text:
Hull York Medical School Interview Guide

Hull York medical school (HYMS) Interview: The Ultimate Guide

So, you have an interview at Hull York Medical School? Congratulations, this is a big deal! You have already beaten many applicants who received a rejection without an interview. Let this give you a bit of confidence as you have already been shortlisted. But now, it is time to focus on this next hurdle to claim your place at Hull York Medical School.
I remember when I got my HYMS interview invitation, it was such an exciting time for me. But then I got hit with all the nerves and anxiety that came with it. My performance at the interview was enough in the end because I received an offer. Read on for essential tips so that you can do the same! To get a better understanding of what to expect, also read about my full experience at my Hull York interview here.

HYMS Interview Overview

The structure of the Hull York Medical School MMI is very different from others. It isn’t the typical table to table or room to room circuit with equal timings. Here, there are 6 stations in total lasting for different periods of time. Before the interview, there’s always a briefing detailing what you need to know about the day. After the stations are finished there is a debriefing which allows you to ask questions. If you have any questions before coming to the interview that perhaps you haven’t managed to find yourself, come with them ready!
So now we have come to my breakdown of the stations:

Group Interview Station

Group interviews are not a common station at medical school MMI’s, so many people don’t know what to expect. Hull York has a focus on group teaching and learning. Take full advantage of the experience because this will be your opportunity to get a taste of PBL life. It is designed to test your teamwork and communication skills.

Task: Discuss a scenario about a patient’s case in a group of 8 candidates. The scribe will write down your points on a board where you can all see it and they or the facilitator may guide your conversation a little bit.

Timing: 20 minutes

Top Tips:

  • You don’t need to have knowledge of the medicine behind the cases so don’t worry about that.
  • Listen to everyone’s points to ensure you don’t repeat them. You can also add to their point to develop it further. E.g. “Going back to your earlier point, I think…”
  • If you are not the loudest in the group, don’t worry. Think of a few really good points that have an edge to them and this alone will help you stand out.
  • When you arrive at the interview speak to the other candidates as you may find your group members (it will be written on your name badges). The aim of this is to increase your group success as you will be more familiar with them. Performing well as a group is more likely to positively impact your individual score. But don’t worry if you don’t find and speak to them all.
  • Ignore the assessor who will be in the corner of the room, pretend like they aren’t there. This will help you stay focused and not obsess about what they are writing or thinking about you.

Mini Interviews Station

You will undergo two mini interviews in this station. This resembles the usual ‘circuit-style’ MMI, as you will move from the first room to the other. However, to stick to the theme of Hull York’s unique interview style, this station resembles a panel interview as you will have two interviewers. They will ask you two main questions, and you can expect to spend 5 minutes on each. The interviewers will likely ask you follow-up questions in response to your answers making it feel more like a chat.

Let’s look at what each of the mini interviews will focus on. One will concentrate on your motivation to study medicine and your understanding of current medical issues. So why do you want to be a doctor? Expect the premise of this question to be prominent in this section and prepare for it well. Current medical issues can be anything from obesity, sugar tax, global pandemics or abortion rates.

The other will focus on your critical thinking skills and self-awareness. Do you possess qualities like empathy and resilience? The website also states they may assess your ability to tolerate ambiguity. In other words, your ability to deal with uncertainty and complicated situations. If you found yourself in a difficult situation where the outcome was unknown what would you do?

Timing: 2 x 10-minutes

Top Tips:

  • Keep up to date with medical affairs by using the news e.g. BBC News Health, journals like the BMJ or research hot topics in medicine.
  • Take full advantage of the minutes before you enter the room. Read the card with the information on the interview topic at least twice to fully understand it. What you don’t want to do is misread or misunderstand the information. Then you can prepare a few points in your mind before you are told to go into the room.
  • Eye contact may be tricky at first because you are speaking to two people. Alternate between the two interviewers. If one of them starts writing notes, for example, turn your gaze back to the other interviewer.
  • Take pauses where needed, this will prevent you from rushing your answers and give you time to think ahead. It may feel like you are in silence for ages but, it would be for a couple of seconds in reality.

Scenario Station

This is basically where they observe how you would act in a situation with an actor and an assessor observing you.

Task: enter a scenario where you will be engaging with an actor about a situation. For example, breaking bad news, giving advice to a stranger, reassuring a worried friend.

Timing: 5 minutes

Top tips:

  • You are in the scenario as soon as you walk into the room, so just start! You don’t need to ask the assessor or the actor in the room if you can start.
  • Be yourself. It is tempting to think that you are in a GCSE drama class and start playing a ‘role’. The assessor wants to see how you actually would react in real life; not how good you are acting. When you become a doctor you won’t be acting the part, you will be one!
  • Pick up on emotion cues, this could be verbal or non-verbal. For example, if they start to cry offer them a tissue (could be an imaginary box of tissues) instead of watching them and doing nothing. Depending on what the scenario is about the actor will show different emotions whether sad, happy, disappointed or scared. It could be anything so be ready for this. Practise with friends and family, ask them to surprise you with the scenarios.

The Task Station

This station is a new addition to the HYMS interview. They will give you a task to do in the 5 minutes. They will observe how you approach it, your method or the outcome of the task.

Timing: 5 minutes

Top Tip: Pace yourself, don’t feel like you have to rush it. This may cause you to make mistakes or produce sloppy results.

That brings me to the end of my top tips for a HYMS interview. This is my second post of this interview series and I’d like to answer any questions or queries that you guys have. Leave me a comment on this post or DM me on Instagram. I love to hear from you guys, it really makes my day when I receive messages.

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Author, Speaker and Financial Advisor Manisha Thakor Named Director of Wealth Strategies for Women

ThakorPressReleaseNATIONAL BAM

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Release Day Blitz & Review: Cruel Trilogy by K.A. Linde @AuthorKALinde @Danichez75

Genres: Romance

Watch Natalie
get revenge in her new dark and glamorous life on the Upper East Side in the
conclusion to USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s billionaire romance
Cruel Trilogy.
Darkness swept in.Smothering everything in its inky black.

I have turned into their worst nightmares.

And I will not rest until they pay.

For everything.

Amazon  Apple  B&N  Kobo  Google Play  Audio

Book three has arrived, making a mark on New York’s high society!

Hell hath no furry like a woman scorned and the legacy that Natalie is leaving behind is all her own. The journey of both Natalie and Penn comes to a head in Cruel Legacy, just as it should rounding out the trilogy. They both a have a lot to learn about themselves and the mark they are leaving on the Upper East Side. The funny thing about setting out to prove others wrong is that you truly learn about yourself in the process.

K.A. Linde checked all my boxes as she wrapped up this trilogy. She kept me guessing while keeping me entertained. I thoroughly enjoyed Penn and his growth through the story. She wrote him allowing the reader to hate him just enough that your love of him would shine through. A definite must read and now that the trilogy is complete, you don’t have to wait… like I did!

Lose yourself to the dark and glamorous underbelly of the Upper East Side in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s new billionaire romance Cruel Trilogy.
She was supposed to be a one night stand.
A way to sate my sexual appetite.
I let her glimpse the man I am. The face that I hide behind my carefully cultivated life.
But she ripped open that divide–and there’s no going back.
Now, she’s here. In my city.
I don’t care that I’m Manhattan royalty and she’s the help.
Only that she’s living in my summer home. With me.
And I want more.

✦ Amazon US ✦ iBooks ✦ B&N ✦ Kobo ✦ Google Play ✦ Paperback

Lose yourself to the dark and glamorous underbelly of the Upper East Side in the second book in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s new billionaire romance Cruel Trilogy.I finally have everything I ever wanted–fame and fortune and literary success.

Only one problem: I lost my muse.

He was tall, dark, and handsome. Broody, enigmatic, alluring, and right for me in every way.

Until he wasn’t. Until I lost everything.

And I can’t lose it all again. I’ll do anything to keep it.

Even seeing him again…

K.A. Linde is the USA Today bestselling author of
more than fifteen novels including the Avoiding series and the Record series.
She has a Masters degree in political science from the University of Georgia,
was the head campaign worker for the 2012 presidential campaign at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as the head coach of
the Duke University dance team. She loves reading fantasy novels, geeking out
over Star Wars, binge-watching Supernatural, and dancing in her spare time.

She currently lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her
husband and two super adorable puppies.

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Alpari showed exceptional quote accuracy in May

Alpari showed exceptional quote accuracy in May

Dear Clients!

