tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67944274928636109202024-03-13T12:34:47.708+01:00Who, what, where, when, why?Trying to understand the world and our place in it...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger283125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-45451374088055044882019-12-20T09:16:00.002+01:002020-04-01T09:11:17.943+02:00Save the Children...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>To do:</b><br />
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<li>Describe and comment the photos (what is each child doing, thinking and feeling; how does each child see him/herself)?</li>
<li>Give a title to each photo.</li>
<li>What do the photos have in common (is there a "theme")?</li>
<li>What purpose did the photographer have in taking these pictures do you think?</li>
<li>Do you like or dislike these photos (why); has the photographer done a good job?</li>
<li>What does <a href="https://www.savethechildren.net/"><b>Save the Children</b></a> do (would you send money to this charity)?</li>
<li>Click <b><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/11/the-dreams-of-children-a-photo-essay">HERE </a></b>to see the photo essay and to read the children's stories!</li>
<li>What were/are YOUR dreams (for your future)?</li>
<li>What is "<a href="https://www.thelocal.fr/20181108/report-the-shocking-truth-about-poverty-in-france-in-2018">poverty</a>"?</li>
<li><a href="https://www.gapminder.org/test-questions/how-many-children-will-there-be-in-2100/">How many children are there in the world</a>, <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.0014.TO.ZS?end=2018&start=1960">how many live in (extreme) poverty</a>?</li>
<li>How does poverty impact the lives of young people and what can be done to combat <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2019/06/20/more-than-half-of-the-worlds-poor-are-children/">child poverty?</a></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Answers to the above questions given by the pupils in Section européenne PREMIÈRE at ISP Courpière:</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) </span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Describe and comment the photos (what is each child doing, thinking and feeling; how does each child see him/herself)?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Charlotte </span><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">answers: The first picture is a picture of a little black child, running in a puddle of water. He is in a really wild environment with high grass and the road is in a bad state. He seems really happy and free. He is really tiny compared to the puddle and the road!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second one is a little boy feeding a calf with his hand. He is sitting on the floor in a pool of light (the sunlight is coming through a hole in the wall). The house seems empty and not completed yet. It looks like he has real compassion for this animal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next one is the photo of a girl who is wearing a hijab so she is Muslim. She has her head inside a fake television. She has a big smile on her face so she is obviously very happy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, we have three boys pictured in a room.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of them is sitting on a fat pile of pillows that raises him above the other two. He is cross-legged, and his expression is one of keen ambition! The other two are looking at each other with complicit smiles. They are sitting on the ground.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last photo is of a teenager laying on his bed looking up at the sky through his roof window. It looks like he is dreaming about something up there but we do not know what. Why is he smiling? In his right hand, there is a pair of binoculars.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) Give a title to each photo!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emile </span><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">suggests: 1- The greatness of nature; 2- Man among animals; 3- A poor girl’s dream; 4- The would-be King; 5- Dreaming of nature locked up at home</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) What do the photos have in common (is there a theme)?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maxime </span><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">says:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think there is no theme as such but they all have something in common. I mean, all those photos make us think about our actions in life. We can see through those photos that there are many people who live in extreme poverty and we must be happy with our place in the world. However, we can also think about what we have become: we are less in touch with nature and we live more and more at home watching Nature through our smartphones and TV.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4) What purpose did the photographer have in taking these pictures do you think?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Manon </span><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">considers that: The photographer had the objective of showing that children have dreams and goals, despite, for some, their lack of means. He put them in situations that are not particularly normal, to make the viewer react. He wants to show that all children are alike but with different dreams and the possibility of a future life. Everybody can have a different vision and interpretation of all these pictures. But we can’t ignore the representation of children's dreams in the photos because</span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the situation in which they are isn’t normal and can make one think of the dreams of wonderful children.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5) Do you like or dislike these photos (why); has the photographer done a good job?