5th Hour World Cultures

What are the effects of Hezbollah on Israel? "Israel and Lebanon trade gunfire and accusations." MEED Middle East Economic Digest 51.6 (2007): 3. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=EAIM&docId=A160166153&source=gale&srcprod=EAIM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summary: Lebanon and Israel got into another conflict in 2007. Lebanon said the IDF crossed their territory illegally, on the other hand, the IDF said it's Lebanon's fault that they crossed the border, and provoked Israel to trade gunfire. The IDF claimed that they found several bombs close to the border; however, Hezbollah said they didn't plant any new devices. The UN defended Lebanon by saying that "the border area is littered with explosive devices", and most of the devices were planted from last year's conflict. Reflection: Lebanon and Israel have been in conflict off and on for many years. Since both countries want to protect their "territory", I think the conflict will last for more years. As time goes by, the cause of the escalation of tensions will harm both of those countries in many ways. And this will never stop unless one country gives up. I think they have to find a peaceful way to solve the problem without any more trading of gunfire and accusations. Basically, the actions of Hezbollah are affecting not only Israel, but also Lebanon. Questions: What countries or organizations support Israel? What were the immediate reactions from citizens of each country? What other specific things does UN do for the

Research Question: Still today, what are the social, economical, and political effects of the earthquake in Haiti? Citation: "RESEARCHERS FOCUS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL CARE FOR HAITI'S EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS." States News Service 24 Mar. 2010. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. Summery: This article is about researchers from Columbia University who look at the psychological conditions in Haiti's aftermath. These researchers talk about how the mental health effects may stick with the survivors, even though the physical effects may heal. Since there are many of the Haitians that have discovered these mental wounds, the communities is also greatly effected as a result--and it spreads. As a result of these mental illnesses-- Post-traumatic stress disorder falls into this category. This disorder can be experienced by anyone who has been exposed to a traumatic event in their lifetime. Some symptoms that this involves would be depression, anxiety, substance abuse, hyper vigilance, and extreme sensitivity to signs reminiscent of potential threat. About one in every five people who survive a traumatic event with experience this. Galea says, "Mental illness can be debilitating, and can delay both individual and community recovery--that's why paying attention to mental health issues after a disaster is extremely important."

What are the effects of Hezbollah on Israel?  Wall, James M. "War plan." The Christian Century 123.18 (2006): 61. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=EAIM&docId=A152196094&source=gale&srcprod=EAIM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summary: In 2006, Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers, and took them to Lebanon. Hezbollah expected Israel to negotiate with them for the return of their prisoners; however, Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert didn't even bother to negotiate. Israel attacked bridges and "Hezbollah's posts" in Lebanon, and killed many Lebanese civilians. Israel was actually trying to attack not only Hezbollah, but also the entire country of Lebanon. Reflection: The capturing of two Israeli soldiers, a small event, triggered this big 2006 Hezbollah-Israel war, which explains the later conflicts between Lebanon and Israel. I was surprised that Israel was actually waiting for Lebanon's provocation. According to what I have learned, Israel has been in the middle of a lot of problems with many countries; the tension between Lebanon and Israel is one of them. I think I need more articles that explain further information about the conflicts that happened recently. Question:  Is Hezbollah in the process of planning another war recently? What are the main conflicts that happened after the 2006 war? What is the reaction of the leader of Hezbollah towards the Israeli prime minister?

What are the effects of HIV/AIDS in Zambia? Ignatius Kayawe, Michael Kelly, and Rachel Baggaley. "HIV counselling and testing." World Health 51.6 (1998): 12. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=STOM&docId=A54902050&source=gale&srcprod=STOM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.02. After a VCT test people can more easily prepare their life with or without the disease. They say how counseling and preparing for the future will be help the people and bring down the rate of people who get it. They examined why people do not what to take a test. The reasons they do not is because of fear of having it, and what others will say, the strong denial of it ever happening.3. I did not realize that there was so much fear that was behind having AIDS. I knew there probably was some but not in the want to get rid of it. I really like that people are at least trying to help people cope with having the virus and that people with the discovery are changing their lives against getting the virus. It is terrible to think that their are so many orphans living in Zambia and having to support themselves after their parents die.4. Do people realize how many kids live without parents? What can be done to encourage people to take the tests and get help? Is there research being done to eliminate the virus? How long can a person live with the virus?

