My chosen problem by Riley Battaglia https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8 Give a description of the problem you plan to investigate and explain why you chose it. Then, comment on two others with any positive feedback or questions you have en-us 2021-02-20 21:56:13 UTC 2023-02-19 07:01:51 UTC hello@padlet.com Education culture in India Vansh rbattaglia1 https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1222109139 There are A LOT of problems with the education culture and the education system in India. However, the three things I want to focus on, which are all kind of related to each other, are:
  • The tuition culture - In India, around 90% of students - in middle-class schools - take extra tuitions. Eg. A student would go to school for 7-10 hours, then come home, eat lunch and attend 2-4 hours of tuitions and then do their homework. It's really crazy.
  • The disrespect towards arts - I've had several first-hand experiences with this issue. This is kind of a global issue but when I'm saying disrespect, I mean DISRESPECT. I've been called into the vice-principal's office for spending too much time in the music room (There was an upcoming competition). So just to be clear, I was called into an office for pursuing my passion (far from my only experience, but one of my biggest ones).
  • Lack of career education - In my old school, We never had any conversation with any teacher about what we might want to pursue, what we might be good at, what our transferrable skills are etc. This is a bigger problem when I look at how many of my friends are doing what their parents want them to do (Doctor, engineer, lawyer or handle the family business). A lot of them have never even thought about their passion. I know people who are done with their college and they don't wanna pursue what they just spent four years learning
]]> 2021-02-20 21:56:13 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1222109139 Rapid Gentrification in Austin - Ignacio rbattaglia1 https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1222109146 Austin is currently the fastest growing city in the United States. The city has historically been very segregated, and one of the highways that services the city center was originally built to separate white and colored people, with all colored people being forced to live on the east side of town which ended up being a much lower income area. While segregation has fallen out of fashion, the legacy of these policies is still evident today, with east Austin housing the vast majority of black or latino austinites. Currently, these communities are threatened by gentrification. Basically, a historically low income neighborhood is settled by an increasing number of higher income (usually white) people, which leads to an influx of services to provide for these new tenants. The original residents cannot afford to stay in the neighborhood and are forced out to make way for more high income businesses and tenants, destroying communities in the process. This is exactly what is happening in multiple parts of Austin. I have personally seen the effects of gentrification, and I believe that in order for Austin to move forward as a city we need to ensure that our historical districts and original communities remain protected and intact. ]]> 2021-02-20 21:56:13 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1222109146 Gender Based Violence in West Africa- Yeli https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1454482769 Women in many countries throughout West Africa face particularly elevated levels of gender based violence due to a range of cultural and  socio-economic factors. In Senegal, 31% of women are child brides. In Guinea, 97% of women have undergone Female Genital Cutting or Mutilation (FGM/C) and 51% of women are child brides. In my own country, Côte d'Ivoire, 26% of women faced physical or sexual violence from their partners. In Libera, 20% of citizens support gender based violence against women and children.

This issue has been particularly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with countries like Liberia reporting a 50% increase of gender based violence cases since the onset of the pandemic.

I have chosen this to be my issue because of my own proximity to the situation, commonly seeing the women in my life face violence or discrimination due to cultural norms. ]]> 2021-04-24 11:13:22 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1454482769 Ocean Literacy - Zuzanna https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1454534391 The education system in Poland is constantly changing. As politics change, the textbooks, curriculum, and rules for teachers change as well. In this entire mix of opinions, perspectives, and changes the oceans and climate are lost - not part of the curriculum and little to no resources are available for teachers, especially with the limited funding for schools. Even though Poland does not have access to the oceans, and most people visit the coasts only during the summer, we are greatly impacting the situation. Even when looking at our SDG rating we can see we are not doing too well.  I have chosen this problem because I already have some experience and understanding of the system + topics associated, which can help me have a greater impact within my community. It is also a project I can carry out during the pandemic. ]]> 2021-04-24 12:06:28 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1454534391 Lack of environmental awareness in Moroccan- Nada nadak1 https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1454640212 One of the most spread issues I see in my community would definitely be land pollution and the lack of awareness around it. If you take a simple walk downtown, at the forest, the beach or even in my neighborhood, the amount of rubbish thrown everywhere is unbelievable and even if the government tries to fight as much as possible this issue by sending troops to clean, if we don’t educate citizens and raise awareness even in the youngest among us, there will be no improvement. I chose  this issue because i feel like it's my duty to at least make a small contribution since i am able to do it. Environmental pollution does not affect just us right now, but it will have a huge negative impact on the future generations as well as deteriorates the earth, the atmosphere and the lives of many other creatures.

