Even Natural Disasters have a Class System in Modern Society.

10 Mar 2011

by Rob in Blogging, Charity, In My Opinion, Life in General, Our World Tags: 22nd February 2011, Christchurch, Class systems, DEC.org, Disaster Emergency Committee, Earthquake, Haitian Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, ITV, ITV News, Modern Age, Natural Disasters, New Zeland, Religion, Society

We are so eager to prove to each other and show in government and society as a whole that Class systems are a thing of the past in our modern age? Yet I was moved today while listening to a BBC presenter reading out emails from people who know of or have loved ones stuck in some horrendous conditions in the earth quake hit city of Christchurch on the south Island of New Zealand. While I was sitting listening to the difficulties and hardships that so many people are still living through several weeks after the quake devastated the city, I had to ask myself where is the international arm of assistance? Where are the Disaster Emergency Committee’s appeals? Where are the international rescue teams, and more over why are we quite happy to sit back and do nothing about it?

It troubles me that in today’s day and age, in the middle of humanitarian crisis around our world there is a clear cut gauge used in response to a natural disaster. I would like an explanation as to how the nations and governments of the world decide who is deserved of international crisis aid and who is not. I have not once heard the British Prime Minister stand up before parliament or our nation and declare and emergency response to the devastation caused by the 22nd February 2011 earthquake.

Does this mean that the residents of Christchurch are any less deserving of our support and aid as an international community? Does it mean that we consider the population of New Zealand to be of a class non deserving of our help at a time of great need? Who is it that makes these decisions, and how is it that if such a disaster were to happen in a third world nation, our outcry would be instant and immediate? Yet when such a disaster hits a first world nation we all sit back and say well just let them get on with it on their own.

I’ve sat and watched the television as millions of pounds are spent around the world helping those who have gone through devastation of one nature or another, and while I do not begrudge the aid that these people receive, for it is clearly needed, but I do however have issue with the way that we choose which crisis we will endeavour to support and which we will ignore.

It irritates me that when a White run government is in power in a fairly stable and economically productive country in the world it is automatically deemed that in the event of a natural disaster that the country is capable and has means and the ability to deal with the unfolding scale of the human tragedy by itself. A perfect example of this was the crisis that befell the citizens of New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina obliterated their city. In the wake of one of the most devastating hurricanes of the last 25 years, the world sat back and watched as hundreds of thousands of people were left to fend for themselves. I remember being struck by anger at that time at how lethargic the world were to pull their hands out their pockets and send assistance to a community caught up in the horrors of surviving a natural disaster.

America is one of the most giving nations on our planet, and if it were not for the USA, which so many of us choose to hate, we would see millions of people in worse of conditions than they find themselves today. They are not perfect, but they sure know what the word charity means, and I am sick and tired of watching nation after nation holding out its begging plate to a nation that its very own people have no respect for, and would choose gladly to go to war with expecting to receive US Aid, food, medical supplies and infrastructural support. Yet when the Americans needed us, where were we?

And now once again I see the exact same thing befalling the citizens of Christchurch, New Zealand. Not one of our reporters has visited the city to tell the story of the devastation and hardships that its people have experienced. ITV TV, one of what I consider to be the better British news channels clearly has its priorities all wrong, as when the Haitian earthquake hit in 2010, reporter were camped on the streets to tell of the hardships of the local people. We saw film footage of the power of nature and the effects it has on people as rescuers fought to save victims caught in the rubble. We visited camps and were shown the difficulties of feeding the people, the sanitation problems and the woes of those who had little access to the simplest of things like water.

Yet are these not the same difficulties facing the victims of the Christchurch earth quake? I listened to narration of people letting two, three and four families stay in houses built to house one. I heard talk of the lack of power, sanitation and running water through much of the city three weeks on from the disaster. I heard tails of the difficulties of getting supplies and survival, while families wait to find out if their homes are safe to return to or need to be demolished. This is very much in my opinion news worthy material, that our news teams just have no interest in covering, as it is more sensational to show us film footage from five days ago that they shot in Libya as they choose to cover a civil war in a war torn part of Africa.