Research question: What are the effects of the competition with oil in Nigeria?  "Oil unrest grips Nigeria; Turbulent delta raises fears of global energy shock." Washington Times 9 Feb. 2006: A17. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.Document URLhttp://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=STOM&docId=CJ141860182&source=gale&srcprod=STOM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Reflection: I never realized how much oil could effect the whole country as a whole. That there would be so much blood spelt just because of the production of oil. That so many people would have to suffer from severe poverty because the government doesn't spread the wealth through the whole country. I can understand why the militia doesn't like the production of oil because of the effects it has on the land, but with how much revenue that comes out of the production I don't think Nigeria has a choice.  Questions: Is there a way Nigeria could lessen the effects on the land, but keep producing oil? Is there some way that the government could spread the wealth so no one was living in severe poverty?  Is there a way to stop the militia without them acting up and messing with the oil production companies? 

Summary: As NIgeria has grown in their production of oil they have been dealing with many uprisings from the Nigerian people and different groups. The NIgerian government is planning on increasing oil output as the years go on, hoping they can have more world oil giants join them. MEND has used new tactics than in the past and has asked Shell to pay $1.5 billion and to stop all oil exports. They also asked them to get rid of all foreign works from the delta and to release Mejahid Dokubo-Asari, a militia leader they captured in 2003. The government knows to take care of the violence it needs to push the militias, but is afraid that doing so will create bigger problems. Since oil is 40% of Nigeria's revenue it is afraid that more violence would hurt the country's economy, also effecting the rest of the world's energy market. A civil war in Nigeria could send the global oil price to $98 billion a barrel! The militia is able to take the oil without getting caught, which has told the Nigerian government that the people taking it are connected to those of people in a position of influence. They are usually able to figure out who these people are after two or three months because the officials start showing their money in lives of luxury. All of the oil production has caused many oil spills, air pollution, explosions, acid rain, and toxic water, all posing great threats to the health of the Nigerian people. 

Jeremy Bowen-BBC Middle East Editor  Summary: This article was about anyone walking the streets in Egypt, looking around and seeing building, houses, and government building surrounded by protesters. Protesters have been protesting for last week outside of multiple government building. Workers who work for Egypt mad and upset about not getting enough money have caused many riots as well. People have been unhappy for a awhile and are finally starting to make in known but rioting at most every building, until they get the money they want and a new leader.  Reflection: I was surprised to read that a lot of the Egyptian riots have been from the workers at the government building. I did not know that they were unhappy with there pay, and that it was not only the dictatorship that was causing problems with the people. I think it is important that we read more into the problems in our world rather than just listening to the nighty news or watch a two minute clip off an american online news site. We need to go more in depth and read into the story more.  Questions: DId the workers end up getting more money?  What is the government doing to control the riots?  Are people still rioting after getting more money? How many people have been injured during riots? 

The Future of Lebanon Foreign Affairs - Paul Salem Salem, Paul. "The Future of Lebanon." Foreign Affairs 85.6 (2006): 13. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. Summary: This article talks about what the future holds for Lebanon and Hezbollah after the 34 Day War between Hezbollah and Israel. After all the fighting had ceased, Hezbollah was quick to claim themselves victorious. They were able to break Israli amored columns and Israel's elite brigades.  Reflection: Although Hezbollah has often been a nuisance to Israel, as well as a constant pain to the IDF and UN forces attempting to make peace, what is often lost in all this is the impact that Hezbollah has had on Lebanon. The 34 Day War between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 was the cause of death for 1,200 civilian, the displacement of a million, and destruction of 130,000 housing units. Economic losses were estimated at $7 billion. Hezbollah, through their resistance toward Israel, has not only been a pain to Israel, but also to Lebanon, to some extent. Questions: 1. Has Hezbollah gained strength or have they weakened since the 34 Day War? 2. Has Lebanon recovered from the disaster of this war? 3. Have there been any other large exchanges of warfare between Hezbollah and Israel since this incident?

Lebanon's Hizbullah: the quest for survival World Affairs - By: Adham Saouli Saouli, Adham. "Lebanon's Hizbullah: the quest for survival." World Affairs 166.2 (2003): 71+. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. Summary: This article speaks of the rise of Hizbullah from a small group affiliated with Khomeini regime in Iran to a large Lebanese Shiite militia that was known for its anti-Western stance and for abducting Western hostages. This article speaks of how Hizbullah began in Lebanon in 1982, but was supported mostly by the Iranian government. The article then goes on to talk about how Hizbullah has grown politically since that time. Reflection: I found it interesting how Hizbullah has changed since 1982. I also found it interesting how we see Hizbullah only as a terrorist organization when it is a political group trying to change the government of Lebanon while also a militia who is trying to force Israel to the point of non-existence. Questions: 1. Has Hizbullah gotten any closer to reaching its goal for Lebanon to become an Islamic state? 2. Has Hizbullah's "victory" over Israel encouraged other militant organizations toward fighting larger, oppressive governments? 3. Does Hizbullah have any specific feelings toward the Americans after their invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan?

Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? Citation:Tribal leader killed in Pakistan. BBC, 23 June 2009. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8114104.stm Summary: This article announced about the Pakistan. A trivial leader, Qari Zainuddin, 26,  who opposed the Taliban; as a result, he was assassinated in the north-western Pakistani town. He usually blamed Baitullah Mehsud who was the head of Taliban, and also most powerful group of militants in the county. Recently, Zainuddin attacked to the Mehsud; therefore, a guard who was under controlled by Mehsud entered the room at Zainuddin's office and fired.   Reflection:This article is what I want for my research question. For the reason, this is the evidence or reference to show people that Islam refer to maintain violence than peace. Since I have known the Pakistanis' violence, I recognize that it is worst than what I guess before. I can realize why they killed  between Pakistani and Taliban, but I need to consider about the initiation of the conflicts; it should be demarcation dispute of the Islam. According the article said,  "the Islam stands for peace, not for terrorism"; however, having many happenings between two sides don't make any sense of the Islam purpose.  Questions:1) What is the initiation of the conflicts between them?2) How can we solve sensitive problems?3) What is the Islam main purpose?4) Was Zainuddin's behavior for the Islam or just his authority? 

Shiekh, Awatef. "Testing the water." The Middle East Jan. 2011: 22+. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. Summary: This article is talking about the racism that exists for the Palestinians living in Israel. It states that they are "discriminated against at every level." The government as well as the media are taking part in this visible discrimination. The freedom of Palestinians living in Israel is being limited by racist bills. Right-wing activists are publicly targeting Palestinians. An example of this is the group Umm Al Fahem.  Reflection:  We have heard about the seizing of Palestinian land, and the Israelis living in Palestine, but we do not often hear about the Palestinians living in Israel. According to this article, the treatment of Palestinians in Israel is horrible. There is open discrimination, not openly supported by the government, but definitely not stopped by it. In reality, the actions of the Palestinians towards the Israelis are not the only acts of violence. The Israelis act out as well, it is simply not brought to our attention as often.  Questions: 1) How will this affect the peace treaty negotiations? 2) How will this attitude of hatred affect the future generations? 3) Will the refugee negotiations be affected by this treatment? 4) How does this compare to how the Israelis living in Palestine are treated?

Reflection: I think that It is really good to see engineers working in Haiti. The fact that they want to change their ways of building to have a safer environment to life in. Nevertheless, it makes me wonder if they could have saved many more lives if the buildings were built better. Because many of the houses were build by "captive columns," so much more was distorted in the mist of it all. I also know that many of the towns and villages were poor and probably didn't have enough money to build a better living environment. Its really hard to blame the lose of so many lives on something the people really couldn't control. However, with the help of different engineers and volunteers, I believe that as time goes on, the Haitian people will be helped.  Questions:  1) How many lives might have been saved if the living conditions/homes were better? 2) What will this system cost for the people? 3) Was there any other flaws in buildings that might have also caused them to be destroyed easier? 

Research Question: Still today, what are the social, economical, and political effects of the earthquake in Haiti? Citation Source: "SYSTEM WOULD HELP HAITI BUILD, MODIFY EARTHQUAKE-PRONE STRUCTURES." States News Service 19 Oct. 2010. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. Summary: This Article is about engineers studying the effects of Haiti's terrible earthquake. They tell us that if the people had constructed their buildings differently, many would not have been destroyed so dramatically. The engineers have found a system to improve the earthquake resistance of buildings. Out of 170 damaged buildings surveyed in January, 40% were heavily damaged, and 90% of those buildings would have been vulnerable if the system was in place. The Article goes on to tell us that for a certain sized building, the smaller the columns and fewer the walls between the columns, the more damaged the building will be. They discovered that most homes in Haiti had these "captive columns." This is were a wall is attached to a column, but does not extend as tall as the column, leaving a portion unsupported. It tells us around 60% of the 170 buildings had captive columns. However, the engineers have decided to follow the system to help reinforced concrete buildings today. 

Research Question: What are the effects of the competition with oil in Nigeria?  "More blood for oil.(FOREIGN AFFAIRS)(Brief article)." The Atlantic Nov. 2006: 42. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.Document URLhttp://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=STOM&docId=A153093930&source=gale&srcprod=STOM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summary: Nigeria is a big supplier of oil and because it is so oil-rich it has lots of violence that has been rising for a quarter of a century. The competition of oil is claiming up to a thousand lives a year. After the militant group of MEND was formed it cut oil production down 500,000 barrels a day since December 2005.  Reflection: I never realized how big a producer of oil Nigeria was and how many problems that brought onto the country. Never would I think that oil could cause thousands of people to die over the past few years. I think as they keep cutting oil production they also need to try and stop all the violence going on. It can't be a consistent problem, it needs to be fixed eventually.  Questions: How long has the violence been going on?  What is the Nigerian government trying to do about the violence? How are they cutting oil production? How did the oil cause people to become violent? 

