International Reporting 2020

Dear Editor ([email protected]),

My name is Quinn Reeves and I am a Journalist located in Brooklyn.  I hope you’re doing well in these uncertain times and keeping safe!

I wanted to pitch a story that I believe would fit in with the VICE issues section very well and is especially relevant right now.  Currently, Polish citizens are fighting a big battle for human rights being threatened by their government.  The newly elected Polish President Andrzej Duda and right-wing government are attacking the LGBTQ+ community with everything they have right now.  According to a report published this year by ILGA Europe, Poland is the most homophobic and transphobic country in the EU.  They have allowed LGBT-free zones to pop-up all-over Poland which means cities are allowed to pass local laws condemning “LGBT ideology”.  According to the nonprofit Stonewall Poland, these zones currently take up one-third of Poland making many citizens feel targeted and unsafe.

I am planning to interview Polish Americans to get their opinions on what is happening in their home country right now.  Through the Polish American contacts, I will also have access to individuals in Poland living through these protests.  I would like to speak with them about their experiences and feelings towards the current political climate.  My goal with this piece is to shine a light on the injustices happening in Poland, the affected people, and how they are fighting back.  I have thought around an 800-word piece to sum all of this up.

In addition to the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Poland, a week ago Poland’s already restrictive abortion laws have become even tighter.  This new law has taken away a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy because of severe fetal defects.  Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to protests these human rights violations.  With such a tense situation unfolding in Poland right now there is much to be covered and brought to light.

I look forward to talking more with you about this piece!  I hope you have a safe and fun Halloween weekend.

Best,

Quinn Reeves

Dear Sia Michel (Deputy Culture Editor, New York Times),

I hope you have been doing well since we last spoke. I’ve been following your Twitter feed and have gotten an idea of the direction in which you are taking your department. I’ve been doing a good amount of reporting in New York’s Haitian community and believe I have a story that will fit into your culture section. It focuses on the complicated relationship between Haitians and the United States and speaks to the broader issues of what it is like to be an immigrant in America.

Many immigrants can find common ground, but each person also carries the specific baggage of their own life and country with them when they arrive. Haitians face challenges such as the prospect of succeeding as dark-skinned individuals in America and an atypical language barrier—people in their home country typically speak neither English nor Spanish fluently. Many Haitians come to the US for the chance at a better life, but this hope is not blind. Every Haitian immigrant I have spoken with so far has expressed a definitively nuanced immigrant experience. The relationship with their adopted nation will never be black or white, purely good or purely bad.

Principally, I want to cover the general attitude of Haitian immigrants in New York towards both their home nation and the US. Interviews, GDP figures, and the prevalence of remittance payments back to Haiti will establish the former, while interviews with Haitian immigrants, diaspora data, and immigration statistics will ground the latter aspect of the story. Furthermore, I want to analyze how the US has interfered in Haiti over the last few decades, usually under the guise of humanitarian aid. This will contrast well with one source of mine, a Haitian immigrant who established a healthcare-focused, non-profit organization with infrastructure in Haiti. Going from there, I would also like to delve into what happened between the nations after the 2010 earthquake and Haitian’s attitudes towards the Clintons and American politics.

Please let me know if you have any follow-up question or ideas on how to adapt it for your publication. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

Sincerely,

Luke Stevens

Waste management in South Korea involves the appropriate treatment, transport, and disposal of the waste. Since recycling is mandatory in the country, recycled items are disposed of in any clear plastic bag and divided by items. Through effective management, South Korea, which is working toward a zero-waste society, saw a reduction in waste generation. Although it may seem like South Korea has always worked toward a zero-waste society, history tells a different story. In the middle of the 1980s, recycling started as the Waste Management Law was established. By enforcing several more acts to reduce waste and educating people, South Korea slowly made a progress that made a recycling culture that is a standard in the country today.

In The New York Times, an important question has been posed: “If you are a New Yorker and sort your recycling at home, as city law mandates, you probably wonder, as you rinse bottles and stack junk mail and scrub yogurt containers: Does all this effort make a difference?” All the efforts could be made at an individual level. However, if structural change does not happen, all those individual efforts are futile.

In this piece, I would like to address how some states in the United States can work toward a zero-waste society (what it takes to develop a habit of recycling) and what they can learn from many challenges that South Korea had to face while getting used to the waste management system.

To Michael Agger, cultural editor at the New Yorker

Good afternoon,

My name is Lylia and I’m a freelance journalist for Baruch College Magazine. I have written a story bouncing back on Deborah Treisman’s article on culture clashes, and I believe it would be a good fit for your publication.

In recent months, international students in the United States have been targeted by the Trump administration on a more frequent basis than usual:

• In May and for most of his term, president Trump has tried to restrict the Optional Practical Training (OPT) granted to International students, claiming that jobs should be made available for American first.
• In summer, they were asked to leave the country if classes were held online — an order which was reversed due to the high reaction of universities.
• More recently the Trump’s administration proposed a new regulation on F1 students visa, mandating two and four year expiration period. If approved the order would become the biggest change to international student regulations in almost 20 years.

