“You are rich, if you live in America you are rich” repeated Andrew Nouri, 24, as we sat in the Athens Alliance-Relief center. Andrew, who has lived in Afghanistan his entire life up until last year, bases his view of America off movies, music, and celebrity tabloids. His youngest siblings, Dara and Daria, age 7 and 9, were the most intrigued by America. “I do not like Afghanistan,” Dara told me. “I do not like my home in Afghanistan, and I do not like now living in Greece.” When I asked them why that is, the younger of the two, Daria, responded “It is not America, and I just love America.” I listened to them go on about the wonder of America, a country to which they have never been. Even their studying of the English language is fueled by the hope that one day they will live in America. But does America live up to these expectations?

To get the perspective of an Afghan American, I first spoke with Shah Haya, 70, who has been in this country for 46 years. “When I moved here (1971), it was the America I thought.” Haya told me, “There was so much opportunity to build yourself up. You could find work and study. Today, it’s not. Today it is limited and hard.” While many in Afghanistan still operate under a romanticized view of the Western world, he points out the discrepancies that have come to be. “You want to educate yourself,” he tells me, “but you cannot do that here, because of the price. So you have to work, you have to pay, you have to borrow money from the bank who will charge you all that you have.” Haya feels he has watched the country shift from one with countless opportunities of growth to one that sets traps to keep its people in debt. “And then, when you finish school, you have to pay all these bills, and you just work for companies, you don’t work for yourself. Education and healthcare should be free.” This now money-hungry country is not the one of opportunity and support that Haya expected and first knew. “If the government spent money on the right things, there will be change, good change. I wish one day I am alive to see these changes, but I don’t think so anymore.” Haya concluded.
Relating to the experience described by Shah Haya, a man by the name of Emde Mirza took the time to speak with me on America’s growing competitive nature, and how it has warped the country from what he expected. Bundled in a winter jacket, scarf, and hat, Mirza has operated his own produce stand for 4 years on 112th st. “I love the stand, but really there is not much other things for me to do” Mirza explained. Before coming to America 11 years ago in 2006, Mirza lived in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was under the impression that the American assists the pursuit of an education without the burden of unreasonable price tags. “You come to America, you study, and you can be Lawyer, Doctor, anything you want.” said Mirza describing his view of America prior to moving here. Mirza was surprised and to a degree, discouraged by the competitive and expensive nature within both Universities and the job market. “It is hard to do much else,” he reiterates while ringing up several customers, “but it is a good place with no crime.”

Exploring a different aspect of American expectation vs reality, I spoke with Sal Bahri, a man on an extended visit from his home in Afghanistan. “I expected more pride from where you are from. It is home to immigrants, but nobody keeps their culture after a while.” Recognizing America, and specifically New York City as one of the most culturally diverse and expressive places in the world, I questioned this assertion of Bahri’s. He went on to ask where I am from, not where I was born, rather where my grandparents were from, and their parents, he was asking for my heritage. Upon telling him that I am of Italian descent, but do not speak Italian, he responded “Yes, that is what I mean. Your parents did not keep the culture, the language, they did not teach you to keep it.” Bahri had expected America to be a melting pot of cultures around the world even more so than it already is. He was under the impression that there was not much of an “American-only culture” at all,but that all Americans strongly held on to the culture of their original heritage. “It is not too bad a thing, but worries me that I would lose my culture if I moved” Bahri added.
While discrepancies in expectations are widespread, nearly everyone I spoke to, in the same breath, made a point to mention their fondness of America. While America may not have streets of gold and the unparalleled opportunities of an easy climb to riches, it is still the home that many long for. It was Shah Haya who told me, “When i come to this country, I didn’t feel like I’m a foreigner. When i come to New York I was thinking that I fit with Americans. I don’t even feel different.”

The crowded waiting room was getting hotter as more people came in. They all looked inpatient. Small talks helped them to kill time until it was their turn to see a member of the Ecuadorian Consulate.

