International Musings

    Looking back on my experience as a Poly K-12 student, the Global Scholars Program stands out. Frequently in our community, we talk about a Poly or a Pasadena “bubble,” a sphere of separation between us and the greater LA, USA, and international communities. The Global Scholars Program allowed me the opportunity to pop that bubble and truly learn about the world around me. As a result of the varied sources we were exposed to- international experts, news, personal stories and even history- I gained a surprisingly well rounded perspective on what it means to be a global citizen. Especially after nearly two years of isolation from my peers and from the rest of the international community, the empathy and connections that were built individually and within our cohort continue to be of paramount importance. For me, my identity as a Global Scholar began to really take hold after I was able to facilitate the discussion portion of our International Women's Day Celebration event. It wa

As the global jaguar population declines rapidly, the jaguars of Belize are on the brink of extinction. Belizean conservation forces have banned together in protection of the Maya Forest Corridor- a small piece of critical land, spanning just 90,000 acres. This narrow strip of land is essential to the wellbeing of the Belizean jaguar population, as it serves as the connection for two of the largest jaguar habitats in Belize and Guatemala.  If Jaguars are unable to pass via the Maya Forest Corridor, populations will drop dramatically due to isolation. The Maya Forest Corridor (MFC) is already far too small to properly sustain the current jaguar population, but due to the growing threat of deforestation, as well as the insertion of large building developments is at risk of shrinking even more. Currently, conservation organizations are purchasing the land on which the MFC covers, hopefully preventing further development in the area. As of right now, only 30,000 of the 90,000 acres of the

     Narrative 4 is a cross continental organization built on the principal of providing students and artists with the opportunity to share their stories with one another, cultivating community and international empathy for those with differing realities. After having had the opportunity to participate and multiple story exchanges, it was incredibly illuminating to hear from our three panelists about the goals of N4 as well as their personal experiences with the organization. I was especially moved by the exchange between the students from the Bronx and the students from Ms. Castaneda’s school in Mexico. As both sets of students had been exposed to, and experienced consistent acts of unimaginable violence, the story sharing between these two groups was incredibly effective and impactful. Something else that really stood out from this event was the explanation of action steps that fulfilled N4's motto: Empathy Into Action. Prior to this event, the latter of those two felt more abstr

  Living in a fairly liberal bubble within the western world, I often forget that there are places in the world in which seemingly basic human rights are not granted to countries’ inhabitance. In much of Latin America, there are laws prohibiting same-sex marriages as well as access to legal abortions. Just last week, Guatemalan congress voted in favor of a law legally banning same-sex marriages for their citizens. Abortions were already banned, but this new law would increase the amount of prison time for women who are seeking an abortion. In addition to the prohibition of same-sex marriages and abortions, congress’s law would disallow the acknowledgment and teaching of sexual and gender diversity in schools. Out of the 160 congressmen, only 8 of the lawmakers voted against what is being referred to as the "Life and Family Protection Law.”Like in the United States, in order for this law to actually come into practice, Guatemala’s conservative president, President Alejandro Giamma

Marking the largest mass execution in decades, Saudi Arabia executed 81 men on March 12. Each of these men were reported to have been convicted for various violent or terrorist-related crimes. 37 of them were reported Saudi nationals who were accused of attempted assassination of Saudi security officers. It is important to assert that these accusations come directly from the historically corrupt interior ministry. Countries using the death penalty are falling to the minority, but Saudi Arabia has been consistent in its enforcement of this punishment. With that said, this most recent execution surpassed the 67 executions reported in Saudi Arabia in all of 2021. This day stands out in human and Saudi history, as the largest government-sanctioned execution on a given day. In 1980, a shocking but lesser 63 people were executed in one day. The kingdom’s utilization of the death penalty has caused many accusations of human rights violations in recent years, especially as it relates to religi

This UNA-sponsored International Day of Women Celebration: Supporting Women in Global Leadership program was one of the most influential events I’ve had the opportunity to attend and participate in. I was fortunate enough to mediate the discussion portion of the event- something that first really frightened me, but ultimately turned out to be so incredibly illuminating. During the event, we had the distinct privilege to hear from Ambassador Eunice Reddick, American diplomat and former ambassador to Niger, Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe, as well as (for the second time!), Khin Sandi Lwin UNICEF Representative with a 35-year career working in ten countries. I was so struck by the similarities in their experiences. They both shared almost identical anecdotes about subtle but impactful disrespect they faced as women in their field. Even as such distinguished and accomplished members of the international community, these two women still find themselves being dismissed and talked over by m