]]> 2021-04-24 13:42:09 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1454640212 Trash Management in San Luis Potosí - Mateo https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1456928553 Mexico's government barely works, therefore there are several areas within our public services that do not operate as they should, so over time Mexicans have learned ways around all of this lacking systems, but that does not change the fact that our methods as citizens are safe and reliable. It is typical that a Mexican city is dirty, so it is normal for me to see this type of thing, but  I recently noticed that in a certain avenue called Río Santiago, the problem of trash managing is a little more serious, but not in the sense of the quantity but in the sense of the size of the garbage, there are literally couches and other elements from around the same size on the edge of the avenue, but here the important thing is that the edge is steep towards the street, this means that if at some point there is a very heavy rain, these elements could fall on the avenue and cause car accidents. The root of all this seems to be the garbage recollection services which do not take things of this size and since people don't know what to do with them, they throw them in places like these. 

I chose this as my issue because it looks to be the most fun to work on, it gives good material for a project, and from the issues that surround my local community this look to be a important one because its serious but people don't care. ]]> 2021-04-25 20:07:27 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1456928553 Child Poverty in Ireland ( Rachel ) https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1458863818 “Poverty penetrates deep into the heart of childhood, permeating every facet of children’s lives from economic and material disadvantage, through the structuring and limiting of social relationships and social participation to the most personal often hidden aspects of disadvantage associated with shame, sadness and the fear of social difference and marginalisation” (Ridge, 2011)

Over the course of the Great Recession in Ireland, children suffered the worst outcomes on all poverty measures. As the national unemployment rate increased from 5 per cent in 2007 to 15 per cent in 2012 at the peak of the recession, children’s material deprivation – an inability to afford basic items – increased from 16 to 32 per cent. Despite poverty rates for all ages decreasing in the interim, by 2018 child poverty rates were still higher than those observed for working-age adults or older people. This figure is only expected to raise during and following the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused the loss of thousands of jobs.

Protecting children and young people from poverty and social exclusion is about ensuring that they have adequate income and resources, are living in decent houses, have access to quality affordable food, good quality education and healthcare, and have the opportunities necessary to develop and participate as equals in society.

In Meath, 51% (1,095) of households with children identified as being in need of social housing were one-parent households, 45% (971) were two-parent households and the remaining 5% (97) were multi-adult households. Applying the national rates to County Meath suggests that 11,141 children are ‘at risk of poverty’ in the county and 6,570 children experience consistent poverty.

Growing up in Navan, the lack of support for young people experiencing poverty by the Irish government was extremely clear. Children attending school on an empty stomach, or without the necessary school supplies, was a common occurrence that went wildly unquestioned throughout the student body.
]]> 2021-04-26 11:05:18 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1458863818 Covid-19 Affecting Animal Shelters - Kiana kianab https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1458936501 Whenever going on walks in Kuala Lumpur 99% of the time you will run into a stray animal. Because of this animal shelters are running out of space to keep these animals. A lot of the animal shelters in KL don't have enough funding to keep buying supplies such as food, bedding, vaccinations, cleaning, etc... and since they can't afford it most of them die or become very ill. 

Ever since Covid-19 happened it has been so much worse. Donations have decreased by about 80% and the number of strays have increased by 70%. A lot of people have lost their jobs and source of income due to the pandemic so they're unable to care for their pets anymore and they resort to dumping them on the streets and most of the time they are brutally beaten, stabbed, or murdered by people.  

I started volunteering at animal shelters since middle school and have always had such a deep fondness of each animal I have helped. Animals deserve just as much love and care as humans do.  ]]> 2021-04-26 11:35:40 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1458936501 Animals in Township SA https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1458997367 One of the many the many problems in the township of South Africa is the living conditions for many animals especially dogs,cats and horses. Many of them are left stray without owners and are left wondering the streets of the township and since they don't have owners they often left without food. even the ones with owners are subject to poor treatment. 

They are many organization in South Africa that deal with these problem and i visited one of them in Grade 8 2018 i was fascinated by their work. They were actively saving animals from the streets  and giving them a new home. 

