Difference between revisions of "World Cultures News Articles"

Latest revision as of 03:18, 9 November 2006

World Cultures Project. Find 10 news articles for 14 of the categories he provides. Articles must involve from non-western nation. Write a paragraph summery for each and one sentence why it applies to each category.

World Cultures Basics/Introduction Unit

Intro/Basics - Africa - Middle East - South Asia - China - Japan - Korea - Latin America

World Cultures Daily Questions

Notebook

• Page 1 - Syllabus
• Page 2 - Notebook Grade Sheet
• Page 3 - Table of Contense
• Page 4 - Daily Questions
• Page 5 - Historiography Perspectives
• Page 6 - How to Gloss
• Page 7 - China AIDS Article
• Page 8 - "Humility, not Arrogance will help us after 9/11"
• Page 9 - 9/11 The Path Not Taken
• Page 9b - Malsow's Pyramid of Needs
• Page 10 - Circle Discussion, Page 2, Page 3
  • Page 11 - News Articles for Categories Project
• Page 12 - Pitts Article, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Response - "Out of Date"
• Page 13 - Culture Notes
• Page 14 - Temporary Marriages
• Page 15 - Graph Assignment
• Page 17 - Pitts Article Circle Discussion, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

next-> Africa

Projects

• World Cultures News Articles for Categories
• Pitts Article about News

Test/Quizes

• Intro Quiz, Page 2, Page 3

Categories

• Independence
• Culture
• Scarcity
• Empathy
• Change
• Diversity
• Identity
• Technology
• Power
• Political Science
• Human Rights
• Choice
• Justice
• Citizenship

Identity: Tests 'to save the national identity'

Australia is facing a difficulty similar to our own border problems. Australia is trying to refine the steady stream of migrant workers and immigrants flowing into their country. In the face of globalisation, they are trying to maintain what is Australian and not lose their culture in the global marketplace. They also want to make sure that the migrant workers are able to speak English, in order to speak to their co-workers, read safety signs, and have the ability to advance in their jobs. Specially, migrants will have to wait 4 years for citizenship and now be able to speak English well enough to fill out forms.

I think this is a good idea. Their citizens should be able to speak the language everyone else does. Otherwise they may not be able to read safety signs or communicate with their employers. Australia needs to maintain it's identity and culture, as more people stream in, just as America needs to.

Dennis Shanahan and Patricia Karvelas September 19, 2006 THE architect of the new citizenship tests says they are designed to protect the Australian sense of national identity at a time of rapid globalisation.

Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration Andrew Robb says the Australian values-based regime is designed to give the community a sense of security, echoing John Howard's pledge on border protection during the 2001 election campaign.

Migrants applying for citizenship after four years residency, rather than the current two years, will face tests to ensure they understand enough English to talk to workmates, fill out forms and read safety signs.

Mr Robb told The Australian yesterday there was a remarkable shift in global markets and migration, and people felt less secure as this went on.

"They want to reassert a sense of control - that's why things like border control have become so important," Mr Robb said.

"They know people are going to come here, but they want it on our terms. That gives them a sense of control.

"It is the same with citizenship, it is the same with permanent residence. They are proud of our migration history. They know we are a migrant country and they know it is part of our future as it is part of our past, but they want to exercise some control so it doesn't take a shape and a form they disagree with."

The Government and Opposition have been competing over Australian values for immigrants, with Mr Robb releasing a discussion paper on Sunday on citizenship issues.

ABC election analyst Antony Green said it was clear both major parties were trying to get the edge on defining what it means to be Australian. "Both parties are polling and trying to tap into underlying views of the electorate."

Mr Robb said the attempt to instil Australian values even more into migrants was a result of "galloping globalisation". There were a billion people in the world trading economy 12 years ago, now there were five billion.

"It is monumental change taking place and people know they can't do much about it, but what they can do is ensure that those who are part of the local community are committed to the family," Mr Robb said.

"As the more we have become globalised, the more the national instincts have raised their head because people feel uncertainty about national identity.

"In a sense we have become more tribal as we have become more global."

While recognising there would probably be exemptions for older people from the English requirements, Mr Robb said the bulk of new migrants were young.

"The big numbers who come in are the younger people who have a whole lifetime ahead of them," he said.

"We are saying if there is some incentive to get the English skills and have a sense of what makes Australia tick, then they will quickly and effectively integrate.

"And what's good for them is good for us - if they quickly and effectively integrate, then we will get the benefit of the special qualities they bring."

Mr Robb said the new test was designed to promote a commitment to the Australian way of life, but the "converse is that if they don't quickly integrate then we will all miss out and potentially you have people who don't feel part of our community".