Most of them were there to get a document called “poder.” Poder (power) is a document that authorizes and allows Ecuadorian living in the U.S. to manage their property in Ecuador. When the document is signed anybody can sell as well as buy more property in behalf of the person who signed the poder.

According to Maria Ines Costa Vargas, the vice-consul of Ecuador there are more people sending the “poderes” to Ecuador compared to last year. “People are scared and they want to have a plan B,” said Vargas. “Almost all the poderes are for buying and opening bank accounts in Ecuador.’

Ecuador is the seventh worst economy in the world, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit. The movement the Ecuadorians are doing buying property, opening bank accounts and transferring money from American banks to Ecuadorian banks could help lift the economy up.

Last year in February a total of 373 poders were sent compared to 623 poders this year in the same month. Vargas said that last year all the poders were mixed either to buy or just manage their property, but this year all of them are either to buy or open a bank account.

Ecuador’s economy went down when the price of the oil collapsed from 94 dollars a barrel to 32 dollars a barrel. And Ecuador has an economy highly pendent on oil production and public spending. “People stopped spending money because the prices for everything went up,” said Jose Alveres. Alvares is a U.S resident who was in Ecuador six months ago. He said that the economy could be better if Colombians and Peruvians who come to work in Ecuador spend in Ecuador rather than sending it to their countries.

The earthquake that happened in 2016 affected Ecuador’s economy greatly. Leaving over 3 million in damage and killing 660 people. The already hurt economy began to show in every corner as people stopped spending more and companies were laying off employees left to right.

The former president Rafael Correa borrowed 1.5 billion from China in order to bring the economy back, but in exchange China asked that a 90% of oil shipments should go for them for the next few years. “Basically, now we belong to China if we don’t pay that money back,” said Alvares.

However, the election for the new president keep Ecuadorian in a hope that the economy will improve. Also, the many Ecuadorian who live in the U.S are contributing to the Economy by sending their money, buying houses, buying property and building. “More money will be circulating with all of these movements,” said Vargas. “They are going to open their own business and create jobs.”

Agata Poniatowski is a 21-year-old whose parents emigrated from Poland to escape communism before she and her brother were born. Though her brother was sent to Polish school when he was a child, she felt as if her parents “gave up” on teaching her the language.

Now, Poniatowski is taking small steps to learn the language. She asks her parents to text her in Polish and tries her best to respond to them in Polish. In her free time, she watches children’s shows with subtitles on, including a remastered version of Baba Jaga.

Poniatowski thinks that this could have been avoided if her parents sent her to one of the Polish schools located in New York City.

“I was really—I guess you could say a rowdy kid. I would always be crying and be upset. I didn’t like that ballet class was 40 minutes long.” Poniatowski said. “My parents probably were like ‘maybe not’ for me, but my brother had more patience, so they sent him and he learned how to read and write in Polish. Although he quit pretty shortly … but he did have the opportunity to read and write, whereas I’m trying to do that at 20 years old and it’s really difficult.”

Poniatowski recalled a moment when her cousin decided to test her writing skills by asking her to write down the word “lozko,” which means “bed.”

“I gave her a piece of paper with my idea of how to spell it and she just started laughing hysterically. I didn’t want for that to happen. I didn’t want to lose my communication with my family when I’m not in Poland, so I want to be able to text them, to talk to them,” Poniatowski said.

Polish schools are organizations that are often organized by Polish churches. Students who attend them usually take classes in four subjects—geography, history, literature and religion—for four hours every Saturday. In high school, the religion class gets switched to an ethics class.

TKTK Interview with Krystian Surdel, who goes in-depth on how the classes look like. The interview is scheduled for March 8.

For people like Poniatowski, Polish schools also help build one’s sense of cultural identity and connect to one’s country of origin.

“I’m Polish because of the culture that I have at my house, but I think that I would feel more connected to being Polish if I also had the ability to communicate with that side of my family, or read the newspaper or something like that. Actually know what’s going on in Poland. Not from The New York Times, but from a Polish magazine or Polish news. … Understanding politics or big words, that would be cool,” Poniatowski said.

