My Manifesto

Since as long as I can remember, I have called Colegio Panamericano home.  After fourteen years on this campus, the day has finally come when my new life will begin. Being part of this institution was fundamental in the formation of the man I am today, a young adult who is full of passions, ambitions, dreams and goals. For the last 14 years in school, I have been a student who has experienced both highs and lows. With that said, I have always been a friendly classmate who will try my best in order to help my classmates. Yet I don’t think that the word “classmate” fits for those who I lived almost all my life; these people are more like my brothers and sisters. 

I have learned about the importance of planning and having goals for my future, and so I’ve through the past couple years learned to set goals for myself. During this last year of school, I have probably experienced the biggest transformation in my goals.  This year we read a book in English class called Life of Pi. From this book, one of the many phrases that resonates with me is  “It is true that those we meet can change us, sometimes so profoundly that we are not the same afterwards, even unto our names.” (Martel 20). This quote affects me because it made me understand that it is not only our own efforts who create our identities and path, but also the people that surround us.

During my lifetime there have been people that have influenced my path, but my mother has always been there to support me. She has seen me make my mistakes and enforced me to correct them in order to follow a path that will lead me to success.   

My mother has been the one who teaches me about values and principals. She taught me how to behave, act, and treat others, the values she had implied on me are: responsibility, discipline, honesty, respect, gratitude, love, friendship, forgiveness, happiness, and humility among others. As I age, I realize how important it is to have values; having values describe what type of person do you are. I even have to say that my auntie has some credit in forming my values; she has given a me a book, which teaches me how to behave with others, it is called La Urbanidad De Carreño.

As part of my journey towards success, I was fortunate enough to be elected high-school president.  When I first received the position, I though it would be easy but soon enough I realized that was not the case. I feel sorry for not giving my best into STUCO; I think now that I could of done a much better job. And I hope that if the next president reads this, he or she would do a much better job.  I also decided to write this because a quote I read in Brave New World which states “...most men and women will grow up to love their servitude and will never dream of revolution.” (Huxley). I hope that those in STUCO are the spark which will lead the school into an amazing uncharted territory.

My teachers for English and Social Studies gave the assignment of writing a manifesto, and writing this was not easy at all. I had to spend several hours and drafts perfecting it to the best of my abilities. I want future seniors at Panamericano to read it and use it as example to write theirs when time comes, so here it goes:

From now on I will enjoy, life, laugh, and love and cry more. I will promise myself to be more thankful with everything that I receive from my God every day. I will achieve my goals; enter in Med School at U.I.S University, get my diploma at Colegio Panamericano and make my family proud. I will contribute more in the society I live in, by been a helping hand for anyone that needs it. I will focus my career in making people happier and healthier.

As the new days come, I will pray for war to end, for the destruction of our planet to end, in order for my future kids ands grandchildren to enjoy the loveliness of our world. I will believe more in myself and let out the fear that stops me from achieving what I want. I enforce myself to teach others in order for them to not commit the same mistakes I did, for our community to grow stronger and more united. I will encourage others and myself to work together, to have a happier, peaceful and better world. Today is the day of a change, a change for the best.

This is my manifesto, my declaration for all of you. I am hoping to achieve all the things I just said, because as J.K. Rowling once said in her book Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” I want to show how I truly am to others. I hope that you can make part of my humble revolution for next Panamericano generations, so that our school can become a better home for all of us.

            

Planned Obsolescence (Light Bulb Conspiracy)

On the movie Light Bulb Conspiracy it is shown how over the years things have change, in the past a light bulb used to last over 2500 hours, but now a days they are planned to work only to 1000 hours as top. After the depression on the U.S. things changed, before and during it things lasted a lot, in order to get out of the depression they came out with a plan, to make people believe that things with time became useless and the newer the product was the better. This plan was created in order for they to be always consumers and for business to always have profits. The first companies that used planned obsolescence were the light bulb companies like Osram and Philips.