The Financial Commission, an independent international organisation specializing in the settlement of disputes between brokers and traders in the Forex market, published its statistics for May 2020 earlier this month. The document shows that the regulator has improved the timelines for resolving disputes, however, it has encountered an increase in the number of requests and complaints from the side of traders against the backdrop of increased market volatility and the demand for trading during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, Alpari, a member of the Financial Commission, showed exceptional discipline and customer focus in May.

In total, 165 claims were received by the Financial Commission in May, which is 30% more than in the previous month. The total amount of compensation demanded by traders increased by 275% and amounted to 2.58m USD. Most of the claims are related to the WTI oil markets, which caused a significant price movement on CFD products. The total amount of compensation awarded to traders came to just over 1m USD, since the organization was able to resolve disputes with high average values in favor of customers. The average cost of complaints filed in May amounted to almost 20,000 USD.

It’s worth noting that against this backdrop, the Alpari international Forex broker once again managed to demonstrate the accuracy and transparency of its work. In May, only nine complaints were filed against Alpari, which is 30% less than the average for broker members. In total, customers demanded a return of more than 70,000 USD, however, for all these claims, the Financial Commission ruled in favor of the broker. This indicates that Alpari not only managed to fine-tune the flow of quotes and provide one of the best performances in the industry, but was judged to have done so by an independent moderator.

Source: The Financial Commission

Best regards,

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Cheese? Or Michael Keaton?

December 3, 2012

There aren’t many things in life you can know for sure but here are two –

It’s scientific fact: Everything is better with cheese on it.

See? This post is already improved, and this is only a picture.

Also fact: Everything is better with actor Michael Keaton in it.

But sometimes it can be confusing to know which is the better improvement for a given situation.  Sure, as a general rule food + cheese and movie + Michael Keaton, but that’s just the tip of the “making things better” iceberg.  And you may often find yourself wondering: Cheese?  Or Michael Keaton?

Try these practice scenarios and see how you do!

You’re hosting a birthday party, and worried about the guests having a good time.

Cheese?  Or Michael Keaton?:  This is a tough one, and it really comes down to a question of who the party is for.  Though you know he’d make one hell of a clown, Keaton’s devilish wit and anarchic charm might be disturbing to young children.  Best stick with lots of cheese here.  Adults?  Obviously, you still want lots of cheese present, but if you have to choose, you’re guests are going to have a better time at the Michael Keaton party than the cheese party.

Cheese with cheese on top.  Now that's smart thinking.

Cheese with cheese on top. Now that’s smart thinking.

You’re making a pie for a family gathering.

Cheese?  Or Michael Keaton?:  I have yet to hear back from Keaton’s people about his pie-making abilities (call me back, God damn it!), but on the off chance someone might misinterpret this and try to make Michael Keaton in to a pie, let’s stick with cheese on this one.

You’re staging community theater production of Cats.

Cheese?  Or Michael Keaton?:  Ah, you’re thinking ‘No brainer.  Michael Keaton.’  But no!  You see, though Keaton would improve the production immeasurably, he’d still be drowned under cat make-up, have no dialogue to say in a way that manages to be intense, sincere and hilarious all at the same time, and he’d be in Cats, and that can only get so good (as in: awful).  If, on the other hand, there was endless cheese to eat, this could prove a pleasant enough distraction to make it through the show.  Or you could cover the actors and stage in cheese and it might become performance art.  And if the cheese failed to be enough of a distraction from the awful play, you could try to eat enough to induce heart attack.

You’re about to end a relationship, and the person you’re breaking up with has no idea it’s coming.

Getting dumped by Beetlejuice?  How great would that be?

Getting dumped by Beetlejuice? How great would that be?

Cheese?  Or Michael Keaton?:  Ooh, tough one.  Can you imagine how awesome to have your break up done by Michael Keaton?   You know he’d make the dumpee laugh and say things really sincerely and intensely.  You know he’d pause mid-sentence at some point, his eyebrows arched playfully, and then say something charming… On the other hand, getting dumped but then handed a large platter of, say, mushroom brie, would be really nice, too.  Ummm… think think think… Really, this should be determined on a case-by-case basis.  If you really can’t decide: Have Michael Keaton do the dumping, and you go eat cheese.

Shakespeare?  BETTER.

Shakespeare? BETTER.

Put a bunch of stuff on a stick and dunk it in cheese? It's a meal!

Put a bunch of stuff on a stick and dunk it in cheese? It’s a meal!

Perfect example: Out Of Sight.  Brilliant script, great acting, amazing director... Keaton has a small part and the movie gets even better.

Perfect example: Out Of Sight. Brilliant script, great acting, amazing director… Keaton has a small part and the movie gets even better.

, , ,

About The Byronic Man

Recently voted "The Best Humor Site in America That I, Personally, Write," The Byronic Man is sometimes fiction, but sometimes autobiography. And sometimes cultural criticism. Oh, and occasionally reviews. Okay, it's all those different things, but always humorous. Except on the occasions that it's not. Ah, geez. Look, it's a lot of things, okay? You might like it, is the point.

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57 Comments on “Cheese? Or Michael Keaton?”

  1. susielindau Says:

    High winds have me up before the birds!
    I would shoose cheese in all cases, but I am originally from the land of cheese…

  2. Life With The Top Down Says:

    Michael Keaton would be the healthier choice. I love cheese, however too much of a good thing is never good.

  3. Tori Nelson Says:

    All Keaton all the time. That’s my motto, at least.

  4. speaker7 Says:

    I think Cats could be better if all the cat parts were replaced by blocks of cheese, and they couldn’t sing or dance.

  5. Go Jules Go Says:

    I’ve got Keaton’s people on the line. They said they’ll tell you his pie crust secrets if you tell me, I mean, them, yours. Right now. Quick before we lose this opportunity!

    Cheese is my everything. But then, Michael Keaton… These were really tough questions for me.

    By the way, the best fondue I ever had was in Portland (Urban Fondue).

  6. Michelle Gillies Says:

    I don’t think it is really necessary to put a bunch of food on a stick and dunk it. Face it man, just drink the cheese.
    Michael Keaton would be my choice but it is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make.

  7. mistyslaws Says:

    I say . . . why choose?? Have a fondue party with special guest appearance by Michael Keaton!! The best event ever known to man? Quite possibly.

    Either that or just cover Michael Keaton in cheese and have the best of both worlds. I’m sure he’s delicious. 😉

  8. Wilma Says:

    I hear by challenge you to a Bacon/Bacon face off. Everything’s better with Bacon? Or, Everything’s better with Kevin Bacon? Waiting…

  9. mylifeisthebestlife Says:

    I have an exciting little known fact for you. I am two degrees from Michael Keaton right now. He will be starring in the remake of Robocop for which my Husbandio is currently building the sets. So see? My HUSBAND is touching stuff that will touch MICHAEL KEATON.
    And right now I’m eating crackers that desperately need cheese. I feel like this post was written JUST FOR ME.

  10. Jackie Cangro Says:

    So what I hear you saying is that cheese is the answer, no matter what the question.
    Maybe the real question is cheddar vs. swiss.

  11. spilledinkguy Says:

    *!WARNING! – !Lame story alert!*
    My camera is named Michael Keaton.
    Because it was purchased while watching Batman (even longer, lamer story).
    Which is… uh… well… is that… anything?!
    Yeah. Never mind.

  12. Hippie Cahier Says:

    From the beginning, I was composing my request that it be a cheese fondue party, with Michael Keaton, because I would like to stand next to him and then “accidentally” drop my crouton into the fondue. Not that I spend a lot of time thinking about that.

  13. tomwisk Says:

    Michael Keaton? I thought he was dead.

  14. becomingcliche Says:

    My cardiologist warned that too much Michael Keaton could be bad for my arteries.

  15. keepingitreal Says:

    Since I’ve been following the red WINE plus all you can eat cheese diet, I’m going to have to choose the CHEESE. Like the French, I wouldn’t even have to limit my intake to three daily meals.

    Michael Keaton + cheese = Jack Frost

    • The Byronic Man Says:

      You know, I’ve never seen it, but unless you’re PIxar, I can’t understand hiring Keaton and only having him do voice over. Although, didn’t they give the snowman his eyebrows?

  17. Sheyla Says:

    Wasn’t Michael Keaton in the Herbie remake with Lindsay Lohan? I don’t think he made that movie better. Do you think he made it more tolerable? Don’t forget Post Grad.

