Goodbye Class, Hello World

Now that class is over, the big question is "What will I take away from it?"
          First, I will not take my rock that I was hiding under before I took Mrs. K's Africa and the Middle East class.  I feel that I have found sufficient motivation to stay updated with global news for the rest of my life.  Before, I would excuse myself by believing that I could have no significant influence on the big scale of worldly events even if I knew current events.  I now know that is a false belief, that I can make a difference, and that any difference I make for the better is desperately needed. 
          I have also learned many of the faults of my generation.  We are taught to secure our own potential and success at all costs, and often that is the cost of other people locally and worldwide.  How many products do we buy that ultimately support enslavement, violence, corruption, and other such detrimental happenings in the world today?  We are so trained to buy the cheapest or most in-style products and hoarde all our money so that by the time we're old we can enjoy ourselves.  On the backs of the distressed my generation and I enjoy our selfish pleasures.  Yet we complain so much without the courtesy to care how our actions affect our world.   I hope to eventually and completely overcome this fault.
           A sad reality that I learned from this class is that there are always deathly conflicts in present times.  Whether its in the Middle East, the D.R.C., North Korea... there is no escaping it.  The education of others about these current conflicts is vital to them being resolved.  If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?  Yes, but the wood is left to rot.  To keep the rotten forests to a minimum, I learned the large scale of violent, deadly conflict in Darfur and the D.R.C., leading me to live my life with a little more effort toward you and yours than me and mine.  So I'll become reaquainted with the world, accepting the current situations but, more importantly, hoping for the future with more than just words and thoughts. 

          mission accomplished, signing out
               Thank You Mrs. K

Hope in the Congo

As a reaction to finally learning the horror of war in the DRC...
I am enraged by the situation in the DRC that the entire Western world (considered so "wealthy and powerful") has ignored.  We are selfish gluttons.
Yet there is hope that as awareness grows that not every shoulder will turn coldly.  There is always hope for the better, and as an American citizen I feel obligated to support the hope that the many refugees and suffering families in the DRC cling to. 
The international community needs to start believing there is hope and take action toward peace in the DRC.
Last night on the news there was a multiple-minute discussion about whether dogs can get the flu.  Where are our priorities??  Why did I not hear of this kind of tragedy and how almost nobody does anything about it until now?  I hate our selfish society--if advancement teaches us to ignore death without guilt, I want no part of it.
See you in the real world.

A-F-R-I-C-A

What does that spell??
In my mind, these letters stand for the fascinating ancient cultural heritage still influencing the way people there live today.  The strong influences of timeless artwork, music, and beautiful connection of tribal society with nature all struggling to survive in a continent of stereotypical turmoil--the politics of which I know little of. 
This thing--so much more than six letters--will be exciting to discover.

The Lost City...Found in a Hotel

Atlantis
for my Africa and the Middle East class...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-AK_9ZTKKRg

Talk about extreme indulgence.  Relax and have the time of your life if you can swallow the price.  This is the seventeen layer triple chocolate cake of  hotel resorts. 
Atlantis is a hotel on the shore the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.
On the Atlantis they have 17 different restaurant bars, 166 suites, 1,373 guest rooms, host 65,000 aquatic creatures, a dolphin interaction and learning center, Aquaventure--a waterpark, and an enormous aquarium to greet you as soon as you enter the hotel lobby. 
However, Atlantis has dealt with legal disputes due to failure to honor legal permits in capture and maintenance of its aquatic animals, although it does host an accredited rescue center for the animals.

