Activists, News Media Examine Reporting of RapeActivists and news reporters are questioning how media around the world report rape and other sexual abuse. The Oxford Journal of Public Health has called on world media to improve reporting on sexual violence against women. The magazine says the media too often concentrate on a few crimes -- and fail to make sense of the larger issue of sexual violence.“We need to challenge those attitudes that, first, excuse violence by men and, secondly, disparage and denigrate women.”Rape – and other forms of sexual abuse – will be our focus on this edition of As It Is.Media reports this year have told of many extreme sex attacks. In New Delhi, a group of men rape a young student on a bus. She later dies from her injuries. A teenage girl in South Africa is also gang raped. She also dies of her injuries. A Swiss woman is gang raped in front of her husband during a visit to India.In the United States, young athletes abuse a girl who is unconscious and send out pictures of the sexual abuse on their mobile phones. And, most recently…[Amanda Berry 911 emergency call]Three missing women are rescued from a house in Cleveland, Ohio where they have been held and sexually abused for many years.Women in public health and in media are calling for reporting that leads to social change. They are also calling for an end to reporting that blames the victim.The United Nations says that women age 15 to 44 are “more at risk from rape and domestic violence than from cancer, car accidents, war and malaria.”Janice Du Mont is a scientist at the Women’s College Research Institute in Toronto, Canada. She and Deborah White of Trent University wrote an editorial about rape for the Oxford Journal of Public Health. It is called Sexual violence: what does it take for the world to care about women?Janice Du Mont says the media do not give a clear picture of the large numbers of rape that take place. She says western media often report on incidents in other places.“Rape is not just India’s shame. It occurs everywhere, you know, regardless of culture or socio-economic status.”She says the media seem interested in some rape cases, but not others.“These are the more shocking cases. So cases in which women are gang raped or raped by more than one assailant. You know, these cases are not really representative of the full sort of realities of sexual assault, especially in non-conflict settings.”Janice Du Mont says it is much more common for women to be attacked by someone they know, including husbands and other family members. She says these attacks harm society.“I guess the point we would like to make is that these other more common forms of sexual assault that may not be deemed newsworthy have a huge toll on the individual and society as a whole. You know, have immediate and lingering effects. They result in a lot of pain and suffering, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections.”Doctor Du Mont says rape victims may suffer from depression – continuing severe sadness -- or live in fear. They may leave school or even attempt suicide. In some cultures, the victim is forced to marry the attacker. Or she is killed in the name of family honor.Janice Du Mont says any rape harms both rape survivors and their community. She says the problem is made worse by lack of information, false beliefs and blaming the victim.“I think it’s these pervasive negative attitudes and stereotypes about women who are raped and rape, in general. And we need to challenge those attitudes, but also practices and policies that, first, excuse violence by men and, secondly, that disparage and denigrate women.”The editorial in the Journal of Public Health also told about a report by a Nigerian writer, Amaka Okafor-Vanni in the Guardian newspaper. She criticized what she called a culture of rape in Nigeria. Miz Okafor-Vanni called for an end to social rules that demand modesty from women but punish women when men fail to honor their modesty.Experts Du Mont and White want others working in women’s health care and public health to help reporters understand the whole story Experts Du Mont and White want others working in women’s health care and public health to help reporters understand the whole story of rape. They are calling for media reports that will explain the “psychological, physical, social and economic costs of all types of sexual violence.”“It is about exerting power and control over somebody else. It’s not related to sex. It’s related to abuse of power and control.”The Women’s Media Center and the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health held an event this winter to educate reporters and public health students. Helen Benedict spoke at the event in New York. She also writes a blog for the Women’s Media Center web site page called “Women Under Seige.” She criticized media in the United States for failing to ask why men rape. She says reporters instead ask questions about the rape victim.Reporter Mallary Jean Tenore sees differences in reporting on three main topics: the victims, the suspects and cultural beliefs about sexual attacks. Writing on the journalism website , she gives the example of Indian reporter Sameera Khan.Ms. Khan writes that usually police make moral judgments about the victims and the Indian media simply repeat them. But she praised the reporting in the case of the young student in New Delhi. Ms. Khan says she thinks the improved reporting came about because of the angry response of average people in India who wanted justice for the victim. She says the media reflected the feeling of the protesters.Janice Du Mont says sexual attacks are underreported around the world. She says Canada’s most recent survey is 20 years old. This