</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emma </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">thinks: I kind of like these pictures, they all show kids from different “angles”. Some seem happy despite being poor and others, though they have better clothes, food and better living conditions, don’t really smile. I think the photographer did a great job because we can understand and learn about those kids’ daily habits and lives. Compared to us, they appear to be able to be happy without gadgets! They find happiness in simple moments, like looking after an animal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6) What does </span><a href="https://www.savethechildren.net/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Save the Children</span></a><span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> do (would you send money to this charity)?</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Malaurie </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">informs us: The charity (international NGO) </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Save the Children</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> brings to the fore the fact that the poverty of these children doesn't stop them from dreaming. Save the children wants to collect money to offer a better life to these children and maybe can offer them the possibility of realising their dreams. If I could, of course I would send money to these children because I am aware that many children live in poverty. And I sincerely think that all children have the right to achieve their dream job. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7) Which story, for you, corresponds best to its photo illustration?</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paula </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">quotes: “People were very sad after the earthquake. They lost family members, friends and their houses. When I play the clown, I can make people laugh again. I feel sad when people are sad.” I think that this text corresponds very well with the picture because we can see that everyone around the girl playing the clown is laughing with her. She does her best to make people happy around her, so I think that she has an amazing personality. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8) What were YOUR dreams (for your future)when you were small?</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gabriel </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">recalls: Since I was small I have always wanted to be a physiotherapist. Indeed I always massaged my family and practiced on them to perfect my technique and increase my knowledge about the human body. My grandfather has the gift to feel nerves under the skin and he knows how to “remove” these nerves. I have the same gift and I think it's an important advantage to become a physiotherapist because with the sensitivity I have in my fingers I can learn where the muscles are more easily. For me, it’s a dream, but also my vocation and I’ll do everything to become a physiotherapist!</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9) What is "</span><a href="https://www.thelocal.fr/20181108/report-the-shocking-truth-about-poverty-in-france-in-2018" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">poverty</span></a><span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"?</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jonathan </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">defines it as: a lack of material things but also insufficient social relations. When a person is, or a group of people are, unable to access sufficient resources (clean air, drinking water, food, clothing, shelter, a bearable temperature, decent health care, etc.), that is poverty. </span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately there are 3.5 billion who live in poverty in the world. This is almost half of the world’s population. Poverty is also due to the lack of money in a country or even the lack of business with a big budget that can invest for the inhabitants and the workers and this poverty has repercussions on the population, like: slums, lack of social security or schooling for children, etc. We have to fight the causes and consequences of poverty together, by sending money to countries in need or to associations which fight for poverty alleviation; thanks to this small gesture we can each of us contribute to making the world a better place. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10) </span><a href="https://www.gapminder.org/test-questions/how-many-children-will-there-be-in-2100/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How many children are there in the world</span></a><span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.0014.TO.ZS?end=2018&start=1960" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">how many live in (extreme) poverty</span></a><span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">?</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paula </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">writes: There are 2 billion children in the world. Half of those live in poverty. It is due to the low salary of the parents but it can also be due to things like limited access to food, school or health care. There are 385 million children who live in extreme poverty. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Extreme poverty</span><span style="color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> according to the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0b0080; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">United Nations</span></a><span style="color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (UN) is "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. It depends not only on income but also on access to services." Examples of children living in extreme poverty: Syria (civil war), Yemen (war), </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sub-Saharan Africa and Central African Republic (lack of food security leading to severe undernourishment)</span><span style="color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Haiti (natural disasters), Lesvos in Greece (refugee camp), India (poor health, lack of education and the ongoing threat of violence (multidimensional poverty).