Despite constant reminders that they are not welcome here and that American come first, more than one million international students are currently enrolled in American universities. My piece is an attempt to understand how these international students feel about studying in the USA in such a tensed climate and how their identity is challenged. (i.e. Do I feel more attached to home or the USA? Am I American or a foreigner? Etc.)

If you have any questions about the piece feel free to reach out. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Lylia

 

To: Jenna Mahale, i-D Contributor, <[email protected]>

From: Naydeline Mejia, <[email protected]>

Hey Jenna,

I hope this email finds you well.

It’s been a bit since we’ve been in touch. I hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy during these difficult times. 

I apologize for never getting back to you with a workshopped pitch on that story idea I had about digital costume designers––life got a bit hectic. Nevertheless, I am reaching out today because I have an exciting feature story in mind that I think you and the i-D team might be interested in instead! 

I want to spotlight a talented New York City based photographer by the name of Alberto who is documenting the “real” New York through sharp, poignant portrait photography. 

During the large wave of Black Lives Matter protests that took place across the U.S. this past June, as a response to the murder of George Floyd, Alberto captured several images of a protest in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan that quickly garnered viral attention. The images, which show a moment of solidarity between Haitian- and Dominican-Americans, even caught the attention of some prominent celebrities such as Cardi B who reposted some of the images on her own social media channels. The Haitian and Dominican flags, neighboring countries that have long had a hostile relationship due to the existing anti-Blackness in the Dominican Republic, are pictured together as a symbol of two conflicting countries coming together to fight against an issue that affects all Black people no matter their ethnicity: police brutality. 

I believe this would be a great fit for i-D because the publication has spotlighted up-and-coming photographers in the past as a large part of the i-D mission is shining a light on underground artists in the U.K. and abroad. I have done similar features in the past––this one specifically reminds me of the i-D voice and style––and I would love to be able to converse and work with more creatives to develop similar stories. 

I am envisioning around 800 words for this feature in which I will ask Alberto about his creative process, why he has chosen portraiture as his creative medium, what has been the impact of the viral photo to his career and, subsequently, what have been his experiences with anti-Blackness in the Dominican community. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to consider my pitch, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,

Naydeline

Tianwen NO.1 detector landing on Mars is a popular topic in October in China. I would like to write about this subject for my second paper topic.

At 23:00 on October 9^th, 2020, China’s Fly Group first completed the mission of probing Mars. Tianwen NO.1’s engine had fired for 480 seconds and successfully launched into space. This deep space track mechanic mission worked about twenty-nine million four hundred thousand meters away from the earth. The most incredible part of the Tianwen NO.1 Mars probe mission is that it took just one try to probe, land , and make a circuit with three programs. The achievement is unprecedented progression of human beings detecting the universe. Human beings had attempted Mars probing 44 times prior, but only 19 were successful; partial success happened 23 times. So, Mars was called “detector tomb”. Tianwen NO.1 also has overcome this problem. This great success on Mars has been one more giant leap for mankind.

For this fresh and interesting topic, I will do abundant research to find more details of the mission and behind story. Meanwhile, America had a similar plan for probing Mars before China complete the task in 2020. To find the reason why America postpone the original plan more than a few months is another point to write in the paper.

 

For my second story, hopefully it will suffice for everyone to understand and grasp the systematic life the Caribbean Community faces during COVID-19. I will mention how the community deals with an ideological approach on being the highest attraction of the virus and increase on death rates. During the presidential debates, one of the topics discussed between President Donald Trump and nominee Joe Biden was about the Black and Brown community being 1 in 1000 are dying from the virus because the majority of the community are essential workers on the front line during this tragic pandemic. The lowest death rate comparisons are the White and Asian communities. The CDC concluded this approach to be a racial disparity of discrimination towards the community.

 My goal for this story is to get the perspective from the community how these new systematic ratios should not be the reason why the people have increased death rates and are the most prone to spread the virus. Although the majority of the community are working essential jobs such as Medical, Transit, Construction, Technical and Law Enforcement and many more which makes it difficult knowing that full exposure can occur at any time. 

My Editor and I have completed a questionnaire that we are sharing to the community and posting via Facebook and LinkedIn to get everyones opinion on this topic and the more feedback received the better to back up my story while the community tries to find solice during this pandemic and in general life changes.

For my second story I would like speak on the recent change of political party in the Dominican Republic. The country had been under the same political party for approximately 20 years until the new election occurred. Now with the new President, Luis Abinadel they are under the political party known as “PRM” which stands for “Partido Revolucionario Moderno.” In English meaning “Modern Revolutionary Party.” Before they were with the president Danilo Medina with the party “PLD” which stands for “Partido de la Liberation Dominicans”. In English “Dominican Liberation Party.”