month, the United States military reported a 35% increase in unreported sexual attacks since 2010.President Obama immediately called for stronger enforcement to prevent abuse in the military. The report was released two days after police arrested the chief of the Air Force office that deals with preventing sexual attacks. He is accused of a sexual attack.Rape has also become a weapon of war. A recent report by the International Rescue Committee says rape is a major and troubling feature of the Syrian civil war. The U-N says hundreds of thousands of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been victims of sexual violence.And that’s our program for today. Remember, for the latest world news, tune in at the top of the hour Universal Time on radio, or visit our web site.I’m Steve Ember. Thanks for joining us.Phone App to Assist Alzheimer’s CaregiversAlzheimer’s disease is mostly a condition of old age. Since life expectancy is getting longer around the world, the number of people affected by the brain disease is expected to triple in some countries by the middle of the century. People with Alzheimer’s often have other medical needs that require the services of numerous health care professionals. Caregivers often have a hard time keeping up with all the medical information.More and more, family members are being called on to help care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s. It is a responsibility for which most people are unprepared. This is why the Hebrew Home, a private health care group in Riverdale, New York, developed an iPhone and iPad application called “Balance.”The app offers caregivers advice on recognizing symptoms and on feeding, bathing and providing a healthy environment for the patient. It can be bought on the Internet for four dollars. David Pomeranz is Hebrew Home’s program development director, and he created “Balance.”“It is not easy and we hope this will make it a little easier for people.”The Hebrew Home is a not-for-profit organization that provides care to 75,000 patients throughout New York City.“We are dealing with their family members because, as a philosophy, we feel that we need to care for the caregiver equally in our (response to the) care needs (of) the clients themselves, since if the caregiver does not have the proper supports, they simply cannot be a caregiver.”Mister Pomeranz says the “Balance” software is designed to let users organize medical and other information so they can easily keep track of the person's health. It helps caregivers manage doctor’s appointments and share information with doctors about the patient’s daily emotional changes.Interest in the app is not limited to the United States.“It has been interesting to see that we have had apps purchased (in countries) from Egypt to the Netherlands to Greece. It is like the United Nations every day, to see where people are buying this.”David Pomeranz says software developers are working on a version of “Balance” for mobile devices using the Android operating system.In a separate but unrelated story, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri have identified genes linked to Alzheimer’s disease. They say the discovery could help researchers develop new drugs against the brain disease. Go to to hear more about this story.And that's the Technology Report. Transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our reports are at . We're also on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at VOA Learning English. California Governor Jerry Brown wants to increase partnerships between his state and China. The governor traveled to China last week to seek Chinese investment in things like high-speed rail, renewable energy and electric vehicles.California Seeks China's Help in Going GreenThe California governor spoke at China’s Tsinghua University. He called for a partnership between the United States and China to develop technologies to reduce greenhouse gases.“China has been instrumental in driving down the costs, and making available that technology. So there is a real connection.”Mr. Brown met with Prime Minister Li Keqiang and China’s minister of environmental protection, Zhou Shengxian. Mr. Brown and Mr. Zhou signed a nonbinding agreement to share information about policies to reduce pollution. Pollution is a leading concern in Beijing, where officials advise people to stay indoors when air pollution levels peak.California's biggest city, Los Angeles, has successfully reduced its smog problem. Its efforts included improving its vehicle emission standards, and offering special incentives or rewards for clean energy policies.Last year California held its first auction of carbon credits under the state’s greenhouse gas reduction law. The law forces big polluting industries to buy credits to release carbon dioxide, methane and related gases.Governor Brown also hopes to create 20,000 new megawatts of renewable electricity by 2020.Mike Hart is CEO of Sierra Energy, a green energy company.“Electric vehicles, we’re looking at fuel cell vehicles. And also biofuels. And a lot of those areas where the technology needs to be advanced but we need a whole new infrastructure.”To achieve those goals California is seeking help from China. State-backed industries in the country have made gains in reducing the cost of green technologies such as solar panels and electric buses.Governor Brown says his trip was an appeal for increased trade with China. Greentechnology is just one of the industries the California governor is interested in working on.