I like this topic because it's common problem that i see everytime i go to township and it is very sad to see these animals in these conditions.]]> 2021-04-26 11:57:38 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1458997367 The Lack of Global Thinking in Belgian Public Schools - Mila https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1482138869 One of the issues that have stood  out to me the most since I was very little, not only in Belgium but in France too, is the lack of global thinking in public school education. 
I remember speaking to my cousin in France when I was around 8 and noticing for the first time how different our way of learning was, how much more I knew about the world and how much more I cared about global issues than she did. I then started realizing it was not only her stuck in this little bubble of seclusion but the other children as well. I then decided to have a conversation with my uncle and aunt about how I could teach them things about the world. The older I got, the more subjects I would have to talk to them about. I wouldn't only bring these topics back to my friends but to my uncle, aunt and grandparents. They had a suffered miseducation on a great amount of matters as well. 
I never got around inspire my cousin to learn about the world but I did manage to spark curiosity in. some of my friends. They got motivated to learn languages, do research on their interests and watch the news ore often.
I noticed this same problem in Brussels where children are missing that same curiosity. No matter where you live there will always be a secluded bubble of people that have never been taught about the beauty of the world. I would like to be part of the change for that.]]> 2021-05-02 10:03:36 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1482138869 Gender inequality-Mehdia 7qvkqsmyfr https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1992840510 Gender inequality has been an issue in the world for a long time, and feminists and human right activists have been trying to reduce this challenge. However, in Afghanistan, this problem is so big and puts many obstacles on women's way. I am so passionate about this problem and have some volunteering experiences in this area, I would like to do some projects on gender inequality and contribute to making a better environment for women in Afghanistan. ]]> 2022-01-14 18:31:30 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1992840510 Lack of High-Speed Internet - Noah noahd27 https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1993112362 While some may say that lack of access to high-speed internet is a first-world problem, it's a first-world problem that is very worrisome for the residents of Arrowsic, Maine. For years, promises have been made that a fiber optics cable will be run through the island to provide those living there with upload and download capabilities. However, these promises and plans were never acted upon. This was brought into sharp focus during the pandemic. With most jobs and schools going online, internet access became a necessity. For anyone living in Arrowsic, not being able to attend zoom classes, have long-distance client calls, or upload files to GitHub for their company led to inefficient learning, and even in some cases job loss. This problem impacts me as well. My father works remotely, but still cannot stay at home because of the internet issues. He must drive 30 minutes each way everyday to a co-working space, and pay a fee of 500 dollars a month to access their wifi. For these reasons, this is a problem within my community which I want to focus on. ]]> 2022-01-14 22:46:04 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1993112362 Lack of education/knowledge and availability of safe chest-binding camillea6 https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1999840862 This is a problem that I was exposed to when I decided to start binding my chest to counter a lot of dysphoria. 
I had a very basic idea on the concept of chest-binding, and a lot of those assumptions have been proven wrong now that I actually have first-hand experiences, per se. 
It's shocking to me that I wasn't informed- and could barely find any reliable and good source of information on chest-binding, especially considering how important it is to many people, and the hazards that come with it. 
I have browsed the web and the best thing I can find about chest-binding are tips from blogs and things of that sort. No medical research or data. Nothing.
As a person who chest-binds, I find this concerning because I'm left wondering if I'm binding in a way that could be harmful to my body.
That is why I want to dig deeper into this subject and create a project that will tackle the lack of information (both from first-hand experiences and medical recommendations) on chest-binding, as well as show options and suggestions for the folks that want to bind.]]> 2022-01-19 08:22:04 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/1999840862 Indigenous Representation In South African Schooling Environments https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2002344444 The schooling system in South Africa is still based a lot of the first colonial system that was introduced into South Africa: 
- chapel in the morning- not these aren't supposed to be christian schools and even if you don't believe in it, you have to go
- inability to express cultural diversity: no speaking of native languages, no natural hair styles etc. - having a cultural identity is criminalized
- European narrative history- children are taught half truths about the history of South Africa, which shapes a the South Africa we see today- it was literally 27 years ago
- targeting of native children- normally in a negative light 
Although its normally marketed as a place where diversity is accepted - it's not quite true.
this system firstly only allows a certain class and location of children of color into it (because of past force removal of native children- schools in those areas are of lower quality and those able to afford travel and higher fees of suburban education have to jump through hurdles just to get accepted- but thats not the focus f the, issue)
The existence of the colonial system schooling that is still alive even after democracy results in :
- self hate by indigenous learners- as they are thought their culture and identity are valid, resulting in them feeling out of place.
- continuation of racism by students of European descent as the environment make it a norm. 
- lack of eduction about the different groups of people around them and the different situations they face

I chose this problem as I relate to it, I want to make a difference for the next generation of indigenous learners, so they don't experience the same conditions I did while I was at school in South Africa. It might not be considered an important problem but that schooling environment shapes and is a reflection of the outside world as the same students shape the world and future around them.

