The dark side of the World Cup in Brazil

What has been going on in Brazil?
Other than a thrilling World Cup, this summer in Brazil there have been countless stories of football fans buying hard drugs from the children in Brazil's favelas and media reports about children being used as prostitutes for fans who wish to have sex with underage children. On the face of it this should be an issue for the government of Brazil but with the world cup FIFA have become entagled in this human rigts mess because it was the FIFA board who voted to hold the World Cup in Brazil despite the human rights concerns.

Exanples of the stories in Brazil include :

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/12/world-cup-child-prostitution_n_5474716.html#- The Huffington post on children selling sex for a packet of cigarettes

http://www.americanbar.org/publications/international_law_news/2013/fall/soccer_samba_and_sex_preventing_human_trafficking_attending_brazils_world_cup_and_olympics.html- The American Bar Association legal news article on preventing human trafficking at the Brazilian World Cup and Olympics

http://www.mnnonline.org/news/2014-world-cup-cause-human-trafficking-spike/- Katy Hearth's article on why the World Cup could cause a spike in Human Trafficking levels

What happens to the fans who are caught engaging in these illegal acts?
There is a prominent legal issue here in that those fans who engage in illegal activities in Brazil are not arrested and tried in Brazil but are deported back to their country of origin. This is a major problem for the Brazilian victims because it means that Brazilian law is not clamping down on sex and drug trafficking because it is the countries where the fans are from that are punishing their citizen's for committing the crimes of drug use or rape (rape because despite the fact the prostitutes are consenting to the sexual acts they are not of an age to consent to having any kind of sexual contact)

Should FIFA take any responsibility?
Although this is not just a Brazilian problem the drugs and sex gangs in the World Cup reports are Brazilian and so primarily it is for Brazil to combat their own legal issues. However, given that FIFA knew of the situation before the World Cup they shoud take some responsibility for thedevastating results that being involved in the sex and drugs trade has on the children and adults involved. FIFA have been adversely affected by statistics that show that had Brazil not been given the World Cup then the money they have spent on the tournament could have paid for Brazil's welfare bill twice over or more. This would mean that many of those involved in human trafficking and the drugs trade would not need to be involved as they would no longer be living in povery stricken flavelas and could instead live in safer and more protected accomodation. Again it should be stressed that FIFA are not responisible for their crimes but there is an outcry for FIFA to acknowlege that football in general should not be treating such Human Rights issues as an unfortuantely inevitability for making football a global game.

What should FIFA be doing?
In reality, there is not a great deal that FIFA can do. My argument is that they should be creating stricter criteria that host nations have to meet in order to host a World  Cup including adequate Human Rights protection for both natives and fans and good control of local sex and drug related crime. No one is expecting Brazil to have no drugs or sex crime but what should be expected is an effective legal and policing system that means that the World Cup will not increase exploitation of children or adults.

Picture Source: www.catwlac.org- see this site for ways in which you can help support the movement against sex trafficking in Brazil

The media's role in the situation
There is evidence to suggest that the figures based on trafficking before and after the world cup are inaccurate. Similar scares started before both the German World Cup of 2006 and the South African World Cup 2010. In her article for AlJazeera (link below) Sonja Dolinsek explains that in  Germany it was shown by the Federal criminal Office that only 5 incidents of trafficking were related to the World Cup

For Sonja's article follow: http://m.aljazeera.com/story/201465123438956286

In reality this shows us that although FIFA should be careful to investigate World Cup hosts they cannot be held responsible for the trafficking situation in Brazil. The media may misrepresent the cases of trafficking related crime during the World Cup in order to create animosity towards FIFA and create some accountability for a failing Brazilian criminal law system. That is not wise, when it comes down to it, it is Brazil's responsibility. As nationals of other states we should be concerned with ensuring our citizens are not buying drugs are having illegal sex in Brazil.