In order to started with planned obsolescence cartels were created by this companies. At the start of the 1930 light bulb lasted 2500 hours and only in two years they fall to 1500 hours of usage. The companies had meetings in order to shorten the life of the bulbs, with the pressure of the cartels scientist had to came out with a solution to make the bulb last for no more than 1000 hours and by the 1940 it happen. Planned obsolescence came out by the hand of mass production and consumer society, it began in the industrial revolution. With the mass production the prices felt and people started buying for fun rather han for need. Planned obsolescence, for the first time after the repression was though as a law, by Bernard London, but it was until 1950 that commercials and publicity  convinced the people of the lasting of the products, the planned obsolescence became part of our society.

Photo Credit: New Media Rising

MLA Citations:

Anane, Mike, Michael Braungar, and Steve Bunn. "The Light Bulb Conspiracy." Top Documentary Films RSS. Top Documentary Films, 16 Dec. 2010. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/light-bulb-conspiracy/>.

Is The American Empire Going To End?

On the movie the 4 horsemen is it said that the government is now govern by the big corporations. According to the film the 4 horseman are: War, Famine, Conquest, and Death. As time has advance the system has change, the WWII was the point in history when the U.S. became the new Rome (Roman Empire). As every empire through history it will come to and end, it is known that all empire have similar traits that define it. The empire is divide into 6 ages: pioneers, conquest, commerce, affluence, intellect and finally decadence. The film predicts that the U.S. empire is on the decadence age because of the luxury stuff that is now on the market, the big different between poor and rich, and the devaluation of money. The decadence of currency represent the falling of and empire and on 2008 the U.S. had and economic crisis. Right now for every one dollar there is 5.25 dollars of debt. This make that 97% of the world's money is debt. This factors explained on the film show a part of society that most of the people unknown, the use of sports and different TV shows are used as curtain for all of this concerning fact. 

If the U.S. empire falls as the movie says it will have a huge impact on the society I leave in. The country that I leave in, Colombia has a big influence of the U.S. government, the TLS (the Free Trading Deal) the military bases located on different part of the U.S. represent some of the influence the country has in Colombia. There are two ways in which an empire can fall: it could die from oldness and die peacefully, but it could also die in a violent way trying to survive. If it decides to die in the violent way, my country could be use as a products supplier, by saying this I refer in the way that they can take our products like land, vegetation, food to supply their need. After this happens the next empire will try to rise and in order to this to happen the countries must fight in order to see who is the most powerful, this could bring the WWIII and the world can become a complete chaos. The value of contemplating this is that if this happens thy must have back-up plan if everything falls apart. It is also need this to try to foresee this from happening. 

Photo Credit: Top Documentary Films

MLA Citations:

Four Horsemen. Dir. Ross Ashcroft. Perf. Joseph Stiglitz, Noam Chomsky, John Perkins, Herman Daly and Max Keiser. YouTube. YouTube, 13 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fbvquHSPJU>.

Fractional Reserve Banking

The creation of money is something that everyone has question were does it comes from. On the movie we saw last week zeitgeist they describe that the creation of money is pretty much a creation of a debt. In order to create more more the government goes to the FED and ask for a certain amount of money. After they ask for that certain amount of money, they have to give kind of an electronic cheque now a days it order for the FED to create de money, but they money that is created is debt money that the government now owes to the FED.

By this we can say that is there is more money there are more debts. Money=debts, there is also another way to create money. This way is for example having a certain amount of money like saying 10 dollars, you put this ten dollars in a bank in order to be able to be in de bank you have you leave the ten percent in the bank, but you can take out the rest. You can ask for a loan, but this bank gives you the money but with a condition that you have to pay interest. In order for pay they interests for this bank people now go to another bank which has lower interest range in order for you to pay and then it goes on and on and on. So money equals debts, so people o the country are always going to be in debt after they have money. 

Photo Credit: Cartoon Stock

MLA Citations:

"ZEITGEIST: ADDENDUM | 2008 (HD)." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Dec. 2012. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbvCxMfcKv4>.

