Rugby in South Africa

Rugby helped bring South Africa together after their apartheid dissolved. During the World Cup the team worked together to defeat a greater enemy. On the team was a black south African, which gave everyone in South Africa to root for them. Nelson Mandela knew that he needed something to bring his country together. He promised that if they allowed a black man to compete with them, they would hold the World Cup in South Africa.

Rugby was originally viewed as just a white sport even though the black South Africans attended these events. When they did attend they were not rooting for their home team, but the opponent because they were beating the white men.

In the World Cup, South Africa, the underdogs, beat the favorites, the Australians. At this game all South Africans were rooting for their home team. Having a black rugby player gave them a reason to favor their team. They thought that it was now as much their team as white South Africans. This brought their country together.

School expels Pakistani Boy for Underage Marriage

A thirteen year old boy was expelled from his school after they found out the he was getting married to a sixteen year old girl. The legal age to be married is sixteen for girls and eighteen for boys. However, if they have both reached puberty and their families approve they can be married. The boy has taken his school to court claiming that he should be able to return to school. He has decided to get married because his father died and his mother sick and needs help caring for the house. He just wants to finish his education to become a doctor.

This is of global importance because if the boy can be legally married then his school should not get involved. Finishing his education may better his society because he may make medical advances during his career that could benefit the global community. I think that he has a legitamet reason to be married and if her truly loves her, which he claims he does, should be married.

Air Strike Kills senoir Taliban Leader

The US military lead an air attack on Sunday morning killing Haji Amir and his fighters. After a intelligence that he stopped in a mud hut in Afghanistan the air strike was ordered to take him out. It is said that he returned to Afghanistan in April to lead attacks against coalition and Afghan forces. Officials seized 30 kilograms of wet heroin during the search. Haji Amir is not a new target for the US. He has escaped from prison in June 2008.

This is of global importance because a Taliban leader has been taken out of power. The world is just a little safer from terrorist attacks now. This may also lead to counter-attacks, but I think that it is worth it because this sets other attacks back and gives us more time to find other leaders in this organization. It is also good that the heroin was seized that it does not flood Afghanistan and cause more issues.

Tropical Storm hits Central America

The first named storm for the Pacific hurricane season hit countries in Central America this weekend. At least 115 people have been killed. The tropical storm battered Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Guatemala was the hardest hit with 92 dead, 54 missing and 59 injured. Nearly 112,000 people have been evacuated from their homes due to flooding. As the Atlantic hurricane season begins on Tuesday it brings the constant worry of more devastation.

This is of global importance because it is a reminder that the hurricane season is coming and countries need to be prepared to deal with natural disasters. As a global community the Red Cross helps countries in need. This is only the start of what is going to come and countries throughout the world need to help each other when hit hard by natural disasters.

Response to Berlin Confrence

I think that my group, France did OK getting the land that we wanted. We did not get our first choice, but it turned out alright because we were able to rethink our ideas. At first we were shooting for the center of the continent because it had the most resources, but after that was taken we decided to grab land more towards the north. This was more what the French wanted because they were able to control it better because it was closer to their own border.

I think that Great Britain had the advantage because they were able to claim the most land and went second in the rotation. I think that Italy did the best with what they had to work with even though the got the desert.

The Berlin Conference greatly affected Africa because it broke up their land into separate colonies. The Africans were not even included in this conference about their land that was held overseas. The European Imperialism is still affecting Africa today because the Europeans just left and did not help them. They also caused tension between tribes in Africa that are still being fought over today.

Scramble for Africa

The European nations carving up Africa comes to mind when I think of this quote. The countries of Europe wanted to impose imperialism on Africa to have economic, political and religious gains. They did all of this for themselves without thinking of the short-term or long-term effects on this continent.

South African Folklore

The South African myth is about how chameleons are unlucky and not trustworthy. The chameleon was suppose to give a message to the people from God. But because the chameleon did not give the message people became mortal.