Pollsters for the major parties are warning there is concern within the community that some new migrants are finding it difficult to work, cannot speak English and are reliant on welfare.

Diversity:The Amazing Race 10 - Episode 01: "Diversity, We Hardly Knew Ya"

Another season of the Amazing Race has started. This article gives a summary of the first episode, I'm not going to bother further summerizing it, because you have expressed to me that you don't care. Instead, I will focus on the diversity portion.

This new season sees the return of most of the normal archetypes/stereotypes. The gays, the brothers, the blacks, the sisters, etc. However, this season there are two new groups, Indians and Muslims. Never before have these groups been included in the race. Guess who was out first. In a surprise twist, the Muslims were the first teams ever to be eliminated in the middle of an episode. Now guess who was eliminated at the end. That's right, the Indians. That's why the article title is "Diversity, We Hardly Knew Ya" CBS's attempt to add diversity to the race lost, not one, but twice. So much for trying to show diversity, the difference between two things. It's already left, leaving a bunch of normal character still racing.

http://www.the-trades.com/article.php?id=4803 A Dose of Reality by Dan Weltin Published: September 19, 2006

Welcome to another season of The Amazing Race.

We start this year in Seattle and host Phil Keoghan greets the 12 teams of two – that’s right, this season we have one more team than usual – and goes over the ground rules. There will be a number of Pit Stops along the race and eight of those will be elimination legs. So we’re lead to believe that means four teams will compete at the end, or maybe two teams will be eliminated at one Pit Stop. But then Phil tells us that this race will be filled with new surprises, meaning everything we understand about TAR is now thrown out the window.

Finally, Phil gives us the countdown and this race officially begins. As always teams sprint their hardest at the start of the race and someone falls. Some aspects to the race never change!

Teams begin their journey by heading to Beijing, China. There are only two flights available. The second flight lands nearly a full hour later.

The teams fight traffic in their race to the airport. Those that take side streets instead of the freeway system arrive at the airport first. Already Dating Couple Rob and Kim are fighting with each other and crumbling. They arrive last.

Teams get pretty excited and nervous while waiting for their flights. To help relieve the tension, the Cho Bros. Erwin and Godwin break out some squirt guns in the airport, but their hijinks are cut short due to airport security.

Afterwards, Plane One begins boarding and amputee Sarah gets to board first because of her disability. That’s not really fair for the other teams since Sarah goes around boasting that she’s equal and runs in Ironman competitions.

ROADBLOCK

Plane One gets delayed by 20 minutes helping to reduce the time difference between the two flights. Once landed, teams must find the Gold House Restaurant by taxi for their next clue.

So far I’m not doing so hot with my picks. I really thought Muslims Bilal and Sa’eed, Vipul and Arti, and Cho Bros. Erwin and Godwin would be stronger teams. All three are bringing up the rear and my last place pick, Daddy/Daughter Duke and Lauren, are leading the pack. Who knew!

At the Gold House Restaurant it’s a Roadblock and a gross food challenge. As always only one team member can perform a Roadblock. It’s nice to see the food challenge this early. Hopefully there will be more than one. For this challenge, one member of each team must eat fish eyes. Gross, yes, but not as bad as eating a bowl of fried grasshoppers or an entire ostrich egg. Teams don’t seem to have much problem with this task and no one pukes (at least on camera).

After the fish eyes, teams take a taxi to the Forbidden City where they have to locate the Meridian Gate to get their departure time for tomorrow.

The Beauty Queens Dustin and Candace were on the first plane, but arrive at the wrong restaurant. It takes them so long to find where to go that teams on Plane Two pass them.

It comes down to a tight foot race between the Cho Bros. and the Muslims, but Bilal and Sa’eed are last. And in the game’s first twist, Phil announces they’ve been eliminated. A very surprising move, but a good one. Twelve teams are just too many and it’s a nice way to keep everyone on their toes.

DETOUR

The next day groups of teams leave in 15-minute intervals. They have to ride in the sidecar of a World War Two motorcycle and direct their driver to a pedicab station. Once there it’s a Detour. Teams can choose between Labor and Leisure. In Labor, teams have to pave a 45-square foot design in the sidewalk. In Leisure teams have to master a Chinese dance.

All teams except for Cheerleaders Kellie and Jamie and Gay Guys Tom and Terry choose Labor. What teams don’t know about the Labor Detour, however, is that they have to lay large gray bricks before they can start their colored pattern. It’s not until Team Rehab Tyler and James arrives four teams later that anyone figures it out. Team Rehab also completes the task first.

The Labor Detour is difficult, but teams who chose Leisure are stuck in bad traffic, which really slows them down.

