DP 2: Letter to Senator

Regarding: EDUCATION FOR ALL ACT 2007 (S. 1259 / H.R. 2092)
GLOBAL CHILD SURVIVAL ACT (S. 1418 / H.R. 2266)
JUBILEE ACT FOR RESPONSIBLE LENDING AND EXPANDED DEBT CANCELATION(HR 2634)

Dear Senators,

My name is Tristan Medina and I am writing to you concerned with the amount of foreign aid that the US giving to other countries, according to the 2003 publication of RealAid 80% of all the aid that the US gives is phantom aid, never reaching it's intended recipients. Also, our country is only giving .07% of it's GNP to the Millennium Project instead of the agreed upon .7% od the GNP. This is why I am concerned because if we did give the correct amount to these Millennium Projects the three bill stated above would have never needed to be written, and Congress would not have to waste time debating over them. Two of the Millennium projects are to have all children in school, and to reduce child mortality. So please hear me out and try to bring forth a foreign aid reform and have the US fully support the UN Millennium Project goals, and since we are a world super power other coumtries are most likely to follow suit.

Thank you,

Tristan Medina

DP 2: The Mustard Weed

The mustard seed is more like a weed, something that no farmer wants, but once received no farmer can get rid of. The mustard plant is agressive, quick to spread, and deadly to other plants, also once it is in there is no use of trying to get it out. Why Jesus would use this to explain the Kingdom of God, one may want to know, but Jesus used this as an example if the Kingdom of God because the mustard seed is like the Kingdom of God, it is also aggressive, and quick to spread, and it will be forever in what it has been planted in.

Executive Summary on Africa

When it comes to donation did you know that not all of the money you give to the cause will reach those who need it, actually only one-third of all donor money ends up being used correctly. Phantom aid is a portion of donor money that is either "skimmed off the top" by those handling the money, or is poorly spent, like overpriced assistance, thus most of it never reaching its intended recipients. Some excess expenditures that contribute to phantom aid are: transaction costs, administrative costs, technical assistance, etc. One of the bigger players in the phantom aid problem is the United States because of their lack of focus on the poverty subject due to other political reasons, like the War on Terror, also 86% of US foreign ends up being foreign aid, and there are solutions to the phantom aid problem. These solutions can be: clearer policies regarding aid, a UN run international forums where the progression of aid can be viewed, and a re-prioritizing of spending.

With our money and resources, as a class we can do a few things tohelp end the problem of phantom aid. A few options are: writing letters hassling congress to spend aid money better to help end phantom aid, we can find a legitimate organization to donate money to that will make sure all of our money becomes real aid, and we can open more eyes to the problem of phantom aid because if more people see the problem, more would want to help end it. If we were to choose one of these recommendations we would be able to help put an end to phantom aid because if people see what is happening the government would be pressured into doing something to end phantom aid.

DP 2: What Should We Do?

As a class I believe that we should do a few things: first we have to believe in the Millenium Project and that it will be successful, second we can write to our government leaders about international aid reform, and third we need to open more eyes to seeing compassion, not just in our class. The reason I suggest the trust in the Millenium Project is that things tend to be more successful when trusted, and that if all trust in the Millenium Project there will be more faith in it, thus more people willing to contribute to this cause. The suggestion of writing to our government can put more pressure on them to get their act together and hopefully stop the issue of phantom aid and the worry of people skimming off the top, also us being California and pressuring our government into an international aid reform, other states should follow suit. The reason I suggest opening more eyes to seeing compassionately is that we live in a cold country where everyone is only worried about themselves, but if we can open eyes there will be more people that see the problem of poverty in Africa, and if more people can see the problem thhere will be more people willing to solve it.

Portfolio 2: Singer on Poverty

How far should we go to help others?

What do we owe as indivduals?

Do we have an obligation to help complete strangers, and if we do how much should we give out?

Is not doing good considered doing bad?

Why should those distant from me matter as much as those near and dear to me?

Who should we give help to first?