The myth teaches people about about nature using the chameleon. The chameleon could not be trusted because it ate the berries even though God told him to respect nature and not eat the berries. Because of the chameleon people on earth were punished. This myth is also entertaining because their is an animal and a storyline.

Palestinian Authority blocks sale or goods made at Isreali settlements

The Palestinian Authority is trying to end what is called the "cancer" of Palestinian economic dependence on Israeli's West Bank settlements. President Mahmoud Abbas signed legislation banning the sale of all products made in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Violators of this could face fines or even imprisonment. These Israeli settlements are the main cause of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. The Palestinian police have already started to enforce this confiscating over 5 million dollars in good.

I think that it is good that the Palestinians are trying to become less dependent on the Israeli's because if there is ever a two state solution to the conflict they would need to know how to rely on themselves. I think that they are going about this the wrong way though. They are completely cutting the Israeli's off. I believe that this will just cause more tension and add to the conflict. This is of global importance because the Israeli- Palestinian conflict is not just a regional issue anymore and this new legislature will either ease the conflict or fuel the fire.

Schools in China prepare for Copycat Attacks

China's kindergartens and preschools have increased security after recent terrorist attacks. A former doctor stabbed, killing eight children and wounding five others. This incident followed three others in the recent weeks. Another attack was on a kindergarten class when at least 28 children were injured when a man with a knife went to a kindergarten school in east China. It is thought that they attack children to get the most attention.

I think that it is horrible that these monsters are targeting children. Terrorism is awful but it is just sick to attack young children to try and make a point. This is a wake up call to the world about how low people may sink to try and drive a point across. I hope that there are no other attacks like this in the future.

Spain unemployment tops 20 percent

Unemployment in Spain has reached 20 percent. The 20 percent unemployment leaves 4.3 million people out of work. This is the second highest unemployment rate in the European Union just after Latvia. It is thought that the unemployment has peak and will now decline. Spain's economic problems are thought to be tied with their housing bust.

This is too many people to be out of work. Hopefully it is correct that it has hit its peak and the unemployment will go down. If this does not get better it will effect the rest of the world because one countries economy can throw off the rest of the world's economies. If this is not corrected the rest of the world may continue to suffer and the global economy may not recover as quickly.

The Wonders of Africa

The Empire of Ghana was much larger than it is today. During the colonial era it was called the gold coast. They have claimed to have 22 kings before the Muslim era and 22 kings after, dating the empire back to the first few centuries. The king controlled gold coming in from the south and salt from the north. This kept the empire flourishing and they had a strong army to defend it. The empire shrunk to just small kingdoms.

The city of Meroe was a kingdom for up to nine centuries. They built pyramids that ensured their existence and remembrance in late centuries. Even though they did not have their own written language alphabet letters where found in the city.

The emperor Zara Yaqob placed a lot of emphasis on christian art. The was a lot of emphasis put on paintings of the virgin Mary. Ethiopian painters used this emphasis and made it into their own styles.



http://www.pbs.org/wonders/fr_wn.htm

Africa

When I think of Africa I think of the African slave trade. The people of Africa were discriminated against because they looked different. They were brought to America and other countries to work as free labor. I think that this comes to mind first because this has influenced America's history and I have been learning about this horrible act since I was a little kid.

Africa is a continent but some people view it as one country. I understand this because there are many small countries and they may be hard to distinguish between. Even though I understand this I know that it is wrong. Africa needs to be viewed as an area with many different cultures and independent states.

Obsession

Common Denominators: Nazi and Palestinian propaganda is very similar. They have the same message: killing the Jews. They are training children to fight and hate Israel. The radical Muslims are teaching their kids to be suicide bombers and kill Jews. The radical Muslim community will have the same relationship with the west as Hitler and Nazi Germany did because they are using the same kind of teachings. They both wanted to defeat the western world and take over. In both cases the western world has claimed ignorance at first before they stepped in to do anything.