]]> 2022-01-20 08:41:16 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2002344444 Students quality of learning - wil https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2007051897 The Philippines ' capital(Manila) is really overpopulated with a headcount of 1.7 million people. This is directly connected to the number of kids who go to school here. Let's say the average amount of students in classes should be around 20 - 30, pretty manageable. Well in the Philippines all classes have 40 - 50. Teachers have to control and teach a class of 50 students, that's impossible. They get exhausted mentally from all the lesson plans and teaching. This leads to the teachers giving up and only teaching the kids the bare minimum. I experienced this personally, in a class of 50 kids our math teacher gave up. The way I could tell is because he would come in sit down and hand out worksheets. Everyone would cheat and share answers but he would never do anything. Some kids may have learned some things but how about the rest? This leads to students getting careless and not even caring about their grades. When we would have tests they would cram the night before and not actually learn anything. This problem stems from multiple problems wages of teachers are too low, studying is not the student's first priority, and overall garbage curriculum. The main point of all this is that kids are not learning and they are just drifting through classes. When they graduate school they are equipped with nothing to prepare them for college.]]> 2022-01-23 11:14:59 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2007051897 Lack Of Sex Ed - Maheen https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2061891331 Lack of sex ed is a huge issue in Pakistan right now. It is a crime to include sex-ed in books and there are no classes to educate the youth about it either. Because of this, a lot of children know little to nothing about their own bodies and have to resort to other means that are worse in order to learn about sex education. These means include porn which has a negative influence on the minds of teenagers and also leads to developing unhealthy notions about sex. In addition to that, it also leads to the girls believing they always have to say yes. For the rest, they know nothing about sex and so stay confused forever till they have to get married.
Personally, I did not know that much about sex either before coming to TGS and often when people were educating me they would make a face that made me wonder if everyone from my country will have to go through it. Hence, I got passionate about it and really want to do something about it. ]]> 2022-02-23 04:28:08 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2061891331 Education in Egypt - Taqiuddin (surprised ik) https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2457492033 In Egypt, public education is like the plague that almost everyone would give an arm and leg to escape. Do not get me wrong, some people are thankful for the fact that they can get a free or relatively cheap education, however the way the current system works, they are not getting that. They are getting an incompetent inefficient system. Let me elaborate:

- classes are overcrowded (just as in the Philippines, according to Wil)
- teachers are underpaid, causing them to do the bare minimum which is attending the class (another similarity with the Philippines) 
- since teachers are underpaid they are incentivised to start private tutoring (groups can reach up to 70 ppl in a lecture hall and it costs a LOT of money)
- students primarily depend on private courses rather than school
- students skip school since it is pointless (fair point)
- since we took so many loans from the world bank, the minister is desperate to show "change"/"modernisation" in the school system which led to inconsistency. last year they kept changing exam style and system last minute. This year they added a mandatory research paper (most people bought it from any library). 
- The way the system works, you can either become a STEM major, a doctor, or a Teacher/actor/field that people view as "failures"

This and many more is why I see the Egyptian public school system as a parasite. I am thankful that I spent most of my life outside of that system. I only spent one year in that system (grade 10). It was genuinely one of the worst years in my life. Many of my peers were used to the faulty system, but most were pissed at the inconsistency. All students and parents suffer from extra costs for private tutoring.

This should genuinely not exist ]]> 2023-01-26 11:59:27 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2457492033 Child poverty in Zambia - yana:) https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2458678212
Child poverty is an extremely prominent issue in zambian society. Growing up and witnessing children my age and younger in demanding and laborious jobs or begging on the streets was quite confusing and will always be and feel extremely unfair. 

Zambia has a median age of 17 which is among one of the lowest in the entire world. More than half of Zambia's population lives under poverty and due to Zambia's young population half of these people are mere children. A study by the Ministry of National Development Planning showed that 2 out of 5 children face 3 or more forms of deprivation at a time and 60% of children in Zambia are living under the poverty line. 