After the Detour, teams can head to Juyonguan – a gateway to the Great Wall of China and this leg’s Pit Stop. However, teams just don’t run up to Phil, they must scale the wall to cross the finish line.

Under the direction of her coach... er, boyfriend, Peter, Amputee Sarah runs up all the stairs to the top of the Wall before figuring out they’re heading the wrong way. Maybe Peter should pay more attention to the Race and less time cheering her on. When she gets to the wall Sarah has a difficult time climbing up. I guess this is the flip side to telling cabbies you’re handicapped so they’ll take you and not others.

In the end, Team Rehab Tyler and James finish first and win $20,000. Much to my embarrassment Daddy/Daughter Duke and Lauren nab second place. Amputee Sarah and Coach Peter finish third despite her initial trouble with the wall.

Beauty Queens Dustin and Candace make quick work of the wall and arrive in fourth place. Dating Couple Rob and Kim get their act together long enough to finish fifth. Cheerleaders Kellie and Jamie are sixth; Cho Bros. Erwin and Godwin are seventh; Gay Guys Tom and Terry are eighth.

Two teams fell under the radar for most of this leg: the ‘Bama Moms Lyn and Karlyn (whom Amputee Sarah is taking advantage of with her handicap) finished ninth; and Coalminer David and his Wife Mary (who like to tell each other to shut up) finished tenth. Finally, Vipul and Arti finished last and were eliminated. It wasn’t even close – there were no other teams for them to race at the Wall.

I guess I need to reevaluate the teams. The Cho Bros. Erwin and Godwin and the Vipul and Arti were the last two teams to leave the Detour and here I thought they’d be the two teams battling it out for a million dollars. I certainly underestimated Daddy/Daughter Duke and Lauren. Already I have a bad feeling about Team Rehab Tyler and James. Something about those guys I don’t care for. Already I’m casting them as this season’s villains.

And so much for diversity this season. The show’s first Muslim team and the first team of Indian descent were the first two to go! Oh well.

Independence: Kosovo PM Optimistic Talks Will Lead To Independence Proposal

Kosovo is currently part of Serbia. However, Kosovo has a 90% Albanian population, where as Serbia is ruled by a different ethnic group. Albanians want to make Kosovo an independent country. However, Serbia does not want to lose Kosovo. The UN has been administering Kosovo since a 1999 air strike drove out the Serbian army. Prime Minister Agim Ceku calls this a very important week for Kosovo, because the security council might be close to issuing a recommendation for Kosovo's independence. Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski commended Finish negotiator Martti Ahtisaari for his good work is trying to get Kosovo independent. Macedonia has a large Albanian population and share a border with Kosovo.

This article is about Kosovo trying to gain independence from Serbia. I hope it happens. The people of Kosovo will be much happier not under the control of Serbia.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-09-19-voa66.cfm voanews.com By Barry Wood Skopje 19 September 2006

Kosovo's prime minister said Tuesday he is hopeful that talks now under way at the United Nations will soon lead to independence for the Serbian province that has a 90 percent ethnic Albanian population.

Prime Minister Agim Ceku said this is a very important week for Kosovo. Speaking at a joint news conference with Macedonia's prime minister, Ceku spoke with confidence about the Kosovo status talks chaired by Finish negotiator Martti Ahtisaari.

Those talks between Kosovo's ethnic Albanians and the Serbian government have failed to make significant progress since they were launched in February. The Serbs continue to oppose independence, the overriding objective of the Albanians. In a speech earlier this month, Serbia's prime minister, Vojislav Kostunica, said Kosovo has always been and will always remain the constituent part of Serbia. He accused ethnic Albanians of not being interested in serious negotiations and believing that they have been given in advance something that does not belong to them.

Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations since 1999 when a NATO air campaign drove out Serbian forces accused of brutality against the region's ethnic Albanian majority.

In his remarks Tuesday, Ceku expressed support for Ahtisaari, saying the U.N.'s negotiator is likely to issue a positive report to both the Security Council and the five major powers most involved in Kosovo. "He has enough substance to come up with a proposal and to propose the independence of Kosovo. I'm expecting (from the New York talks) much more clarity in all this process, much more certainty, and certainly much more hope for all the people of Kosovo."

Ceku said in talks with the U.N. administration that progress has been made concerning the transition to independence and guarantees for non-Albanians.

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski commended Ahtisaari for his conduct of the Kosovo negotiations. "We (are hopeful we) will come to a decision (on Kosovo) that will produce peace and security in the region," he said.

Macedonia has a large Albanian population and Mr. Gruevski's coalition includes an Albanian party. Macedonia and Kosovo share a somewhat ill-defined common border, which was not fully demarcated during the four decades that both territories were part of the former Yugoslavia. Their bilateral talks here in Skopje focused on that issue as well as economic cooperation. Both leaders say bilateral relations are good.

