Group items tagged

"Campaign to Plant 5 Million Trees in Central America." Tico Times 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. . Summary  In Costa Rica, a youth organization is planning to plant five million trees throughout central America to support the environment.  And also not just planting them, they are planning to continue to take care of all those trees and make sure that they grow well.  The group also is going to plant at least five thousand trees in the City in Costa Rica but also bigger areas of their neighbor's land like Caribbean and Pacific as well.  They announced that the big planting day will on on the 25th June.   Reflection  I think this plan is really good plan because iit s not hard to plant a tree, but it will help a lot of the environment as long as they take care of them as they plan.   They seem very serious about this plan because they are even going to plant to their neighbor's land, which shows that they really care for the environment.  Since this plan is coming soon, I'm excited to learn about how it will go.  This makes me think that if the rest of the world will  care like them, our world would be so much healthier than today.  How old are the  youth  who volunteer?How would the neighbor's country respond? How much will it help the environment from this many tres being planted and how long will it take to grow?

Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? CItation:Habblb, Nasir. Boy in Pakistan tells police of school for suicide bombing. CNN, Apr. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2011http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/08/pakistan.teen.bomber/index.html?iref=allsearch Summary:The Pakistani teenager suicide bombing at a Sufi shrine with his young peers at a camp.Fidai was arrested alive even though he tried to suicide bombing himself.On sunday, at least 41 people and wounded more than 100 at a Sufi shrine because of Fidai. In his interview, he had been trained in order to use the pistol, suicide jacket and grenades lesson for six months, but he said that he never miss his family because Qaru Zafar who is the Taliban leader persuade him that Fidai would go to heaven if he suicide for the Taliban. Reflection:This article show how extreme Islamists are stupid. Unfortunately I can not understand that why Islamists have chosen the young people to suicide bombing for their authority. I believe that they will know their reaction bringing the violence image to the Islam. My research topic is Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? I found my answer for this article. During I research the paper for the Islam, I barely find the article about the peace of Islam. The violence reactions of Islam news are dominated in Newspaper. According this facts, the extreme Islamists need to convert their image for the peaceful Islamist. Question:1) Why the extreme Islamist  use young people to suicide bombing?2) Why Islamist hardly try to covert their image?3) How many people scarified for Islam?4) Why people easily believe that they can go heaven instead of their life?

Bedwell, Helen. "Georgia Blames Border Shootout on Russian-Fueled 'Criminality'." Bloomberg News 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. .  Summary:  Georgia is claiming that Russia's melting pots of crime led to the deaths of a Russian border guard and two Georgians. This happened on April 8th in Abkhazia. The prosecutor's office in the local Abkhaz area opened up a case on terrorism for the incident, but Russia said the two Georgians that were killed were members of the Ministry of the Interior's special forces.   Reflections:  I think they are both still hot-headed countries, and need to reach a peace. What I mean is a peace that will last, and is imprinted in their minds. If they do not do this, things like this will keep on happening.  Questions:  1. Why do you think Georgia & Russia still show quite a bit of hostilities towards each other?  2. Out of the two countries, is one country in particular at fault for the conflict? Why or Why not?  3. When do you think a permanent resolution to this conflict will come? For how long will it last, if not permanent?

How does the conflict in Israel affect the futures of Palestinian children compared to Israeli children?   "Israel Delays Approval Of East Jerusalem Housing ." National Public Radio. NPR, 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. . Summary: Israel is building in East Jerusalem, a part of Jerusalem under Palestinian control. Along with that, Israel and Palestinians have been fighting; however, they are trying to get a cease-fire. Even with an unofficial cease-fire, Israel is delaying the East Jerusalem housing project because of pressure from the Quartet although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is against the settlement freeze. But, Palestine will not negotiate an official cease-fire without one. 