  18. Elyse Says:

    If we’re discussing desert items, can I request that instead of cheese or Michael Keaton on a pie, that we have him jump out of a cheesecake? It seems to cover (or uncover) all possibilities.

  19. Michael Says:

    I was going to comment and argue that I don’t think Keaton was the best choice to play Batman, but then I suddenly realized I had him confused with Val Kilmer. This is unforgiveable, and I am ashamed. I must admit, though, cheese would be an interesting choice to play Batman. Maybe in the Justice League movie?

  20. benzeknees Says:

    Love cheese & Michael Keaton so I’ll take both please! But I’ll also take a side of bacon & Kevin Bacon if they’re on offer.

  21. Laura Says:

    What if the person you’re breaking up with is Michael Keaton? Wouldn’t having him do the breakup be cruel, or at least redundant?

  22. Rocket Says:

    WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME CHOOOSE????! WHY OH WHY??? I guess I’ll get back to you on that.

  23. Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) Says:

    Wine. Not sure if I’d rather have wine with cheese or Michael Keaton. I might have outsource this one and put it to a vote.

    • The Byronic Man Says:

      Hm, tough one. Drinking wine and talking with Michael Keaton could be pretty great… but what if he’s in a bad mood? And drinks too much? Or gets sullen?

      Playing the odds: I’d probably go with cheese, because that’s sure fire.

  24. Facetious Firecracker Says:

    I had a friend in college who absolutely hated ALL cheese. It was disgraceful. She had to watch a lot of Michael Keaton films.

    With that being said, I’m having nothing for dinner tonight but buffalo chicken dip, which is basically a bunch of cheese with some chicken and Frank’s Red Hot in it.

  25. thesinglecell Says:

    Pretty sure that, in that last scenario, you should send Michael Keaton WITH a cheese platter to dump your soon-to-be-former mate. Softens the blow.

  26. Lily Says:

    Dairy-free, I default to Michael Keaton (but to tell the truth, I’d choose him anyway — he’s a too often maligned actor of Greatness…eyebrows are just weird, though).

  27. Curly Carly Says:

    This is quite possibly the most random blog post I’ve ever read, but I liked it! I’d pick Michael any day, as I’m not really a cheese liker. Did I just blaspheme? Is blaspheme a word?

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Natural Nectar Gluten-Free Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano Cracklebred a deliciously healthy snack option

Natural Nectar Gluten-Free Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano Cracklebred
Natural Nectar Gluten-Free Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano Cracklebred

Product: Natural Nectar Gluten-Free Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano Cracklebred – $3.99+

I was in Minnesota when I stumbled upon a few Cracklebred boxes at Cub Foods.  You see, I had traveled up to Minneapolis to visit my grandpa and also run in the Minneapolis Half Marathon.  Well, I did really well in that race, and as a reward, my roommate told me to pick out some of the gluten-free foods that we had noticed while shopping for foods I could eat while staying with my grandpa and my aunt.

So, I went a little crazy, selecting a few items that had caught my eye and interested me.

One such product was Natural Nectar’s Gluten-Free Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano Cracklebred.  It just looked…interesting, if nothing else.

Well, I get a little overzealous at times with my gluten-free snacks and definitely overstocked my pantry.  So this box has been sitting there since the race.  The expiration date is in the next couple of months, so it was time to bust it out and give it its time to shine.  And hopefully…it would shine.

Everything about this Cracklebred made me want to try it.  For one thing, it’s nutritious.  No…it really is.

One serving is 3 crackers, which, as you can tell, are a really decent size.  Larger than a deck of playing cards.  These three crackers will serve you up only 52 calories total.  Each cracker is only 17 calories.  No joke.  These are fat free, cholesterol free, gluten-free, low in sodium (only 115 mg per serving), and low in sugar (only 1 gram per serving).  Loving those nutritional facts?  Yeah…I did too.

The Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano Cracklebred is composed of seven ingredients: rice, corn, tomato puree, evaporated cane juice, sea salt, oregano, and soy lecithin.  Recognize those?  Yep…me too.  Every.  Single.  One.  Of.  Them.  Love that too.

But how do they taste?  Well, that is the interesting part, my dear readers.  I wasn’t sure what to make of these.  They looked like little rectangles of fibery board when I pulled them out of the plastic they were wrapped in.  But, the fact of the matter is, they have about the same texture as a rice cake.  And, as I stated before, I grew up eating rice cakes and actually find them to be quite tasty.  And this…is definitely tasty.  These light crackers are flaky and smooth and just packed with flavor.  On the first bite, you get that rice and corn combination, but then the tomato flavor sinks in…and your cracker just got savory.  Oh, so delicious.  And, of course, these are great on their own, but feel free to top them off however you like with your favorite spreads, cheeses or dips.

I’m hooked.  And I am so happy to have found these in a few of my local natural food stores lately.  So, now whenever I crave…I don’t have to place an order with my family in Minnesota.  I just have to head to the store and pick up a box for myself.

Natural Nectar makes three varieties of their Gluten-Free Cracklebred…the aforementioned flavor of my choice, Sun-Dried Tomato and Oregano, but also original and multigrain.  I definitely want to try them all.

For a nutritious cracker that has a light, crispy texture and a delicious flavor, definitely give the Cracklbred from Natural Nectar a try.  I’m hooked.  Even without a spread to top it off with.

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Messe Frankfurt India to host India’s first technical textile Hackathon at Techtextil India 2019

Press Release

Messe Frankfurt India to host India’s first technical textile Hackathon at Techtextil India 2019

With an aim to identify solutions to the critical challenges of sustainable urban living, Messe Frankfurt India will host India’s first Technical Textile Hackathon on 22nd November 2019. The hackathon titled “Techtextil NEXT” will build an eco-system that supports India’s technical textile start-ups and enables them to develop products and prototypes with Technical Textiles, driving innovations in the industry.

Representing the supply-chain of fibre to innovation & start-ups to investor stage with, India’s first Technical Textile Hackathon aims to potentially build business models that can be funded, scaled, and taken global. The hackathon is expected to bring India’s top 10 technical textile start-ups under one roof. While the manufacturing side will be represented by companies of speciality fibres, yarns, textiles, fabrics, products along with brands and traders, the entrepreneur side will cover SME’s, start-up ecosystems and accelerators.

Organised in association with Ideas that Scaleas the knowledge partner, the intense 3-hour solution-driven session at the Techtextil NEXT Hackathon will take up topics centred around India’s challenges of sustainability such as ocean littering, plastic recycling and waste disposal and drive concepts for start-ups to collaborate with industry stakeholders to develop focused solutions using “technical textiles”.

Technical Textile is increasingly penetrating every aspect of our daily lives such as medical masks, car seats, trekking gears, specialised sport-wear etc without most of us noticing. What we don’t realise is that we are surrounded by textiles like nonwoven fabric in every single way. The future with smart wearable textiles is also near.

Techtextil India is India’s leading trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens covering the value chain of technical textiles and its 12 application areas of Agrotech, Buildtech, Clothtech, Geotech, Hometech, Indutech, Medtech, Mobiltech, Oekotech, Packtech, Protech, Sporttech.  The 7th edition of this business event already has a strong line-up of participation from 185 companies from 12 countries including Austria, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and China/Taiwan. Some of the industry’s key players such as Aditya Birla Yarns (P T Elegant), Archroma, Coated Sales, Ginni Filaments, Lenzing Ag India, Montex Glass Fiber, Reliance Industries Lts, Saint Gobain among others will have their latest technical textile innovations spread across the exhibition space covering these application areas.

With textile stakeholders and key decision makers on the floor, the concurrent Hackathon can enable stakeholders to engage in a sustained dialogue and drive innovations in India’s technical textiles industry. The organisers believe the collaborations can potentially lead to the development of prototypes, Pilot projects, new technical textile product development, and GoTo Market strategies. Mr Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd elaborated: “While Techtextil India exhibition highlights innovations in the sector, the Techtextil NEXT Hackathon is a concerted effort to tackle today’s urban living challenges with next-generation solutions. The platform has the potential to present transformative ideas.”

Press information and photographic material:

Background information on Messe Frankfurt

Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With more than 2,500 employees at 30 locations, the company generates annual sales of around €718 million. We have close ties with our industry sectors and serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of the Group’s key USPs is its closely knit global sales network, which extends throughout the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).