Technology: S. Korea offers to share atomic energy technology

South Koreas' Science and Technology Minister Kim Woo-shik said today that South Korea would be willing to share its nuclear expertise with other countries. It has not mentioned exactly which ones. South Korea has about 20 reactors which produce about 40 percent of its electricity. It received its initial nuclear help from the United States, Canada and France, but it can now make its own reactors. South Korea promised to do its best to prevent nuclear arms proliferation and prevent global warming.

This article has to do with technology because nuclear is a very powerful, but very dangerous technology. Used it the right way, it is very helpful. However it can be very harmful if used in the wrong ways.

http://english.people.com.cn/200609/18/eng20060918_303924.html People's Daily Online English Source: Xinhua

South Korean government has expressed its will to share atomic energy technology and knowhow on running nuclear power facilities with other countries, the South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported Monday.

According to the Yonhap, South Korean Science and Technology Minister Kim Woo-shik made the remarks during a keynote address at the 50th general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.

About 20 commercial reactors are now running in South Korea and producing 40 percent of the country's electricity.

South Korea, which had received nuclear energy technology from the United States, Canada and France, can now design its own nuclear generators.

South Korea will do its part to prevent nuclear arms proliferation and contribute to ongoing efforts to stem global warming through better use of nuclear power, Yonhap quoted Kim as saying.

Human Rights: UN human rights team to start Lebanon probe

Israel might have violated human rights during its month-long conflict with Lebanon's Hezbollah. The UN is launching an investigation. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour and his team will travel to Lebanon for two weeks starting September 23. The 47-state Council voted in August to investigate the Israeli's actions in Lebanon. This council replaces the widely-discredited UN Commission on Human Rights, and held its first meeting in June.

This article is about the UN investigating Israel's actions in Lebanon. I hope the UN catches any human rights violations that Israel might have caused during its month long occupation of Lebanon.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-09/19/content_5107200.htm www.chinaview.cn Editor: Mu Xuequan

GENEVA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A three-member team of UN experts will soon start a full investigation into allegations of human rights violations by Israel during last month's conflict, the UN'shuman rights chief announced on Monday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said the team would travel to Lebanon on Sept. 23 and stay there for about two weeks.

The team will report back on its findings to the UN Human Rights Council in two months, Arbour told the Council on the opening day of its second regular session.

The 47-state Council voted in August for a high-level commission to investigate alleged human rights violations by Israel in the month-long conflict with Lebanon's Hezbollah.

The resolution was put forward by Islamic and Arab countries and supported by a vast majority of the Council members.

The council held its first regular session in June after replacing its widely-discredited UN Commission on Human Rights.

It also held special sessions in July and August on the human rights situation in occupied Palestinian territories and Israel's military operations in Lebanon.

Sacristy:Saudi executive tells OPEC there's plenty of oil left

Saudi Arabia said yesterday that we have tapped only 18% of the world's oil so far. Formally we believed that we were running out of oil. Conservative estimates say that the oil will last until at least 2070. Exxon said that they expected demand for oil to grow 50% in the next 10 years. OPEC decided not to change production, but to keep an eye on the falling prices.

This is an interesting article. It mentions something similar to what I read in another article for a different class. The old Saudi Arabia oil sheik, Ahmed Zaki Yamani, famously said that the stone age did not end when they ran out of stones, it ended because a better alternative was found. It seems that this news report goes along with his claim. He wanted OPEC to keep prices low so that we wouldn't explore alternatives to their oil. If the Saudi's claims are true, he certainly was right. He doesn't want to wean us off oil, by making the price go so high, that investing in new technologies actually make sense.

I choose this article because it deals with scarcity. Specifically, it has Saudi Arabia explaining how oil is not actually as scarce as we all think it is. They want to control production so that oil will not be scarce so that we don't explore other alternatives.

By William J. Kole The Associated Press Posted September 14 2006 http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-zopec14sep14,0,3739178.story

VIENNA, Austria · The world has tapped only 18 percent of the total global supply of crude, a leading Saudi oil executive said Wednesday, challenging the notion that supplies are running out.

Abdallah S. Jum'ah, president and CEO of the state-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Co., known better as Aramco, said the world has the potential of 4.5 trillion barrels in reserves -- enough to power the globe at current levels of consumption for another 140 years.

Jum'ah challenged oil ministers and petroleum executives at an OPEC conference in Vienna to step up exploration "and leave the minimum amount of oil in the ground."

"The world has only consumed about 18 percent of its conventional potential," Jum'ah said, contending that should lay to rest fears that the world is in danger of being tapped out within a few decades.