What effects have the US embargo had on the Cuban economy? Cuba - History. Pleasant Grove UT: Country Reports, n.d. Country Reports. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. . Summary: This article gave a summary of the nation on Cuba. It gave information on how Cuba became a country with its revolution though the 1962 missile crisis, how Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba and a little of his history in the nation. It told about how Cuba aligned itself with the soviet union and how the embargo with the United States came into being.  Reflection: I thought this summary of the Cuban history was very interesting. The article was full of great information on Cuba I learned more on how Fidel Castro came into power and why the United States put an embargo on Cuba than I had ever known just by reading this article. I would like to have known more about some critical issues that they mentioned like the missile crisis and some of the things tat Fidel Castro did in their history.

Plett, Barbara. BBC News. N.p., 22 Oct. 2010. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. . Summary:  This article is saying that israel's occupation of Palestinian land is irreversible. Israeli settlements have been illegally built in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. There was a UN security council resolution which stated that "Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory in 1967 was temporary and reversible." This is why the peace talks have been geared towards creating a Palestinian state alongside of Israel. Israel has demolished Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, and continues to create settlements in the West Bank.  Reflection: This article is choosing to completely ignore the Palestinian-Israeli crisis, and focus entirely on Israel's land grab. While I do not believe that it is possible to look at one without the other, it is interesting to note that Israel was given a section of the Palestinian state, and has proceeded to take over more and more land over the years. It is now the Palestinians who do not seem to have a home land, instead of the Israelis. This is going to have an effect on the future generation of both Palestinians and Israelis. This will affect how they live, and how they view one another. If one side is growing up more privileged than the other, peace talks will go from difficult to near impossible.  Questions: 1) If an independent Palestinian state was created, where would the land come from? 2) Would they have to destroy Israeli homes? Would it turn into the same conflict that we are facing now? 3) According to this article, Israeli expansion is irreversible; what do we do with that knowledge? 4) How should we proceed with the peace talks? 5) What does this mean for the future generations of both states?

Research Question: What are the effects of the Australian Flooding?Summary: People are all losing money because Australia's 3rd largest city (Brisbane) completely came to a halt from the floods.  Reflections: It's bad that Australia is going to lose a large chunk of their GDP, at the same time it isn't just going to effect them. Japan is  a huge importer of Australian coal. A good 10% of that coal is now under water and that will make it more difficult for Aussies to get coal to Japan, which in turn could raise the prices of Japanese made cars in the U.S. Questions: How much equipment was damaged as well?  

How does the conflict in Israel affect the futures of Palestinian children compared to Israeli children? Slater, Jerome. "The need not to know: the American Jewish community and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.(The Road Map to Nowhere: Israel/Palestine since 2003)(Book review)." Tikkun Jan.-Feb. 2007: 65+. Student Edition. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. Student Edition Infotrack searched "Israel Palestine Conflict" http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=STOM&docId=A156555584&source=gale&srcprod=STOM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summary: The conflict between Israel and Palestine does not only negatively affect the Palestinians, but it also negatively affects the Israelis. The Israeli Democracy, Human Rights, Economic Justice, Education, and Culture are all declining leading Israel to a future where it is the enemy of the whole Muslim world. This may lead to some cities being blown up and the future for the Israelis is very grim if things do not change.  Reflection: What we've been learning in class is all about how the Palestinians have no future, but here, it actually talks about how the Israelis also do not have too much of a future. More research on each thing that Slater says needs to be furthered in my research because we could use them as negative aspects of the Israeli children's futures.  Questions: What are specific things that are on the decline for the Israeli children's future? What are positive things? Do the Israeli negatives affect the Palestinians?

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.

Research Question: How does the Mexican drug war affect the government and people of Mexico? Source: Gootenberg, Paul. "Blowback: the Mexican drug crisis." NACLA Report on the Americas 43.6 (2010): 7+. Academic OneFile. Web. 28 Jan. 2011. Summary: There is a lot of history behind the drug cartels in Mexico. It all started with the "blowback" which means that the longer war on drugs has "unintended consequences" like an "escalation of violence" (Gootenberg). Cocaine originally came to the US through Florida from the Columbians; however, after the government began stopping this trade, most of the cocaine came to the US through Mexico. The amount of drugs, specifically cocaine, that come through Mexico has increased drastically over the last 40 years. This industry takes in more money than Mexico's largest export, oil. In addition to the drug cartel increasing, government officials have also been pulled into this money making industry. In 1997, General Gutierrez Rebollo was found to be helping the Juarez cartel.