Paulina Ekstowicz emigrated from Poland after she finished fourth grade. In an interview, she explained that her dad was the first to move to the United States and her mother decided to rejoin her father in order to earn more money and ensure that Eksowicz gets a good university education.

When they moved, Eksowicz was 11 years old. Her parents never sent her to Polish school, but she was able to remember the language by speaking Polish at home and watching Polish TV with her parents. In her free time, she also reads Polish books and listens to Polish music.

“I think they [Polish schools] are [helpful] to a certain extent, because you do get to make more polish friends and learn more about your own history and traditions,” Eksowicz said. “But I also think it’s very stressful, because it is like Saturday school majority of the time and it’s just another level of stress.”

TK some something

“If I had went to Polish school, I think that … maybe I would know what exactly is Polish culture rather than things I’m assuming are Polish culture,” Poniatowski said.

Bangladesh is one of the US’ most important South Asian allies. But in recent times, the Bangladesh government has experienced turbulence since acquiring independence from Pakistan, nearly 50 years ago. Following several militant coups since the early 70s, Bangladesh’s current government is officially a parliamentary republic headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. However, despite boasts of the country making social and economic improvements, there is an apparent corruption in the government’s relation with the press and labor rights.

MD Kashem, 59, was born in the capital city of Dhaka in 1958. He was 13 years old when the Liberation War occurred in 1971. Unlike his older brother Debesh, who was 20 at the time and in the army, Kashem was too young to take up arms. However, he had an active role in the war by helping bring weapons and food between camps.

The war ended in under a year and Kashem joined the military when he was 18. There, he got his bachelors in mechanical engineering and worked for the country’s air force. His wife, Shahida Begum, was a school teacher during this time and the two married in 1989. Six years later, they had a son, Rifat, and a decade later they immigrated after winning an annual lottery program which granted them a diversity visa to the US.

In all, Kashem and Shahida have lived most of their lives in BD and have seen firsthand how the country’s news media operates. Kashem, who now works in a uniform store in Jamaica, Queens said that: “The main news channels say only good things about the government- especially the [free channels] on TV. You rarely hear about bad things and the government in the reports.” He also noted that while all news channels weren’t actually all pro-government, almost all channels demonstrate clear biases by promoting certain political groups while antagonizing others.

This coincides with a February 2016 article by BBC profiling Bangladesh’s media. In the article, it was reported that the two largest news broadcasters, Radio Bangladesh (BB) and Bangladesh TV (BTV) were “state-owned and government-friendly”. Additionally, in 2014 and 2015, the government reportedly took direct action against the press after several radio and TV stations broadcasted programming deemed “harmful to the image of law enforcement agencies, which impeded state security.” Following this, a nationwide ban on all broadcasted material fitting this criteria was issued in 2014.

“It’s not like how it is [in the US], when you see Trump arguing with [the news media],” Kashem said. “In BD the government and the news never fight because they are the same thing.”

Kashem’s son, Rifat agreed with his father and added that, “Other than extreme cases and disasters, you won’t get a lot of coverage about the problems happening inside- especially if the government might be involved.” Referencing the disastrous collapse of a textile factory in April of 2013, he commented on how news of the incident was portrayed differently in Bangladesh vs. other countries. Two of Rifat’s aunts and several of his cousins lived in the same district of the collapse. They were a safe distance away from collapse, but in the weeks following the disaster, coverage of the incident appeared to be portrayed differently in the BD news media.

“Right after it happened I remember speaking to my aunt about it and her telling me that the news was calling it a ‘terrible accident’ and that no one expected it to happen. Then I read about it online and saw that apparently the building had cracks in it and the [factory owner] was arrested for forcing people to go in to work.”

In recent years there have been several other disastrous events that occurred in Bangladesh’s large textile industry. The pattern calls to issue another facet where the government is suspected to play a part; the rights of workers. Following the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse, The BBC published several articles examining the ties politics has on Bangladesh’s massive textile industry and consequently, the conditions and treatment workers are forced to endure.