Many experts estimate that the planet's recoverable oil resource is at least 3 trillion barrels and potentially more than 4 trillion barrels. If global consumption rises about 2 percent a year from today's levels of about 85 million barrels a day, they say, the low end of that range would only be enough to last until roughly 2070.

Rex W. Tillerson, the chairman of Exxon Mobil Corp., said world demand for oil will increase by 50 percent in the next decade.

"When nations threaten to stop this flow, it stops economic progress worldwide," Tillerson said.

Industry leaders have gathered this week to take stock of new challenges at the conference sponsored by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Earlier this week, the 11-nation cartel agreed to leave its current production target of 28 million barrels a day unchanged, but made clear it would keep close tabs on falling oil prices and consider a possible cut in its output quota before the end of the year.

Crude prices have tumbled to five-month lows and have dropped by more than $12 a barrel since hitting record highs in mid-July. Analysts say a combination of ample supplies and an easing of political tensions have driven prices lower.

Justice:Prosecution wants Saddam trial judge to go

There's big trouble in Saddam-trial-land. First the judge, Abdullah Al Amiri, told Saddam that he wasn't a dictator, [1] and did not stop him while Saddam was making "political statements." The prosecutor, Munqith Al Faroon, became angry and roared, "you allowed this court to become a political podium for the defendants." On Tuesday, the judge did not stop Saddam while he bellowed on against "agents of Iran and Zionism" and vowed to "crush your heads" after he listened to Kurdish witnesses allege atrocities committed against them during the government's Operation Anfal crackdown on Kurds in the late 1980s. The prosecutor wants the presiding judge to step down.

This article is about bringing justice to Saddam Hussein. Unfortuanly that process has not gone along smoothly. Usually, the defendants are the ones angry at the judge, but in this case it's the prosecutor.

http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iraq/10067361.html Published: 09/14/2006 12:00 AM (UAE) Prosecution wants Saddam trial judge to go by: AP

Baghdad: The chief prosecutor in Saddam Hussain's genocide trial demanded the presiding judge step down, accusing him on Wednesday of bias towards the deposed leader and his co-defendants.

"You allowed this court to become a political podium for the defendants," roared the prosecutor, Munqith Al Faroon, as judge Abdullah Al Amiri listened.

On Tuesday, Saddam bellowed against "agents of Iran and Zionism" and vowed to "crush your heads" after listening to Kurdish witnesses allege atrocities committed against them during the government's Operation Anfal crackdown on Kurds in the late 1980s.

Al Faroon alleged that Al Amiri was giving Saddam the time to make "political" statements that were irrelevant to the proceedings.

"For instance yesterday, instead of taking legal action [against Saddam], you asked his permission to talk," Al Faroon said.

"The action of the court leans toward the defendants," the prosecutor alleged. He said Saddam treated the witnesses with disrespect.

A Kurdish civil attorney also told the court that Saddam "hurt our feelings" in the statements he made this week.

"His statements are illegal and must be stopped," said the woman.

Al Amiri responded by recalling how a Muslim successor to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) allowed the accused to voice their opinions. One of the "pillars of the judiciary is to treat everyone equally," Al Amiri said before he ordered proceedings resumed.

Power:Govt. plans ultra mega power project

The government in India is deciding whether to set up a new power plant in Tamil Nadu. Actions are expected soon. The Power Finance Corporation is quickly adding new plants to meet India's growing demand for electricty. Contracts are expected to be made soon, with more powerplants comming in the future. Contracts are expected to be awarded before mid-2007.

India and China both have a growing demand for power. India especially, faces rising incomes, meaning families will be able to buy more electronic "junk" which all consumes more power. The techs in the call centers are all sitting in front of thirsty computers. As India high-tech industry grows, the power supplied must be able to meet the demand or growth will be slowed. Luckily we can get electricity from many different sources, while gasoline for cars, only has one real source: crude oil. An increase in power is necessary for India's growing economy.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/401200609130355.htm Chennai (source) from the Hindu (org)

New Delhi, Sept. 13 (UNI): The government is currently considering setting up an ultra-mega power project in Tamil Nadu and the action on this project will be initiated shortly, official sources said.

The setting up of the ultra-mega project is in response to the State government to setting up the project in the state to bridge its growing demands.

Meanwhile, the two ultra-mega power projects, out of the five, of 5,000 MW each are being readied by the end of the year with the Power Finance Corporation (PFC) inducting State representatives to help resolve implementation issues.

PFC has reconstituted the Boards of Sasan and Mundra Ultra Mega Companies who will expedite issues with purchasers including signing of Power Purchase Agreements which has already been finalised through a broad-based consultation involving bidders, purchasers, regulatory commssion and the Central government.

