Social justice is defined as “the equal and fair distribution of social values, such as freedom, income and wealth and the opportunity to take part in society.” Implementing and defending social justices, such as human rights, is a very important issue in today’s world. Here in the United States, I know that social justice is found in many aspects of my daily life, such as my right to write this very blog. It is a very broad topic that is covered in many modern issues, such as in Iran where people in the city of Tehran are defending their rights of protesting the election of their new President, which is becoming increasingly more limited by the government each day. One can also relate the topic of social justice to controversial topics such as the US debating socialized healthcare vs. private healthcare, Iran’s right to develop atomic energy for self-defense, or Darfur’s lack of protecting its people from genocide. Additionally, other issues include prisoner rights at Guantanamo Bay, children in china forced into labor, Saudi Arabian women with limited marriage rights, and women’s rights in the US where a doctor was assassinated for doing his job of performing late abortions for women. Social justice is a choice for my REEL ACTION project because it covers a wide variety of pertinent topics.
Media is defined as “the storage and transmission tools used to store and deliver information or data.” Media has many forms, including TV, internet, newspapers, books, and game. It has a great effect on society, it is a source of freedom of speech, and it leads people into the 21st century. Media is an important part of my daily life and I could not picture our world without it. However, media can cause 3rd world countries to be left behind, and in countries like Cuba there is state media where the govenment runs the media to ensure that it’s pro government. Moreover, an example of extreme lockdown on media would include Iran’s limited media during their presidential election, which has led twitter to become a primary source of information because of banned journalism. In addition, controversial software has been created to filter web in china so certain websites continue to be banned, and two US reporters that were jailed at labor camps in North Korea. However, certain media, such as the internet, has cracked open a channel for citizen voice and created a catalyst for social change. I chose Media as a topic for my REEL ACTION project because it is a growing issue and is vital in solving other world issues.
Religion is defined as “a set of tenets and practices, often centered upon specific supernatural and moral claims about reality, the cosmos, and human nature, and often codified as prayer, ritual, or religious law.” Examples of religions include Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. Religious gatherings are often a source of familiarity and friendship between people. I know that I personally turn toward my religion for a source of comfort and understanding in my daily life. However, religion can also cause conflict due to misunderstandings and lack of tolerance. For example, the US relationship with Muslims changed after 9/11 because of much discrimination and hate crimes, and the genocide in Darfur started due to discrimination against religious groups. Most recently, religion has caused much controversy in the news such as President Obama’s religious views, the demonstration of discrimination against Jews at the US Holocaust Museum shooting, and the assassination of an army recruiter by an extremist Muslim convert taking revenge for US action in Middle East. I chose Religion as a topic for my REEL ACTION project because I have found that it is a direct cause of many issues throughout the world.
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