, everything is stuck. I'm so stressed every day," he said.

The family has been getting ComCare assistance of S$1,470 cash a month, along with help with rent, utilities and conservancy charges. They also get S$160 a month from a religious organisation, and wife Eva, a part-time cleaner at a nearby Social Service Office (SSO), continues to be paid S$320 a month despite having to stop work.

Even so, they can't help but worry about how long they can go on without work. Said Eva, 47: "One month was still okay, but now it's two months. We are so stressed. We cannot just stay at home, so my husband has been trying to find a job."
ENOUGH ASSISTANCE?
In Singapore, some 52,000 households like Tina's and Eva's live in government-subsidised rental flats. Social service agency Beyond Social Services (BSS) has been actively reaching out to this group since the pandemic began, and has started a COVID-19 Family Assistance Fund.

It notes that 84 families received help in March, while 170 applications are being processed for the month of April. The group disbursed financial aid to 57 families in its network in the whole of 2019.

"Many beneficiaries are daily wage workers," said BSS assistant director Lim Shaw Hui. The moment the "circuit breaker" was announced, some of them really had no work, so there was a need to provide emergency funds for them."

She added that they have been "actively calling members", and about 75 per cent of those contacted indicated they need financial assistance. "A lot of people may not know how to access the government schemes, or may not be eligible. This is where we fill in the gap," she added.

"We do think that ComCare may not be sufficient at this point in time... It was supposed to supplement what they have, but now they have lost their jobs or there is reduced income."

This was the case for Tina's family. They have been receiving S$1,600 a month in ComCare assistance, and S$400 monthly in cash and vouchers from a religious body. But when Seth's income dried up completely, this assistance was no longer enough, they said.

Tina can no longer do her monthly shopping in Batam as she used to, because of travel restrictions. There, supplies like milk powder and toothpaste were much cheaper.

Said her daughter Ella, 19: "Previously, we didn't really have to fork out so much on food at home, because the only time my mum had to cook was for dinner. Now ... (paying for) groceries is one of the biggest financial worries."

BSS beneficiaries have also shared that the cost of basic foods has increased, and it appears that panic buying could be the reason, said Stephanie Chok, the assistant director of research and development.

"If the nearest supermarket is not well stocked, then the more affordable items will be gone," said the 46-year-old. "So even if they receive NTUC (FairPrice) vouchers, they can't use it to buy the items they need.

"And if they go to a provision shop to find it, they can't buy because they don't have the cash."

A BIGGER LIFELINE
Out of worry, Tina's husband tried applying for the Temporary Relief Fund (TRF), a one-off scheme for those who had lost their jobs or substantial part of their income due to COVID-19 - not realising it wasn't open to those on ComCare assistance.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) notes that those on ComCare are "generally supported over a longer period of time" while the TRF provides "interim support".

But, its spokesperson added, "families whose circumstances have changed during this period" may approach the SSOs "to review, and potentially increase" their ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance support.

That is what has happened with Tina's family.

Just today (Apr 30), an elated Tina told CNA Insider she'd been informed that the family would be getting S$2,510 a month from May to October - an increase of about S$900 - along with other help with rental and household bills.

Said Tina: "I'm not lacking to the point that I cannot eat. The government here, thankfully, is helping us sufficiently. They give us food, they give us money... If I am out of cash, I phone the family service centre, and they'll give me vouchers to buy milk and food for the children."

The MSF spokesperson noted that new ComCare beneficiaries will, generally, receive at least six months of assistance.

As for existing clients, assistance will be extended "without review, waiving the need for submission of new documents and signatures", said MSF. This addresses a hassle that some have griped about in the past.

Noting that the help ComCare offered was "holistic", and in addition to Budget measures such as a Solidarity Payment and GST vouchers, the MSF spokesperson said: "Our SSOs and community partners are proactively reaching out to lower-income families to ensure their daily needs are met."

Nora, 47, operates a school canteen stall with her husband. Since the circuit breaker, they have been reduced to operating just three days a week, providing food for the several students still attending school.

The couple, their five children and one grandson had last received S$500 a month in ComCare Assistance up until March. They had not gotten around to applying for an extension, before their SSO reached out to them.

It will be reviewing their situation which Nora describes as "very, very stressful". "Now, income almost zero. Everybody is at home so we have more things to spend on, and everything is so expensive," she said.

"We are blessed that we can apply for some funds... both of us can try to make do with this for now."

COMMUNITY SOURCES OF HELP
For families in rental flats, there also other sources of help, especially with food essentials.

Students under the Education Ministry's FAS can tap the subsidies disbursed to their School Smartcards, to spend at food courts and supermarkets, for instance. Tina can withdraw up to S$80 each for her two primary school children, and up to S$120 for Max, her 16-year-old, for the four weeks of HBL which ends on Monday.

The children can also register for S$55 worth of Grabfood e-vouchers, under the Community Development Councils' Student Meals Scheme.

Non-profit ReadAble has gone beyond literacy classes for Nora and Eva's children, to arranging for groceries or NTUC FairPrice vouchers. Meanwhile Tina's family, along with other BSS clients, is benefitting from a daily dinner delivery service by Project Makan, launched by Social Kitchen @ YMCA and SHINE Children and Youth Services.

Tina, Nora and Eva's families - already receiving food rations or groceries from BSS or other help groups - have also been linked up with food charities Food From The Heart and Free Food For All.

Today, the Temasek Foundation announced that more than 300,000 free meals would be provided to vulnerable families and individuals over the next six months.

STILL, UNCERTAINTY AHEAD
But none of this has fully allayed the longer-term fears of the families, with the COVID-19 pandemic riddling the future with uncertainties.

For Tina's husband Seth, finding work is still the main imperative. "He's looking for jobs, even if it's just part-time. We will need to fund our daily expenses. For food, for transport to go to school, to go for therapy," said Tina, whose three younger sons attend behavioural therapy classes.

Even if he finds work and circuit breaker measures are eased in the short term, there is still the possibility of such measures being re-introduced intermittently over the months.

Said BSS' Stephanie: "If their jobs do not provide an option for working from home, if they don't get paid leave, childcare leave or medical leave, every time there's a disruption, (these families) have to make many types of arrangements just to make sure their lives carry on as smoothly as possible."

Some might not even get their jobs back, or find new jobs after the measures have been lifted, she added.