Many children, especially in more rural areas, lack access to sufficient healthcare, food, living conditions and education. Families resort to enrolling their children into jobs, sending them out to markets, or to the streets keeping them out of the education system to be able to provide for their family. Families also send their daughters to marriage at an extremely early age in hopes of some form of economic gain. 

The lack of education is a major issue to come out of this and schools built in rural areas to tackle this problem are up to no par and are in extremely bad conditions. Families fail to pay fees for these institutes and struggle to find transportation. These schools usually lack scholastic material, do not have qualified teachers and lack sanitation. Another worrying issue is the amount of sexual abuse cases in these schools. 

Some of my most memorable childhood memories have been visiting orphanages or children centers for my birthdays or any anniversaries with my family. Being able to bring smiles to these kids’ faces with something as simple as a coloring book or a bag of mealie meal (maize) will always feel special. Growing up in Zambia and being so close to these issues is what draws me to it. I have always loved being around children and would love to make a difference in at least one of these children's lives.


]]> 2023-01-27 08:26:17 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2458678212 Problem: Poor quality of education in rural areas in Cusco - Peru. (ANDREA D.) https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459686840 In Phinay, a village in my city, Cusco, primary schools (children aged 7-11) have just one teacher, so in one class, there are children from six grades and just one teacher in charge of them. With resources so stretched in schools, many children go on to secondary school with a low level of literacy which negatively impacts their long-term education and prospects. In high school, the situation is a bit different from primary school because they have teachers for each subject. Can you imagine how they learn? This is why many places like Phinay have children aged 12 or 13 who can't write and read properly. 

(IMAGE) These are the results of a Student Census Evaluation (ECE) test taken by children of all grades of primary and secondary education in Peru. They are shown from the highest scores to the lowest. The village to which my personal project will be directed is among the three lowest in the entire Cusco region.

Why do I want to solve this problem?
I'm passionate about education, and I believe it is a powerful way of making our world more equal. My project is about closing the inequality gaps in education in Phinay, a village in Cusco, Peru.
Why am I passionate about education and equality? Well, everything started when I went to this village to do volunteer work and realized that there are many things to solve, and education is one of them. When I arrived, I was shocked at the poverty. I met kids who told me that during the pandemic, they couldn't access education, and even before the pandemic, they had some problems, such as walking more than 3 hours to get to their school, lack of educational materials in their native language, unprepared teachers, etc.  





]]> 2023-01-28 08:57:17 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459686840 Child abuse mabelc1 https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459780377 Last year I was a part of the big brothers big sisters program, where I was partnered up with a 11 year old at a local public school. As I got closer to her, she would tell me how her step dad had hit her, or her mom did not care about her. I could not do anything to help her, except report her home situation to big brothers big sisters, the program that I was volunteering under. My buddies home situation has been present in my mind ever since, and now with service learning I can do something to make support more readily accessible to kids with similar situations. Due to the lack of easily accessible support for children who do not feel safe at home, I think that this is the gap that I can address. with service learning. ]]> 2023-01-28 13:19:18 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459780377 The cost of the living crisis affects access to food- sally https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459816212 South Wigston is a deprived area in Leicester. The way of living for many people here has only gotten worse due to the cost of living crisis currently occurring in the UK. People's bills and expenses are increasing, but their wages are not, meaning they have less disposable income. 

The increase in the cost of living is the root cause of many problems, and there is no way I could tackle all of them, so I am going to focus on one thing that is affecting people close to me the most. That one thing is food. 

People are not having enough money to pay for food, so are having to receive parcels from the food banks to feed their families. This sounds amazing on paper and, in theory, should really help solve the food crisis however, it does not.  These food packages are made up of random foods that do not work together. 

After volunteering in a primary school in south wigston, I witnessed parents of families complain and refuse to claim the food parcels because their children didn't like the food that was in the box or they had no idea what they could actually make from the food they had been given.

Because of this experience and talking through this issue with the people that worked there, I became very passionate about this topic, and I truly think I could make a difference with my service learning project. ]]> 2023-01-28 14:36:59 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459816212 The disabled in Bali halcas https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459844904 Inside Indonesia, the ones who hold a disability are either seen as an embarrassment or ones who a supernatural spirit has possessed. Although in some cases like a community of the deaf in Bali who use ethnic sign language to communicate and have devoted themselves to the deaf god, making them a part of the Balinese culture. Communities with these particular disabilities are perceived as a form of naturally occurring diversity and not as handicaps. 