Hitler and Mufti are trying to teach the same thing to hate the Jews and exterminate them. They are both using children and similar propaganda. They are brainwashing children and are learning to hate. The western world will have a hard time trying to change the mindsets of people who have been taught this their entire life.

The radical Muslims want to control the entire world under Muslim rule. The western world does not appreciate this because in order for this to happen it will lead to their downfall. The Muslims want to take control using terrorist attacks.

The west has had to help bring down hate groups and leaders. Something has to be done about the radical Muslims before more acts of terrorism are taken against the western world.

Do you think that the US can win the war in Afghanistan?

I think that it is impossible to win the war in Afghanistan because no one has ever won a war there and we are trying to combat too much. The Afghanistan people know their land too well for foreign forces to combat them well. I also think that the United States is trying to defeat terrorism. This is a hard fate because Al-Qaeda is located in other countries beside Afghanistan. The Taliban will continue to combat our forces until there is no one left to fight. The Taliban and Al-Qaeda work together and that makes them even stronger. I think that America will be forced to pull out before they can completely defeat the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. There are still attacks from war lords even though Al-Qaeda and the Taliban have retreated to the mountains. The United States can not completely control Afghanistan, only the Afghans can control what happens in their country.

Ending America's Dependence on Oil

I think that America needs to find other sources of energy. Things can be powered by solar, wind or even thermal energy. We need to end our dependence on foreign oil. I think that hybrids are good ways to use less gas but we need to find a total alternative. I think that we should also try not to anger OPEC because they control the oil prices and before we find an alternative we need to keep oil prices down.

I think that not having enough water is a far bigger issue than oil. Water is needed to sustain life, when oil is just to sustain a lifestyle. Water is also needed to pump oil. You can't have oil without water but you can have water without oil. This is terrible that people do not have water to drink and it is getting much worse. I think that this problem needs to be solved before the oil crisis.

True Life: I Live in a Terror Zone

The individual that stood out the most to me was Samah, a Palestinian woman. She just lives her life in fear. She obeyes the curfew and only sees the world through a window. I don't think that this is any way to live. I think that if I was in this situation I would be more like Tal. He is in the Israeli army and is fighting to keep his family safe. He is doing something to help his situation instead of just staying home.

In America we are given many rights as citizens. We are able to leave our homes and not live in fear of being attacked. As an American citizen I feel safe from terrorist attacks for the most part. People living in Israel live in fear on a daily basis. They could be killed at any moment. The Palestinian people do not have the right to have identification. In the United States everyone must have ID on them. This is a right we have as citizens.

Two Aircrafts almost collide over San Francisco

On Saturday a Boeing 777 came very close to hitting a single engine aircraft. They came so close the collision avoidance system had to kick in. No one was hurt in this incident but the federal government is still mounting an investigation. The pilots in the 777 said that they could see the belly of the other plane just 20o feet away from them.

If planes collide in mid-air many innocent people can be hurt. This is cause for the global community to be more careful with international and local flights. I think this is a warning to all planes that they need to be careful to where they are located in relation to other flying aircrafts.

Serbian parliament apologizes for Srebrenica massacre

The Serbian Parliament has finally official condemned the 1995 massacre of Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica. The resolution was determined by a 127 out of 250 people to issue an apology. More than 7,000 Muslims were massacred during this event. The Mothers of Srebrenica tried to sue the UN for allowing the massacre to occur. The Court of Appeal ruled that they could not sue the United Nations.

I think that it is great they the government finally admitted to what happened and has issued an apology. This is a step forward in the right direction. I don't think that it is right the women are trying to sue the United Nations. I think that if they should sue anyone it should be the Serbian government. The UN is not responsible for acts of violence but they are responsible to stop the violence once it occurs.

Internet is faster in South Korea

The internet was basically invented in the United States but it is faster and cheaper in South Korea. They have much more competition in the this market. In Korea 94% of all people are connected to a high-speed connection when only 65% of people in America are connected to broadband. The government in South Korea encourages the people to use the internet in their daily lives and for education. South Korea also had a plan to get internet to its people ten years ago and the US is just coming up with a plan.