Research Question: What effect does the competition of oil have on the people of Nigeria? 1. Source: Gambrell, Jon. "Leaders, military behind Nigeria oil thefts." MSNBC.com. MSN, 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. . 2. Summary: The oil bandits that I mentioned in an earlier post have an unsuspected force behind them. That force is allegedly the politicians and military leaders who lead the country. One of them was Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, a general whose brother became president.They allegedly supported the thieves who cut production of oil that is crucial to our own supplies. 3. Reaction I think this article is really going to give us a lead on our research question. Although we don't see exactly why these leaders would do this so clearly, we do see the corruption around the oil. It's hard to believe that leaders would do this; we take it for granted that although our leaders aren't perfect, we still have relatively loyal people leading our country. 4. Questions: How have the people of the country reacted? Are the people going to be pressed with charges? What kind of actions will follow such a find?

Wilkinson, Tracy. "American Tourists at Home in Cuba." Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA). 12 Apr 2009: n.p. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 12 Apr 2011. Summary: The art show between U.S and Cuba. To warmup  the relationship to both cultures and country. To be to know each other. Exchange the idea. Artist judge other less and don't carry much about politics. So it will be easier to trade in the future. Reflection: If the 2 groups of people get to know each other better, it would be easier to get rid of embargo. So they will be no more war. Art it a beautiful thing that could bring people together. It show the personal and the paint of the art of the different in both cultures  Question: 1. Is it alright to have the art show. When we have law and restricted for people to go to Cuban? 2. Should we later on having sport friendship game or other stuff to strengthening the 2 relationship? 

Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? Citation:Ronk, Sam. We can't point fingers on Muslims, violence. N.p., 11 Apr. 2011. Web.1 Apr. 2011. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110411/OPINION04/104110304/-1/GETPUBLISHED03scripts/We-can-t-point-fingers-Muslims-violence Summary:This article contains the strong opinion about the Islam. Sam Ronk insists that the Christians make the Islamists to be violence. People think that the Islam is more violence than the Christianity from the death and suffering between the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Colonialism. Therefore, he think that the Americans and Christians need to refresh in order to convert the statement of the Islam. Reflection:I love this article because it is really fresh at least to think about the purposing of the religion specially Islam. This article have aggressive opinions against the christianity. I am christian who never regret my decision; however I agree that the christians need to rethink about what we did for the other religions. I believe that the Islam originally purpose to show the violence; they have wrong ways to spread the spirits. I guess that the Christianity seldom did the violence either. According those facts, we don't need to emphasize the Islam is the violence. Question:1) What is the main idol purpose to the Islam and Christianity?2) Why people think that the Islam is always violence that peace?3) What is the violence reaction from the Christianity?4) Why Christians disagree about this article?

What is North Korea's Nuclear Policy and what effects does it have on the Korean People?  "North Korea blasts US nuclear policy, vows to bolster atomic arsenal." BBC Monitoring International Reports 9 Apr. 2010. Academic OneFile. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=AONE&docId=A223588700&source=gale&srcprod=AONE&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summery: North Korea became angry and "lashed out" at the United States new nuclear policy which says that Barak Obama and his administration "renounced the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states, but it left open all options, including a nuclear attack, on countries such as North Korea or Iran that defy international nuclear nonproliferation obligations." In other words the US says no nuclear activity against any non-nuclear country but they are willing to attack North Korea because it is unwilling to adhere to the nonproliferation obligations. Obana also warned North Korea that failure to comply could lead to an isolation of North Korea. However, Pyongayng says that this is a "hostile policy" and that North Korea will continue to make and develop atomic weapons until the United State are no longer a nuclear threat.