 

Dear Syrian Freedom Fighter

What would I write to a Syrian freedom fighter??
          If I wrote a letter to a Syrian freedom fighter I would have to apologize, not that it would make anyone feel any better.  I would have to apologize for my own political silence and passivity that has lead to the inadequate aid for their suffering people.  I would have to accept the fact that I have always taken my freedom ungratefully and have never even risen my voice in its defense.  I would simply be sorry.  I am sorry.
          I would also provide some encouragement to counter this depressing introduction.  I would commend all their efforts and reaffirm their sanity in fighting for this worthy cause, since I am sure that some of them are questioning their choice in fighting for what seems to be such an unreachable dream in their current government circumstances.  I would try to give them a glimpse of that kind of freedom as we experience it in America, which would hopefully help them to keep perspective amidst the chaotic revolution.  Just a simple story of experience, such as walking down a street without worry or care with a family member, friend, or pet of my choice, and the very routine schedule of day-to-day life.  Simple pleasures of which many are currently deprived.  I would remind them that because of their efforts today, generations of their prodigy will have a much greater chance at prosperity and happiness. 
          I would lastly caution them not to hastily install a permanent government.  While they may not seek the typical "American democracy," they surely want a government form that is controlled more directly by their countrymen.  This is no mean feat, and should be treated appropriately.  I am certain that Syrians already understand this, but I feel that future regrets will be inevitable.  One precaution against the more devastating regrets is to allow lots of time and to allow changes to be easily made. 
          And then I would not sign my letter personally.  I would leave off at something general, such as "Good luck from a concerned US citizen."  I feel like a non-gender, non-age title would give me more leverage in many Middle Eastern countries, including Syria.  Bias is inevitable.
Sincerely,
           ...

Israel and Arab States vs. Peace. Peace loses.

          Both Israel and the Arab States have goals of great risk to the other that both parties plan to pursue in the future.  As long as this continues, there can be no peace in the Middle East.  Neither side wants it.
          The entire timeline of Israel's conflict with its surrounding countries has been one of action and escalating reactions.  Whenever a conflict arises, compromise has been purposely avoided.  As evidenced through the first and second Intifada, Palestinians' aptitude to violently protest has consistently been met with vengeful tactics of dominance, leading to increasing death tolls instead of peaceful conduct from one Intifada to the next. 
          The Arab States have not made any monumental changes in their policies toward Israel.  Many still refusing to recognize Israel as a country, these countries have greater focus on the disputable way in which Israel came into existence than the necessity of stabilizing the region.  Israel has already proven itself a force to be reckoned with (especially with U.S. support).  Despite this fact, Israel realizes that their surrounding countries would not hesitate to overthrow them at any sign of weakness.  Obviously, Israel cannot trust the Arab States.
          The tension escalates with Arab recognition of Israel's greater intentions for itself.  Israelis need more land and currently expand their settlements around disputed borders.  The United States chooses to support Israel despite Arab displeasure, and Israel is rumored to possess a nuclear arsenal while the western world deems it unfit for Iran to expand nuclear energy efforts.  The Arab States have no reason to trust Israel or its Western allies. 
          Peace necessitates some (at least small) level of trust.  Clearly neither the Arab States nor Israel are willing to lay aside any self-serving intentions for the sake of peaceful coexistence, and even if peace agreements were made stating this, real events would not reflect those agreements.  I thereby deem peace impossible between these two uncooperative powers for the foreseeable future.

Nuclear Iran?

           Yes, Iranians should be able to benefit from national nuclear advancement programs.  However, at this time the risk is just too high for other countries to chance more chaos of a nuclear scale to penetrate the Middle East.  Especially in a country where the majority realizes its own inability to fairly choose their government.  Iranians are a far cry from their ideal capability to control their own nation's government programs.  Therefore, Iranian youth and citizens themselves should be the first ones "to say that we can't."  
          More easily said that experienced, I know.  In an ideal world countries would happily grant Iran global privileges, and in an ideal world either every country or no country would possess nuclear weapons.  But this does not prove Iran's incapability to continue it's uranium enrichment programs--it only proves the difficulty in negotiations and reaching acceptable compromise.  
          The current Iranian policy wishes not to cooperate with the Western world, nor does it promote negotiations, placing all other countries of power and influence or those countries threatened under decisively defensive behavior.  Iranian officials and people alike simply cannot expect warmer reactions to incredibly dangerous actions.