Addressing media after the kick-off of the reconstituted boards, Additional Secretary in the Power Ministry Ajay Shankar and Chairman of these companies Shyam Wadehra said that this is only a beginning of the process of broad-basing shell companies for other ultra mega power projects including Krishnapatnam in Andhra, IB Valley in Orissa and Girye in Maharashtra.

The other three mega projects are also progressing and would be awarded before mid-2007.

Shankar said that the government has received a recquest for establishment of a similar ultra mega project in Tamil Nadu and the request is currently being looked into by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) for identifying suitable sites.

Action will be initiated on this project shortly, he said.

Empathy: All Must Help Clean Up Mess In Darfur

Terrible things are happening in Darfur. The government is not protecting their people, and instead is supporting the Janajaweed in their fight against the non-Baggara people. The UN passed Security Council Resolution 1706, authorizing 20,000 peacekeeping troops, but the Sudan government reacted strongly against the measure last month. Before however, Darfur was largely ignored till Mukesh Kapila, the outgoing United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, called Darfur the "world's greatest humanitarian crisis" in March 2004. Will these methods be enough to stop the genocide in Darfur? It surly does not have the glory of toppling Saddam Hussein, but lots of people are still dying in Sudan.

The author of this opinion piece wants to get us to express empathy towards the people of Darfur. We should put ourselves in their shoes, and try to help them. We should not assume that it's not our problem, and that someone else should help. We should take action to help them.

http://www.thehoya.com/viewpoint/091206/view6.cfm The Hoya Georgetown University

By Erin Mazursky Tuesday, September 12, 2006

As I weaved my way through the aisles of the Crystal City Target during back-to-school weekend, I came upon a traffic jam in aisle seven. In the midst of the chaos, someone had pulled a stack of folding chairs off of the rack, causing all the other metal, upholstered dorm-style seats to topple into the aisle. Although there was still enough room for passage, people continued to tiptoe around the pile.

While watching this spectacle, a single thought popped into my head: “So this is how genocide happens.”

These days, as the genocide in Darfur, Sudan worsens and hope dwindles for the up to 2.5 million people displaced from their homes, I generally think of little other than genocide. I often question why people have not done more to stop the world’s most egregious human rights violations, and the answer finally came to me as I stared at the pile of chairs: It’s not our problem.

Or so we think. Six thousand miles away, 450,000 people in Darfur have died as a result of war or disease since 2003. Since elements within the Sudanese government first began exterminating the ethnic tribes in Darfur, the international community has, for the most part, sat idly by.

In both cases, the problem is that we assume someone else will clean up the mess. We read about the tragedy in Darfur and feel a pang of sympathy and outrage and then go about our business, expecting that the “powers that be,” like the United Nations, NATO or even the U.S. government will take responsibility, leaving us unaccountable to the destruction of an entire people. But history will come back to haunt us.

It seems like a stretch, I know — picking up a chair versus stopping genocide. One seems so simple while one poses a colossal problem with no easy answers. But, we all have the ability to act.

Eric Reeves, an English professor at Smith College, has become the preeminent Darfur scholar despite beginning his academic career focusing more on Shakespeare than on Sudan, for example.

Finally, two years ago, a group of Georgetown students who had never been to Sudan founded the first STAND chapter, which has become a national organization expanding to over 500 chapters in colleges and high schools across the country.

But the people of Darfur need more advocates. On Sept. 30, 2006, the African Union’s protection mandate in Darfur will expire, and the 7,000 peacekeepers there will have to go home. At that point, there will be no one in Darfur protecting millions of people from genocide and famine.

It does not have to be this way. STAND believes that the single most important thing we can do to protect the lives of millions of innocent people, mostly women and children, from a horrifying death is to demand a robust U.N. peacekeeping mission in Darfur led by NATO member states. These states have sophisticated military capabilities, in contrast to the unprepared, under-resourced, skeletal force left in Rwanda. Such action is not out of the question. The United Nations Security Council has already voted to send blue helmets into Darfur. The genocidal Sudanese government, whose sovereignty the international community continues to respect despite its clear inability to protect its people, remains the only obstacle.

This school year, as we begin to fill up our schedules with various activities, the lives of 2.5 million people hang in the balance. We must leave time in our schedule for Darfur. Come to a STAND meeting Tuesday nights; pressure your members of Congress through letters and calls. Fast in solidarity with producer Don Cheadle, journalist Nicholas Kristof and thousands of students across the country and five other continents on October 5th for DarfurFast. The opportunities exist. We must take them.

As I parked my cart and began to walk towards the pile of chairs, I saw a woman in front of me with three small children. Her baby was crying, her cart was full and her two other toddlers shouted at each other.