1. "The Council of Churches in Zambia is supporting the use of condoms in the fight against HIV/AIDS." The Christian Century 122.15 (2005): 17. Academic OneFile. Web. 13 Apr. 2011 2.The Churches are now supporting the use of condoms to help prevent the spread of HIV in Zambia. They want married couple to stay together even though the other has the disease. They want to be known for saving lives and not stoping the people from using a possible life saving product. 3.I think that this is a good thing but I do not know how a condom could prevent the disease. If this is a way to stop the disease from spreading then the church is doing the right thing changing their mind on the subject of use. I like that they still want people to remain married but I don't like that the are doing this so that they won't be blamed. 4. Will this make people thin k that sex is okay?  How has the church changed their opinions since the spread of this?  What has the church been doing to stop the spread of the disease? Is there more that the church can do for the people? 

What are the effects of Hezbollah on Israel? "Hezbollah warns Israel against fresh violence ." IOL News. N.p., 15 Aug. 2007. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. . Summary : Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel not to attack against Hezbollah anymore. According to the article, "Israel's war with Hezbollah resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Lebanese civilans, a third of the children, as weel as 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers." Therefore, Hezbollah leader, with the help of Iran, supported 28,300 Lebanese families who were affected by the war. Because Hezbollah started to support those people who were affected by the war, Lebanese began to feel supportive and think that Hezbollah is the only one that can manage to defeat Israel; they believe in Hezbollah's ability to deal with Israel. Nasrallah's speech is significant because it was the first time he appeared in public after the 2006 war. Reflection : Through this article, I could find out that Hezbollah tired their best to get support from the people in their country. And I was surprised that they actually obtained people's positive opinions around 2007 by warning Israel not to bomb or attack against their country again. It was smart a decision of Hezbollah that they drew people's attention positively to deal with the issues between Israel and themselves.  Question : 1) How people's opinions about Hezbollah changed after 2007?  2) Did Nasrallah's speech made any difference between Lebanon and Israel?  3) Are there any other ways to manage to defeat Israel beside Hezbollah?

Research Question: Still today, what are the social, economical, and political effects of the earthquake in Haiti? Citation Source: "UN EXPERT ON DISPLACED PERSONS SAYS HAITI IS STILL IN CRISIS." States News Service 19 Oct. 2010. Student Edition. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. Summary: This article is about the 1.3 million people who lost their homes during the earthquake and were left with no where to go. Nine months after, Haiti is still struggling with the natural disaster. However, the government isn't doing the best job of helping. In camps that have been set up for the homeless, rape has become a serious concern. That is why the Haitian National Police and the Unites States Stabilization Mission in Haiti must increase it's presence in the camps. Then, their is the government that needs to enforce police power and the justice system so that the injustice can soon come to an end. Nevertheless, these are the issues that are left behind and often forgotten. The time after the quake when the reality of a broken government really comes out.   

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1991283,00.html Can Afghan Farmers Move Beyond Opium? What are the effects of opium sales on Afghanistan? Summary: People are trying really hard to get them to grow other crops but its jut not working. They could make even more money than with the poppy if they just wait the period of time it takes to start a new crop Response: I think that this article shows that its pretty obvious things could change. It is hard to say to people, "stop what your doing and stop making money, but in the long hall you will make more money." I don't even know how many people here in america would take that chance. Questions: 1) what are the main foods that they could grow? 2) Why are those foods so fresh and tasty there? 3) They have the best ground for some of these crops, why aren't they using it? 4) What are all the crops that they could grow that would make them even more of a profit if they just wait? Citation: HAUSLOHNER, ABIGAIL. "Can Afghan Farmers Move Beyond Opium?." TIME. Ed. Kabul. N.p., 24 May 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. .