Colombia's Monetary System

The monetary system in Colombia started around the 1870, before that year banks in Colombia did not exist. Is there were no banks, they could not be any bills, so they money circulated by using coins of gold, silver, nickel and copper. On 1870 the first bank was created it was El Banco de Bogota, there were three changes in which the monetary system was created in Colombia this were: "confiscation of mortmain in 1860, the enactment in 1863 of the Constitution of Rionegro, and Colombian private banking in 1870" (Meisel)

El Banco de la Republica is govern by the scheme of targeting inflation, which purpose is to maintain a low/stable rate of inflation and achieve a wealth that coincide with the capacity of the economy. It is rule by the mandate of the Constitution to promote the improvement of the welfare of the population. El Banco de la Republica determines the monetary policy to maintain the inflation rate around the 3%.The monetary policy decision are taken based on the actual state analysis, and the goal made against the inflation. It help to ensure the stability of the prices, the improvement of life and the generation of more jobs.

The monetary policy that rules El Banco de la Republica is the same it was made by following the policy example of inflations that is conducted by the FED. They both analyze the different type of shocks that the interest rate variation create. A difference is that is the USA (FED) the monetary policy transmission is quicker that in Colombia (Banco de la Republica). The inflationary control is more complex in Colombia.

Photo Credit: Grupo Gaes Banca

MLA Citation:

Meisel, Gustavo A. "Orígenes De La Banca Comercial En Colombia : La Banca Libre, 1870-1886 | Banrepcultural.org." Orígenes De La Banca Comercial En Colombia : La Banca Libre, 1870-1886 | Banrepcultural.org. Credencia Historia, Mar. 2001. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. <http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/revistas/credencial/marzo2001/135origenes.htm>.

"La Estrategia De Inflación Objetivo En Colombia." Banco De La República (Banco Central De Colombia). Banco De La Republica, 2013. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. <http://www.banrep.gov.co/es/politica-monetaria>.

Rodriguez, Romez. "Universidad De La Salle." La Política Monetaria De La Reserva Federal Y Del Banco De La República: Entre La Ortodoxia Y Las Presiones Inflacionarias. Asimetrías En La Transmisión De La Política Monetaria. Universidad De La Salle, 2008. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. <http://revistas.lasalle.edu.co/index.php/ed/article/view/269>.

Was there a Genocide?

According to the article posted on Aljazeera, Croatia demands that Serbia have committed a genocide on 1991-1995. Croatia has sue the Serbian country with in the International Court of Justice in the Hague. Not only Croatia has sue Serbia, but Serbia has also sue Croatia. Both of the countries are suing each other of genocide. The hearing are based on the series of events that had occurred in Croatia while it was part of the Yugoslavian country in 1991-1995 war that estimated approximately 20,000 people were killed. The hearing are based on what Croatia accuses Serbia of committing genocide but Serbia has not pronounce why are they suing Croatia for.

According to the International Court of Justice, the worst/baddest/most serious international crime of them all. As being the worst crime, it is also the hardest one to be prove, according to the article there has only been one time that has been said that genocide was committed. It was said when in 1995 the Bosnian Serbs army killed over thousands of Bosnian Muslins civilians. It was known that while the Court accepted that Bosnian Serb had commenting the genocide, the International Court of Justice has declared that Bosnian Serb were guilty but the Serbia country as it self was not. The final decision while take a long time in order for it to have a final veridic, it is know that it could take over a year o be completed, the sue can not be appealed from this point. It is now wonder is this hearings will help for both of the countries to heal differences and past wound or would it bring the countries further apart.

Photo Credit: Inavukic

MLA Citations:

Zeidan, Sami. "Croatia vs Serbia Genocide Claims." Aljazeera.com. Aljazeera, 01 Apr. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. <http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2014/04/croatia-vs-serbia-genocide-claims-201441155350371352.html>.

Food Inc.

During the movie of Food Inc. it was understand how the food system is ruled in the USA. Over the past three week the concept of power was discussed on our social studies class. The sources that were used for analyzing the different type of concepts of power or how things were related to it, were Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, The Power of Illusion and Food Inc. All of this relate to each other in certain ways, the are all connect with the fact of money, all of the sources were created based on getting the more money as possible. It is going to be shown how the The Power of Illusion and the Confession of an Economic Hit Man relate to the Food Inc. video that was seen in the past week. 