A few months ago, I stumbled upon a documentary addressing the situation of the mentally ill in Indonesia. I immediately took an interest and did a bit of research on this topic. Disabilities are seen as a punishment given by gods for sin, especially in Java and Bali. The disabled are chained or locked up in homes called 'Pasung' where living conditions are without doubt uncomfortable. Because they are locked up, they are required to spend all day, every day within that area having to eat, sleep, defecate and urinate at the same place. There are other social institutions run by "faith healers" who diagnose the disabled and lock them up. 

The government has banned the Pasung in 1977. The act of locking people up is illegal, yet in 2017, there was still an estimated 18,000 people trapped in this belief. The people who are put into Pasung are isolated, become extremely neglected, and develop all sorts of physical disorders as of result of being chained. 

The Indonesian government is mostly unable to be involved in this act. A percentage of the reason for this is the countries struggling economy. The budget can't promise services and facilities to a large number of disabled. Furthermore, there isn't much legal or social pressure to promote a non-discriminatory stance on disability.

An idea for a service learning project I have is to address this ongoing human rights violation.]]> 2023-01-28 15:38:50 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459844904 Littering sarfoa https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459916260 I have lived in Ghana my whole life, and it's a fantastic place. I would recommend people to come to this country if it didn't have this many littering issues. You wouldn't pass a place where you would see a piece of litter on the ground. It's gotten to the point where it seems like the people don't even care anymore, and these same people complain to the government when flooding occurs and destroys their property, or they lose their loved ones. Despite many actions by the government to try and fix this issue, it remains a problem in the country with some of the busiest places in the country, like Kwame Nkrumah Circle, and markets in towns are known to be very dirty due to the people selling there not taking accountability for the trash they leave on the ground. This has led the government to create a task force to go around fining vendors and households if they don't keep their surroundings clean.

]]> 2023-01-28 18:08:53 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459916260 Plastic pollution- Zaid https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459950303 Plastic pollution is one of the most apparent issues you can notice in my community back home. Morocco is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, but you can't step into a city without being surrounded by rubbish on the floor. I feel it has become customary for people to throw it everywhere, and I know through my friends and people that they don t even care anymore. I remember a couple of years ago, I was hanging out with my friends and kept rubbish in my pocket until I saw a trash can and threw it there, and my friend did find this act weird and asked me why didn't I throw it on the ground earlier. It is pretty alarming when you think about it; even if trash cans are spread out on the streets, you will still find rubbish around them. The government does put effort into cleaning up the streets, but the mentality of people stays the same, and so we keep falling back into the same position. I chose this issue because it is the one I am most familiar with, and this service learning is an opportunity for me to contribute to solving an issue I always noticed while growing up. 


]]> 2023-01-28 19:29:01 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459950303 Plastic littering in Vietnam - Charlie https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459955242 From my life in Vietnam and my frequent visits to Australia and other countries, I see the very obvious difference between my home country and foreign countries. They are much cleaner than the country I was born and raised in. For a longtime, this has always brought me a great sense of shame. I had always thought that people who littered were stupid and should have learnt to use trash bins. After a while of thinking this, I called out my grandpa for littering when we were driving through the mountains. I told him that it was bad and caused many issues he doesn't even know about. That was when I realized that he doesn't know about these issues. I was lucky because I got the education that was different to the rest of the Vietnamese in my same generation.

This is very upsetting to me because I believe everybody should be able to learn about plastic pollution the same as me. After this realization, I stopped having shame for my people but for the lack of education that is given to my people around me. I started informing my parents about it and started to just tell people when they would litter in public or on the beach.

I want to do something bigger about the issue because I see the side effects very clearly. When I surf, I always come out of the water with plastic in my hand, after my walk on the beach, I would always come back with plastic. It has become such a regular thing that I have started to accept that's just how it's gonna be. 

After typhoons is where the plastic washes up to shore and makes the beach disgusting for weeks. Landfills in my area are overfilled with plastic and my streets are littered with plastic from overflowing bins. No-one does anything about it. 

This problem affects my region very heavily but goes unnoticed. It also affects the bigger cities and all the rural areas in Vietnam but isn't talked about enough because it has been so normalized. 