</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Information found on:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">> <a href="https://www.unicef.org/social-policy/child-poverty" style="text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.unicef.org/social-policy/child-poverty</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">> <a href="https://www.inegalites.fr/Les-enfants-pauvres-dans-le-monde?id_mot=116" style="text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.inegalites.fr/Les-enfants-pauvres-dans-le-monde?id_mot=116</a></span><br />
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_poverty" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_poverty</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">11) How does poverty impact the lives of young people and what can be done to combat </span><a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2019/06/20/more-than-half-of-the-worlds-poor-are-children/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">child poverty?</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Malaurie </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><span style="color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Manon </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">say: The impact of poverty on children's lives is huge; the children aren’t fed well, or receive a decent education, or have a safe home and their health is compromised. Poverty also has an impact on children's future prospects. For example, the girl in the third picture wants to be an actress, so she should go to a cinema school where she can learn how to act, speak clearly, etc. But to go to this school, she needs money, but, in poor countries, this is impossible; it is not achievable.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To help fight this abject poverty, every person who is able to go to these poor countries should do so and build free schools, with school supplies. That way, the children could learn a lot of things; this would help them achieve what they want to achieve.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As young people, we can carry out humanitarian missions; the children from poor regions would benefit greatly, for example: if a child would like to become a writer, we can teach him to read and write. And adults can give money to support poor children because maybe they cannot stop their jobs to carry out a humanitarian mission. </span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are interested in helping alleviate child poverty, there are charities you can volunteer or work for, even as a young person:</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">> Globalong, cf.: </span><span style="color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.globalong.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.globalong.com/</span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">> UNICEF, cf.</span><a href="https://www.unicef.org/french/about/employ/index_volunteers.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.unicef.org/french/about/employ/index_volunteers.html</span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">> European Solidarity Corps: </span><a href="https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en</span></a></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-5301549358331194032019-09-08T09:38:00.000+02:002019-09-08T10:23:26.614+02:00September 1, 1939... Poem by W.H. Auden<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ImNDJsrBB4/XXSuokEEg-I/AAAAAAABDNo/JqF0qia5U2AfbsgMBDilpGFzdl4NPeRvACLcBGAs/s1600/W-H-Auden-people-page%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="608" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ImNDJsrBB4/XXSuokEEg-I/AAAAAAABDNo/JqF0qia5U2AfbsgMBDilpGFzdl4NPeRvACLcBGAs/s400/W-H-Auden-people-page%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">W.H.Auden by Cecil Beaton</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED4sN16x1ls">Listen to Dylan Thomas read W.H. Auden's poem "September 1, 1939"</a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pjTXRyGmxrs/XXS6XdD5XyI/AAAAAAABDN0/NesiX8Fl-6Ukfjmw9T-q2ZbosV581ONsACLcBGAs/s1600/DqghT6yWkAAwoNv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="614" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pjTXRyGmxrs/XXS6XdD5XyI/AAAAAAABDN0/NesiX8Fl-6Ukfjmw9T-q2ZbosV581ONsACLcBGAs/s640/DqghT6yWkAAwoNv.jpg" width="436" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQaHMj2OoGY/XXSs30AU-aI/AAAAAAABDNY/iPtKfC-w2Ecn4apYwyOmIKa5Y_Ki2P1QgCLcBGAs/s1600/B2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="645" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQaHMj2OoGY/XXSs30AU-aI/AAAAAAABDNY/iPtKfC-w2Ecn4apYwyOmIKa5Y_Ki2P1QgCLcBGAs/s320/B2-2.jpg" title="http://auden.sarahgompper.com/blog/september-1-1939/81/" width="257" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://auden.sarahgompper.com/blog/">Illustrations of the poem: click HERE!</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_1,_1939"> Wikipedia article on the poem</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.gradesaver.com/w-h-auden-poems/study-guide/summary-september-1-1939">An analysis of the poem</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/aug/31/wh-auden-september-1-1939-poem">Article on Auden's poem in The Guardian</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00083f3">BBC Radio 4 programme about Auden's poem</a></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcGvmEGy8vs/XXSp4tVCE7I/AAAAAAABDM8/BBufNaj1svo3Xnw75Gqn8ybdWGt9ZjUqwCLcBGAs/s1600/hitstal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="934" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcGvmEGy8vs/XXSp4tVCE7I/AAAAAAABDM8/BBufNaj1svo3Xnw75Gqn8ybdWGt9ZjUqwCLcBGAs/s400/hitstal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">David Low 1939 cartoon</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/sept-1-1939-nazi-germany-invades-poland-startingworld-war-ii/">What happened on that day?