“We are looking for investments into California of any kind. And we’re looking for sales from California into China of any kind. So we’re looking for partnerships.”California-based environmental scientists and representatives from environmental consulting firms also attended Governor Brown’s speech in Beijing. They say their work is increasingly directed at China. That is because rising air pollution levels in that country have created a market for solutions to the problems.Former Chinese vice president -- now president -- Xi Jinping visited Los Angeles in February. He also called for an increase in economic and cultural ties between the United States and China.And that's the Technology Report from VOA Learning English. I'm June Simms.Indonesians Using Smartphones to Connect to the InternetTwenty-three-year old Rio Safiyanto sells face masks, or coverings, for about 30 cents each in central Jakarta, Indonesia. He makes enough money to buy a cell phone that permits him to visit websites like Facebook and Twitter, as well as finding gaming applications, or apps.Rio Safiyanto says every average person has a cellphone. He likes having one because he can talk to his family when he is away from home. And, he is especially pleased that he can use it to listen to music. Mr. Safiyanto’s phone has a keypad that makes it look like a Blackberry.It is known as a feature phone or smartphone lite. That is because it is cheaper and cannot perform as many actions as more advanced phones like the Apple iPhone.These devices make up the majority of cell phones sold around the world. They have proven more successful in places like Indonesia, where some smartphones cost 700 dollars or more. Although many lower-income users are new to smartphones, they are quickly learning to use the technology.Eddy Tamboto is the managing director of the Jakarta office of the Boston Consulting Group. He explains the importance of having a mobile phone.“It’s basically the way they get to know about employment opportunities, the way they get to know about entrepreneurial opportunities. So the phone and the smartphone is not just a convenience or indulgence, but, actually, it’s a big part of day to day necessity”.Cell manufacturer Nokia offers a service called Life Tools. For a small monthly payment, the company sends text messages to farmers. The messages tell of weather conditions, crop prices, agricultural news and give other advice.Local businessman Aldi Haryopratomo has developed a way for small store owners to sell things like prepaid cellphone minutes and life insurance through text messages. Ruma is the company that developed the technology. The company is working on a system that will notify people about jobs in their area.At a recent digital technology show in Jakarta, banks offered no-interest financing for credit card purchases. Marina Luthfiani manages a mobile shop in the area. She said almost everyone can buy a smartphone because of competitive financing and credit choices. She says Indonesians like to buy the latest devices.A report last June by Semiocast, a French internet research company, said Jakarta was the world’s top tweeting city, ahead of Tokyo and London.3-D Goes From Movies To Real WorldMovie fans know that their action hero Superman does not really fly. And, in the movie Superman Returns, another visual trick is played on viewers. The man they see flying is not real. He is what is called a virtual actor. The first step in creating this digital actor is to have a real person stand in a room called a light stage. A computer then captures the outlines and shapes of his face and records how they throw off light. Paul Debevec is with the Institute for Creative Technologies at the University of Southern California.“We can light them with very specially computer-controlled illumination and take photos of them from seven different viewpoints with high resolution digital still cameras.”Mr. Debevec is part of a team working to create computerized images of people, objects and environments that look and act real. The light stage permits actors to be turned into digital versions of themselves much like the blue creatures in the movie Avatar. The real world could soon be using a similar technology. Computer experts at the Institute are developing a 3-D video teleconferencing system. It would send a video image of a person into a meeting room. That image would be able to work with the people in the room, who would see it in 3-D without special eyeglasses. Paul Debevec says:“The person who is being transmitted to a remote location can actually look around at the people in the room and everybody in that room knows who they’re looking at. And that’s such a fundamental part of human communication.”He believes the business world will begin to use 3-D video teleconferencing in the next five years.The Institute is using its light stage and Interactive 3-D Display technology to record video testimonies of Holocaust survivors for the Shoah Foundation."Do you remember any songs from your youth?""This is a lullaby that my mother used to sing to me and I still remember it. It's in polish."The Foundation is also at the University of Southern California. The 3-D images will be shown on special screens in classrooms or museums and will be set up to answer questions aboutthe Holocaust from students and visitors.“It could be about faith. It could be about love. It could be about beliefs. It could be about identity.”Kim Simon is managing director of the Shoah Foundation.