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April 1st, 2011
02:25 PM ET

'Juju oaths' ensnare trafficking victims mind, body and soul

By Siddharth Kara, Special to CNN

Editor’s Note: Trafficking expert Siddharth Kara is a Harvard fellow and author of the award-winning book, "Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery." For more than 15 years, he has traveled around the world to research modern-day slavery, interviewing thousands of former and current slaves. Kara also advises the United Nations and governments on anti-slavery research and policy.

Edo State, Nigeria - The first victim of human trafficking I met from Nigeria was in a shelter in north Italy in 2004. Her name was Gift. Since that time, I’ve interviewed 27 Nigerian victims of human trafficking in the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy and even Thailand.

All but one of them were from Edo State, an area east of the city of Lagos.

These women told me some of the most harrowing tales of trafficking I have ever heard. Some trudged through the desert for weeks to the North African coast, where they crossed dangerous waters in rafts to Europe. Others were flown directly from Lagos to Milan, Copenhagen or London. All of them suffered extremes of rape, torture and abuse that are impossible to imagine.

A few aspects of these ordeals immediately caught my attention. Each one of the women was fiercely committed to repaying debts to their madams of up to 50,000 euros. When rescued, they often refused assistance. When asked to testify in trials, some went into fits and trances in the witness box. When deported back to Nigeria, most desperately tried to return to their madams until their debts were repaid.

They went to these lengths because of “juju oaths” they took before leaving Nigeria. The level of control achieved by these oaths was greater than anything I have seen in any other human trafficking context.

Promise's home (Courtesy Siddharth Kara)

It took me six years to gather the necessary contacts to safely explore the juju culture of Edo State. There are death threats against those who attempt to intervene in the juju practice in any way.

A young victim of trafficking I met twice in Copenhagen, named Promise, told me, “The juju priest took my womb from me. If I say anything, I can never get my womb back.”

No outsiders I know have been able to witness an actual juju ritual, but a few brave Nigerian trafficking victims have described the rituals to me in detail.

The priest takes some of the young girls’ pubic hair, nail clippings and menstrual blood, then officiates a ceremony in which she promises to repay her debt, never to escape, never to talk to the police and never to reveal any details of the juju ritual. A container holding the girls’ hair, blood and clippings is sold to the madam who purchases the girl after transport to Europe, thereby transferring spiritual control to her.

Despite the perceived risks, Promise started to speak against her juju priest, and she offered to help me research the issue further.

“My family can help you learn about juju,” Promise told me, “But please tell my sisters not to come here. Both of them have taken the juju oath. Please don’t let them suffer like me.”

With the help of a guide, I navigated the toxic, crumbling and highly violent rural reaches of Nigeria and finally arrived in Promise’s impoverished home village a few hours from Benin City. Her mother, Joy, greeted me with tears streaming down her face.

“Thank you for coming here,” she cried, “Is Promise okay? Is my daughter safe?”

Joy showed me around her hut and explained that she literally boiled tree leaves to feed her family. Everyone was desperate to get out, especially her other two daughters who had recently taken the juju oath.

With tips from Joy’s daughters, I managed to meet a few juju priests. I also met the head priest of the entire Edo State. It was a deeply nerve-wracking experience. Outside of his shrine, the head priest displays dozens of framed pictures of disfigured followers who have broken their oaths, claiming the power of his curses caused their disfigurement.

The head priest’s followers were filled with absolute fear, and that is exactly why Nigerians from this area - like Promise, and perhaps her sisters - are being trafficked by the thousands, generating millions of dollars for their exploiters, who are able to maintain complete control of their victims through the juju oaths – body, mind and soul.

The opinions expressed in this guest blog post are solely those of Siddharth Kara.

soundoff (116 Responses)
  1. Danmuazu

    The issue of sex slave is unknown to many parts of nigeria. It is an evil peculiar to the sourthern part of nigeria. It is unfair to make sweeping statement that the murky practice coverd the whole federation. Please note that northern nigeria which is culturally different knows nothing about this intercontinental prostitution.

    April 1, 2011 at 3:47 pm | Reply
    • Mike

      Danmuazu, are you really sure that there are no sex slaves in the northern part of our Country? I think rather than take offence we should ask ourselves what are the factors driving this trade and commit as individuals to fight this scourge

      April 1, 2011 at 7:14 pm | Reply
    • Richard

      @ Danmuazu, Sadly, this story resembles certain southern Nigeria communities. I suppose you are one of those northerners who believe that stoning women and chopping off poor people's limbs for unproved offenses would make the sad incidents of human trafficking worse. In my opinion, all these are some of the ungodly things that keep Africa down. That some people still believe in "juju" enslavement sadly highlights the level of ignorance of some people.

      April 1, 2011 at 8:19 pm | Reply
    • Anthony Adoghe

      Danmuazu, I feel very ashamed for you. Have you not been to hotels, motels, and lodges in most parts of northern Nigeria? Go infront of Semshak hotel opposite university of Jos at night. I have seen girls from the north prostituting in London. The % might be less compared to those from the south. Alot of people continue to be in denial and dont want to hear about these practical issues. Just like hard drugs is ravaging the nook and cranies of the country; most used by alot of politicians and kids of the wealthy in Nigeria.

      April 2, 2011 at 7:34 am | Reply
    • John Smith

      Why then doesn't the government simply execute these "priests" & prove they have no power?

      April 2, 2011 at 10:10 am | Reply
      • Richard

        For the same reasons that western governments cannot execute pimps that "enslave" some women in prostitution.

        April 2, 2011 at 7:10 pm |
      • Avese

        Danmuazu, I am so disappointed that as a Nigerian you can make such inferences exempting the north. which part of the country do you find more children given out in marriages for financial benefits to parents and relatives? where do you have more covered women moving in the night to shady destinations?. The reason why the trade is continuing is because of demand and loose men all over the world demand for illicit sex even in the north that is why it is still lucrative. Aisha I am sorry for the comments and I agree with you.

        April 5, 2011 at 5:45 am |
    • Aisha

      Danmuazu – as a fellow northerner, i encourage you to refrain from making this a north/south issue. yes, the article specifically identifies a region in nigeria, but that is for the purpose of exploring the "juju oath" phenomenon and its effect on sex slaves from that region. the author does not assume trafficking is a "southern" issue and neither should you. if you want to make such statements, be sure to back them up with concrete evidence otherwise you are merely fueling the flames of ethnic conflict in our country.

      April 2, 2011 at 12:56 pm | Reply
      • Richard

        Well spoken, Aisha. Thanks.

        April 2, 2011 at 7:11 pm |
      • idecomp

        Very well put...

        April 2, 2011 at 7:31 pm |
      • Ettore Balletto

        Aisha: The author seems to identify it as a phenomenon in the south. If it IS happening in the north, that needs to be addressed too.

        Again, northern and southern Nigeria have very different ethnic groups and cultures, and their own sets of problems – While 419 computer scams aren't an issue in the north, Islamic fundamentalism is, and vice versa for the south

        April 3, 2011 at 8:47 pm |
      • Avese

        Well spoken Aisha.

        April 5, 2011 at 5:47 am |
    • Sarah

      It's just as shameful and disgusting if parts of Nigeria aren't aware of the trafficking. Wake up and do something about this uncivilized atrocity. And yes, I absolutely say that about ALL countries/societies that have this problem.

      April 2, 2011 at 11:42 pm | Reply
      • wjmknight

        So, if someone doesn't know something they're "shameful and disgusting?" Talk about blaming the victim. Grow the FV<K up lady...

        April 3, 2011 at 8:12 am |
      • Avese

        Yes. You have a role to play as well. Inform your community

        April 5, 2011 at 5:49 am |
      • ggcalden

        Sarah, you should know that the United States is one of the destinations for modern slaves. You should also know that there are thousands of women and men in the USA who are in forced labor...slaves. This is an international problem and every person needs to be aware and to do something. Educate yourself, there are pleanty of web sites for you to learn about human trafficking and how to recognize and report it.

        April 5, 2011 at 7:55 am |
    • Ettore Balletto

      Mike: There are large differences and variations in many regions of Nigeria, let alone the north and the south

      The south has to deal with this and 419 computer scams
      The north has to deal with Islamic fundamentalism

      April 3, 2011 at 8:46 pm | Reply
  2. EDC

    If you know nothing of this rampant problem, then get your head out of the sand and look around you. To say that sex trafficking doesn't take place in certain parts of a country or certain areas of the world is just ignorance on your part. It exists everywhere and will continue to exist as long as people continue to refuse that it even exists where they live.