Food Inc. video talked about the use of multinational companies of their power in order to control the food system in the USA, it was said on the video that companies like Tyson and Monsanto ruled the food system. The video also showed that this companies genetically modify the products in order for them to be cheaper to produce and be able to be done in a more efficient and fast way, putting in danger  the life of the consumers by ingesting the different type of chemicals that the products now contain. The  video Food Inc. relates to the book of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by the way that the companies involved with Food Inc. deal with the farmers. On the book it was shown that the (EHM) convinced they third world countries to accept the help that they offer in order for them to complete the different type of projects they planned on doing like constructing airport, building roads, etc... as a result of accepting the help from the (EHM) now the country had a huge debt that become impossible to repay, so they had to pay the USA by letting them using the land to built military bases, free trade etc... On the movie countries=farmers, and the companies=EHM, the company convince the farmers on accepting their help, but then they become slaves of the company in order to repay what they have borrow. It is also related to movie Power of Illusion in the way that this companies had become a "superior race" in the food system, by saying this it refers that the whole food system in run by this companies and the companies that decided to make a change on this are prohibit or they are so powerless that there is nothing they can do.

Photo Credit: Take Part

MLA Citations:

Perkins, John. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. San Fransisco: BK, 2004. Doc.

Adelman, L. Race- The Power of Illusion. California Newsreel.April, 2003. Online. March 17, 2014.

Food, Inc.

Machado an Angel or a Devil?

Last Friday on the OEA meetings Venezuela ambassador Roy Chaderton succeeded in not letting the Venezuelan legislator express the ideas of opposition against the government of Nicolas Maduro.   The ambassador Chaderton made the OEA eliminate from the agenda the first theme that was going to be discuss, the Venezuelan crisis in which the legislator Machado was planing to speak by using the place of Panama, and was also prohibit from speak in the last point of the agenda: other issues. The ambassador said "La diputada tiene otros foros en los que poder hablar, esta señora incumple muchos de los principios básicos que sustentan la OEA, está involucrada en muchos actos de violencia" (Chaderton) with this words he provoked that the legislator was banned from talking and taking part of the issues discussed in the meeting. 

After the meeting the legislator was stunned about what just happened, she described what happened by saying "Se dedicó todo el día a impedir que pudiera hablar, pero esta acción han demostrado que tienen miedo a que se conozca la verdadera magnitud de la represión en Venezuela, pero al impedir que se escuche una voz distinta a la del régimen, están confesando lo que está ocurriendo en mi país" (Machado). The effect of not letting here speak had an effect of the opposition movements lead by the university students. One of the promoters of the protest in Venezuela decided to give his opinion about what occurred in the meeting he said "Vemos con preocupación lo que pasa en la OEA y llamamos a que se cumplan los principios democráticos de su fundación. Se está cercenando su integridad por la chequers venezolana" (Vargas) the student is concern about the effect that this made provoke to the future, the not knowing of the international community about what it is really happening in Venezuela. The  legislator closed by saying that she had complete what she has looking for, showing the reality of what her country is facing to the international community. 

Photo Credit: El Pais

MLA Citations:

Saiz, Eva. "El Consejo Permanente De La OEA Silencia a La Oposición Venezolana."EL PAÍS. El Pais, 22 Mar. 2014. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. <http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2014/03/21/actualidad/1395372011_579758.html>.

The Economic Hit Man (EHM)

The Economic Hit Man a title given to an officer than his main job consists in pretty much bringing "slavery" to a country. The word slavery sounds awful, but is a reality, the job is to convince the different countries to receive the help the U.S.A provides them in order for them to complete their interest, like saying building roads, building airports, etc... After the United States closes the deal the country must pay back as soon as possible what they have borrow from them, but it is known that this debt will not be pay soon. After the Economic Hit Man has prepare all of the U.S.A orders the plan starts, first the "helped" country pays the monthly fines they are suppose to pay, but after a certain time the country can't be able to pay, because the taxes are so high that they don't have the enough money to pay them. This is what the United States and the Economic Hit Mans have plan from the beginning and in order for the country to pay they must allow the U.S.A or to build military bases on their countries, or to have control of they votes on the U.N or have access to the resources, etc... some example of the hits of the (EHMs) in other countries are:

Economic Hit Man, strike on Colombia leaving Panama as a part of the U.S.A. According to the book confessions of an economic hit man, Colombia over the last years of the XIX use the help of the U.S.A government in order to built the Suez Canal. In the start of 1881a series of catastrophes occurred, leaving by the 1889 the project of the Canal on a financial crisis. Not everyone so the financial crisis like a crisis but an opportunity to win some more from it. "But it had inspired a dream in Theodore Roosevelt" (Perkins, 58). Dream that Perkins refers to was the one of taking Panama from Colombia in order to have control of the Canal. Roosevelt order Colombia to sign a treaty in order for them to have control of the Panama land from now on, but they refuse, by 1903 Roosevelt send Nashville warship, killing the local commander and declaring Panama free. As a consequence of this the wealthy families of America ruled the canal.

But not only the Economic Hit Man went to Panama but they also affected Guatemala. U.S.A company had pretty much control of the fruits of the territory, the United Fruit Company. The elections for president were made, leaving as the president Jacobo Arbenz, when he started ruling Guatemala his goals were to bringing the land back to the people. He implement laws and  policies that started doing this. The Company did not like this so the created a campaign in order to show the U.S.A that Arbenz was a communist. When the United States believe this they to control of the situation by taking him out of the power. When he was remove the new president reestablish everything the united fruit company maintained they're control.

Photo Credit: Tree Hunger 

MLA Citations 

Perkins, John. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. San Fransisco: BK, 2004. Doc.

The Ghost Plane

According to The Guardian the quest of finding the MH370 plane from the Malaysian Airlines has become even harder to solve. According to the article it was said last tuesday that the searching range has grown 2.24 miles square. This means that the range where the plane could probably be in has the size of Australia. The main purpose of the Malaysian government it is to reduce the research range in order for the quest to be easy. The transport minister has declared "This is an enormous search area. And it is something that Malaysia cannot possibly search on its own" (Hussein), by saying this he refers that the help of others countries is need to find the missing plane.

It is believe that the plane did not disappear by coincidence,  but it was planned. The ideas that support this theory are that the plane was not tracked by the military radar and that it was not sure who was flying the plane in the moment when it disappears. According to the article there are over 26 countries working together to solve this mystery, Australia, Kazakistan, Laos, Indonesia, China, etc... Australia and Indonesia, are in charge of monitoring the south part of the range that is consider that the plane could be. Kazakistan and China are in charge of the northern part of the range. Kazakistan and Laos have declared that they have not found any records of the MH370 going through their airspace. The 10 day quest seem to not be close to an end, it is consider that even though with the help of other countries it could take couple of weeks to get to the bottom of the case.

Photo Credit: Global Voice Online

MLA Citations:

Branigan, Tania. "MH370: 26 Countries Searching Area Larger than Australia, Officials Say." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 19 Mar. 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/18/mh370-26-countries-searching-area-larger-australia>.

What is Race?

Race is a biological myth created to classify the society. According to the video Power of Illusion, race is that idea that was put into our heads, but with no explication. It is think that race has to do with the skin color, because that is what make us more different. But on the video it is shown that is it possible that between an black and white share more similar traits than a white with white person. Race could also be cultural.

Trying to find another explication about race we can talk about culture. It is more likely than race is complex traditions and caracteristic that a group share. With the film it is shown that it is not biological but mental. By saying this I think is an excuse to separate the different group that coexist together in society. Race for me means classification. 

MLA Citations:

Adelman, L. Race- The Power of An Illusion. California Newsreel.
April, 2003. Online. March 17,                           2014.

Protesting Should Be Allowed

According to El Espectador, members of the opposing movement in Venezuela ask for Nicolas Maduro to cease the violent reaction made against the university protesting students, and for having more control of the police officers blamed after the dead of 20 protestants.

The president of the AD (Accion Democratica), Edgar Zambrano has referred that the government has the country in a period of time that nothing good seem to come after for a while. After the past weeks of protest and the different acts of violation of rights committed by the officers directed by the President Maduro. Zambrano agrees/defends the claims and protest that are made on the streets by Venezuelan society. According to Zambrano the protest have their origen in the failure of the public politics that affect all of the different social classes.