“I sacrificed a privileged life for this country and I don’t regret it at all.”

At the start of the 2016-2017 school year, Sherri Feldman, a 19-year-old from Bayside Queens, chose that she was going to take a ten hour flight to Israel to serve in a Country that she was not born in.

Although the United States has abolished their military draft, it is still common in other countries around the world to have draft enlistments for citizens when they reach a certain age or if it becomes necessary during pressing times of war. The State of Israel, is no exception to this draft. Due to the constant ever growing tensions that lie in the Middle East, Israel has a constant draft law, which states that once Israeli citizens reach the age of 18, they are required to serve in the military for a minimum of twelve months, and the duration varies depending on age and gender, according to Nefesh B’Nefesh, an online draft service based in Jerusalem.

From the outside looking in, people can have the tendency to carry a bit of animosity in regards to Israel’s drafting of young citizens to train and fight in their military, feeling as though these draftees are being forced to risk their lives for a cause they might not want to fight for.

However, what may come as a shock, is that a large percentage of IDF soldiers are not born Israeli Citizens.

According to Lieutenant and IDF Spokeswoman Libby Weiss in an interview in 2014, Israel has one of the largest number of Americans serving in its military, reporting close to 1,000 Americans serve in the IDF.

With this information, a constant driving question is, why? Why do these American citizens voluntarily choose to serve in a foreign country?

“I was raised by Israeli parents so I was constantly exposed to the culture,” said Feldman, who enlisted in the Winter of 2016. “We’re not a religious family so we weren’t really heavily involved in the Jewish Community but every holiday we either spent with family or our Israeli family friends.” Sherri is still in training, and is learning to be a combat medic.

“What I love about it is the fact that this job shows the other side of the military that doesn’t kill but rather heals.” Sherri then went to describe the long process that is required to join the IDF. Things like IQ testing, leadership testing, and physical aptitude testing are all part of the two year process in becoming an IDF soldier.

When asked to describe in one word why she serves in the IDF, “passion” was immediately the word she chose to utilize.

“As a lone soldier, girls I’ve gone through basic training with in my course are always asking me if I have a place to stay for the weekend and have Shabbat dinner,” said Sherri. “The diversity in this country reminds me of New York. We all have family that come from different countries and that mix is basically Israeli culture.”

Sherri revealed that it was always a childhood dream of hers to enlist, but wasn’t sure she’d ever to through with it until she graduated high school.

When asked how what country Sherri identifies with for her nationality, she explained that she identifies with Israel because it “feels like home”.

“Israel is home to every Jewish person regardless if they are Israeli, or religious. It’s our indigenous homeland.”

 

As Russian-United States relations dominate headlines with Russian President Vladimir Putin engaging in risky endeavors abroad, many Russian-Americans are left with a less-than-favorable image of their country to fellow U.S. citizens.

This is not a new phenomenon. James Bond movies, circa the 1960s, have painted a negative image of Russians in the minds of many Americans, and often Russian immigrants find that image difficult to escape when attempting to assimilate to U.S. culture.

Irina Groushevaia, a 22-year-old female who emigrated from Russia after her high school graduation, has found that Americans generally have negative stereotypes associated with Russia and its people.

“When I came here, I kind of felt that everyone either thinks I’m this crazy femme fatale or thinks I’m going to show up with fake blonde hair and be a super thin model, which I’m not and they are stereotypes that everyone tries to fit me in and I don’t fit into them because the perceptions by Americans of Russians is very different from reality,” she said.

Groushevaia continued, “Of course stereotypes exist for a reason, but the way we are perceived in American movies, in American culture is just ridiculous. We’re all over the top with how we look, always in fur and stilettos and every woman is like the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. And we’re always evil and really cold and backstabbing and I think that exists in every culture, not just in Russian culture, but when you ask an American what a Russian is, it’s always a James Bond villain.”