Even though single father Sam - who lives with his daughter in a one-room flat - is one of the luckier ones who continues to work as a security guard, he's afraid it might not last.

His salary now is enough able to cover the bills and groceries. But, he said, "The company I work for is on a yearly contract. I'm not sure if the condominium management will renew my boss' contract."
Read the first story: Home-based learning blues: Life in a rental flat during the COVID-19 circuit breaker

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'If no work at all, how?' Low-income families grapple with zero income, higher expenses amid circuit breaker

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If it is for months, how? If there is nothing at all, how? Then there's Jeff, 50, who has four children and one grandchild to support. He used to make a living ferrying schoolchildren as a bus driver, but then the schools closed.

# data[].attributes.headline
Gui Bao (5) social cause: Gender Equality

# data[].attributes.subject
Gui Bao (5) social cause: Gender Equality

# data[].attributes.body
Brief Write-Up:
The issue of gender inequality has always been around since the olden days. Women are always expected to stay at home and take care of the children while men will be the one out of home earning money. It is always seen as earning money is "tougher and more tiring" than taking care of families hence, men are always seen as the primary while women are the secondary. Gender equality doesn't mean to downgrade men, but to pull up the women who have been disadvantaged over these years.

Most women have responsibility not only at home, but at workplace too. It is like going to another full-time job (as a mother) from a full-time job (a career). They have to shoulder double responsibility and endure much more. Maybe spouse' attitude and workplace discrimination. Imagine staying at home to not only take care of children, but also a 30 years old child who has workable limbs and a grown mind.
Other than responsibilities at home, sex-discrimination at workplace is a also a serious issue. Women are actually paid lesser for the same amount of job than man. They think that women would not be handle the jobs well and eventually they will become a "full-time" mother and leave workplace. One example is pregnancy and maternity leave. Just because a woman is pregnant doesn't mean she can't do her work. They just have to bare with this remarks and continue with work.

Since work gives money, should women be paid for being a full-time nanny and a part-time tutor at home? Many women were unable to live the life they wanted due to their sex and the label of "housewife".
Gender equality means equal treatment and rights from society on both gender. It definitely don't mean to pull down men status, but pull up women to have the same place of standing as men.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The unequal distribution of household work - as faced by the likes of Ms Joana and Ms Hannah - has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has upended life as most have known it, both at work and at home.

Many women have been forced to shoulder a bigger share of the burden as families grapple with the aftermath of closed schools and daycare centres.

The pandemic has led Ms Josephine Tan, a mother of three, to leave the labour force to focus on her family - especially to care for her 87-year-old mother who has dementia.

The 53-year-old former public servant said it seemed easier for her to give up her job even though she was earning more than her taxi-driver husband because "he wouldn't know what to do at home".

For Ms Nur Farhana Aziz, 28, even though her husband does his share of the housework, there are some things that she needs to do herself, she said. They include cooking for the family, bathing her two children, and going through their homework.

The pre-school teacher added that the physical exhaustion from managing both her class and house often leaves her mentally stressed and causes her to lose sleep.

Asked why the housework was not divided equally, Ms Farhana said: "I've been taught since young that these are the responsibilities of a wife."

Ms Fannie Lim, executive director of charity organisation Daughters Of Tomorrow, said even today, women are still expected to take on the caregiving role at home and sacrifice their careers.

When they are ready to return to the workforce, they may then be hired to do the same job with lesser pay.

"Unpaid care work is underappreciated, and similarly, if a woman chooses to fulfil her responsibility at home, they should not be penalised for it," Ms Lim said.

In its first nationwide study on the gender pay gap, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) found that in 2018, women were earning 6 per cent less, on average, than a man with the same job in the same industry, and of the same age and educational qualifications.

An MOM spokesperson said then that the cost of parenthood likely accounted for a big proportion of the pay gap.

Ms Junie Foo, president of the Singapore Council of Women's Organisation (SCWO) - a partner organiser of the dialogue sessions for the review - said the pandemic has highlighted the difficulties women face in being caregivers and breadwinners at home.

"There have been more cases of stress on the family front as women work from home and give care. With the economy facing a huge downturn, women are also likely to be retrenched especially those working in small and medium enterprises," she added.

This is why the SCWO is advocating to make childcare leave and eldercare leave interchangeable.

Currently, single women or those who do not have children cannot take childcare leave, despite them being primary caregivers for the elderly.

"Implementing flexible working hours at workplaces will allow more women or even men for that matter to remain actively engaged in the economy and provide necessary care for their loved ones," said Ms Foo.

Ms Shailey Hingorani, who is AWARE's head of research and advocacy, said that the Government could implement the statutory right to request for flexible work arrangements, as well as making paid eldercare leave and family care leave mandatory for sandwiched caregivers.

It could also introduce a support grant for caregivers that provides cash to them pegged to the salaries of paid care workers, as well as Central Provident Fund contributions that match the prevailing rates of employers.

Ms Nicole Lim, who runs female health and wellness podcast Something Private, said it is important for young children to see that tasks and responsibilities are not made gender-specific through everyday routines.

"If they see that their mommies are doing household chores and their daddies never help out, these are behaviours they can subconsciously learn and internalise," she added.
WORKPLACE SEXISM
Domestic woes aside, women must also grapple with discrimination and harassment at their workplaces, according to 13 women spoken to.

While companies have tried to address sexism and discriminatory practices by setting up channels for reporting, and conducting workshops to identify workplace harassment, the women spoke of how the sexism which they experienced was more subtle and therefore more difficult to address.

Ms Heidi (not her real name), who works in the public relations industry, said her boss did not do anything that would have been considered an offence in the eyes of the law. But he would often stare at her from head to toe, leaving her feeling very uncomfortable.

"He would come to me and say 'Why are you so dressed up today? Are you going on a date?'" said the 34-year-old.

Ms Heidi, who wanted to remain anonymous out of fear of a backlash within the industry, also recounted an incident where she wore a dress with a side slit and he told her that there was "too much leg".

As for Ms Dutt, working in the male-dominated sports industry meant that she had to work very hard in the early years to prove that she was equally knowledgeable about sports as the men.

"(The men would ask me:) 'Do you know what this rule means? You need me to explain to you how this works?' You needed to prove you know more and you can be better (than them)," said the 42-year-old senior producer in the sports broadcasting industry, who declined to reveal her full name out of concern that her career will be affected.