I guess there is nothing wrong with telling us about the efforts of the rebels to overthrow an evil dictatorship, I just feel that there is an issue here, as judgement clouds the eyes, brains and human affiliations to people who are just as credible and deserved of our attention and support. I strongly believe that if the New Zealand government had been a native Maori government would we be more active in putting foreign aid their way, and doing more to cover the issues affecting the people of a native New Zealand. In today’s day and age to be able to even think such things is incredible, as our world is affected by a great many manmade crisis’s, but when it comes to nature, it does not choose colour, creed, nationality, rich or poor. It randomly strikes out and takes loved ones from every race and family. Choosing to leave others to struggle on in the wake of the weight of survival and the guilt of being left behind, but also to deal with the clean up and process of getting on in life.  http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4712.m570.l1313&_nkw=dvd+with+media+on+it&_sacat=See-All-Categories

In this modern world, in this day and age, class systems should not exist when it comes to human suffering. It is wrong for nations, governments, organisations, you and me to turn a blind eye when disaster hits a part of the world we consider to be richer than other places. Every disaster is a tragedy and deserves our attention, support, charity and assistance. Lets strive to be better people and learn that alone we are pathetic, weak and at the mercies of mother nature. Yet together we can learn to make life better, to help and support one another through pain, hurt and loss. Together we can make tomorrow a better place where the woes of today are carried on equal yokes, shared and carried together. Helping your brother does not mean helping those you only choose deserve your help. It means helping even those that maybe you dislike, hate or feel are less deserving of your time and effort.

I don’t care what religion you are from, even if you’re a pagan, you know it is right to help those in times of need. Your god, allah, spiritual force or whatever it is that you believe does not teach us to be selfish and full of hate. It does not teach us that we are better than one another. True humility is to respect your own humanity and realise that you are just as vulnerable and needy as anyone else around you. This class driven society in which we live is foolish and sets us up to look like hypocrites. I personally don’t wish to be known as that kind of person. My time and effort is there to help anyone I am able and to call to each and every one of you that read this to strive to do the same. Don’t bring shame on yourself by your actions, rather be meek and strive to be all you can to everyone you can.

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3D in class

27 December 2010 Last updated at 01:49 By Jane Wakefield Technology reporter Biology teacher Ros Johnson says 3D projections of body organs have given lessons a new direction at the Abbey School in Reading.

Biology lessons are a distant memory for me but if they had been anything like the one I've just sat through at Abbey School in Reading, I think I may have remembered a little more.

The pupils were looking at how a chest works, via 3D glasses and a 3D-enabled projector.

The 3D thorax that caused the excitement

"So cool", "It's huge", "I thought the diaphragm was a flat muscle," "I didn't realise it wasn't under the ribs" were just a few of the comments made when the girls put on their glasses to examine the model of the thorax in more detail.

"It is an amazing experience, so good for learning," said Yvette.

"Much more interesting than looking at a flat text book," added Polly.

"It is more lifelike which makes it easier to grasp the concept, " said Rosie.

If 2009 had a buzz word it might have been 3D. But despite the hype, there are murmurings that it is a gimmick already getting past its sell-by-date.

Some reports suggest cinema audiences are starting to tire of 3D movies and, while 3D TVs are increasing sales, not everyone is impressed with the results.

According to net measurement firm Nielsen, only a tiny percentage of houses have 3D TV with many others saying they have no intention of upgrading.

Not so in education, where it seems 3D could have a real future, breathing new life into an ageing curriculum and offering a glimpse of how 21st education should be.

The girls at Abbey School enjoyed their 3D lesson

"We aren't far away from the next stage where children can hold and manipulate 3D images in their hands. This could be combined with online learning. It could be a phenomenally successful educational model that is truly visionary," said Katheryn MacAulay, deputy head at the school.

She introduced the system to Abbey School in the spring of 2010, having discovered Texas Instrument's (TI) system at the BETT education show.

"TI wanted to see whether it would be successful in a non-US environment and we agreed to test it," she said.

Within four months she had interest from schools in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey and at next year's BETT will be talking to 100 headteachers about how the system has slotted into the curriculum at Abbey School.

Ros Johnson, head of biology at the school, said she was "gobsmacked" when test results from classes using the 3D technology were compared to those without it.

"The 3D results were significantly better," she said.

Teaching a Year 7 class about plant cells proved difficult using traditional methods

"You try to explain how cells divide and they aren't getting it," she said.

But with a 3D model to explore, the class had a collective light bulb moment.

There is beginning to be a backlash against 3D cinema and TV

"I knew it would be useful but I didn't expect it to have such a significant effect," said Ms Johnson.

3D in the classroom isn't gimmicky said Ms Johnson, instead it is very much just a part of the lesson, rarely on for more than 10 minutes.

The fact that it can be projected over the whiteboard means that it is easy to switch between 3D and 2D teaching.

It is early days for 3D technology in schools. 3D-ready projectors are no more expensive than normal ones but a class set of glasses currently costs around £1,500.

This seems even more expensive when the technology is so new and therefore prone to glitches.

The class set at Abbey School had to be replaced because of synching issues as pupils moved their heads around in very different ways to how someone simply viewing a movie would do.

There is also more to do to develop software for the system. According to Ms Johnson some of resources she has used have been factually inaccurate.

"The software developers must work with teachers in future," said Ms MacAulay.

Despite the issues, the school is already building up an impressive library of 3D resources in a wide array of subjects from maths to geography and history.

3D in the classroom could be here to stay.

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