</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-16205683955276911502019-01-28T11:04:00.001+01:002019-02-13T18:10:08.656+01:00What are the world’s problems and what are the possible solutions?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aJwGnGKV_I0/XGRPVoyT-GI/AAAAAAAA-Hs/RkdZzm_XB689BW5FvwC1SZRbF9jmf7WUgCLcBGAs/s1600/end_of_the_world_sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="485" height="297" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aJwGnGKV_I0/XGRPVoyT-GI/AAAAAAAA-Hs/RkdZzm_XB689BW5FvwC1SZRbF9jmf7WUgCLcBGAs/s400/end_of_the_world_sign.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What are the world’s problems?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The lack of equality in
terms of pay, education, health, and politics between men and women is still a
major problem in the world. Good news: in 2017, France was, among the G20
countries, the country that made the most progress in terms of reaching parity
between men and women.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Social disparity: access to
housing, education and cultural facilities, and political representation vary
depending on your age, gender, social category, income or diploma.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Children’s lack of education
in poor countries: approximately 60 million children in the world do not have
access to education, although school is compulsory in the majority of
countries. It’s in Sub-Saharan Africa that more than half of the uneducated
children live. In poor countries, the parents need their children as farmhands.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wars over religion, resources,
power, or territory: the wars in Syria and Yemen, etc. make the world an
unstable place.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dictatorships: Bashar
al-Assad continues to lead a dictatorship in Syria sowing terror and violence
in his country.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Child exploitation: there
are about 152 million children aged 5 to 14 in the world, of which 60 million live
in Africa; about 70 million children are in forced labor. There are also at
least 40 million adults employed as slaves.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many people suffer from discrimination.
Judging another person or community based on demeaning stereotypes leads to misery
and social tension, even war.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The mistreatment of animals:
every day, a large number of cats, dogs and other animals suffer and die from
neglect by humans.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What are the possible solutions to the world’s problems?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We can contribute time,
energy, ideas, money to the numerous associations and charities fight for worthy
causes: children’s education, animal rights, an end to child exploitation and slavery,
anti-discrimination measures, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We should encourage people
to help each other and to accept differences.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The best means to prevent
wars is educating people to be more peaceful.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Women need to continue their
struggle for greater equality with men. Children from the youngest age need to
learn that both women and men have the right to realize their dreams; it is not
because you are a boy that you cannot become a hairdresser or nanny, and it is
not because you are a woman that you cannot become a builder or even run a country.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Article by Camille, Elise & Noëllia, ISP Courpière (France)</b></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Héléna adds:</b></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">This is a very interesting
question because it makes us think about society today and makes us want to
change it, to make it evolve in the right direction for a better world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">There are a lot of problems
in the world and I won’t be able to mention them all. But I will try to say as
much as I can and find solutions to these problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">First of all, there is great
inequality in the world regarding distribution of wealth. According to a study
by UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, the
richest 20% have 69.5% of world income and the poorest 1.4 billion people have
only 2% of world GDP. To try to make this distribution of wealth more equal, it
would be plausible to give money to countries in need of development to boost
their economic growth. Unfortunately, this would take a long time and cost a
lot of money, but it would certainly give very good results.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Now let’s talk about gender
inequality. A large majority of women are overwhelmed by violence, wage
disparities and cultural persistence. Women are on the front lines of domestic
and sexual violence. In 2015, six times more women were murdered by their
spouses than husbands by their wives. 62,000 women were raped against 2,700 men
in the same year. Women’s wage income was on average 24% lower than men’s in
2014, according to the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic
Studies (INSEE). Only 72% of mothers have a job, compared with 85% of fathers,
and one-third (33%) work part-time, compared with only 4% of fathers on average.