Ms Dutt also has had to confront misogyny at her workplace as there would be male colleagues who talk about women in demeaning ways in front of her. Once, a colleague talked about wanting a Hollywood actress to perform oral sex on him.

"You have to deal with innuendos on a daily basis... It's not a comfortable environment," she added.

To make matters worse, their complaints about such incidents to their respective companies did not result in any change at all, said Ms Heidi and Ms Dutt.

Ms Farhana, the pre-school teacher, recalled the time when she became the butt of a running joke at her previous workplace, a construction company, when a male colleague saw breast pumps in her bag.

She also experienced discrimination at the company, where she was tasked to be the "office housekeeper" even though it was not part of her job scope as an administrative personnel.

"I left the company because I felt like they didn't take me seriously... It's like they just saw me as the girl who topped up paper for the copy machine despite all my qualifications," she added.

To best address discrimination at work, AWARE's Ms Hingorani said: "The Government should enact a Workplace Equality Act that prohibits discrimination, defines clear legal liabilities for employers, and provides legal remedies for workers facing discrimination.

"This Act could also include sections on workplace harassment, to ensure that employers have in place pertinent policies, training, and grievance and disciplinary mechanisms."

Ms Georgette Tan, president of United Women Singapore (UWS), reiterated that employers should put in effort in creating gender-neutral human resources policies.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Sexual violence has been front and centre in public discussions over gender equality since the Monica Baey case - which was followed by a series of other sexual assault crimes - erupted last year.

According to AWARE, the focus on sexual violence arose partly due to global movements such as #MeToo, and attempts here to break the silence on an often taboo subject.

AWARE's sexual assault care centre had seen around 800 cases on average annually for the last two years.

Police figures in May showed that family violence had been on the rise since circuit breaker measures kicked in on Apr 7.

Between Apr 7 and May 6, there were 476 police reports filed for offences commonly associated with family violence, compared with the monthly average of 389 for such cases before the circuit breaker period.

"If women are valued or perceived as equal to men and they are recognised for their value, we would not have this issue of domestic violence," said Ms Tan from UN Women, adding that it was exacerbated by high stress levels due to the COVID-19 crisis.

AWARE also warned about the growing online communities of "incels", or involuntary celibates, in which men position themselves as the dominant gender, deserving of sexual pleasure by virtue of being male.

It pointed to the existence of communities, such as SG Nasi Lemak on messaging platform Telegram, which actively encourage the overt commodification of women's images for non-consensual sexual gratification. The chat group is now defunct, with three men and a male teenager hauled to court for their involvement.

"Given the magnitude of sexism and misogyny in Singapore, and inadequate comprehensive gender/sexuality education programmes in place, it is counter-productive to assume that new generations will be somehow more progressive than earlier ones," said Ms Hingorani.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Big Read: Gender equality in Singapore remains elusive amid entrenched attitudes about women's roles

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The unequal distribution of household work - as faced by the likes of Ms Joana and Ms Hannah - has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has upended life as most have known it, both at work and at home.

# data[].attributes.headline
Li Zhen(11)'s social cause: low-income families in Singapore

# data[].attributes.subject
Li Zhen(11)'s social cause: low-income families in Singapore

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/community/budget-2022-low-income-families-to-get-more-support

Brief Write-Up:
This news is talking about more low income families are going to get more support base on Finance Minister Lawrence Wong's 2022 Budget Singapore speech.

In Singapore today, there is about 26.65% of households have incomes less than half of the national median income. Finance Minister Lawrence Wong laid out the Government's efforts to boost social support for Singaporeans, especially for low-income families and also closer coordination and integration of social services as the problems faced by needy families are often multifaceted and interconnected. For example due to income problems that would affect the families mental health and affect their children's education. So there will be programmes and Fund that will be helping people with low income, for example Community Care Endowment Fund and kidstart programme.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Budget 2022: Low-income families to get more support

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dedicated and trained befrienders will be matched to each family to support those in need. . Read more at straitstimes.com.

# data[].attributes.headline
13's social cause: environment and climate change

# data[].attributes.subject
13's social cause: environment and climate change

# data[].attributes.body
brief write up:
Climate change is a direct threat to a child’s ability to survive, grow, and thrive.

As extreme weather events such as cyclones and heatwaves increase in frequency and ferocity, they threaten children’s lives and destroy infrastructure critical to their well-being. Floods compromise water and sanitation facilities, leading to diseases such as cholera, to which children are particularly vulnerable.
Droughts and changing global rainfall patterns are leading to crop failures and rising food prices, which for the poor mean food insecurity and nutritional deprivations that can have lifelong impacts. These also have the potential to destroy livelihoods, drive migration and conflict, and cripple opportunities for children and young people.

Children are the most vulnerable to diseases that will become more widespread as a result of climate change, such as malaria and dengue fever. Close to 90 per cent of the burden of disease attributable to climate change is borne by children under the age of 5.

# data[].attributes.body
link:
https://theconversation.com/year-of-the-tiger-an-opportunity-for-bold-changes-in-combatting-anti-asian-racism-174385

Brief Write-up :
racism has always been a big issue however asian hate is not a huge issue in singapore as it is a multiracial country and is very diverse. However this is not the case for other countries for example america. Racist and insensitive comments like being told that the pandemic is “because of you Chinese people,”

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Anti-Asian racism is a public health emergency. Since the pandemic began, Asian people have been experiencing record amounts of denigration, hatred and racism.

Feb. 1, 2022, marks the Lunar New Year, welcoming the year of the Water Tiger. Like the tiger, we are fierce, tenacious and courageous in our continued fight against anti-Asian hate and racism - one of COVID-19's shadow pandemics.

As an Asian woman, I've thought more about my Asian ancestry, identity and childhood experiences of racism this past year than I ever have before. Exposure to stories of Asians being beaten to death, pushed in front of trains and continuously targeted knowing these only represent 10 per cent of actual accounts, takes a heavy toll.

Racist and insensitive comments like being told we are " too Asian" or that the pandemic is " because of you Chinese people," only adds to this heavy toll, increasing vicarious trauma and the experience of race-based traumatic stress.

Almost a year ago, after the Atlanta attacks, our news feeds were flooded with stories addressing anti-Asian racism. There were protests and cries of support from community members and allies. Those protests and cries haven't stopped, nor have our our communities' suffering, but media has seemingly stopped caring.

We need to take this opportunity, as we ring in the Lunar New Year to boost Asian pride, remind ourselves of our strength, increase access to culturally relevant mental health services and demand bold changes.