“It’s also a medium with which young people today are particularly comfortable. And, the amount of information that comes through seeing a person’s face and hearing their voice at the same time is multiplied.”A demonstration of an interaction between a Holocaust survivor and students may be possible in a year. In 10 years, we may be able to play 3-D video games without special glasses.US Finds Unapproved Form of Wheat in OregonSome countries have suspended imports of wheat from the Unite States. The suspension were announced after an unapproved form of wheat was found in the American state of Oregon. The crop was made through processes of genetic engineering.An Oregon farmer recently discovered wheat in his field that survived the popular weed killer Roundup. Roundup is designed to destroy unwanted plants. It is a product of the seed and chemical company Monsanto.The company has created genetically engineered corn, cotton, soybean and canola crops that resist Roundup. Monsanto had field-tested Roundup-resistant wheat. But it never sought government approval of the wheat and the seed were never sold.Michael Firko is with the Unite States Department of Agriculture, he says the wheat had passed safety inspections.“Although there are no wheat varieties that are approved for unrestricted planting, we have no safety concerns related to planting of this transgenic wheat at this time.”Monsanto ended its wheat project mainly because buyers in Europe and Asia were concerned about the safety of genetically engineered crops. The discovery of unapproved wheat in Oregon led Japan and South Korea to suspend some imports, at least temporarily.Mark Welch is an agricultural economist at Texas A&M University. He says American Farmers do not want to produce genetically engineered wheat because there is no demand for it. he also says the incident could affect America's standing in a competitive world marketplace.The Unite States is the world’s largest wheat exporter. Mark Welch says American agriculture already has difficulty competing against other countries because production costs are higher in the Unite States.“If we’re going to maintain a place in world markets, we have to do it primarily on two fronts: one on quality, and the other on reliability. And this raises a red flag, of course, when something like this happens.”Right now it is not clear how the incidents happened. American officers are working to identify where the genetically engineered wheat came from. There is no evidence yet that it has entered the food supply, However, the Agriculture Department is working to make testsavailable to buyers.Prices of wheat on world markets have changed little since the discovery of the unapproved wheat. But this could change after the investigation is completed.Overweight Children in Developing CountriesThe World Health Organization (WHO) says there has been a sharp increase in the number of children in developing countries who weight to much. In Africa countries, the WHO says the number of overweight or obese children is two times as high as it was 20 years ago. Around the world, about 43 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2011. Doctors use height, weight and age to measure whether a person is underweight, normal, overweight or obese.Overweight & obese children are more likely to become overweight & obese adults. The condition can lead to serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Francesco Branca is the director of the WHO Department of Nutrition for Health and Development. He says people are eating manufactured or processed food more often, he says it often has a high sugar, fat and salt content.The WHO also says people are gaining weight because of city lifestyles. They travel in cars or other vehicles more than on foot, and they are less physical activity in general.The WHO says it is common to find poor nutrition and obesity in the same country, the same community and even in the same family.And experts say lowering obesity rates is especially complex in countries that also deal with higher rate of infectious disease.The WHO has some basic solutions for individuals and countries. The organization says to lower your in-take of fat, sugar, salt and proceesed food. It says eat more fruit and vegetables, and increase physical activity. The WHO says these actions are especially important for children.And WHO experts say mothers should breastfeed their babies for at least the first six months of life if possible.WHO official Francesco Branca says government should concern providing vitamin for children. He says educational campaigns about problems linked to obesity would also help. And he says government policies should deal with how food is marketed to children.Mr Branca says food manufactures must balance quality and taste with the dangers of sugar, fat and salt. He also said reducing the number of overweight children will not be easy. He says the goal is difficult to meet even in wealthy countries.The currently goal of the WHO's World Health Assembly is to prevent an increase in the percentage of overweight children during the next twelve years.Van Cliburn Competition Looks for the Best of the BestToday on our program, we make beautiful music. Well, we may not be making it, but we will celebrate some very talented young people who do at a world famous competition – and the memory of the American concert pianist whose belief in young talent made it possible.Every four years since 1962, musicians gather from all over the world to compete in the Van Cliburn International PianoCompetition. This month, 30 competitors, ages 19 to 30 gathered in Fort Worth, Texas for the event. They played for a group of jurors, experts in the world ofpiano performance. Many other people watched the performances, either in person or through live video webcasts.Six finalists were chosen after a series of concerts and chamber music performances.Pianists need years of study and countless hours of training to get into the finals of the Van Cliburn competition. They also need the ability to play their best – even if they are very nervous.