To achieve greater gender equality, children should be better educated about
equality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Environmental degradation is
the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as
air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction; the
extinction of wildlife; and pollution. It is defined as any change or
disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Environmental
impact or degradation is caused by the combination of an already very large and
increasing human population, continually increasing economic growth or per
capita affluence, and the application of resource-depleting and polluting
technology. To reduce these problems, humans must try to reduce their
consumption. By doing this, there will be less pollution and waste.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">War is one of those
phenomena that have accompanied humanity since its origins. War made and
defeated empires, enriched and ruined kingdoms, inspired the structuring and
destruction of legal, moral, religious norms, and contributed to the
development of arts and techniques, sometimes for better but too often for
worse. To prevent wars, everyone must learn where the boundaries between good
and evil are. To me, the line is crossed when you make a person suffer
physically or psychologically.</span></div>
</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-52301021978503110212018-09-04T16:36:00.000+02:002018-10-06T08:08:24.071+02:00Too late?<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t despair – climate change catastrophe can still
be averted</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Simon Lewis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The future looks
fiery and dangerous, according to new reports. <span lang="EN-GB">But political will and
grassroots engagement can change this…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/07/climate-change-catastrophe-political-will-grassroots-engagement">The Guardian</a></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tuesday 7<sup>th</sup> August 2018<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ol>
<li style="text-align: justify;">This is the summer when, for many, climate change got
real. The future looks fiery and dangerous. Hot on the heels of Trump, fake
news and the parlous state of the Brexit negotiations, despair is in the air.
Now a new scientific report makes the case that even fairly modest future
carbon dioxide emissions could set off a cascade of catastrophe, with melting
permafrost releasing methane to ratchet up global temperatures enough to drive
much of the Amazon to die off, and so on in a chain reaction around the world
that pushes Earth into a terrifying new hothouse state from which there is no
return. Civilisation as we know it would surely not survive. How do we deal
with such news?</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">As a research scientist in this field, I can give some
nuance to the headlines. One common way of thinking about climate change is the
lower the future carbon dioxide emissions, the less warming and the less havoc
we will face as this century progresses. This is certainly true, but as the
summer heatwave and the potential hothouse news remind us, the shifts in
climate we will experience will not be smooth, gradual and linear changes. They
may be fast, abrupt, and dangerous surprises may happen. However, an
unstoppable globally enveloping cascade of catastrophe, while possible, is
certainly not a probable outcome.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Yet, even without a hothouse we are on track to
transform Earth this century. The world, after 30 years of warnings, has barely
got to grips with reducing carbon dioxide emissions. They need to rapidly
decline to zero, but after decades of increases, are, at best, flatlining, with
investments in extracting new fossil fuels continuing, including last month’s
scandalous announcement that fracking will be allowed in the UK. Temperatures
have increased just 1C above preindustrial levels, and we are on course for
another 2C or 3C on top of that. Could civilisation weather this level of
warming?</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">The honest answer is nobody knows. Dystopia is easy to
envisage: for example, Europe is not coping well with even modest numbers of
migrants, and future flows look likely to increase substantially as migration
itself is an adaptation to rapid climate change. How will the cooler, richer
parts of the world react to tens of millions of people escaping the hotter,
poorer parts? Throw into the mix long-term stagnating incomes for most people
across the west and climate-induced crop failures causing massive food price
spikes and we have a recipe for widespread unrest that could overload political
institutions.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">It is then easy to see these intersecting crises
dovetailing with calls from the new far-right populists for strong authoritarian
leaders to solve these problems. Inward-looking nationalists could then move
further away from the internationalism needed to ensure the continuation of
stable global food supplies and to manage migration humanely. And without
cooperative internationalism serious carbon dioxide mitigation will not happen,
meaning the underlining drivers of the problems will exacerbate, leading to a
lock-in of a deteriorating, isolationist, fascist future.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">However, taking a step back from the gloom, we face
the same three choices in response to climate change as we did before this
scorching summer: reduce greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation), make changes to
reduce the adverse impacts of the new conditions we create (adaptation), or
suffer the consequences of what we fail to mitigate or adapt to. It is useful
to come back to these three options, and settle on the formula that serious
mitigation and wise adaptation means little suffering.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Despite this basic advice being decades old, we are
heading for some mitigation, very little adaptation, and a lot of suffering.