I think that the United States needs to become more competitive in the internet industry. This will lead to faster cheaper internet. It seems that Korea is just better because they started their plan earlier. I think that this is what we will eventually have in our country.

Veil Response

I don't have a problem with woman wearing the veil. I think that it should be their choice whether they wear the veil or not. I don't think that they should be required to wear it in countries like Saudi Arabia. The woman should be able to decide for herself if she wants to express her religion like that. I not only think that Muslim woman should have the option of not wearing it but I think that they should be able to wear clothing that expresses their religion everywhere. I do not think that it is right that countries like France are trying to ban the full covering. I think that Muslim woman should have the right to express their religion what ever way they want.

Not A Clash of Religions

I never really thought about why bin Laden hated America before I read this article. Agreeing with the journalist, I think that bin Laden hates America because we are secular. In the United States church and state are kept separate. The US does not have an official religion and people are free to believe in what ever they want. Bin Laden does not hate America because we have a Christian majority, but that we as a country are not religious enough. A letter to President Bush from the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not fault America for being Christian, but not being Christian enough.

The Koran says , "Fight the pagans all together as they fight you together," and "Slay the idolaters wherever you find them." Bin Laden quotes these phrases and they do not have to do deal with Christians but people that believe in more than one good or don't believe in any god. This quote is also talking about people that threaten the House of Islam. America is doing this by helping countries set up governments that have church and state separate. They believe that a country should have an official religion. America is fighting their beliefs. Based on the claims made in this article a believe that bin Laden may have been justified to fight back but I do not agree with him killing innocent people.

Holy Land Response

I think that the Jews have the right to the holy land. They have been there the longest out of the three monotheistic religions. The Jews have been sent into exile from Jerusalem three times and have always returned. When King David and King Soloman were in power they taxed the Jews and built the elebrate city of Jerusalem. Jewish ancestors paid to make the capital of their Holy Land beautiful. Jerusalem is also the only capital of a Jewish state with a Jewish majority. I think that the Jews deserve to control Jerusalem.

Yanukovich Sworn in as Ukrainian President

Viktor Yanukovich was sworn into office Thursday, as President of Ukraine. He thinks that it is in the best interests of Ukraine to build close relations with Russia and other powers like the United Sates and European Union. This has his country divided. Yanukovich believes that he can reduce the cost of the presidency by 20 percent. He thinks that he was elected to improve the economy.

I think that President Yanukovich has a good idea about trying to ally with stronger economies to help his country. It would be easier to bring wealth into his country if he was able to set up trading partners with world powers.

Security Concerns Spread After Earthquake in Chile

Around two million people were affected on Saturday morning by Chile's 8.8 magnitude earthquake. The are 708 known deaths with 500,000 homes with considerable damage. The victims of the earthquake have been looting grocery stores for supplies. Others have just been taking advantage of the disaster and have been looting at other stores for electronics. The government has made deals local grocery stores to help the real victims out. They are trying to control the extra looting by issuing a curfew for 9pm to 6am.
I think that the Chilean government has done the right thing by paying the grocery stores to give out all the supplies they have. This will sustain the people for a little while but they need to get supplies to them and I think that they are doing a good job with this. I think that the Chilean government is doing a good job getting aid to their people but not a good job controlling the people taking advantage of them.

Olympic Luger Dies on Fast Track

Nodar Kumaritashvili, a luger from Georgia died during his final training run at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games. He was traveling at 88 miles per hour when he lost control and slammed into a steel pole. The Whistler track is 15 to 20 miles per hour faster than any other track in the world. It was deemed by officials to be fast but safe. Some athletes thought that someone would 100 miles per hour for the first time. There were other safety precautions added after this accident to help prevent future injury.
I think that it is a tragedy that an athlete would die competing at the Olympics. The games are suppose to celebrate peaceful competition between countries in the world. I think that the safety precautions should have been taken before the event started. I would have thought that they would have done so because of the speed of the track. Hopefully their will not be any more deaths at the Olympic games.