I want to touch bases on how the country is coping with the economic changes this is causing. It is also bringing to light the wrong doings of their past presidents of the “Dominican Liberation Party.” I would interview certain people as sources that are in the political world in Dominican Republic as well as people from both parties to get their perspective on the situation and their feelings toward.

This is not a concrete idea just yet, I was speaking to my parents about current issues occurring their right now since I was a bit stumped on what to write and they told me this is huge story that they believe is very relevant since it happening right now and is a very interesting topic to get the word out on. I am a bit worried about not being able to cover this properly being that politics is a very touchy topic but with the help of research and good interviewed sources I hope I can serve the audience well and get some good information in my piece focusing on some key changes this is causing.

UN Briefing – October 27, 2020

The meeting started out with an announcement of how COVID-19 has affected the staff at the United Nations. Right now they are in the midst of conducting extensive contact tracing so that everyone who is at risk will be informed.

Syria – Talking about Syria, a security resolution is on the horizon, but Syrian front lines have not changed in the recent months. There have been less civilian deaths since 2011, but that does not mean the tensions have disappeared. Security Council, Geir Pederson, the Special Envoy for Syria, warned that the involvement of foreign militaries in Syria continues to be a source of worry.

There is a call for additional protection for the civilians and aid workers who are affected by violence and security at the front-lines. ‘Shelling in front‑line areas in the north‑west, as well as air strikes in Idlib, have continued,” said Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock.

Tanzania – Tanzania is getting ready for their general elections on October 28. To prepare for this event, Secretary-General called for protection at the polls to “ensure that the polls are conducted in an inclusive and peaceful manner.” This will allow for the nation to vote and exercise their civil and political rights.

Afghanistan – Violence and death has plagued this nation and have claimed the lives of 40 civilians in addition to injuring many women and children. The Secretary-General strongly condemns the actions of those involved int eh attacks, and calls them “deliberate attacks against civilians are serious violations of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes.” The Secretary-General wants those who are guilty to be held accountable and for us to stand in solidarity with the Afghanistan people and government.

No areas are considered safe in Afghanistan, with hospitals and other health facilities being attacked. According to the World Health Organization, 15 facilities have been targeted which has resulted in thousands of people being impacted.

Yemen– Malnutrition has affected parts of Yemen where children under the age of 5 are showing symptoms of severe under-nourishment and distress. The rates are at the highest in all 133 southern districts of Yemen and the cases have gone up 10 percent since last year.

In order to combat this issue, the United Nations is appealing for “more than $50 million to urgently scale up nutrition programmes, including treatment for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.” Funds are also needed to upgrade the food, water, sanitation, and immunization programs.

Armenia – Escalating conflicts in and around Nagorno-Karabakh are continuing. The World Health Organization is delivering needed supplies that include medial kits, trauma and surgical kits to both Armenia and Azerbaijan to help take care of 100 injured people.

Peacekeeping– Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean‑Pierre Lacroix, came together with the African Union Commission Peace and Security Commissioner, Smaїl Chergui, in the Central African Republic.  They will be joined there by the President of the Economic Community of Central African States Commission, Gilberto Veríssimo.  The visit hopes to advance peace and stability in the country prior the upcoming elections to take place on December 27.

Together they will meet with the political parties, civil society, government officials and women’s groups. They want to ensure that the elections are fair and that it follows the political agreement that was signed by the Government and 14 armed groups in February of 2019.

Ecuador – The United Nation Team there is working with authorities to assess the damage done by the pandemic. They are focusing on trying to keep businesses open and jobs in place. The UN Development Programme (UNDP), UNHCR [United Nations Refugee Agency] and the UN migration agency (IOM) are looking to help businesses pivot and get online. Together the  launched a digital start‑up initiative and it has reached over 120,000 businesses. This initiative aims to help businesses get their products online and boost their visibility and add to their bottom line.

Global Foreign Investment – The latest report revealed by the UN Conference on Trade and Development reports that global foreign direct investment (FDI) has fallen 49 percent in the first have of 2020 compared to last year. This is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, developing economies have also experienced a large fall In FDI, with $98 billion reached in a six-month period. This result is a decline of 75 percent since last year.

Climate – The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change announced the winners of this year’s UN Global Climate Action Awards.  This year’s recipients included the Caribbean’s only carbon‑neutral hotel in Aruba and the world’s first platform fully devoted to green bonds, and others that are noted on the UN website.

As COVID-19 continues to affect European nations at an increased rate, schools in the United Kingdom have been closed since March 2020. It has been estimated that the school closures have impacted 94% of the global population of students. For this story, I want to look into how remote learning is affecting students and faculty in the United Kingdom. What are the major issues faced and do they relate to ours? How is the government helping out the school system? I would interview students and teachers to understand what is happening and are the plans put in place working. In addition, I would like to report on the technological difficulties they are facing and how they working to fix it.

I also want to research what steps are they taking to keep everyone safe. I learned that T]he measures taken by the schools to prevent the spread range from region to region. Finally, what happens if the situation gets worse, are they prepared to handle this and what would the next steps be.