While Russian-American relations have continued to be tense since the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union, Americans’ perceptions of Russia as “the enemy” seems especially relevant in a tense political climate where rumors exist that Putin helped rig the polling system to elect President Donald Trump, an unfavorable candidate to many Americans.

(TK- interviews with other Russian immigrants, brief history of Russia’s current state of affairs (i.e. Syria, Crimea, etc.), Russia in American pop culture)

I have chosen Dominican Republic as my beat for this semester. With a plethora of friends and associates who call that country home, I feel their story is often not talked about or discussed despite their large population. I want to change that an approach it from different angles. Firstly, from the point-of-view of an first generation immigrant here in America. And secondly, from the perspective of not only Domincians, but Hatians, who provide an alternative storyline. I want to allow my storytelling to show the parallels between the children of first generation immigrants and the immigrants themselves, while focusing on the differences in culture and tranditions.

Spanish is sole language of the country, despite the large Haitian population (Haiti’s language is French, while the surviving language, Creole, which is still being used). Majority of the population is Roman Catholic and Evangelical Protestants under Christianity. Although many have immigrated, there has not been enough to put a dent in the religious landscape.

Dominican Republic is a great example of a country greatly inhibited by a variety of people. A greater part of Dominican Republic is owned by Haiti, meaning that part of the island is owned by another country other than DR. This sharing of land, greatly contributes to the turmoil between the two cultures. Although the country was inhabited by European settlers, the Dominican people declared their independence in 1821. During the 20th century, was sprinkled by a variety of dictatorships under Horacio Vasquez Lajara, Rafael Leonidas. Trujillo Molina, Joaquin Balaguer. Now under a representative democracy, the country is governed under Danilo Medina.

Most-read and viewed outlets in Dominican Republic are these:

• Listin DIario
• Diario Libre
• Remolacha.net
• El Caribe
• Holy Digital
• El Nacional
• El DIa
• Acento
• livio.com

One of the most prevalent current events being a talked about in the Dominican Republic is the racial turmoil between DR and Haiti, and the border war that has begun to brew on the island. Due to new laws that striped many Hatian and Dominicans of their citizenship and the rewriting the Dominican Republic Constitution in 2010. Those of whom were undocumented immigrants had to register with the government. Although many have waited for the mass deportation, that we have watched happened here, it never truly came to pass. However, the fear of the possibility of losing their home forced many to leave on their own while, according to CNN, less than a third of the estimated 210,000 left state successfully reclaimed their citizenship.

The controversy of the laws have contributed to the already mounting racial tensions on the island between Haitians and Dominicans. According to the 2012 World Population Prospects, less than 32 percent is under the age of 15, while over 60 percent is between the age of 15 to 65, with less than 10 percent over the age of 65.

There a few popular neighborhoods in the Dominican Republic. Luperon, which is the north coast of the is a natural harbor. Santo Domingo occupies the south coast of the island, and is the largest city in the Caribbean. The island holds most of the government offices with a dependable Taxi system in place. Sousa, is one of the smaller cities on the north coast with a shady legacy. High numbers in prostitution, and a risque nightlife makes this more of a partying location. Casa de Campo is one of the most expensive cities on the island. This city can be found of the southeast coast, it’s one of the most frequented resort in the Caribbean.

The popular neighborhoods here in America span from every borough, with heavy representation in Queens and the Bronx. Corona, Queens holds a large Dominican population, while Washington Heights (Spanish Harlem), and a large part of the South Bronx are seen as predominantly Spanish. Like much of New York, these areas are beginning to become gentrified, causing them to lose their essence and their heritage.

Contacts:

Vanessa Santana

[email protected]

Edwin Morel

[email protected]

Pitch Story – Haiti

Hello Emily,

I am a student in your international reporting class and I want to cover a story on the education in Haiti and how it is sadly dwindling. Most of the news that comes out of Haiti is about the tragedy that hits the country year after year, but rarely does the news really focus on how it is hitting the people of the country. This is especially true for the youngest population of the country.