“Stop your fighting, and help me pick up these chairs,” she yelled, taking the toddlers’ arms and facing them towards the road block.

They began to pick up the chairs and re-rack them. I thanked the woman as I passed, continued my shopping and sighed in relief. We should follow her example in Darfur.

Erin Mazursky is a senior in the School of Foreign Serivce and executive director of STAND.

Citezenship: Taslima asks India to give her citizenship

Writer Taslima Nasreen is caught between two countries. She was born and raised in India, but moved to Bangladesh. There she made enemies with Muslim clerics who have offered money for her death, because of her views on the freedom of women. Her books have been banned in Bangladesh for numerous reasons. Therefore she wants to stay in India where she is living with a 6-month visa. So far no one has come to answer her plea to let her get Indian citzenship.

This article relates to citizenship because she is stuck between 2 countries. Who will take her? Where shall she live? Her life is in danger in Bangladesh, but no one wants her in India. What will she do when her temporary visa runs out?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1978049.cms 11 Sep, 2006 10:57hrs

KOLKATA: Expressing regret at her inability to visit her motherland due to threats from Bangladeshi fundamentalists, writer Taslima Nasreen has urged the Indian government to grant her citizenship or permanent resident status.

Taslima said India, and particularly West Bengal, was her current home. "I feel at home here and have received the love of the people," said the author who fled Bangladesh in 1994 after receiving death threats from fundamentalists.

The writer, who was recently given a six-month residential valid till January 2007, urged the Central government to grant her citizenship or a permanent residential permit.

"I can then concentrate on my writing and set up my base here. Will it not be possible for the Indian government to grant my plea?" Taslima said in an interview.

Asked whether she wished to return to Bangladesh, which she left after Muslim clerics offered a reward for her head, Taslima regretted that her right to visit her motherland had been taken away.

"My parents have passed away. So the persons closest to me in Bangladesh are no more. It is more of having my rights to visit the country where I was born and grew up rather than purely emotional reasons," she said.

She regretted that none of the major political parties in Bangladesh had come out in her support.

"I am also loved by the people of Sweden, but Kolkata holds a special place for me," she said, thanking Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee for understanding her problems whenever she approached him.

To a question on why she invited controversies time and again, Taslima said, "Let me reiterate that male chauvinists and fundamentalists do not believe in equal rights. Whenever one tries to unshackle patriarchy, a religious controversy arises.

"Whenever someone wants to change a society which does not give equal rights to women and fails to consider them anything other than sexual objects, it evokes controversy.

"Taslima said she was now working on an autobiographical book, Ami bhalo nei, tumi bhalo theko priya desh (I am not well, but you my motherland remain well), that would encapsulate her wishes, dreams and agony.

The Bangladesh government had banned Taslima's Lajja (Shame), which was about the persecution of Hindu minorities and her autobiographical works Amar Meyebela (My Girlhood), Utal Hawa (Gusty Wind), Ka (titled Dwikhandito in West Bengal), and Sei Sab Andhakar (Those Dark Days).

Choice: Mom, Apple Pie and...Toyota?

Did you know that the Toyota Sienna has more parts made in America then a Ford Mustang? This article tries to show how a supposedly American car, made by an American car manufacturer, actually has less parts sourced from America the a Toyota Sienna, made by a Japanese company. The Toyota Sienna is made in Indiana, while many cars made by American car manufacturers are made elsewhere and imported. The American auto industry is quick to respond saying that even if a few thousand manufacturing jobs go oversees, they still have their management and designs facilities in America. However foreign auto makers have long had design centers in America to gauge Americans tastes and are also hiring more American managers for their factories.

This article bring up and important international choice question? Can you still buy a truly "American" car? And is that car going to be made by a "foreign" automaker? But most of all, will Americans still buy "American" cars to support American workers, even though they are actually made elsewhere, and even though a "Japanese" car actually supports American workers more? One person said, "I wouldn't buy a Sienna. I don't like them because they are foreign."

Ford Says It's Patriotic to Buy A Mustang, but Sienna Is Made In Indiana With More U.S. Parts

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114731076341249773-vC7NDlPLXotsdDHpLbpm5Ewbo9E_20060610.html?mod=tff_article (or from WSJ Student Edition, scan page, get info)

By JATHON SAPSFORD and NORIHIKO SHIROUZU May 11, 2006; Page B1

Few sports cars have captured the nation's imagination like the sleek Ford Mustang, a 21st-century reincarnation of an American classic. The Toyota Sienna minivan, by contrast, speaks to the utilitarian aesthetics of Japan: refined interiors, arm rests and lots and lots of cup holders.