The coordinator of the "Primero Justicia", Julio Borges has talk about this same situation. He is in completion opposition against the violence that has been made by the armed groups led by the President Maduro. He has blamed the moment of violence in Venezuela, to the Frente Francisco Mirando an armed group that has the support of the officialism. He stated “Primero Justicia respalda la protesta pacífica y deplora de manera contundente la fuerte represión que han ejercido los grupos armados a las manifestaciones pacíficas de los venezolanos, quienes protestan por los principales problemas que afectan al país y, sobre todo, a los jóvenes.”

Photo Credit:Diario El Mundo (Xinhua/Boris Vergara)

MLA Citations:

"Por El Respeto a La Protesta." ElEspectador. 'El Universal' De Caracas, 08 Mar. 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2014. <http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/elmundo/el-respeto-protesta-articulo-479459>.

Defense Wall?

Photo Credit: Activestill.org

The Israeli-Palestian Barrier is a defensive wall. As it is for having the people secure, it is used for separating them too. A wall constructed by the Israeli state, almost 11 years ago. I found and interesting article ion the +972 magazine, called "The Wall, 10 years on: The great Israeli project." On the article it is describe the consequences and problems that have occurred along the creation of this structure. It is shown how society for both parts of the wall have changed, how the infrastructure of the cities and territories close to the wall have be modified as time has gone by. 

The link for the Article is :http://972mag.com/the-wall-10-years-on-the-great-israeli-project/40683/

Interesting Link

I found this link interesting, it contains the most relevant news about what it is happening in Venezuela. It don't only contain information but interesting media, like videos and photos that make the news even better and more interesting to read. http://noticiaaldia.com

Photo Credit: Noticia Al Dia

United States will sanction

De acuerdo con el secretario de estado estadounidense John Kerry, podrán ser impleamentadas sanciones  económicas y la fuerza militar contra rusa por su intervención en Ucrania. Se entendió esto debido una entrevista dada por el secretario para el programa de (This Week with George Stephanopoulos). Tambien mesiono que el presidente de los Estados Unidos, Barack Obama, esta pensado en todas las opciones para que sean usadas frente a este hecho. 

Tanto ha sido la preocupación por parte del gobierno americano que se ha pensado hasta en tener que citar una sesión de urgencia en el congreso de este mismo país. Frente ha este dilema el representante de Illinois, Adam Kinzinger, se pronuncio diciendo que sería adecuado que el congreso y el presidente trabajarán de manera conjunta para así poder enviar un fuerte mensaje a los rusos. El presidente Obama se reunió con el presidente ruso, Vladimir Putin, para así hacerlo reconsiderar sobre la invasión planeada por el país ruso hacia Crimea, y convido al presidente de establecer pláticas con Ucrania.

Photo Credit: Daryl Cagle 

MLA Citations:

"StarMedia." StarMedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. <http://noticias.starmedia.com/politica/john-jerry-afirma-que-estados-unidos-sancionara-rusia.html>.

Are peace talks working on Israel And Palestine

The Washington post, shows how the conflict is becoming as time goes by, harder and harder to manage. Israel had asserted that Palestinian Media leaders are creating a culture of hate. The talks led by the U.S seen almost impossible to be completed. Israeli government are tracking the new media sites that are in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the government assures that after the Secretary of State, John F. Kerry relaunched the negotiations between the two groups, things has become worst. 

The Israeli goverment, declared that on the tv shows for Palestinian kids the Israeli people (Jews) are shown as some type of barbaric monkeys. There is also a quote made by Adolf Hitler on Facebook page of a Palestinian High school. Other example shown by the Israelians, a summer camp with Palestinian kids, proclaim that their extends from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, which means that Israel must be wipe out.

While the Israeli try to show that Palestinians are the ones that are slowing the peace talks in order to find a solution to the problem, they said that Israelians are the ones that do not want this peace agreements to success. Mahmoud Abbas suggest that Israeli soldiers have poisoned Palestinian prisoners and had undermined the third holiest land of Islam. As it seem the peace talks are not going anywhere, both sides argued that there are being attacked by the other, so they will not be part of any peace treaty.