When most people envision the state of Haiti, the are brought back to that image of people living in tents and eating mudcakes, because after the 2010 earthquake, they had no means of survival. What many don’t know is that this is still the situation in Haiti, so when more calamities strike, the situation becomes drastically worse. And for the children growing up in such a state of disrepair, school is the only thing they look forward to. Unfortunately, there are barely any schools in Haiti for these children, much less schools that can properly hold all the students that they want to. Classes can be packed with more than 50 children of all ages, basic necessities like a bathroom and plumbing is rare, and teachers cannot be paid; essentially doing volunteer work.

According to sionfondsforhaiti, Haiti as a whole has only 15, 200 primary schools, of which 90% are non-public and managed by communities, religious organizations, or NGOs. The enrollment rate for primary school is 67%, and fewer than 30% reach 6th grade. Secondary schools enroll 20% of eligible-age children. The January earthquake was a major setback for education reform in Haiti. Literacy levels continue to hover around 50 percent. Haiti is one of the lowest-ranked countries in the world, 177th out of 186, for national spending on education.

I spoke to Pastor Mario Agustave, the founder of the Voices For Haiti Project who has started many projects within the country along with education reform like medical assistance, housing development, and evangelistic outreach. There he is helping the people of his country who need it the most. He spoke to me about his most recent trip to Haiti last summer and the state the country is in. He especially focused on a school that the Voices For Haiti Project had help build and fund along with the government. It is an elementary school that holds over 50 children in one building the size of a regular classroom. “It is a place where the children can forget about the struggles at home with their family, and have fun learning math, singing songs, playing in the field, and being able to have a meal everyday,”Agustave says. But of course, although the children are happy it is not the most ideal situation. There is no access to water, more classrooms are need and teachers need to be paid.

This is not just a problem for the school the Voices For Haiti Project has built up, but a problem for most schools in the country. Without education, the country’s future is still bleak, and more need to know just how much Haiti needs help, not just with clothes and food, but with education as well.

Beat Memo – Haiti

The history of Haiti is a long one, that starts with the original Native Americans that lived there. The island, which currently is Haiti and the Dominican Republic, was inhabited by the Taino or Arawak people before Christopher Columbus stumbled upon the island, and called the island Ayti. After struggling through slavery, fighting for independence from France, becoming their own country, and going through corrupt government after corrupt government, Haiti is now in a state of disrepair as the poorest nation in the Caribbean, where they need help from the outside.

Languages: French and Haitian Creole

Religion: Catholicism, Catholic Voodoo, and Protestantism

News Outlets: Le Nouvelliste , Haiti United Press, Haïti Progrès , Haiti Liberté

Some current events that are in Haiti are their recovery after the 2010 earthquake, the 2011 cholera outbreak, and the Hurricane that hit Haiti last year. It is as if they don’t receive a break in natural disasters.

The immigrant community in New York is a thriving one, with many of them owning their own businesses in areas like Flatbush. Because this neighborhood is so densely packed with Haitians, the language spoken in the street is more commonly Haitian Creole than it is English.

 

Voice Of America

Voice of America is a government run news organization that does radio, television, and internet outside of America in English and in other foreign languages. It was founded 75 years ago, on February 1, 1942, during World War 2. Much later, under the Ford administration, it received its own charter and is allocated funds every year by congress.

VOA has gone through three controversies over the years, one being an interview with Taliban leader Mullah Omar Mohammad, which angered some, stating that it was giving terrorists the right to express their views. Either way, the report received the Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism.

In February 2013, a documentary released by China Central Television interviewed a Tibetan self-immolator who failed to kill himself. The man said  Voice of America’s broadcasts of commemorations of people who committed suicide in political self-immolation encouraged him, but VOA denied the allegations.

 

Haiti

The country I would love to cover is Haiti as I already have connections to this community. Being half-Haitian, I am quickly aware of the many of the stories that are happening in Haiti and the struggles that not only the people in the country are facing, but also the struggles the immigrant population in New York is facing.