Prevalence of anti-Asian racism

Data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reveals that hate crimes against Asian Americans rose 73 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019. And an Angus Reid poll shows 71 per cent of Asian Canadians surveyed felt that anti-Asian racism worsened in 2021.

Canada, in fact, has the more incidents of anti-Asian racism per capita than the United States - more than double the number of those reported in the U.S.

Vancouver has the greatest number of anti-Asian attacks in North America. And according to the World Health Organization, Canadian women of East Asian descent were responsible for 72 per cent of filed reports.

Seventy-two per cent of Asian Americans who reported a hate crime said discrimination was more stressful than the pandemic. A sense of interpersonal shame and stigma can also adversely affect health.

We need bold action to incite longstanding and fundamental changes so the next generation will thrive, not just survive. We must demand investment in our Asian communities - the current narrative needs to be interrupted through radical action.

I am an Asian psychologist and professor who researches the impact of anti-Asian racism on the mental health of Asian Canadians. I direct an Asian mental health research team at my university and developed a model for interrupting discrimination in education. I founded the Asian Gold Ribbon campaign that promotes visible solidarity against anti-Asian racism and contributes to a 21st-century Asian movement. With two young daughters, I was compelled to pave a way for new generations of Asian people to feel pride in who they are.

Disproportionately served

Asian people are disproportionately served when it comes to mental health supports. They are also the least likely to seek psychological help and symptoms tend to be more pronounced when help is finally sought.

Research from the United States suggests there is an alarming shortage of language-specific, culturally appropriate and sexuality-affirming mental health services for Asian people. And culturally practised survival strategies tend to be insensitively misdiagnosed and pathologized. The landscape in Canada is similar.

But there are supports that exist. SUCCESS Chinese Helpline, ensures Mandarin and Cantonese speaking therapists are available in British Columbia. The Hong Fook Mental Health Association in Ontario and Project Locus are tackling the model minority stereotype. The Asian Mental Health Collective is one of the most integrated organizations serving Asian people across the U.S. - it also publishes a directory for Asian Canadian therapists.

There's a profound need for a systemic-cultural shift that makes way for accessible and affordable Asian mental health services across Canada. Government leaders must support community-based organizations, outreach services and develop clear and transparent policies. A task force for Asian Canadian mental health training and strategic allocation will ensure systems are built to provide viable resources to effectively support Asian communities.

Tigers are natural born leaders, loyal and tenacious - so is the Asian community. Like tigers, we are brave and never back down. This Lunar New Year, let's celebrate our Asian culture, our strength and be confident that actionable changes are coming.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Year of the Tiger: An opportunity for bold changes in combatting anti-Asian racism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anti-Asian racism is a public health emergency. Since the pandemic began, Asian people have been experiencing record amounts of denigration, hatred and racism. Feb. 1, 2022, marks the Lunar New Year, welcoming the year of the Water Tiger. Like the tiger, we are fierce, tenacious and courageous in our continued fight against anti-Asian hate and racism - one of COVID-19's shadow pandemics.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-mental-health-awareness-stigma-conditions-depression-1973166

brief write up: many people in society are still labelling people struggling with mental health as "lunatics" or "attention seeking" due to their lack of knowledge of the topic. people struggling with mental health also face a lot of problems and worries, one such worry is that their chance of securing a job as they worry that their mental health may be a major let down to their employers and significantly decrease the chance of employment as they may seem unfit for certain jobs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
He added that there is also the possibility of physical self-harm among those with BPD, which is also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD).

"Another symptom we pick up is they will cut themselves. In the emergency department, when you see someone with a lot of scars on their forearm, the patient might have BPD," he said.

"But society doesn't know much about BPD; they think it's just depression. The self-laceration is a very unique sign. When you ask someone with BPD why they cut themselves, they usually don't say they want to end their life. They want to experience the emotional pain they've had in the past."

Dr Ho, however, reinforced that while some people might possess the traits of BPD, having a personality disorder is more than just checking off these traits.

"Having a personality disorder means that the traits become so strong that the person has interpersonal problems. These problems affect their life, whether it's family, work or study," he said.

Similarly, the stigma attached to schizophrenia - a psychotic disorder - prevails in Singapore.

According to a 2016 Singapore Mental Health Study released by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) on May 21, about one-third of the population who have been diagnosed with psychotic disorders had a diagnosis of schizophrenia at some point in their lives. This makes schizophrenia the most common psychotic disorder here.

The results were part of the first nationwide study to examine the prevalence of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders among those living in Singapore aged 18 and above, their associated factors, and the treatment gap of the disorders.

Despite the prevalence of schizophrenia, public understanding is lacking, with people with the condition being perceived as "dangerous or as individuals incapable of managing themselves", said Ms Lim Lay Keow, a senior case manager at the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme at the Department of Psychosis in IMH.

"Schizophrenia is still sensationalised by the media. The accessibility to smart phones allow for photo or video taking of a person in distress, subjecting them to be judged online."

This behaviour, Ms Lim noted, doesn't just make it difficult for those with schizophrenia to disclose their condition for fear of discrimination. It also results in self-stigmatisation, where the person with schizophrenia finds it difficult to "differentiate themselves from the condition".

The deeply entrenched stereotypes about schizophrenia also make it harder for the public to understand that schizophrenia is "not a personality flaw but a disease of the brain", she added.
YOUTH MORE CANDID, BUT STIGMA REMAINS
Even before the pandemic last year, younger people were increasingly open about their mental health on social media, with some talking about therapy sessions or situations where their mental health conditions might flare up.

But Ron Yap, who was diagnosed with OCD three years ago, said this conversation doesn't translate into less stigma for all conditions.

"While there has been more conversation for disorders like generalised anxiety disorder and depression, there's still stigma surrounding more uncommon disorders, like OCD," the 23-year-old said.

"Even though non-sufferers (of anxiety disorders and depression) will never experience the depths of pain and discomfort those conditions cause, they can at least get a rough, if imperfect, idea of what it's like to suffer, by taking the times in which they experienced anxiety or sadness and amplifying the intensity and duration."

But with OCD, the 23-year-old said, "It's harder to fathom how and why someone would wash their hands 50 times to the point of breaking their skin, go to the bathroom 20 times before bed or dwell on a distressing thought for a whole day to the point of paralysis."