Obama Middle East Foreign Policy

I think that I would wage war with Iran. They have made nuclear weapons and that is a danger to our allies. I think that we should get involve now before any mass destruction occurs. We would be forced to get involved as soon as something happens and we would be blamed for not doing anything before. Either way we are likely going to go to war. I think that we should do something before it is to late.

If Ghandi lived on do you think that there would still be problems with Pakistan and India?

I think that if Ghandi had lived on he could have found a way to unite his people. He did it before and I think that he could do it again. I think that since he was able to bring the leaders of two conflicting countries that he could lead to a peaceful resolution. Ghandi was able to influence people in power. I think that over time he would have been able to work through the conflict. It would have taken time just like their independence from Britain but I think it could have happened. Ghandi was able to convince the people of his country to stop fighting and live in peace with each other through fasting. I don't think that this particular method would work to bring peace to other countries but he was a very smart man and I think that he could have thought of a plan.

Ghandi Video Response

How was Ghandi able to achieve independence?
Ghandi refuses to eat until he is released from jail. The prison will not allow him to die so he is released. Ghandi put his life aside for the good of all the people under British Imperialism. He allowed himself to be beaten and thrown in jail for the good of the people. He did not care what religion people were, just that god was being worshipped. This let everyone come together as one powerful group. Ghandi and his people would keep resisting until they got a response or the British changed the law. They cut ties from the British by making their own clothing and salt. Ghandi was able to get large groups of people to follow his lead. He drew worldwide attention. There was an American journalist with them that was reporting back to the United States what the British were doing to the Indians. His followers never hit the British back even after they were struck with wooden sticks. Ghandi inspired people to carry on even when he was in jail and could not lead them.
Do you beleive Ghandi ever enjoyed his accomplishment?
I don't think that he did because his beloved country was a united one and as soon as the nation became independent the different groups split again. I think that Ghandi was just trying to achieve peace in his homeland not necessarily just become independent. Everything that he acheived was undone by the British leaving.

Why do you think Ghandi was able to overcome imperialism and become independent?

Ghandi was able to tell people what he wanted them to do. He spoke to people about his ideas about disobeying the laws but not fighting the British. He was able to attract people to follow this philosophy. The people in a town square that he was speaking to, just allowed the British to shoot at them without retaliating. The British Official responsible for the massacre was only demoted a rank and was never really punished for his actions. Ghandi never gave up in what he believed in, even when he was getting beat by the British. Ghandi protested the pass cards by burning them and even when he was being struck he continued to put the passes in the fire. He didn't fight back to show injustice by the British Officials. They were not able to hold him in jail because he did not resist arrest. He did this to gain support from all the people in India. Ghandi united the high class Hindus, low class Hindus and Muslims to stand up against the British. He wanted everyone to put the class system aside and allow everyone to be equal. He would not have been able to overcome imperialism if he did not have the support from everyone in the country.

Overcoming Social Injustice

I think that if there is an unjust law then one should try to amend it, but until then the law should be obeyed. This is the best solution because if you break the law you will most likely be thrown in jail. Once you are in jail you can not help to amend the law. Just trying to be content with the law is wrong because I believe that you should stand up for what you believe in. You will never be truly content if you don't believe in the new law. Nothing will change if everyone just sits on the sidelines and doesn't push for change.

State of the Union 2010

I think that President Obama talked about the people of the country. I think that we have some things that we need to overcome but we have a good future in 2010. It is a new year and better things can happen. He seems to be focusing on the economy and businesses. The economy is getting better but it still needs a lot of work. This is one thing that we need to work on as a country. We need to provide jobs for people and he used the word jobs in his speech. During President Bushes last State of the Union it seems that he focused more on war in the middle east. Bush addressed congress more than the American people. President Bush wasn't trying to better the country like Obama is. His speech was more negative. I think that we have come a long way from trying to fight a war to helping out in our own country.