Some good and possible stories that I can focus on is the natural disasters that have hit Haiti almost every year; how they are affected, and how they are trying to build themselves back up. Another story that I can focus on is the Clinton Foundation and the scandal that was brought up in regards to the money that was raised towards Haiti relief. I know that many Haitians did not vote this last election because they felt betrayed by the Clintons. Thirdly, a good story to talk about is the new government that is in place in Haiti now, after the election, and what Haitian New Yorkers think about the Haitian president now.

 

Discussion:

Potential risks of international reporting

 

Press freedom around the world

The top watchdog groups for a global free press are The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Mission statement:

The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal.

What are some of the ways that the press can be silenced?

Anyone care to guess where the US ranks in terms of press freedom around the world?

RSF rankings

Recent concerning developments regarding press freedom in the US

Ed Ou prohibited entry to cover Standing Rock

WSJ reporter Maria Abi-Habib detained on return from Beirut

In 2016, there were 259 journalists jailed worldwide

In all of 2016, there were 48 journalists killed worldwide in cases where it’s confirmed that they were targeted for their work

So far in 2017 there have been two journalists killed (where motive is confirmed)

 

According to RSF, nearly half of the world’s population has no access to freely-reported news and information.

So how do you navigate this as a journalist? How do you get the story AND protect yourself—not to mention your sources—at the same time?

 

Accreditation

Get accredited if it is advisable/feasible to do so

Things to consider:

Expense

Timeframe

Whether or not you’re trying to keep a low profile

Potential consequences for not being accredited (without it, if arrested, some governments may take the opportunity to accuse you of espionage, for instance, or of being a combatant)

 

Protect your data and your sources

Make sure your phones, laptops, tablets, etc. are encrypted

Communicate with applications like Whatsapp and Telegram if you’re discussing anything sensitive

Be careful what you share on social media

Travel “naked” if you have a lot of sensitive sources on your phone. No matter how good your encryption, if a foreign government is determined to seize your phone, they’re probably going to do it.

Remember that it’s NOT JUST YOU you’re protecting here. Especially if you’re American, your local sources and fixers will often be far more at risk than you will.

 

Be prepared

Take a hostile environment and/or first aid training if you have the opportunity to do so

Have the right gear. If body armor is recommended where you’re going, make sure you don’t skimp. It can be difficult to bring this stuff across borders so often there are local journalist organizations where you can find gear to borrow or rent.

Have an action plan, as set out in ACOS Alliance

Work with a trusted fixer

Stay at a safe hotel

Dress appropriately

Do your research

Use your network, talk to people who’ve already been there to get some advance street smarts

Don’t be a hero

 

Other common-sense safety precautions

For those of us who aren’t doing front line reporting or working in countries with repressive regimes, there are still some important safety items to consider.

How close will you be to good medical care?

What vaccinations or other precautions are recommended or legally required for the place where you’ll be reporting?

What are the roads like where you’re going?

What is the weather going to be like?

How remote is the assignment?

Do you have insurance? (Evac, equipment, etc.)

Filipinos concern at home.

As Americans are dealing with a president, that is out of touch with its people. Filipinos in the U.S are also dealing with their president at their homeland; Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has begun the war on drug, and he promised to wipe out all the people involved in drug trafficking. According to USAtoday, The total body count of suspected drug dealers or users tops 6,000. More than 2,000 were killed in police operations, and the other 4,000 died in vigilante or extrajudicial killings.”, Human rights activists have called Duterte actions inhumane.

Back in the U.S, Filipinos are allowed to vote during Philippines elections. Which makes me wonder how many Filipinos in the U.S agree with Rodrigo Duterte plans? What do Filipinos American thank about the war of Drugs in the Philippine?

So far I have contacted with one of the representative of Filipinos of New York and currently trying to get in touch with GABRIELA-USA and BAYAN-USA group. Also I will be doing man on the street interviews in Woodside, Queens, that holds more than 13,000 Filipinos residents.

Source:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/01/06/rodrigo-duterte-philippines-drug-war/96062066/