I chose to do this because I am very passionate about the issue in my community and I would do anything to be able to see my community and hopefully country as clean as all of the western countries I've been to.]]> 2023-01-28 19:41:39 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2459955242 LGBT+ and Youth Sex Education- Arryan Shukla https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2460128156 In India, Sex Education has always been frowned upon in society. The Indian Youth do not have access to sex education, and the ones who do have access are taught very generalized sex ed. My goal is to make sex education easily accessible to the youth and especially the LGBT+ community because sex ed for queer people is barely talked about. I also have seen that The older generation has a very wrong perspective on sex and as a part of growing up, they were never taught about sex, consent, or protection, and that cycle of generational conservative opinions keeps on repeating even today. I want to break this cycle and stop the loop of ignorance about sex and the LGBT+ community. Being a part of the LGBT+ community was legalized in 2018, but even after legalizing same-sex intercourse, people still find it hard to accept the queer community, and this project will also help the people in my community normalize same-sex relationships and the queer youth. The LGBT+ youth in my country do not have any substantial resources to look up to. As a result, they do not have any information about how sex would work for them because even on the internet, same-sex resources are minimal. I want to create the resources for them in Hindi and English since a lot of people in India do not understand English and it is very hard for them to find resources translated in the language they understand. My goal is to make sex ed an easily accessible resource for the youth, which could impact different communities for the better, and make sure that sex ed is a part of their overall education.

- Arryan Shukla
]]> 2023-01-29 06:10:43 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2460128156 The Gender Equality in South Korea - Doeun K https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2464152124 These days, the importance of gender equality in South Korea has been getting bigger since the #METOO movements. South Korea is showing a low rank in gender equality among the OECD country, and the pay gap is very low compared to other developed countries. And recently, the administration is changed, and the field for capable of being asked and claiming women's rights seems to shrink. And so far, women hate crimes and Digital Sexual Violence, and Child Digital Sexual Violence have been a huge problem in South Korea since the Nth Room incident. But the courts, national administrative agencies, and the government is not responding forcefully, and the victims of those keep happening even now. Anti-feminism is getting intense, coming from a lack of knowledge among the young generation in South Korea. So, I want to be more aware of the recent situation of gender equality in South Korea, volunteer for an activity or protest that directly responds to the current problem, and make a resource that corrects misunderstandings about Feminism. 


]]> 2023-02-01 07:13:27 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2464152124 Poaching And Endangered Species In South Africa jessiem14 https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2477172640
South Africa is home to over 100,000 different species', and is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. However many of the animal species face endangerment and extinction due to loss of habitat, climate change and poaching.
Rhinos, elephants and pangolins are targeted by poachers because of their scales/horns/tusks, and I have witnessed this firsthand.
Elephants and rhinos are poached for the ivory in their horns and tusks, which is used for jewellery, ornaments and carvings, and occasionally for traditional medicine across the world.
Pangolins are considered a delicacy in some countries, and their scales are sometimes used in traditional medicine.
In addition to this, big cats and other game (such as zebras, buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, giraffe, and many more) are often hunted for sport by tourists (this is called Trophy Hunting). It is supported as it brings money and tourists to the country, however it is (obviously) very wasteful and damaging to the environment and wildlife in the area.
My family owns a small game reserve in Hoedspruit (near the Kruger Park), so I have witnessed hunting and poaching and the consequences it has firsthand. We have had to work with rehabilitation centres due to the animals on our land being injured or killed by poachers, and we are constantly finding traps scattered around the land, which has always upset me. Having grown up very conscious of the environment and the animals in South Africa, knowing that this is happening and the effect that it will have is very upsetting to me.
Although I don't yet know how to help, this is an issue that I am very passionate about, and I have many connections that I can use to help me.]]> 2023-02-11 07:41:05 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2477172640 Out of comfort zone for young black Niapolitens kamups https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2487389682 For a small portion of my life, I could relate to the reality that young black people in Italy are exposed to. Racism and a feeling of not being welcome if they have an Italian citizenship 
Luckily, I was doing way better financially, but I wanted to make them feel like they were a part of something bigger than just a minority. In Italy, there is a neighborhood almost entirely composed of Afros, and they rarely leave unless they have to go to school or work, but again they stay there for work too. I aim to ensure that they feel just as comfortable as I feel going out in the center and more populated areas of Napoli.
One of my mom's best friends worked with refugee kids and told me how I would really connect with a group of young adults seeing that we have a lot in common and that they would love to get to know me.  ]]> 2023-02-19 04:48:40 UTC https://padlet.com/rbattaglia1/hk0tsmuietaouem8/wish/2487389682