Research Question: What are the effects of the oil competition in Nigeria? Okhomina, Osamede. "The Delta-our abused, neglected child: the troubled Niger Delta is the linchpin of Nigeria's economy and one of the world's most important sources of oil and gas. But the troubles continue to rumble on with no real solution in sight. Oilman Osamede Okhomina * warns of the dire consequences of a failure to find answers." African Business July 2008: 62+. Student Edition. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. Reflection: It's really hard to realize that the oil competition has actually brought down the morality of people that they can leave a girl with polio laying in a puddle.  Summary: The author of this article was in a taxi in Lagos during a rainy day. As he was being drove around he saw a girl submerged in water that was crippled from polio, no one stopping to help but splashing up the water on her. He believes that since the oil has become such a big part of Nigeria's economy that the morality of people has gone down.The people are getting more greedy. Nigeria also used to be a big agricultural sector, but since the oil growth the same crops they once exported are now being imported because they don't do it themselves. It's also causing the rest of the world to worry because if any crisis hits the Niger Delta, it will have an impact on the entire world. Questions: Is there a way to create a moral backbone again for Nigeria? Should we feel partially responsible for the loss of morals since they are supporting us with so much oil?

Research Question: What are the effects of the oil competition in Nigeria?  Uchenna, Obih. "Causes, Effects and Management of Oil Spill Pollution of Nigerian Coastal Area." Humboldt University, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. . Reflection: It's hard to imagine that so many problems could come from oil! It's crazy to think of the fact that it doesn't just hurt the water, but it hurts a lot of things on land too. Summary: Oil spills creates effects on biological things, fish production, and other general effects. For biological - it kills organisms and marine life, it can suffocate animals because of the heat the gets trapped underneath the oil, it can disrupt major food chains because it poisons algae, it hurts the birds and how they are able to fly, it causes oxygen levels to lower in the water, toxic effects can poison the animals which people eat and may result in food poisoning or death. Fish flesh is contaminated, sunlight isn't able to reach deep levels to create photosynthesis, covers the gills, directly damages fishing boats. It can also cause poverty, soil contamination, destroys fuel wood, contaminates drinking water.  Questions: What ways can we end oil spills? Is there a way to completely prevent them?  Are we going to be able to get rid of all the oil left in the water from the spills? 

North Korea's 'Currency Reforms' Hurt Thousands How does North Korea's communist government and nuclear technology influence the lives of its people?  Demick, Barbra. Interview by Renee Montagne. "North Korea's 'Currency Reforms' Hurt Th." Morning Edition. NPR, 19 July 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. . Summary: The Communist North Korean government decided to change the currency of their country abruptly which destroyed the savings of many of its people. The government felt that the people having money was anti communist. In the article there is a case study on a 17 year old girl who grew up in a middle class household which meant that she wasn't starving. The other reason it is believed that the government chose to change currency was to "confiscate" the money of the people to gain money to make a celebration for Kim Jong Ilk's birthday.  Responce: How terrible for a country to be able to so easily destroy the hopes and dreams of its people! This article is so directly an answer to our research question because in a democratic government this could have never happened. This is a good article to have read because the case study will be very advantageous for our presentation. Questions: 1) How can a government do that to it's people? 2) What are the continuing effects of this currency change? 3) What are some other case studies like the 17 year old girl? (i will be checking the book this is based off out of the library.)

Source: "Attack Shuts Down Nigeria Oil Platform." CBS News. CBS, 19 June 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. . 2. Summary: The most powerful militant group in Nigeria launched an attack on an offshore oil rig. The militant group was unable to destroy a computer control room. The rig produces 200,000 barrels a day, and production was shut down for a period of time. This rig accounts for about 10% of Nigeria's output of oil. 3. Reaction: I think this article helps confirm the severity of the oil industry in Africa. When we think of oil, we think of middle eastern countries. But we don't realize that a lot of fighting and turmoil occur in Africa over oil as well. And the strive to be the top oil producer brings a lot of corruption, as we can see. 4. Questions: Have any attacks like this occurred since this one? Has this attack had a lasting effect on the Nigerian economy? How did the Nigerian people react?