    April 1, 2011 at 5:01 pm | Reply
  3. fred

    This is the barbaric behavior that has kept Africans in bondage, poverty and misery for centuries. Americans taking Africans to America for slavery was bad, but this is worse and it continues to this so-called "modern" day. Education is a wonderfull thing.

    April 1, 2011 at 6:44 pm | Reply
    • Dubhly

      most of the africans brought out of Africa as slaves were captured and sold by Africans, this is nothing new, just a return to old habits.

      April 2, 2011 at 2:23 am | Reply
    • ratso_rizzo

      Proper spelling is a wonderful thing.

      April 2, 2011 at 9:27 am | Reply
    • John Smith

      Anti Prostitution & Human Trafficing laws make thin kind of thing possible. On one side we have women & girls so desperate to leave abject poverty & Laws in industrial nations that outlaw any work for those without an education & no job skills. By ridding the world of the black Market Sex trade & making it a legal regulated trade then women & girls can freely & openly travel to sell sex.

      April 2, 2011 at 10:14 am | Reply
      • Etta

        John Smith:

        You are spouting nonsense. Prostitution is a destructive practice in every way. It is destructive toward the female psyche and body. It is destructive toward the male psyche and body. It is destructive toward the family. Legalizing it would only make it easier for people to engage in this societal ill.

        If a woman needs or wants to work, then she can. There are lots and lots of opportunities in this world for free people. The trouble for some is that they live in places ruled by opressive, abusive dictators. The solution is for them to work toward forming better governments, as many are doing RIGHT NOW in places such as Tunisia. I can't fathom why you think that PROSTITUTION is the solution.

        Laws do not cause crimes. Criminals do.

        April 2, 2011 at 11:48 am |
      • Cason

        First, I will start at the end of your post. "Laws do not cause crime, criminals do." That is blatantly false. Laws define a crime, thus cause such activities to be a crime. Criminals commit crime, they do not "cause" it.

        The only reason prostitution is destructive currently is because it is illegitimate. It in itself is not destructive in any form. It is not "destructive" to the body when legitimate, as there would be regulations preventing destructive possibilities (specifically STDs). In regulated areas (Nevada) the STD rate among prostitutes is VERY low, and it is in fact much safer to have sex with and as a prostitute than a with a new partner. If you are talking s3xu@al practices that may be dangerous, that is purely up to the woman to decide, not the prostitution of it. It would be very hard to force a legit prostitute into doing dangerous s3xu@l activities if she chooses not to do so, even as the employeer. Moreover, a legitimate prostitute can be educated to the dangers of certain aspects so s3x, which is something the illegal prostitute can't. As for the psyche, I stand by that this is very much because they are not legitimate, and it is tied specifically into that most prostitutes don't have the protection from the government, and that many have their freedom to choose taken away from them. This is close to impossible with a legitimate performer.

        "It is destructive toward """the family""" Wut? First off, it is only destructive to a family if the person is being dishonest about it (wife prostituting without the husbands permission, even though she made an obligation to him), or if the person has no support from the family to begin with (the daughter who chooses prostitution as a job). Secondly, if you are talking about the "idea" of a family, I resent that completely. That is YOUR conception of the idea of a family. I agree that families are center to human life and our culture, but limiting the idea of a family unit is FAR FAR FAR more destructive to society and the individuals in it than legitimate prostitution can ever be.

        I'd like to end on the one point you got correct, most problems are because of corrupt or ineffective government. If they had a government of integrity, especially one towards these issues, then this problem could be stymied. But, as you've probably figured out, I don't even think our government, or us as a people, have reached that level yet.

        April 2, 2011 at 9:08 pm |
      • Sarah

        John Smith is yet another male who thinks making these things legal will allow him to feel less creepy and disgusting about fulfilling his sexual fantasies. So transparent. So pathetic.

        April 2, 2011 at 11:49 pm |
      • Sarah

        Cason, You're right: the damage to a woman's psyche is simply because prostitution/sex trafficking isn't legal. It has nothing to do with the fact that she uses her vagina, breasts, etc., to earn a living. The small minds like you who like women like this should start using your penises to make a living. Good luck with that.

        April 2, 2011 at 11:55 pm |
      • Sarah

        Cason: "Wife prostituting without the husband's permission"? What planet and era are you from? Once again, I feel very fortunate for my brains and my education, two things that allow me to avoid contact with neanderthals like you.

        April 3, 2011 at 12:23 am |
      • wjmknight

        Cason-that sounds like a phenominal load of B.S. The cause of crime is the person who committs the act, did the obgyn leave part of your brain-stem in the womb when you were born...

        April 3, 2011 at 8:05 am |
      • chika

        John what are you sayin the women and girls are nothing or what we girls are where you came from if not for us you might not be alive so if i was you, you need to stop taking us girls as trash pls

        April 3, 2011 at 3:32 pm |
      • Avese

        Cason, this is your opinion as you said Etta was wrong. Who said you are right? You have lost your head completely and values are thrown out the window. Prostitution is wrong and it shows the degeneration of both the man and woman involved including you.

        1. Yes prostitution is destructive because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost (ops you know nothing of that) so we should not mess it up.
        2. If there was no crime there would not have been a need to put laws in place to check them (Of course it works vice vesa for you)
        3. A prostitute is a product of b

        April 5, 2011 at 6:04 am |
      • Avese

        Cason, this is your opinion as you said Etta was wrong. Who said you are right? You have lost your head completely and values are thrown out the window. Prostitution is wrong and it shows the degeneration of both the man and woman involved including you.

        1. Yes prostitution is destructive because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost (ops you know nothing of that) so we should not mess it up.
        2. If there was no crime there would not have been a need to put laws in place to check them (Of course it works vice vesa for you)
        3. A prostitute is a product of bad family values, bad governance, poverty and the elimination of economic options otherwise why else will a lady want to be slept with by different men without the show of affection? (you would know better right)

        I know that life is really tough for even some parents who allow their children prostitute. We make certain comments because we are totally oblivious of the pains and suffering of people and the effects of what poverty can cause psychologically. Wake up and smell the coffee men.

        April 5, 2011 at 6:10 am |
    • lance corporal

      yes the capturing, enslaving and selling/trading BY africans of their brothers and sisters to MANY parts of the world is shameful and it is STILL going on, america in no way started the slave trade and not only loooong since ended it but has worked to integrate the former slave population and now less than 150 years later our president is 1/2 african and his wife an ancestor of one of those slaves, america is in no way perfect but blaming the slave trade on america is factually/historically simply wrong, maybe it's time for africa to stop blaming and start fixing

      April 2, 2011 at 4:07 pm | Reply
      • Sarah

        I agree, lance corporal. Perhaps when pathetic and damaging statements like "Most Nigerians don't know sex trafficking exists in Nigeria" cease, then Nigeria and other African nations can accept no blame. But until then . . .

        April 3, 2011 at 12:04 am |
      • Alabasta

        America didn't start slave trade. it was started by Europeans mainly Britain, France and Portugal.

        April 3, 2011 at 4:30 am |
      • wjmknight

        Sarah – grow up and stop acting liek a know-it-all all wise American. You have no idea what nigerians know or don't know based on one CNN article, or 12, get a freakin' life and stop sitting in judgement on a people in a country you would never visit unless you got to stay in a 5-star hotel.

        Let me ask you this question, what ahve you done to stop prostitution and the sexual exploitation of women in your own city? Nothing? That's what I thought. Go write a check to NPR and shut up.

        April 3, 2011 at 8:16 am |
      • Heather

        Actually she is a decendant of slaves, but I agree with the rest of your comment 🙂

        April 3, 2011 at 10:40 am |
      • Avese

        Are you current at all? Who says modern day slavery is "only" an African problem. What about the man in the United States who enslaved his daughter and bore children by her for so many years? What will you call that? Safe keeping? The problem is world wide. People selling people for money. The subject matter is the money and with social consciousness flying out people just want money. Kindly google trafficking in the U.S and feed yourself some knowledge.

        April 5, 2011 at 6:15 am |
      • Dalton

        You are probably right. The mnmeot I'd clicked Post Comment I've realized that when drawing objects on top of a shadow would cause serious problems.Anyway thank you for your response and keep up the good work I hope that some day you will be able to write improved version of your sample, maybe transforming it into tutorial. It seems like quite a lot of people could benefit from that.

