Preparation
for the interview
I did last interview for final thing
with my friend her name Nina. I have known her for a year. I asked Nina if she
could help me out with an interview in her spare time and she gave me a date
and time and we met in the library at school. I used my phone as a recording
device and brought my questions that were prepared before the interview.
Interview
report for the interview
This interview was the easiest one
that I have done so far. I think that this was because I had done three
interviews before this and I was able to keep my questions about the same each
time. Also, I was familiar with Nina and I knew that she would be patient with
me if I were unable to get a point across. The interview was a lot more laid
back and I did not feel pressure or nervous about it at all.
Country Report
I am proud to present the Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices for the first time as Secretary of State.
When I served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, my colleagues and I
depended on these reports for an accurate assessment of human rights conditions
around the world. I know how valuable they are to those in the State Department
and other federal agencies who carry out U.S. foreign policy as well as to
members of Congress, the academic community, activists, students, journalists,
lawyers, judges, foreign governments, and concerned citizens everywhere. The
pages that follow document the often difficult march forward of human freedom
around the world. Significant progress is being made in some places, but in far
too many others governments fall short of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights’ vision of a world where people live “free and equal in dignity and
rights.” We report on the world's newest country, South Sudan, and its efforts
to ensure a peaceful future for its people. We cover the horrifying violence in
Syria, historic elections in Egypt, Georgia, and Libya, and the promising
democratic opening in Burma. The reports also reveal the courage of
individuals, including netizens, activists, workers, and journalists who
advocate for universal human rights. The reports make clear that many of our
most pressing foreign policy challenges are, at their core, about the universal
and undeniable human quest for freedom and dignity. Our world is complex and
increasingly influenced by non-state actors – brave civil society activists and
advocates, but also violent extremists, transnational criminals, and other
malevolent actors. In those places where human rights and fundamental freedoms
are denied, it is far easier for these negative destabilizing influences to
take hold, threatening international stability and our own national security.
It is in our interest to promote the universal rights of all persons.
Governments that respect human rights are more peaceful and more prosperous.
They are better neighbors, stronger allies, and better economic partners.
Governments that enforce safe workplaces, prohibit exploitative child and
forced labor, and educate their citizens create a more level playing field and
broader customer base for the global marketplace. Conversely, governments that
threaten regional and global peace, from Iran to North Korea, are also
egregious human rights abusers, with citizens trapped in the grip of domestic
repression, economic deprivation, and international isolation. The United
States stands with people and governments that aspire to freedom and democracy,
mindful from our own experience that the work of building a more perfect union
– a sustainable and durable democracy – will never be complete. As part of this
commitment, we advocate around the world for governments to adopt policies and
practices that respect human rights regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender,
race, sexual orientation, or disability; that allow for and honor the results
of free and fair elections; that ensure safe and healthy workplaces; and that
respect peaceful protests and other forms of dissent. The United States
continues to speak out unequivocally on behalf of the fundamental dignity and
equality of all persons. I hereby transmit the Department of State’s Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012 to the United States Congress. John
F. Kerry Secretary of State.
Foremost among the rights Americans
hold sacred is the freedom to worship as we choose…we also remember that
religious liberty is not just an American right; it is a universal human right to
be protected here at home and across the globe. This freedom is an essential
part of human dignity, and without it our world cannot know lasting peace.
President Barack Obama Fifteen years ago, the U.S. Congress took a momentous
step in support of religious freedom when it passed the International Religious
Freedom Act, establishing within the Executive Branch the position of
Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. With this measure, the
U.S. government made a bold statement on behalf of those who were oppressed,
those who were persecuted, and those who were unable to live their lives at the
most basic level, for the simple exercise of their faith. Whether it be a
single deity, or multiple deities, or no deities at all, freedom to believe--including
the freedom not to believe--is a universal human right. Freedom of religion and
belief and the right to worship as one chooses fulfill a deep and abiding human
need. The search for this freedom led the Pilgrims to flee Europe for America’s
shores centuries ago, and is enshrined in our own Constitution. But it is by no
means exclusively an American right. All states are committed to freedom of
thought, conscience and belief in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
which has been the touchstone and the global standard for the protection of
human rights around the world since 1948. The right to religious freedom is
inherent in every human being. Unfortunately, this right was challenged in
myriad ways in 2012. One of the basic elements of the International Religious
Freedom Act is the requirement that the Department of State publish an annual
report on the status of religious freedom in countries around the world, and
the record of governments in protecting--or not protecting--this universal right.
This year’s report tells stories of courage and conviction, but also recounts
violence, restriction, and abuse. While many nations uphold, respect, and
protect religious freedom, regrettably, in many other nations, governments do
not protect this basic right; subject members of religious minorities to
violence; actively restrict citizens’ religious freedom through oppressive laws
and regulations; stand by while members of societal groups attack their fellow
citizens out of religious hatred, and fail to hold those responsible for such
violence accountable for their actions. The immediate challenge is to protect
members of religious minorities. The ongoing challenge is to address the root
causes that lead to limits on religious freedom. These causes include impunity
for violations of religious freedom and an absence of the rule of law, or
uneven enforcement of existing laws; introduction of laws restricting religious
freedom; societal intolerance, including anti-Semitism and lack of respect for
religious diversity; and perceptions that national security and stability are
best maintained by placing restrictions on and abusing religious freedom. This
comprehensive report comprises almost two hundred individual reports on
countries and territories. Each report sets forth the laws, policies, and
practices of governments; describes the nature of societal respect for
religious freedom; and highlights the specific efforts that the U.S. government
made in each country to promote respect for religious freedom. Some reports
document religious bigotry, hatred, and oppression. Others describe examples of
religious freedom, societal respect, and interfaith dialogue. Whatever the
case, the Secretary of State has been clear that these reports should be
accurate, objective, detailed, and frank. For 2012, some common themes
regarding the status of religious freedom around the world emerged. In general,
these themes reveal negative trends, and often cut across national and regional
boundaries. The individual reports provide the details, but these worrying
trends--and the authoritarian governments that restrict their citizens’ ability
to practice their religion--merit highlighting.