"ITU to help Haiti build wireless networks to re-establish communications." Xinhua News Agency 11 Feb. 2010. Student Edition. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. Summary:  This article is basically about providing equipment for better communications in Haiti. The International Telecommunication Union is building wireless networks to re-establish the reliable communications. There are 100 wireless hotspots being built in Port-au-Prince and other cities that have been affected by the earthquake. There have also been 100 satellite terminals to Haiti which are part of the 1 million United States dollars that they have attributed.  Response: I think that it is definitely very important for Haiti to have this wireless connections so that they can keep their communications--but I also think that there are much more needed things that should maybe be put ahead of this. There are still so many people that are suffering from this tragedy, and their lives have been changed dramatically--yet some of the help they are getting is for technologically, and wireless connections. My take is that they should definitely still do what they are doing, but not as extreme as they may be doing. They could make fewer hotspots, and then donate the money to a different cause within the country which may need more help, and which might help the people in a different way throughout the country. 

1.Nyendwa, Fred. "The drugs, the drugs." New African Dec. 2000: 31. Academic OneFile. Web. 13 Apr. 2011  http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do&contentSet=IACDocuments&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=AONE&docId=A68767983&source=gale&srcprod=AONE&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0  2. Fear and hastily diagnosed AIDS has caused many deaths. The people do not know the effects of what certain drugs can do to a person. The doctors at hospitals give a diagnoses that a sickness is AIDS without testing and are putting them on dangerous drugs that can be deadly. 3. It is good that they are concerned for the people and are trying to keep them from getting TB but they do need to do testing because the people are scared of getting the disease and are uneducated so much that they don't know the difference from a normal sickness and AIDS and if the doctors are not telling helping then people are dying needlessly. 4. How much fear has been put into HIV/AIDS and is it right to do that? How can we lessen the fear of getting the disease and increasing the education in what it is? Is it bad that we are educating these people about the disease? Are we over exaggerating the possibility of getting HIV/AIDS and the whole epidemic?

Research Question: What is the cause of all the violence associated with the Mexican drug trade?  Source: The Christian Science Monitor Source Citation: Kurczy, Stephen. "Mexican car wash massacre: rehab centers latest target in drug war." Christian Science Monitor 27 Oct. 2010. Student Edition. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. Summary: In Mexico, within less than seven days, there have been three massacres taking at least 41 lives of young people who used to take part in the drug trade. This shows that the drug lords will do anything to keep information from authorities. The main target are those who are in clinics or drug rehabilitation, and overall the ones targeted are young people. These killings have spread across the country of Mexico and have resulted in more than 28,000 deaths since December 2006. Reflection: I am saddened when I read about how so many younger people are being killed, especially those that are trying to overcome their involvement with drugs. Also, experts say that youths are turning to a life of organized crime due to a lack of job opportunities or lack of an education.  Questions: 1) Is anything being done to stop further random shootings at drug rehab centers? 2) Are there other ways Mexico can decrease youth involvement with the drug trade? 3) Are drug lords doing this just to prevent former addicts from giving information? What are their motives behind such brutal shootings?

Research Question: What is the cause of all the violence associated with the Mexican drug trade?  Source: The Economist (US) Source Citation: "Get Shorty; The Mexican drug trade." The Economist [US] 18 Sept. 2010: 105(US). Student Edition. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. Summary: At the top of the Sinaloa cartel is Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as El Chapo meaning shorty. Despite growing up in a poor family working opium poppies, he has later been known as Mexico's most legendary escapee and was named 41 on the list of the world's most powerful people by Forbes magazine. He controls a lot of Mexico and although he tries to focus on business, it is still brutal. Reflection: Two parts of this article that really stuck out to me where that the Mexican drug cartels are the most powerful organized-crime group in the Western world, and that even if El Chapo were to fall, there will be plenty more where he came from. These two things really emphasize the power and enormity of the drug trade. Questions: 1) If the government is able to stop major drug lords, will this help stop the drug war? Or will more rise to power as a drug lord? 2) How does someone from such a poor background come to great amounts of power? 3) Is the only way to not let the cartels be the most powerful organized-crime group by stopping people like El Chapo?