        November 13, 2012 at 2:44 am |
  4. Douglas Resident

    Border Patrol Agent shoots Douglas,AZ 19 year old us citizen that had no weapons and no one is talking about it, douglas police and border patrol they are trying to hide what they did , the border patrol agent shoot him 3 times in the head , when he was running away from him.

    April 1, 2011 at 9:50 pm | Reply
    • Robespierre the Iguana Owner

      April 2, 2011 at 5:51 pm | Reply
    • wjmknight

      And what does have to do with sex traffickers from Nigeria, herr putz...

      April 3, 2011 at 8:06 am | Reply
      • Avese

        I tire oh......

        April 5, 2011 at 6:16 am |
  5. Kyeva Musioka

    Sex slavery is not only tragic but also a bondage too hard for one to break from.But what about sex pests, paedophiles, cradle snatchers both in straight and gay?How do we teach the impoverished how to defend themselves from such predators?How do we curb these vices?This is a cruel world.

    April 2, 2011 at 2:02 am | Reply
    • John Smith

      Not by creating laws that only HELP these ba$tards My answer is a Brothel that provides the needs of the women & girls. They would be REQUIRED to get 8-9 hrs sleep, Attending school would be MANDATORY. 50% goes to the Brothel to buy books, Food, Clothing, Medical Care Etc. of the other 50% the "Pimp" would receive 5% & the girl 45% of this 20% is put into savings. Only these type of Brothels would end this inhumane practice as well as the sex slavery it promotes.

      April 2, 2011 at 10:20 am | Reply
      • Etta

        John Smith:

        See my post above. Helping women and girls to sell their bodies is not a solution to anything. It is a vice that will only hurt them. Methinks you may just be desparate for lovin.

        April 2, 2011 at 11:52 am |
      • Sarah

        Etta is right. John Smith will look for any way to rationalize his perverted fantasy cravings. Again, very transparent and so pathetic and damaging. So, John (pun intended), if the "girls" at your "legal brothel" go to school with real books and get a good night's sleep, then you would feel better about desiring sex with "girls"? Your gene pool needs some industrial strength chlorine; please don't breed, John.

        April 3, 2011 at 12:11 am |
      • Heather

        Women AND GIRLS? A: If prostitution were legal it should not include children. B: If prostitution were legal, defining how much of the money should be transferred to the prostitute and how much dedicated to her eductaion, health and welfare is ridiculous. It would be her money to save or not as she sees fit. C: If prostitution were legal, pimps would be out of jobs. They could rent a "booth" like a hairdresser and pay some muscle to keep order in the house. He would be low man on the totem pole just like the school kid who sweeps up the hair at a salon. But the fact that you invision brothels that offer girls is quite disturbing.

        April 3, 2011 at 10:47 am |
    • Avese

      Easy! Make flayers and distribute in your local community

      April 5, 2011 at 6:19 am | Reply
  6. G. Clark

    Human trafficking is a very serious issue.

    I found this very impressive video on the topic. Shocking facts and stories and something that has to stop!

    April 2, 2011 at 4:40 am | Reply
  7. Jimada

    Haba mike, have u ever heard an Amina, Zainab, Fatima or any such name deported from Italy to any of the northern states? Lets call a spade a spade. We have prostitudes in d north as well, but not the intercontinental type that goes outside d country and give us bad name.

    April 2, 2011 at 5:01 am | Reply
    • Avese

      Really? Is it because the Eastern prostitution is silent? They have their destinations too o, Saudi Arabia harems where small girls are take to by hajias. Na wa for you o. It does exist but you simply don't have facts. Again their destination is the east and you know what will happen if it is known. Should I type it?

      April 5, 2011 at 6:23 am | Reply
  8. Anthony Adoghe

    I see you have seen the whole register of "intercontinental sex slaves". please address the issue at hand and stop displaying your level of ignorance on the global stage.

    April 2, 2011 at 7:40 am | Reply
    • Avese

      Thank you very much. No more comments Sir

      April 5, 2011 at 6:24 am | Reply
  9. AGuest9

    This is nothing different than the slavery of the 18th century. Rivals and those who were deemed as "weak" in the eyes of village elders were sold out to the Dutch slave traders, then shipped to Europe and America. It's sad, but it is the same medieval nonsense that keeps the Middle East in its constant state of war over imaginary friends in the sky. It's sad, really, on many different levels.

    April 2, 2011 at 10:46 am | Reply
  10. Edonative

    I am from Edo State, and I can tell you that what Mr. Kara saying is true. Many girls from villages go to Europe because of poverty, but they are taken to the juju priest first. They are very powerful and no one can speak against them. As long as the girls believe in the powers, they will do anything they are told.

    April 2, 2011 at 12:05 pm | Reply
  11. Papa P.

    I like what John Smith said. Let the bullet do the talking if its true that these powerful juju priests are invicible. Let the Govt round them up and sink bullet holes in them since they have destroyed these slaves or sex workers

    April 2, 2011 at 2:00 pm | Reply
    • Alabasta

      No. govt should first and foremost, remove all the Obas, Emirs, Obis, Amayeanabos and chiefs...the so called custodians of culture and replace them with mayors occupying elective posts.

      April 3, 2011 at 4:38 am | Reply
    • Avese

      Why? They go the same priest for their political powers too now, you no know?

      April 5, 2011 at 6:26 am | Reply
  12. graybo

    like an african girl needs a womb,,, methinks if you have to boil tree leaves to feed a family,, a womb aint a good thing to have,,no offense to any1, if you cannot feed yourself, how in the hell do you expect to feed five other people,, btw, spellin freak,, u understood it,, this is not english grammar couse # 400

    April 2, 2011 at 2:19 pm | Reply
    • Robespierre the Iguana Owner

      While Graybo is right, he is also incredibly stupid.

      April 2, 2011 at 5:53 pm | Reply
      • Avese

        Ha ha ha ha ha

        April 5, 2011 at 6:58 am |
  13. Pizzagirl1986

    I can't believe someone actually had the gaul to suggest a new type of brothel. Sick bastard! How about ENDING THEM NOW! These stories are horrendous and my heart goes out to every single soul trapped in this madness. One can only wish that more children and women will eascape this hell.

    April 2, 2011 at 6:29 pm | Reply
  14. amanda

    what they need is mass contraceptives and forced vasectomies for many in most of Africa, Nigeria has a very high birthrate and educating women and girls is the first step to stopping human trafficking this will also lower the population. Educated women have less children. There are too many sub Saharan Africans their population needs to seriously come down.

    April 2, 2011 at 8:17 pm | Reply
  15. Dal Bhat

    John Smith – I don’t think Kara supports abolishing prostitution, he is anti slavery and trafficking of unwilling women and girls. There are ‘humane’ brothels in the world and call girl services which allow willing sex workers to put themselves through university. I think Kara’s point is that, from an economic point of view, trafficking girls from poor areas in the world to relatively wealthier ones, is more profitable for the criminals. And as long as those profits are there to be had, they will continue to do business. Protecting at-risk populations through awareness programs and promoting schooling of girls, and increasing the costs of trafficking (implementing laws, increasing fines) are the only ways to eliminate this disgusting global curse. Reduce supply, increase costs, decrease profits and these animals will move into more profitable businesses – like drugs or guns!

    April 2, 2011 at 10:33 pm | Reply
    • Sarah

      Dal Bhat: How about just stop viewing women as objects, whether legally or illegally? Would that help? What a concept.

      April 2, 2011 at 11:57 pm | Reply
      • Dal Bhat

        Hi Sarah. What did I write that makes you think I view women as objects? These criminals view girls as commodities. In order to stop crime, surely one needs to understand, just a little, the way the criminal thinks.

        April 3, 2011 at 8:14 pm |
      • Sarah

        Dal Bhat,
        Fair enough. You're right: sex trafficking results from MUCH more than "sexism" . . . sometimes, however, I tend to focus on the sexism component, but that is only a part of the entire story, I know . . . but I wonder if it's the basest part of the story? I liked your last comment about drugs and guns, and perhaps that's what made me think of the reality that all things trafficked, including women, are indeed objects.