Why is this happening? This is because while the diagnosis of climate change
being a problem is a scientific issue, the response to it is not. Leaving
fossil fuels in the ground is, for example, a question of regulation, while
investing in renewable energy is a policy choice, and modernising our housing
stock to make it energy efficient is about overcoming the lobbying power of the
building industry. Solving climate change is about power, money, and political
will.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">And that means talking about climate change and
engaging in politics at all levels. One way to put climate change centre stage
in the next general election could be to approach the candidates of key
marginal seats to discuss whether they would support serious climate-related
legislation. In return hundreds of supporters of climate legislation would
door-knock and leaflet these constituencies to support them. A serious grassroots
conversation would occur, it would become an election issue, and a large group
of people outside parliament and inside it would be poised to lobby for the
necessary transformative legislation on mitigation and adaptation.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Thinking about climate change as a practical political
problem helps avoid despair because we know that huge political changes have
happened in the past and continue to do so. The future is up to us if we act
collectively and engage in politics. To quote Antonio <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Gramsci">Gramsci</a>: “I’m a pessimist
because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will.” Looked at this way,
we can see the politics as a battle between a future shaped by fear versus a
future shaped by hope.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">That hope is built on a better story of the future and
routes to enact it. The outline of this story is that given the colossal wealth
and the scientific knowledge available today, we can solve many of the world’s
pressing problems and all live well. Given that our environmental impacts are
so long-lasting, the future is the politics we make today.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Simon Lewis is professor of global change science at
University College London and the Univesity of Leeds, and co-authored The Human
Planet: How We Created the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropocene">Anthropocene </a>(Pelican) with Mark Maslin.</li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z4d-Rd7FQeQ/W46ThnnRfJI/AAAAAAAA7u0/gVG0I1FPm8o-KbbBcZTim9ozdgQStgMJwCLcBGAs/s1600/weather-always-bad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1200" height="275" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z4d-Rd7FQeQ/W46ThnnRfJI/AAAAAAAA7u0/gVG0I1FPm8o-KbbBcZTim9ozdgQStgMJwCLcBGAs/s400/weather-always-bad.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Questions</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>What things worry you about the future?</li>
<li>Were you inconvenienced by the heat this summer?</li>
<li>Are you more worried now about climate change than you were before the summer?</li>
<li>What is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian">The Guardian</a>?</li>
<li>Who is Simon Lewis, why has he written this article and for whom?</li>
<li>What is the anthropocene?</li>
<li>Is Lewis optimistic or pessimistic about climate change?</li>
<li>What are the primary causes of climate change?</li>
<li>What are the political consequences of climate change in the richer countries?</li>
<li>Do you think a strong authoritarian leader could solve the problems associated with climate change in your country?</li>
<li>How can international cooperation mitigate the polical, economic and social consequences of climate change?</li>
<li>Do you have the same attitude as Gramsci (how hopeful are you for the future)?</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Essay questions</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Why should we not despair as regards climate change? </li>
<li>Most individuals are selfish and ignorant and unwilling to change their habits, therefore the planet is doomed. Do you agree?</li>
<li>What are you, personally, doing to help solve climate change?</li>
</ol>
<div>
<a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><a href="https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/changement-climatique-pourquoi-il-ne-faut-pas-desesperer">Changement climatique. Pourquoi il ne faut pas désespérer…</a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Face au constat d’une planète en
surchauffe, l’avenir semble effrayant. Mais l’engagement citoyen et la volonté
politique peuvent changer la donne, estime ce chercheur.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Cet été est celui où, pour
beaucoup d’entre nous, le changement climatique est devenu une réalité.