Yet, by a crucial measure, the Sienna is far more American than the Mustang. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that were publicized in "Auto Industry Update: 2006," a presentation by Farmington Hills, Mich., research company CSM Worldwide, show only 65% of the content of a Ford Mustang comes from the U.S. or Canada. Ford Motor Co. buys the rest of the Mustang's parts abroad. By contrast, the Sienna, sold by Japan's Toyota Motor Corp., is assembled in Indiana with 90% local components. [Home and Away]

There's more than a little irony in this, considering Ford has launched a campaign to regain its footing with an appeal to patriotism (catchphrase: "Red, White & Bold"). "Americans really do want to buy American brands," asserted Ford Executive Vice President Mark Fields in a recent speech. "We will compete vigorously to be America's car company."

As the Mustang shows, though, it's no longer easy to define what is American. For 20 years now, the dynamic car makers of Asia -- led by Toyota, Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. -- have been pouring money into North America, investing in plants, suppliers and dealerships as well as design, testing and research centers. Their factories used to be derided as "transplants," foreign-owned plants just knocking together imported parts. Today, the Asian car makers are a fully functioning industry, big and powerful enough to challenge Detroit's claim to the heart of U.S. car manufacturing.

The result is a brewing public-relations war, with both sides wrapping themselves in the Stars and Stripes. Toyota, for example has been running commercials touting its contribution to the areas of the U.S. economy where it has built factories.

Next year, the staid Toyota Camry will undergo the ultimate rite of passage by entering the most prestigious circuits of the National Association of Stock Car Racing. Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said his company's vast network of dealerships saw the Nascar link as a crucial marketing tactic to raise Toyota's profile in the U.S. heartland. "Our dealers told us it was really important to do this," he says.

On Thursday, the Level Field Institute, a grass-roots organization founded by U.S. Big Three retirees, is scheduled to hold a news conference in Washington. Among the points the group is expected to make is its belief that comparing relative North American component content is an ineffective way to determine who is "more American" among auto makers. A better way, says Jim Doyle who heads Level Field, is to look at the number of jobs -- from research and development to manufacturing to retailing -- each auto maker creates per car sold in the U.S.

Mr. Doyle says the institute's study shows that Toyota in 2005 employed roughly three times more U.S. workers, on a basis of per car sold in the U.S., than Hyundai Motor Co. Each of the Big Three manufacturers in the same year employed roughly three times as many U.S. workers, on a per-car-sold basis, as Toyota. "What's better for the American economy?" Mr. Doyle asks. A GM car "built in Mexico with 147,000 jobs back here in America or a Honda built in Alabama with 4,000 or 5,000 jobs in America?"

Measuring local content is extremely difficult because a part made in America can be assembled from smaller parts, some of which might come from abroad. All of which underscores how the line between what is and isn't American, at least in the auto industry, is "going to be increasingly difficult to pinpoint" as car makers become increasingly international and produce more in local markets, says Michael Robinet, a vice president at CSM Worldwide.

General Motors Corp. is importing Korean-made cars to sell under the Chevy nameplate. Japanese car makers are using American designers for cars being sold in China. Some of the high end luxury BMW "imports" on the road are made in South Carolina. "We don't look at it as an American industry," says Mr. Robinet. "It really is a global industry."

That said, the Japanese manufacturing presence in the U.S. is growing. Foreign-based auto makers in the U.S., led by the Japanese, account for 1.7% of U.S. manufacturing jobs, according to a report by the Center for Automotive Research, Ann Arbor, Mich. After $28 billion in cumulative North America investment -- and annual purchases of parts reaching $45 billion or more in recent years -- 67% of the Japanese-brand cars now sold in North America are made in North America, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Japanese investment in U.S. production was a response to the trade tensions of the 1990s, when tensions flared over Japan's surplus with the U.S., of which autos and auto parts were a large portion. By spreading investment across the U.S., Japan's car makers have won crucial allies among U.S. politicians. Last year, when President Bush took to the road to tout his Social Security plan, one of his first stops was a major Nissan plant in Canton, Miss., a conservative corner of the country where the phrase "buy American" no longer means what it once did.

"As the son of a union member, I'll admit that free trade is an issue with which I've struggled," says Republican Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, who has a Nissan Titan pickup truck in his garage. But he adds: "Remember that every Nissan built in Canton also was engineered by Americans, for Americans."

What isn't clear is how Mustang fans like Fred Barkley, president of the Bluegrass Mustang Club of Lexington, Ky., would react to the news that the Mustang is only 65% American, at least by one government measure. Mr. Barkley, owner of three Mustangs, one from 1965 and two from the early 1990s, says it "doesn't bother me too much." Told the Toyota Sienna has higher North American content than the Mustang, he is unimpressed. "I wouldn't buy a Sienna," he says. "I don't like them because they are foreign."

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