                                                 Photo Credit: The Economist

MLA citations:

Booth, William. "Israel Says Palestinian ‘incitement’ Could Undermine Peace Talks." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 06 Jan. 2014. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israel-says-palestinian-incitement-could-undermine-peace-talks/2014/01/06/f8964eae-76f9-11e3-a647-a19deaf575b3_story.html>.

The Origins of Conflict (Venezuela)

In order to start talking about anytype of conflict, it must be first defined what is a conflict? The word conflict is defined as: A state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests; a clash. Now reffering to the arguments and the revolts that are occuring in Venezuela between the opposing party lead by the Henrique Capriles and the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro; it was all started after the death of the ex-president Hugo Chavez. After his death, elections in order to state a new mandatary of state had to be made. The two main candidates for this role: Capriles and Maduro differ a lot; Capriles wanting to change the type of goverment/ideas that ruled the country and Maduro wanting to continue with the ideals of Chavez.

After the elections were made there was a new president, Nicolas Maduro. The decision was made, it cause a great controversy in the country, it was a small difference of votes between both candidates, which made people believe that the elections could be manipulated by the candidate Maduro. It seem odd that Maduro, supported by a small part of the population won, while Capriles had most of the citizens of Venezuela in his favor. The elections were supposed to be analysed. It was a big frustration the Venezuelan community knowing that Maduro would govern their country, a man with no university studies, with no strong arguments in its speaches. 

The country enter in a complete caos, food, supplies and necessities were not supplied by the goverment. Over in the markets the shortage of food made people complains about the decisitions that were made by the mandatary. But it was until the university students went out to the streets in order to protest that the conflict became worst. The police department was send to control the protestant students in a violent way, they took their weapons and started shooting at the students causing deaths, harms, and arrests made to the students.

Students were protesting for their rights, and the security of these. These went out after knowing that in the first days of February after and intent of violation to an student of the " Universidad de Los Andes" located on the city of San Cristobal was made. The protest started on the house of the governor of Tachira, Jose Vielma Mora and then translating Medira, asking for the liberation of the students capture previously, and the insecurity students had to live with not only on campus but on the streets. 

 

The opposing side supports the students that are asking for the preservation of their rights. But with the opposing party taking part of the revolts, the president decided to censure the media that transmit anytype of imagines of the protests, he also ask for the capture of Leopoldo Lopez and Henrique Capriles members of this party. Maduro tries to explain or support his decisions by saying that, the opposing party if looking for a coup d'état. 

United Nations, International Amnesty and Human Rights Watch reject the acts of violence that Maduro's goverment are committing and demanded to his goverment the respect for life, and the investigations of the deaths that had been committed. While other governments like Rafael Correa's, on Ecuador, gave their support for Maduro.

The Places We Came From

Syria and the U.S 

Are the places I've been; 

Both have become a mess, 

U.S with their capitalism and Syria with Al-Assad regime. 

In the U.S 

People live a way that other desire;

Their people believes in parties and games,

While in Syrian their towns are on fire.

Now living on Syria

I fell afraid

So much that I just want to pray to la Virgen Maria

In order for someone to come to our aid

My name is Andres Felipe Hernandez i am 18 years old, my friends use to call me ``dres´´, i have been at school for 13 years, my time here has been fun and happy since i remember i hope that these last years continue to be like that. I have a lot of hobbies which are listening to music, playing sports. My favorite sport is soccer which i like to play a lot with my friends, I play as defense or midfielder, other hobbies i have are traveling and playing PlayStation. Most of my free time i spend it at the TV either watching movies of playing fifa, i love watching movies, i don't name it as a hobbies cause is more as a part of my live. One of my dreams is to have my own theater at home in which i can see movies with my kids all Sunday at home cause for my Sunday are for staying at home doing nothing only watching movies, going to church, and ordering food. I also like to spend a lot of time with my friends. I think i introduced my self now , i hope you enjoy my blog thanks.