Conclusion

All in all we should remember the World Cup is about bringing the beautiful game yo the masses and encouraging harmony through global appreciation of one sport. The media should learn from the mistakes of the past and hopefully during this world cup will distinguish between football based issues and legal issues that should rightfully be left to the Brazilian government.

Image Source: http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-love-the-beautiful-game/- my sentiments exactly

#yesallwomen

The Santa Barbara shootings

Just last month a British born man Elliot Rodger's stabbed his 3 people, 2 ex flatmates  and their friend. He then shot and killed 3 people who he targeted at random and injured 7 more people in Santa Barbara USA. The tragedy was a result of months of planning on Rodgers' part and multiple failures by the US authorities to prevent a man whom they knew to be mentally unstable and dangerous from committing such a henious crime. Elliot had created nemerous YouTube videos whereby he expressed anger and despair and being rejected by multiple women. He then went on to post an online misogynistic manifesto of over 140 pages in which he explained that women were evil and sorority girls should be killed because they rejected him. ABC News reported that at the time Rogers' was being treated by a number of different therapists who knew he was mentally unstable. Yet despite this as the shootings took place Rodgers' parents were out frantically trying to find their son who they had warned authorities could be dangerous. This lead to a Twitter trend known as #yesallwomen where women around the globe posted examples of misogynist behaviour that they had suffered from beatings and rapes down to everyday sexist remarks.

Moral panic fuelled by the media 

Although #yesallwomen is a great movement and worthy of note the Rodger case is far more complex than the media has made out. Yes, Rodger was a misogynist but the media has tried to create a moral panic whereby all sexist behaviour is deemed to be dangerous to a grave degree. Of course in 2014 women should be seen as equal to men but the reality is they are not. This does not mean however that all men who hold misogynist views are dangerous. Rodger's case was the exception not the rule! For Rodger, mental instability, failure by the state to help him, the opportunity to commit a crime and the availability of a gun and vehicle to commit the crimes meant that his misogyny resulted in the deaths of himself and 6 innocent victims and the injury of 7 other innocents.

State failure
What we should be looking at is the state's failure to protect innocent victims from a man they knew could be dangerous. The focus should be on holding the relevent people to account and getting justice for the victims and their families not creating moral panic whereby women in particular are lead to believe that all misogynists are like Rodger. That is not to say that there is not an issue. I was horrified to read of women who walk home with their keys between their fingers in case a man attacks them in the street. This simply should not be happening in 2014. Whilst the Roger case is a good spring board to launch the problem of misogyny back into the public interest we should not lose perspective. If the young children of today are to grow up in a safer world yes we need to teach girls how to protect themselves and raise boys to respect girls and each other, however we must also fight for justice and the right to hold the public authorities who could have stopped Rodger to account.

Rodger is still getting what he wants even from beyond the grave

Whilst the public have a right to know about the case at hand it is also worth noting that Rodger should not be getting this much press. From his manifesto, videos and actions it is clear that he wanted to be famous, perhaps even more so he wanted to be infamous. He certainly has achieved this objective. I have mentioned his name in order to inform you not to from now on. This is because unfortunately in this world we live in for every 1000 people that are disgusted by Rodger's actions one person may hold him as a misogynist hero and so we should be wary enough of how we talk and write about the case to know that all of this press is not what he deserves. More to the point making Rodger a celebrity rubs salt in the wounds of the innocent victims of the shootings and their families who have to live with the loss of their loved ones and the knowledge that now Rodger is dead too no one is likely to be held to account.

Some lessons?
By all means continue to post and talk about #yesallwomen and ensure that this worthy cause is kept in the spot light. But be careful with what you read don't let the media drag you into a sensationalized sense of panic. See Rodger as the lonely but guilty troubled man he was and not as a hero of misogyny. Finally do not lose faith in humanity, take heart from the millions of people who are brave enough to post their experiences on #yesallwomen and respect and help those who are trying to make a difference. In short remain positive but keep your eyes open to media trickery.