To a non-sufferer, he added, such behaviour is "simply irrational, and even insane, and this impression hinders one's ability to empathise with the sufferer".

Ron, who runs the Instagram account @mentalhealthceo, believes misconceptions about OCD don't help, such as that there's only one type of OCD "exemplified by someone who obsessively washes their hands or clothes over and over again".

"OCD and its rituals can manifest in countless different forms. I know someone who has to eat their food in a certain order, otherwise they wouldn't be able to consume the meal at all," he said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The rise of mental health awareness - and the stigma that remains attached to certain conditions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SINGAPORE: It's been five years since Sabrina Ooi, 30, attempted suicide - and two since she penned a blog post discussing her attempt.

# data[].attributes.headline
Chiew Beng (28) Social cause: Environment

# data[].attributes.subject
Chiew Beng (28) Social cause: Environment

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/sporeans-highly-aware-of-environmental-issues-but-adoption-of-green-practices

Brief write-up:
The Climate Index found that the top two reasons for not adopting green practices were cost and inconvenience, followed by reasons such as finding it hard to maintain sustainable habits, feeling that the status quo is sufficient, not caring about the issue, and believing that individual action is too small to make an impact. The average Singapore resident generates over 8,000kg of carbon emissions annually according to SP Group's My Carbon Footprint calculator.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
S'poreans highly aware of environmental issues but adoption of green practices lags: OCBC climate index

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The average Singaporean is highly aware of environmental issues, adopts many green practices some of the time, and advocates some of these issues and practices to friends and family. Read more at straitstimes.com.

# data[].attributes.headline
Joi Yii's (20) Social Issue: Refugee Crisis

# data[].attributes.subject
Joi Yii's (20) Social Issue: Refugee Crisis

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://www.gicj.org/gicj-reports/1588-understanding-refugee-issue

Brief Write-up:

Having already faced the hardship of fleeing their homes, refugees subsequently face the threat of attacks and violence by armed groups and in camps. Women are at especially high risk for sexual harassment, violence and human trafficking. Other challenges relate to the places where refugee camps are hosted and risks are exacerbated when refugees are hosted in developing countries that do not have the resources to provide the necessary aid to large numbers of refugees. Another challenge faced by refugees is reaching the destination country. Sometimes geography presents a major challenge, where they are required to cross large seas in boats that are often overcrowded and in poor condition.

This social cause is worth discussing about because not many people are aware about the many refugees in the world and often generalise them to be living in acceptable living conditions where their basic needs are taken care of. We also do not know much about the problems they face everyday. Thus, we should spread awareness on this issue to create changes in small steps.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By: Giorgia Airoldi
Introduction
A lot of terminology is indiscriminately used while referring to the refugee issue and this contributes to creating confusion and false perceptions. With the so-called "refugee crisis" at the centre of most political debates, news programmes and social media discussions, it is now more than ever important to clarify the meaning of terms. Refugee, internally displaced person, asylum seeker and illegal migrant are not synonymous, and the distinction is crucial since it results in a different legal treatment as well as the recognition of different rights.

In addition, a lot of misconceptions exist around the question: "Where do refugees come from and which are the top host refugee countries?" There is confusion around the real reasons for the displacement of people around the globe as well as unawareness around the real challenges that refugees have to face. For a comprehensive understanding of the refugee issue, it is finally important to clarify the role and mandate of international actors entrusted with the protection of refugees.

Therefore, the aim of this article is to examine and discuss the main aspects of the refugee issue, with the aim of achieving a better understanding and raising awareness of this field.
WHO is a refugee?
The term migrant refers to those people that are moving from one place to another, whether across an international border or within a State, away from his or her habitual place of residence. The definition does not place importance on (1) the person's legal status; (2) whether the movement is voluntary or involuntary; (3) the causes for the movement; or (4) the length of stay. Therefore, the term migrant can be used as an umbrella term that includes refugees.[1]

Within the broad category of migrants, a distinction is made between regular migrants and irregular migrants. Irregular migration[2] is when the movement takes place outside the regulatory norms of the country. An irregular migrant is therefore someone who entered or stayed in a country without the necessary authorisation or documents required under immigration regulations. By contrast, a regular migrant is someone that has the required documents to enter and stay in a country. The overwhelming majority of the world's migrants arrive to their host country in a regular manner and only later become 'irregular' due to administrative overstay.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence. However, IDPs have not crossed an internationally recognized State border. There is no special legal status for IDPs, since they remain in their country of origin under the protection of that government. The reasons of leaving might be various: armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or humanmade disasters.

A refugee is someone who had to flee from his or her country of origin due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted on certain grounds (such as race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion) and is unable or unwilling to seek protection from the State of origin[3]. These people are entitled to be granted "refugee status" in a host country, a formal determination that declares that an individual is a refugee. However, the refugee definition does not cover every situation where a person is escaping from a dangerous situation, only when the person fears "persecution." For example, someone cannot be considered a refugee if he has left his country due to natural disasters, climate change, extreme poverty, domestic violence epidemics or health conditions because these situations are not examples of persecution.

The term asylum seeker is related to the process of determining "refugee status". An asylum seeker is anyone who is seeking refugee status but who has not yet had a claim settled by a host country. As a result, every refugee starts out as an asylum seeker, but not every asylum seeker will end up being formally granted refugee status.

Although there are cases where the difference is blurred, refugees, migrants, IDPs and asylum seekers are different concepts and using the right terminology does matter because each category is entitled to different rights. Most significantly, refugees are specifically defined and protected by several provisions under international law, primarily the 1951 Refugee Convention, which covers such issues as a refugee's right not to be returned to the country of origin.
HOW MANY and WHERE?
Misconceptions affect a lot of different issues related to migration and refugee flows, such as the quantitative impact of refugees' arrivals, the size of irregular migration, refugees' country of origin as well as the main host countries for refugees. In Europe, there is a general impression that a real refugee invasion is occurring. This perception comes from the incendiary views depicted by media and politicians, describing the refugee phenomenon as a serious threat to those societies.

In actuality, the real size and impact of migration and refugee flows are very different from the picture that is typically depicted in the Western countries. Refugees constitute just 10 per cent of the total population of migrants across the world, and even among migrants, the vast majority of them are regular ones.