“I’ve done a lot of competitions in the past, starting from when I was just an undergrad at Julliard (school).”Sean Chen of California was one of the six finalists. He remembered losing out early in his first few international competitions, but he kept trying.“I started doing international competitions and I’d be, always, you know, first-round knockout, 2nd round knock out, and that happened for a long time…But I kept trying. (At) Leeds, I got to the semifinals…and now I’m at Cliburn, the biggest competition, I’ve gotten to the finals, so I’m like whoo. So it’s pretty exciting.”He explained why the Van Cliburn competition is so important.“Cliburn has one of the largest-reaching kind of influence(s) of any competition, I think… As far as being up to date and with the social media and the broadcasting. Cliburn does a really great job with all that, I mean the web-streaming and they have like a Hollywood camera crew following us all around. All the finalists get management…All the finalists get concerts in the next four years. That’s most important thing, for any up and coming young artist…”The judges have a hard job. Every pianist they hear during the early part of the competition is excellent. Each one has great technical skill and gives thoughtful interpretations of the music. The judges say that even to the well-trained ear, the pianists sound outstanding. So the judges look for nuances – differences in shading and expression. John Giordano, the jury chairman of the competition, explains:“It’s not a matter of judging technical prowess. That’s almost taken for granted…Some aspects are pretty simple. Do I want to hear this person again? Sometimes it’s something as simple as goose bumps. It’s not a matter, did they play right notes or wrong notes. If they miss notes and the message is there, and it really reaches you, you ignore that, you don’t realize it. When you hear somebody who really moves you, it’s not difficult. It’s wonderful, it’s very exciting.”The event is extremely high pressure with difficult competition. But young pianists, like Beatrice Rana from Italy, say it is worth it.“(Because it’s) one of the most important piano competitions in the world, and it’s one of the few competitions that provide a stable career for the finalists.. I think a good placement in the Cliburn (competition) can provide a wonderful future for someone that aspires to be a concert pianist.”The judges chose a winner after hearing the pianists perform individually, as part of a small group and with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Excitement was high as the announcement was made:“And our gold medalist, from the Ukraine, Vadym Kholodenko...”And the man who inspired the competition...This was the first Van Cliburn International Piano Competition since the death of the man for whom it was named. Van Cliburn died of bone cancer earlier this year at his home in Fort Worth, Texas. He was 78 years old.Cliburn once said that the goal of his artistic life was bringing pleasure to those who heard him play.“You’re always hoping to play well. And if you don’t play well, YOU are the unhappiest person. So you want to please your audience.”And please his audiences he did.Van Cliburn was 23 years old when he performed in the famous Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow, in April of 1958. This was at the height of the Cold War period between the then Soviet Union and the United States. The Soviets had, only months earlier, launched the first orbiting earth satellite, Sputnik One. The Tchaikovsky competition was intended to also demonstrate Soviet cultural superiority.But Cliburn’s performances, including this music, the Tchaikowsky Piano Concerto No.1, had the Russian audience chanting “First Prize! First Prize!”There was concern about awarding first prize to an American, but when premier Nikita Khruschev was approached for his permission, he asked “Was he the Best? Then give it to him.”His victory launched a career that made him unusually famous for a classical musician. He also became a hero to music-loving people in the former Soviet Union.Following the competition, a ticker tape parade in New York’s Lower Manhattan, with 100,000 people lining the streets, welcomed him back to the United States.His RCA Victor recording of the Tchaikovsky Concerto was the first classical recording to gain platinum status by selling over a million copies within a year. It is still available on CD.Throughout his career, he had a great interest in encouraging young people to take up classical music. He established the annual Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in his home town of Fort Worth.“It’s been so interesting to see the young people come. They meet each other and have friendships and musical correspondences. It’s really very exciting. And it’s like the same feeling I had when I went to Russia in 1958. The warmth and camaraderie –it carried through all through the years.”He also encouraged the careers of young performers by creating several scholarship programs.Cliburn continued to perform concerts and solo recitals, but in 1978, he walked off the stage, professionally exhausted. He would play occasionally in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but he mainly lived out his final years outside of the public spotlight.A favorite saying of Van Cliburn was his take on a statement by the great 20th century Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff: “Great music is enough for a lifetime. But a lifetime is not enough for great music.”And that’s “As It Is” from VOA Learning English. A reminder – for the latest world news tune in VOA News at the top of the hour Universal Time, both on radio and our web site. I’m Steve Ember. Thanks for joining us.。