Why don't some humans feel obligated to help another human?

Does class come into play when helping others?

Who really needs more help, the poor or the rich?

Was the beaten man in the Samaritan parable the one who actually needed the help?

Portfolio 2: Good Samaritan Interpritation

Jesus' criticism and solution to the lawyer's question of how to gain eternal life was to tell the lawyer to be a good neighbor. After hearing that the lawyer asks the question of who is his neighbor, and Jesus tells him the parable of the Good Samaritan and then flips the question and asks the lawyer what does it mean to be a good neighbor, meaning what does it mean to be human? This was the solution to the lawyer's question; to have life one must be a good neighbor, that meaning to be a real human being. To be a real human being means to have the ability to see those who are suffering, not necessarily helping them, but just being able to see them, just as the Samaritan saw the beaten man on the road.

Portfolio 1: John the Baptist

The things that John the Baptist says and does to fore shadow the teachings of Jesus are his sermons to crowds of many, his baptisms of many, and the fact that he is preaching God's word out to the masses. John also states specifically that, "But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." John was talking about the coming of Jesus. Based on this part of John the Baptist's story I believe that Jesus' words will be very strong, as John's are like when he called the people a brood of vipers. Also, I believe that Jesus will teach about generosity because in John's sermon he specifically said that the man with two tunics should give one to the man with no tunics. John's sermon also gives foreshadowing to Jesus' lessons about fairness by telling the tax collectors not to take more than the required taxes, also John told the soldiers to stop extorting money, and to be happy with their pay. With Jesus growing up in a family with John the Baptist as a cousin and Mary as his mother Jesus will most likely grow up to preach the word of God, and to love everyone around him.

Portfolio 1: Jesus as a Refugee

I believe the way that Jesus' being a refugee has shaped him to be the way he was is that since he grew up in a hostile environment, also being an outsider, he was taught by his parents to grow up as a kind, loving person, especially to his enemies. The way it has shaped his conciousness was that if he kept going down the path of hatred it would never end, and if he was to be nice and love his enemies, they would see a different perspective on life and the madness would be put to an end. He knew that his mission was to help the world become a better place and he knew that the only way it would happen was to love, and spread the word of God, so he did. Jesus, growing up in a hostile environment, was an outcast and an outsider, so he knew what it felt to be part of the down trotten, and with that knowledge he associated with these types of people, like the lepers, the beggars, and the homeless. He did this to show that these people, the lowest in society, were worthy enough to have the company of the son of God, also this was to show that Jesus was as much of an ordinary man as he was a divine being. Jesus' being a regugee helped him to realize that he must be the loving one and the spreader of God's word because if he didn't no one else would have, or the other person wouldn't have been as influencial. This is because since birth Jesus has been hunted down and has had enemies, and because of that his words carry heavy strength.

Portfolio : Who's your momma?

I feel that Mary is a special woman because she was the one chosen by God to father Jesus. She seems very humble and very calm. Also she was a lower-class member of society chosen over any queen to be the bearer of God's child. She always semms to have an angelic grace in every protrail of her, but she seems very sad.

As a person to believe in such strong predictions Mary seems like a very down-trotten, maybe even desperate person, but if she believes so strongly it giver her the hopes that she will stay alive to lead a good life. Reading these passages Mary seems like a lower class peasant type woman. There are many ways that her commmunity that could have seen her pragnancy, one would be that they were all grateful that the Messiah was coming, another could be that the community could have seen Mary as a sinner by being pregnant before she was married, and lastly the community could have been jealous that such a low class woman would be favored by God.

I believe that God chose Mary because she was from the lower class of society because the lower class, if given such a gift, will take care of it and be truly greatful, also will be humble about it. But if given to a higher class this will be abused and not be appreciated as much. God knew that given to Mary Jesus would be in good hands, and be taught valuable lessons because of who his mother is. Jesus would know to be humble, loving, and most of all be forgiving. I believe God chose Mary to mother Jesus because she was naturally the right choice.