It is a common belief that the majority of refugees are hosted in developed countries, such as European countries or the US. However, 85% of refugees are actually hosted in developing countries. Turkey, Uganda, Pakistan, Lebanon and Iran are the top refugee-hosting countries. To get an idea of the proportions, by the middle of 2018, Turkey hosted 3.6 million refugees while the rest of Europe hosted about 2.7 million[4]. Regarding the country of origin, it is estimated that 57% of refugees worldwide are coming from just three countries: Syria, Afghanistan and South Sudan.
WHY are refugees fleeing their countries?
There are many reasons why a person becomes a refugee. In addition to the most obvious ones, such as war and armed conflict, refugees are sometimes escaping from a religious persecution, such as the Rohingya Muslim people in Myanmar who are persecuted by the military and local Buddhist extremists. In other cases, refugees are leaving their country due to political persecution related to the opinions they hold or the opinions that their persecutors falsely impute to them. Persecution can also be based on sexual orientation: if an individual is able to demonstrate serious violations of human rights on account of sexual orientation or gender identity, such acts may amount to "persecution".

There are cases where forced migration is generated by climate change or natural disasters. However, these situations are not considered grounds to grant refugee status: "climate refugees" do not exist under international law. The Global Compact on Refugees, adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2018, directly addresses this global growing concern. It acknowledges that "climate, environmental degradation and natural disasters increasingly interact with the drivers of refugee movements"[5].

In some regional contexts, however, the definition of refugee is broader. In Africa for example, the definition of refugees extends to persons fleeing "events seriously disturbing public order", a very broad category that can also encompass climate change, natural disasters, epidemics, generalized violence and other situations. Although the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa is the oldest regional instrument of refugee protection, it is very innovative because it offers legal protection to a wider category of people.
WHAT challenges do refugees have to face?
Having already faced the hardship of fleeing their homes, refugees subsequently face the threat of attacks and violence by armed groups and in camps. Women are at especially high risk for sexual harassment, violence and human trafficking. Other challenges relate to the places where refugee camps are hosted. For example, in June 2018, monsoon conditions with heavy rains led to landslides, water logging, lightning strikes and heavy winds in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, where one million Rohingya refugees are sheltered in camps. These types of risks are exacerbated when refugees are hosted in developing countries that do not have the resources to provide the necessary aid to large numbers of refugees.

Another challenge faced by refugees is reaching the destination country. Sometimes geography presents a major challenge. For example, many refugees risk crossing the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe, mainly Greece and Italy. Refugee boats are often overcrowded and in poor condition. For example, on 6 June 2018, around 46 Ethiopians drowned as their boat was approaching Yemen. Sometimes refugees face financial, legal or social obstacles. There are thousands of people who try to cross borders with the help of smugglers and risk their lives. Many refugees face physical and sexual abuse by the smugglers who help them leave or enter a country. Even after successfully reaching a host country, refugees can face racial discrimination and xenophobic attitudes when trying to settle in their new communities.
WHO is protecting refugees?
The most well-known UN agency in charge of refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is not the only one with a protection mandate over refugees. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is solely responsible for Palestinian refugees, while UNHCR is responsible for all other refugees around the world.

After World War II, Europe witnessed the most catastrophic refugee crisis of the 20th century with millions fleeing from their homelands. As a result, the UNHCR was established in 1950 to provide assistance to millions of European refugees and internally displaced persons. A year later, the United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees was adopted in 1951 (1951 Refugee Convention) based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The Convention came into force on 22 April 1954. The 1951 Refugee Convention was limited only to Europe until the 1967 Additional Protocol was adopted which made the Convention universal.

UNRWA was created before the enactment of the 1951 Geneva Convention and before the establishment of UNHCR, in order to provide temporary support, through works and relief programmes, to those people who were displaced as a consequence of the Arab-Israeli Conflict of 1948. However, since a just and durable solution to the issue of Palestinian Refugees has not been reached yet, UNRWA's mandate has been repeatedly renewed by the UN General Assembly.

While UNHCR is operating in 127 countries worldwide, UNRWA's area of operation is limited to the Middle East region, specifically in 5 different geographic areas: the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

UNRWA's role encompasses assistance (health and psychological support, education, camp and infrastructure improvement, microfinance), protection and global advocacy for Palestinian refugees. UNHCR's mandate is to protect, assist (health and shelter) and seek durable solutions for refugees as well as for other people in need of international protection. UNHCR is responsible for Palestinian refugees outside UNRWA's areas of operation.
WHAT is the international community doing?
On 17 December 2018 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Global Compact on Refugees, a framework promoting cooperation at the international level to address the challenges posed by the refugee phenomenon. The framework was developed through a process involving meetings and consultations between UNHCR and States, that lasted for 2 years.

The Global Compact on Refugees acknowledges that the world's response to large-scale movements remains inadequate and underfunded. Hence, it aims to promote an equitable sharing of responsibility, ensuring that host communities get the support needed. It is also aimed at enhancing refugee self-reliance.

The Global Compact includes the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework that identifies as a key element the inclusion and integration of refugees in host communities from the beginning. The goal is to help refugees thrive, not just survive, through the recognition of the right to education and the right to work.

The Global Compact also adopted a Program of Action, in order to facilitate the application of a comprehensive response in support to refugees and countries particularly affected by a large refugee movement, or a protracted refugee situation. To support this, the Compact established a periodic Global Refugee Forum to include state representatives at the ministerial level. This will be convened for all United Nations Member States, together with relevant stakeholders, to announce concrete pledges and contributions towards the objectives of the Global Compact. In addition, the Compact included national and regional arrangements for specific situations, and tools for funding, partnerships and data gathering.
Conclusion
Understanding all the different aspects of the refugee issue is important in order to avoid confusion and false perceptions. This is particularly true in an era when the refugee problem is more than ever in the spotlight of media and politicians. Misconceptions lead to discriminatory behaviours by the population of host countries, which might give raise to racism and a general climate of hatred. The situation can then lead to public policies promoting discrimination and exclusion.

Refugee, internally displaced person, asylum seeker and migrant cannot be used interchangeably because they are related with the recognition of different rights and the applicability of different legal standards. The vast majority of refugees are hosted in developing countries and not in the Western world, which underlines that the image of an invasion of refugees in Europe and US is totally inaccurate. Refugees are fleeing persecution resulting from different situations in their countries of origin, such as armed conflict, and targeted violations of group or individual human rights or natural or humanmade disasters. They also face many challenges after leaving their country. They are frequently subjected to attacks and violence by armed groups and in camps, especially women who are at high risk for sexual harassment, violence and human trafficking. They undertake extremely dangerous journeys, across deserts, seas and mountains, often facing captivity, torture, slavery, rape and other inhumane treatments.