Resources:
Interview
transcript for the final interview
Interviewer: Hi Nina, thank you for meeting with me, how are you
doing today?
Nina: You are very welcome! I’m doing great, how are you Ali?
Interviewer: I’m really good.
Interviewer: So I am doing an interview for class English, could I
please ask you a few questions?
Nina: Yup. Go ahead!
Interviewer: Thank you! So, do you like the weather here in Saint
Cloud? Could you tell me about it please?
Nina: Okay well the weather here varies from season to season. In
the spring and fall it is pretty cool out and averages like fifty to seventy
degrees I would say. In the summer it can get pretty warm but it’s not like
where you are from! (laughing) And I am sure that you know by now that it gets
really cold here in the winter. It gets to be negative sometimes and I really
don’t like that at all. I wish it would stay cool like in the fall and spring.
Those are my favorite times of year.
Interviewer: Yes I know what you mean. I also like the weather
here in the fall. The tree colors are really nice.
Nina: Oh my gosh! That’s my favorite part! I love to just go
outside and look at the leaves.
Interviewer: So you like to be outside, but what else do you do in
your leisure time?
Nina: Yes I do like to be outside but there are a lot more things
I like to do. I love to spend time with my family and I try to go home to the
cities every other weekend at least
to see them. I don’t have a lot of extra time to do things outside
of work and school but my family is a priority so I try to make as much time as
I can. I also like to spend time with my friends whenever I can and I also like
to go out and do things like shopping, eating, go see new movies. You know, the
normal college things.
Interviewer: Yea that does sound like many college kids, but what
else can you tell me about yourself. Maybe just some general information?
Nina: Yea, sure! Ummm lets see… I am from the cities originally
and my family and I have been in the same house since I can remember. I really
have a lot of fun going out with my family and doing things that are new. We
try to go out as much a possible and find some new things to do. I have a lot
of brothers and sisters but most of them are married and moved out of the
house.
Interviewer: You are very close with your family as you have said
before, how often do you communicate with your family back at home?
Nina: Yea, I am close with them, I really count on them a lot and
couldn’t imagine not talking to them. I normally talk to my mom everyday and my
dad a few times a week. Its harder to talk to my brothers and sisters because
of their schedules and them having kids and all of that stuff.
Interviewer: It’s nice that you can talk to them though; you said
you visit every other weekend. Does that stay the same pretty much or do you go
more?
Nina: I for sure go home every other weekend and if I could I
would go every weekend but sometimes it’s not possible because I have to work.
But when it is holidays here I usually will go more often.
Interviewer: Well its perfect that you brought up holidays, Nina,
because that brings me to my next question, what do you think is the biggest
holiday here in America? And can you go into detail about it?
Nina: I would have to say that biggest holiday for most people
here is Christmas and thanksgiving. Christmas is a Christian holiday that
celebrates the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. It is a time for family and
worship in the church and also to promote charity and the giving spirit.
Thanksgiving is a holiday that came from the settlers and Native Americans that
was created to show a union among them and stop the wars between them from
happening. Now though it is mostly about going to your families and eating a
lot of good food! (laughing)
Interviewer: (laughing) there are a lot of good food at the
thanksgiving.
Nina: Especially my moms! She is crazy in the kitchen and spends
like three days cooking.
Interviewer: Wow that is pretty crazy! But I bet the meal is worth
it.
Interviewer: So you mentioned Christianity and seemed to know a
lot about it, are you Christian? Also, in what ways might it be difficult to
practice your religion here in the U.S?
Nina: Yes I am a Christian but I am what is called
non-denominational. That means I believe in God but I do not choose a specific
type of Christianity like Catholicism for example. I think that sometimes it is
hard to practice because people here are so consumed with work that they forget
about the time they should take to worship.
Interviewer: Thanks for that extra information. It is nice to know
that stuff about other religions and people.
Nina: Anytime, I can answer any questions you may have.
Interviewer: Can you tell me what your goals are for the future,
like after you graduate, what are you going to do?
Nina: Of course! Well I plan on using my degree in Social Work to
do something that involves kids. I love working with kids and I couldn’t
imagine not having them as part of my daily work. I would love to get married
and have some children of my own, but that is not anytime in the near future
that I can see. Also, I would like to work down south or somewhere where it is
warm year around.
Interviewer: Good for you Nina, I hope that all of that works out
for you!
Nina: awww thank you so much!
Interviewer: Anytime! I think that is all of the information I
need, do you have any questions for me right now?
Nina: No I don’t think so, thank you for asking though.
Interviewer: okay well let me know if you do. Nina, thank you so
much for your time, I really appreciate it.
Nina: I will and its not problem.