        April 3, 2011 at 9:13 pm |
  16. Etta

    In your reply above, you listed two possible ways that prostitution may be destructive to the family. Either the wife or the daughter go into prostitution without the consent of the husband/father. How 'bout this one: The husband spends family money, family time, and family affection on a prostitute. I realize you may have a different "view" of family, but if your view of family doesn't involve a commited father and husband, then your view is wrong. Hands down.

    April 3, 2011 at 1:43 am | Reply
    • Avese

      Etta, I don't think Cason exits in reality he needs to check himself.

      April 5, 2011 at 7:10 am | Reply
  17. Frederica

    People are very easy to be put under a spell. Western people are indoctrinated that immorality is something to boast about. Everyone needs Christian education to be freed from demonic influences, beliefs and practices.

    April 3, 2011 at 3:27 am | Reply
    • Avese

      well said

      April 5, 2011 at 7:12 am | Reply
  18. Tayo

    I would like to state that these girls knew very very well what they where getting themselves into. They cannot claim ignorance. The desperation to escape the grips of poverty drove them into the worse grip of sexual slavery. It should be noted that these oaths are real and the repercusions are very very real too. It would take only God to free these ladies from the effects of the oaths. The key to ending sex slavery is to eliminate its root i.e poverty.

    April 3, 2011 at 3:36 am | Reply
    • wjmknight

      You're an i d i o t. Poverty will always exist, you can reduce it in soem araes, but it will always be with us. Further, whores will always exist because people will always want to pay for sex regardless of how the economy is doing. If you have never experienced poverty in a thrid world nation, then your pcomments come off as just another fat american talking out their butt

      April 3, 2011 at 8:09 am | Reply
    • Etta

      Many of these girls probably knew they would be prostitutes, but I doubt they expected to "suffer extremes of rape, torture and abuse that are impossible to imagine". They are young and naive. They probably didn't even know that people are capable of that much cruelty.

      Yes, the poverty is a huge problem. Once again, caused by abusive government.

      April 3, 2011 at 11:07 am | Reply
  19. Steve

    Another shining example of the good works of religion.

    April 3, 2011 at 11:49 am | Reply
  20. Eric

    The abuse committed against human beings by other human beings – in all parts of the world is difficult to believe. I know it exists but I don't personally know people who live this way or treat others with such violence and inhumanity. What's sad here in America is a rising culture of rage and vitriol and what it stirs up....all while claiming aligence to 'God" and decency. Their mixed messages encourage violence and abuse so although we may not appear as extreme as Nigeria in this story – we are guilty as well – of very bad, very lacking-in-humanity behavior.

    April 3, 2011 at 12:24 pm | Reply
  21. chika

    WJNKNIGHT STOP BE MEAN TO CASON WATDONE YOU MEAN THAT HE LEFT HALF OF THE BRAIN-STEM IN HIS MOTHERS WOMB and cason am not helping you out i just felt that, that was too much of an insult

    April 3, 2011 at 3:45 pm | Reply
  22. G. Clark

    Accept a victim of sex trafficking in your life

    I watched a video on human trafficking that made such a big impression on me that I want to share it with you. You can find the link here!

    April 4, 2011 at 4:19 am | Reply
    • Avese

      Easy! Make flayers and distribute in your local area

      April 5, 2011 at 6:18 am | Reply
  23. Halfagirl

    The ONLY WAY this sex slavery can stop or decrease in any way is to legalize it. Yes, you read right, leaglize it. I mean, think about. The only rerason why sex slavery is a huge issue is because it is illegal. Morality aside, here are the benefits of legalizing it:
    – Girls will be prepared and informed of what they are getting themselves into
    – Pimps/Boss authority over clients diminshes
    – Prostitutes will have rights. Yes they will have it
    – Sex related crimes will decrease
    – Government regulation

    I know it sounds cray but if the govt can legalize sex work and get invovled, I guarantee have of this sex slavery problems will disappear.

    April 5, 2011 at 11:42 am | Reply
  24. AreaScatter

    Everyone here are just talking like they are making scripts for a movie called "a perfect world"...staying aloaf of the real horror the the chara cters had, have and will face...the victims(prostitutes)have been conditioned and reconditioned to take the option of prostitution as the the only way out....forget the juju...they know how powerful it is, they believe in the power that is why they take these oaths in the first place...every african knows juju aint a joke!...but if these girls were ready to damn the consequenses then we should be askin ourselfs what could be that bad that a lady would put her soul in jepoardy,go through rape, abuse and give up their freedom willingly to excape?...even if we say poverty...what level of poverty?...and for everyones info!?!...there's no solution to human trafficing!...legalize or don't legalize it,kill the juju priests or don't kill the juju priests it don't matter...bcos it takes two to tango...there will always be despirate ppl and there will always be ppl who cash on that despiration...

    April 6, 2011 at 1:29 am | Reply
  25. Amaka

    Its a touching story i must say but you will be surprised that its like a club here in Edo state as parents scramble for it.

    April 11, 2011 at 2:57 pm | Reply
  26. TGirl

    Good clip and good reminder that slavery is alive and well – in so many forms. However; making such a general statement like Nigerians are so poor, they will do anything to get out makes Mr. Kara seem ignorant. I amsure he is well aware that not all Nigerians live in abject poverty and that they are plenty who are perfectly comfortable living and thriving in their home country. He should have been very clear that he was speaking specifically about the people he interviewed and the 'slaves' he encountered.

    April 13, 2011 at 5:24 pm | Reply
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Culture Cooler.: Indio, London and Arkansas on The Map. April 4 ,2017

hot off the culture

ONE: Indio Valley, CA

Hide Your Phones? Not!

If you know coffee culture then you’ll love Coachella’s eats this year. The buzz words signifying all that’s cool, trending and of the now like – cold brew, nitro and matcha make its way on to the festival’s grounds among more than 100 food vendors serving from VIP to general admission.

There will be cold brew green tea from the Fat Dragon, coffee from Menotti’s, matcha from Matcha Bar, and more coffee from Go Get Em Tiger.

Lend me your cups!

If there was ever a good coffee scheme, this one looks to be among them. According to the BBC, London is calling for you to recycle your coffee cup. In a campaign that aims to change the “only 1% of the 2.5 billion paper coffee cups used in the UK each year are recycled,” will take coffee cups, recycle them and term ome of that into new products at an outdoor venue.

Coffee by the Creek

A gateway to specialty coffee is coming to Arkansas’ Crystal Bridges Museum of Art. Onyx Coffee brings a program of East African, Central and South American coffees to the museum known for its bridges and collection of American art.

Opening in November 11, 2011 and established by heroes Alice Walton, the museum has heralded a place for coffee alongside art since its start It’s a joy to see how this progression into specialty coffee via Onyx Coffee will pair with its experience.

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text:
Best Stuff Day 17: Albums 5 through 1

Now 30% more authoritative than other best-of lists.

5. Andrew Downing – Silents (Black Hen)

Written as a soundtrack for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Impossible Journey, Downing’s Silents is every bit as angular and expressionist as you’d expect. It’s not music for every day, but put it on next time you find yourself traversing an exaggerated, two-dimensional nightmare-scape and it’ll all make sense.

4. Gil Scott-Heron – I’m New Here (XL)

Barely half-an-hour long, with almost as many spoken-word fragments as fully fleshed songs, I’m New Here is almost shocking in its concision. Scott-Heron’s cracked baritone practically radiates hard-won knowledge; kudos to producer Richard Russell for somehow realizing minimal trip-hop was the best context to bring that voice back to life.

3. Eric Chenaux – Warm Weather with Ryan Driver (Constellation)

Chenaux’s acoustic guitar takes such a winding path through his songs, it’s a feat in itself that Driver’s piano fills the gaps so effortlessly. The result of the pairing is every bit as comfortable and natural as the title lets on; not all forces of nature are destructive, after all.

2. Gonjasufi – A Sufi and a Killer (Warp)

Just because he sounds like he might’ve wandered straight off the street and into the recording studio doesn’t change the brilliance of Gonjasufi’s full-length debut. The production is every bit as rambling as Sufi’s rasp of a voice, mixing fuzzed-out skronk and smooth vinyl soul into a gloriously messy whole.

1. Pantha Du Prince – Black Noise (Rough Trade)

Black Noise is so full of clicks, chimes and multilayered rhythms that the “minimal techno” tag seems somewhat inappropriate. It’s only minimal in the sense that there’s nothing extraneous here, that every subtly shifting beat has been thoroughly considered, judged and carefully compiled, like a musical house of cards.