Refugees are protected and assisted by two different UN Agencies, namely UNHCR and UNRWA, which provide them with essential services such as food, healthcare, shelter and education. However, refugees need the understanding, help and support of us all to become an integral part of our communities.

* * *

[1] There is no official definition of the term "migrant" at the international level, but most experts and IOM use this definition. IOM, Key migration terms, https://www.iom.int/key-migration-terms. However, in some cases, migrants are considered to be only those people that left their places of origin for reasons other than a direct threat of persecution (such as improving their living conditions, escaping from poverty, family reunion, etc.).

[2] There is no universally accepted definition of irregular migration.

[3] The refugee definition is included into the 1951 Refugee Convention: those who fulfil this definition are entitled to the rights and bound by the duties contained in the Convention.

[4] UNHCR, Mid-Year Trends, 2018, https://www.unhcr.org/statistics/unhcrstats/5c52ea084/mid-year-trends-2018.html
[5] https://www.unhcr.org/protection/environment/5c9e13297/climate-change-disaster-displacement-global-compact-refugees.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By: Giorgia Airoldi Introduction A lot of terminology is indiscriminately used while referring to the refugee issue and this contributes to creating confusion and false perceptions.

# data[].attributes.headline
15’s social cause : water sustainability 

# data[].attributes.subject
15’s social cause : water sustainability 

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity

brief write up:
Water covers 70% of our planet, and we all think there is sufficient amount of water for all. but only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.

Inadequate sanitation is also a problem for 2.4 billion people—they are exposed to diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, and other water-borne illnesses. Two million people, mostly children, die each year from diarrheal diseases alone.

due to the overpopulation rate, water consumption within humans have increased, while some rivers, lakes are drying up or being too polluted to use. this has caused more than half the world’s wetlands to disappear. while climate change has its fluctuating patterns of weather and water around the world, causing shortages and droughts in some areas and floods in others.

with the current consumption rate,  by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. And ecosystems around the world will suffer further.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
The effects of racism on health and mental health

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/effects-of-racism
Brief Write-up: Racism is a problem all around the world. People are discriminating each other based on the colour of their skin only, which they have no control of whatsoever, and does not even make them different in anyway. Racism can also bring up a lot of physical and mental health issues like stress, depression and suicidal thoughts. I feel that there is no right reason to hate against someone because of their skin colour. A example is when people see someone of a particular skin colour appear on TV for illegal reasons and they just assume that people of that particular skin colour are all like that. Then the people of the partcular skin colour get discriminated and shamed on for no reason. People should start to be more aware that its 2022 and racism should not be a thing anymore and everyone should not judge one another because of thie skin colour.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Racism may be responsible for increasing physical and mental health disparities among Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought disparities in healthcare outcomes for different races and ethnic groups into greater focus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that BIPOC in the United States experienced higher rates of hospitalization and death than White populations.

This article looks at how racism can impact a person's body, how it affects physical and mental health, how a person can live healthfully while facing the burden of racism, and how socioeconomic factors that have associations with racism can continue to pose physical and mental health risks.

According to the , racial and ethnic minority populations experience higher levels of poor health and disease across various conditions when compared with their White counterparts.

These stark disparities have driven interest and research into how racism may affect people's physical and mental health.

A 2019 research review found positive associations between reports of racial discrimination and many physical and mental health conditions, as well as preclinical indicators for disease.

These include:

Health inequality and racism

The above research review examined evidence linking mental and physical health outcomes to three key mechanisms of racism. It found that people can experience health inequality through:

Structural or institutional racism: The processes of racism embedded in policies, laws, and societal practices that give advantages to racial groups deemed superior, while racial groups deemed inferior are disadvantaged. For example, structural racism in the criminal justice system can lead to poorer health outcomes.

Cultural racism: The spread of the ideology that certain groups are inferior through language, values, media, and symbols. For example, racist stereotypes can influence the housing decisions of White property owners and lead to racial segregation in neighborhoods. This can create communities of concentrated poverty with worse housing and environmental conditions.

Individual-level discrimination: Where individuals or companies discriminate against racial groups, whether intentionally or without intent. This can result in worse access to employment, education, and medical care.

Learn more about structural racism in medicine here.
A 2015 systematic review collated the results of almost 300 studies to examine how racism affects the physical and mental health of Asian American, African American, and Latinx American people.

The sections below will detail the conclusions of this review, as well as those of other studies.

Physical health

The above review found that experiencing racism has associations with poor mental health and, to a lesser extent, poor physical health.

There is considerable research to suggest that the stress that comes with experiencing racism can have long-lasting physical effects.

Stress can elevate blood pressure and weaken the immune system, which, in turn, raises the risk of developing long-term health conditions.

Racism with higher rates of stress, increasing a person of color's risk of developing high blood pressure. The report that Black people are more likely to have hypertension than any other racial or ethnic group.

Also, a 2019 study found that racist experiences appear to increase inflammation in African American people, raising their risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease and kidney disease.

Another study found that unfair treatment of people of color significantly affects sleep and physiological functioning in midlife.

Many studies have cited structural racism within medical care as a key factor in poor physical health. For example, a 2016 study of racial bias and pain management found a link between undertreating pain in Black patients and false biological beliefs, such as, "Black people's skin is thicker than White people's skin."

A found that compared with other racial groups, Black children with severe pain from appendicitis are less likely to receive medication. This suggests that racial bias is causing medical professionals to use different pain thresholds for different racial groups, either inadvertently or purposefully, before administering care.

Mental health

The 2015 meta-analysis found that the association between racism and mental health is twice as strong as the link between racism and physical health. Of those the researchers sampled, BIPOC who reported experiences of racism also experienced the following mental health issues:

Hate crimes against Asian American people and Pacific Islanders surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a 2021 study found that COVID-19-related racial/ethnic discrimination had links with a greater risk of depression, anxiety, self-harm, binge drinking, and suicidal ideation among Asian American and Pacific Islander students.

A 2018 paper suggested that fear of racism itself is harmful and that it can undermine good mental health characteristics, such as resilience, hope, and motivation. The paper also underlined how verbal and physical assault can cause PTSD.
Learn more about the link between racism and mental health here.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is so concerned about how racism affects the well-being of young people that it released a 2019 policy statement on it.

The statement says that failure to address racism in the United States "will continue to undermine health equity of all children, adolescents, emerging adults, and their families."

Physical health

Researchers have linked racism to poorer birth outcomes, such as infant mortality, for BIPOC. suggest that mothers who report experiences of racism are more likely to have babies with a low birth weight, which can cause further health problems for infants later in life.

Like older BIPOC, young people also experience the ongoing stress of living with and witnessing racism and discrimination. As young BIPOC get older, they risk developing chronic health conditions similar to their parents.
Learn more about maternal health outcomes in BIPOC here.
Mental health

The AAP recommends that young people who report experiences of racism should undergo routine assessment for mental health conditions, including:

The AAP also said that even if children do not directly experience racism themselves, they can be just as significantly affected by witnessing racism as those who experience it firsthand.

Intense and persistent stress can influence how the brain develops, intensifying negative emotions such as fear and impacting learning and memory.

BIPOC alone should not carry the burden of coping with racism. To reduce discrimination, everyone must address structural disadvantage, socioeconomic deprivation, and institutionalized racism.
Learn more about how to be an ally for the Black Lives Matter movement here.
However, there is evidence to suggest that certain factors can help people cope with the negative effects of racism, both physically and mentally.

The sections below will discuss these factors in more detail.

Talk about racist experiences with others

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), talking about racist experiences, instead of bottling them up, can help a person process feelings of distress in the aftermath of racial trauma and stress.

Similarly, engaging with - instead of ignoring - racism is likely beneficial.

A person may feel strong emotions such as anger, distress, or hopelessness when sharing these experiences. Some have suggested that talking about racism can even exacerbate distress and depression for some people.

There is nothing to be ashamed of about these feelings, but if talking about experiences of racism makes someone feel worse, then a counselor may be able to help a person process these emotions.
Learn more about types of therapy here.
Get involved in social activism

Many people find it helpful to channel feelings of anger and injustice into activism and campaigning for racial equality. Being involved in a movement that is working toward progressive change can help people connect with a network of like-minded people and find purpose.

A 2018 study found that political activism served as a protective factor to mitigate the negative effect of racial and ethnic discrimination on stress and depression among Latinx students at a predominantly White college in the U.S.

However, for Black students, higher levels of political activism had an association with more stress and anxiety compared with Black students who were less politically involved.

We need more research to understand the disparities in activism as a coping mechanism for different ethnic groups.

However, a history of law enforcement targeting Black activists, and police violence at more recent Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, from reports by advocacy group Amnesty International, may explain these greater levels of stress and anxiety.

A 2022 study suggested that social activism might be an important method for coping with emotional distress from watching media coverage of police brutality and protests. But the authors said they need more research to understand how African Americans might engage in social activism without adversely impacting mental health.
Learn more about police violence and its physical and mental impacts on Black Americans here.
Foster a strong sense of racial identity

A study into racial identity and its effects on well-being found that African Americans who identified positively with their racial identity were more likely to have greater self-esteem and fewer depressive symptoms.

Participants who identified negatively with their racial identity, perhaps due to internalized racism, were more likely to have higher depressive symptoms.

Therefore, having a well-developed sense of ethnic or racial identity may help to blunt or buffer the effects of racism. However, research must continue in this area because findings are still limited.
Learn more about the role of family in multiracial identities and resilience here.
Lean on friends and family

A network of people to talk with for support, advice, and comfort can help a person cope with racial discrimination. It can encourage a sense of security and identity and reduce negative thoughts and feelings.

According to the American Psychological Association, socioeconomic status can directly affect physical and mental health. Researchers have linked low socioeconomic status and a lack of economic development to poor health and a shorter life expectancy.

Physical health

According to a 2017 analysis of 1.7 million people, having a low socioeconomic status is harmful to a person's health, alongside other key risk factors such as smoking, drinking a lot of alcohol, or eating an unhealthful diet.

People with low socioeconomic status are also more likely to have avoidable medical procedures, hospitalizations, and conditions that do not receive treatment.

Mental health

Reduced access to housing, employment, and mortgage lending due to low socioeconomic status can adversely affect mental health and increase feelings of depression, stress, and anxiety.

Although Hispanic and African American people seem to have a lower risk of mental health conditions than those in other racial or ethnic groups, those who develop such conditions tend to have more persistent psychological issues.

However, it is worth noting that this perceived lower risk may be due to racial inequities in the healthcare system.

Also, although there is an association between socioeconomic status and race, there is no perfect correspondence between race and low socioeconomic status. Among BIPOC of middle and upper socioeconomic status, the effects of racism on mental and physical health persist.

Racism can be a key factor in the onset of physical and mental health issues in BIPOC.

Research suggests that the stress that develops due to experiencing or witnessing racism can have long-lasting effects, increasing the risk of chronic disease and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression in both children and adults.

Utilizing the support of peers and community, forging a strong sense of racial identity, and talking about racist experiences can all be effective ways of coping with the stress of racism.

Research suggests that low socioeconomic status has a significant harmful impact on physical health. Racial groups with higher levels of low socioeconomic status also tend to have more persistent mental health conditions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The effects of racism on health and mental health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Racism, or discrimination based on race or ethnicity, is a key factor in the onset of disease and increasing disparities in the health of people of color. Learn more.

# data[].attributes.body
Link: https://www.positive.news/society/5-possible-solutions-overpopulation/
Brief write-up:
Some humane ways to limit overpopulation is to promote 1-child legislation and educate on family planning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 possible solutions to overpopulation - Positive News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If population growth is unsustainable, are there humane ways to limit it? If population growth is unsustainable, are there humane ways to limit it? 1. Empower women Studies show that women with access to reproductive health services find it easier to break out of poverty, while those who work are more likely to use birth control.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Overpopulation is not a social cause- The 2 students who advocated this- pls adopt another cause.
2. Low income families- Issue may already have attention from the government. Might want to consider adopting another social cause.
3. Racism, gender inequality, LGBT- Skew your issue to have it relate to the Singapore context. And if this issue may not be as serious in Spore, you may want to consider adopting another social cause- so that it may be easier to put together a more convincing argument for your WA2.
4. Environment and sustainability- We have explored this issue quite extensively in lower sec. To generate greater interest, i suggest you consider another social cause.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Migrant workers in Singapore.