Previous best stuff:
The Anthology Project
El Guincho’s “Bombay” (NSFW)
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Eye Spy zine
Julia Tiller, illustrator
Hip: The History
Soundway compilations
No Exit
Comedy Death Ray
Metropolis + the Alloy Orchestra

Mario Crossover

Best albums 15-11

Best albums 10-6

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text:
Things I like: A Bit of Fry And Laurie

I admit, I have been ridiculously derelict in my updating of this blog. Blame it on what you will — poor time management, overcommitment, a near complete lack of interest — but this is something that will soon be remedied. Plans are in order, rest assured, that have been engineered to maximize the knocking off of socks. But until those come to fruition (if ever), there needs to be something here. Content. Filler, if you will. And so we come to this:

A Bit of Fry and Laurie. I believe I have discussed my adoration of Stephen Fry in the past. His “quiz show,” QI, is an ideal source of that precise sort of trivia that allows you to put others in their place and bore them at exactly the same time. His twitter feed is genuinely entertaining. And, he owns and operates his own biplane, a trait which essentially requires me to forgive any number of his potential flaws. If you are a fan of erudite, marginally silly comedy, Stephen Fry should be a subject of your utmost devotion, as in the following sketch from his Cambridge days:

And Laurie (who is also mentioned in the title) is Hugh Laurie, best known on this side of the ocean as House, the grouchy doctor who can diagnose your lupus like nobody’s business, but who has a long and storied career in British comedy (and an endearing fondness of bumper cars).

Together, they created a thoroughly wonderful sketch comedy show at the end of the 1980s, a show that I have been watching far too much of lately. The appeal of the show is actually a bit tricky to describe. The format is fairly standard of sketch comedy, with distinct sketches linked by “man in the street” interviews and the occasional direct audience address. More puzzling for a sketch comedy show, the content is often lacking in clear jokes — take the “Control and Tony” sketches, which feature conversations between two exceedingly polite secret agents. The climax of each of these sketches involves Tony leaving to fetch Control a cup of coffee. There is nothing funny about that, but there’s an underlying self-awareness that makes it work.

But what I like about the show, more than the wordplay, the metatextuality and the willingness to engage in unbridled wholesomeness (a vastly underrated quality) — what I absolutely love about A Bit of Fry and Laurie is the willingness to include long stretches that aren’t in fact jokes. They indulge in entire sketches that are more about poetic reflection than humour…

…or slip in an eloquent commentary on the gullible nature of society in general…

…instead of relying on any particular setup-punchline formula. The best comedy writing involves a certain sort of genius, and also a certain sort of stupidity. Few shows manage to achieve both better than A Bit of Fry and Laurie. And that is a truly wonderful thing.

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text:
10 Influential Azerbaijanis You Should Know

Heydar Aliyev on a Russian stamp | © Russian Post/WikiCommons
Heydar Aliyev on a Russian stamp | © Russian Post/WikiCommons
Photo of Sam Bedford
9 February 2018

Azerbaijan might not be on the global radar and at the forefront of our minds, but the nation gave birth to several influential Azerbaijanis who made worldwide contributions. Here are 10 of those people, including medieval poets, Soviet scientists, cosmonauts, and the intriguing man who lived to 168 years old.

Nizami Ganjavi (1141-1209)

Nizami Ganjavi is the most celebrated and revered Azerbaijani in history. Not only did the 12th-century poet produce some of Azerbaijan’s finest literature, but his legacy also influenced global writing. Combining romanticism and realism, several lines of double rhyming verses creep into his masterpieces. The collection of five poems called the Khamsa are said to be his best. Nizami has such a legacy that roads bear his name, including Baku’s Nizami Street. His elegant mausoleum lies on the outskirts of his hometown, Ganja.

Nizami Ganjavi, one of the most famous Azerbaijanis in history | © Ganja Museum/WikiCommons

Heydar Aliyev (1923-2003)

Azerbaijan’s third president ruled from 1993 to 2003 and revolutionised modern Azerbaijan. After spending much of his life in the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, he eventually became leader after a political crisis threatened to bring the country to civil war. Heydar Aliyev later opened up the oil industry to international investment, which inspired the boom and funded Baku’s development. The futuristic Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku honours the former leader.

Former President Heydar Aliyev | © Pentagon.gov/WikiCommons

Ilham Aliyev (1961-present)

Heydar Aliyev’s son, Ilham, became the fourth president of Azerbaijan in 2003. Despite criticism from the West, Illham has helped Azerbaijan progress into the 21st century. State reforms on culture, science, sports and healthcare as well as hosting sporting events are just a few of his progressive policies. Azerbaijan entered the Eurovision under Ilham in 2008, and the introduction of the eVisa makes the country more accessible to tourism today.

Azerbaijan's current President | © kremlin.ru/WikiCommons

Ahmad Javad (1892-1937)

Ahmad had a fruitful career as a poet, author and activist who fought for Azerbaijan’s independence in the early 20th century. With an impressive linguistic capacity (fluent in four languages) and famed for composing the National Anthem, Ahmad quickly became known as an influential Azerbaijani. The National Anthem was used after declaring independence as Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan (1918-1920) and again after independence was reinstated in 1991. He fell victim to Stalin’s Purges where he later died.

Aygun Kazimova (1971-present)

Switch over to the music scene and meet Azerbaijan’s most successful female singer: Aygun Kazimova. Born in 1971 and boasting a music career stretching more than 30 years, Aygun currently holds the record for the highest number of bestselling singles in Azerbaijan. The singer received multiples awards, both locally and on the international scene, and often gets attributed to bringing modern music to the country. Today, she’s a judge on a popular Azerbaijan talent show called Ozunu Tanit.

Aygun Kazimove: Sevdim

Ell & Nikki (2011 Eurovision Song Contest Winners)

Ell & Nikki deserve a special mention. Ell, or Eldar Gasimov, and Nikki, Nigar Jamal, performed Running Scared in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest held in Dusseldorf. The duet won the competition, instantly transforming Ell & Nikki into national heroes. Today, both singers enjoy prosperous solo careers.

Ell & Nicki: Running Scared

Musa Manarov (1951-present)

Born in Baku and educated in Moscow, Musa quickly climbed the ranks to become an influential cosmonaut for the Soviet Union. The flight engineer spent a total of 541 days in space, including a stint of 176 consecutive days giving him the former record. Musa also spent over 20 hours performing space walks. In the 21st century, astronauts/cosmonauts perhaps fail to get the recognition they deserve. But one must remember that Musa’s career was at the height of the Cold War Space Race.

He spent almost 6 consecutive months in space | © UR3IRS/WikiCommons

Lotfi Zadeh (1921-2017)

Mathematician and computer scientist Lotfi Zadeh has an impressive record. Baku-born before moving to Iran and later the United States, the prominent figure developed and pioneered a new mathematics concept called fuzzy-sets. Applications range from unmanned devices to car mechanics, air-conditioning and medicine. Lotfi is credited for contributing to the field of time signals, which later revolutionised the digital world. To put this great scientist’s achievements into perspective, his publications received more than 180,000 citations at the time of his death. Arguably, Lofti ranks as the most influential Azerbaijani scientist of all time.

Leyla Mammadbeyova (1922-2006)

Quba-born Leyla broke many taboos to become a highly influential Azerbaijani woman. Not only did Leyla have a successful and fruitful career as a scientist in the Soviet Union, but she was also Azerbaijan’s first female pathologist. With a record of 200 publications contributing to the advancement of pathology and science as well as winning medals for her achievements, Leyla ranks among the most celebrated women ever in Azerbaijan. She also holds the title as the first female pilot in the east.

One of Azerbaijan's most influential woman | © azermarka.az/WikiCommons

Shirali Muslimov (1805-1973)

As a final entry into this list of most influential Azerbaijanis, Shirali Muslimov features for a different reason. Born in a small village near the Iranian border, the shepherd hailing from the rural hills might have lived to the ripe old age of 168. As the story goes, he worked until the age of 167 as a shepherd, preferred to ride a horse instead of a car and apparently had a daughter at the age of 136! Most dispute this claim because of a lack of records. However, his passport states the date of birth in 1805 and his death certificate records 1973. True or not, most believe he lived several years as a centenarian. Shirali attributed his longevity to a diet of fruit, yoghurt, low-fat cheese and hard work.

Rare footage of Shirali. He’s claims to be 165 at the time of the interview