L’avenir semble aussi fiévreux que dangereux. Après Trump, les fake news et les
périlleuses négociations autour du Brexit, certains commencent à désespérer. Et
voilà <a href="https://www.courrierinternational.com/revue-de-presse/changement-climatique-la-terre-pourrait-se-transformer-en-etuve" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">qu’une nouvelle étude scientifique affirme que</span></a> la
réduction – modeste ou non – des émissions de dioxyde de carbone [CO2] ne
suffirait pas à empêcher une série de catastrophes : la fonte du
permafrost pourrait libérer une telle quantité de méthane que les températures
mondiales pourraient exploser, condamner la forêt amazonienne et entraîner une
réaction en chaîne susceptible de transformer la planète en véritable four. La
civilisation telle que nous la connaissons n’y survivrait pas. Alors
que faire ?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
En tant que chercheur spécialiste
dans ce domaine, je peux apporter quelques nuances à ces informations. Selon la
logique la plus répandue, moins nous émettrons de dioxyde de carbone, moins les
températures augmenteront et moins nous nous exposerons à des situations de
chaos. C’est certainement vrai mais la canicule de cet été nous rappelle que
les changements climatiques ne sont ni progressifs, ni linéaires et qu’ils ne
se font pas en douceur. Ils peuvent être rapides, brutaux et nous réserver de
dangereuses surprises. Reste que, même s’il n’est pas exclu, le scénario de
catastrophes mondiales et incontrôlables en cascade n’est pas le
plus probable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Des troubles à
grande échelle<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Sans forcément la transformer en
gigantesque serre, nous sommes en passe de modifier notre planète durant le
siècle à venir. Après trente ans de mises en garde, nous commençons à
peine à essayer de réduire nos émissions de CO2. Alors qu’il faudrait
rapidement les amener à zéro après des décennies d’augmentation, ces émissions
stagnent (au mieux) tandis que l’on continue d’investir dans l’extraction
d’énergies fossiles. Le Royaume-Uni a annoncé le mois dernier l’autorisation –
scandaleuse – des techniques de fracturation hydraulique sur son territoire
[pour extraire des hydrocarbures]. Les températures n’ont augmenté que d’un
degré depuis l’époque préindustrielle et nous sommes sur le point d’y ajouter
deux ou trois degrés. La civilisation peut-elle encaisser un tel choc ?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Honnêtement, personne ne le sait.
Il est facile d’imaginer des scénarios dystopiques : l’Europe, par
exemple, est déjà déstabilisée par l’arrivée de quelques migrants et leur
nombre devrait considérablement augmenter, le changement climatique condamnant
de nombreuses populations à l’exil. Comment réagiront les habitants de ces pays
riches et relativement tempérés lorsque des millions de personnes chercheront à
fuir les régions les plus chaudes et les plus pauvres du monde ? Ajoutez à cela
une longue stagnation des revenus dans la plupart des pays occidentaux et des
intempéries capables de ruiner des récoltes et de provoquer de brutales hausses
des prix de l’alimentation et vous avez tout ce qu’il faut pour générer des
troubles à grande échelle et bousculer les institutions politiques.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>L’impasse d’un futur dégradé<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
On devine facilement comment ces
crises pourraient opportunément servir les nouveaux populistes d’extrême droite
pour qui il faut des dirigeants forts et autoritaires pour régler ces
problèmes. Repliés sur eux-mêmes, ces nationalistes pourraient s’éloigner
encore un peu plus de la coopération internationale dont nous avons besoin pour
assurer le maintien des approvisionnements mondiaux en denrées alimentaires et
gérer les flux migratoires avec humanité. En l’absence de coopération
internationale, nous ne trouverons pas de solution sérieuse aux émissions de
dioxyde de carbone. Résultat, les causes premières du problème ne feront que
s’aggraver, nous menant droit dans l’impasse d’un futur dégradé, isolationniste
et fasciste.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Aujourd’hui, nous sommes
confrontés aux trois mêmes choix qu’avant la canicule : réduire les émissions
de gaz à effet de serre (réduction), prendre des mesures pour réduire les
effets négatifs du nouvel environnement que nous avons créé (adaptation), ou
subir les conséquences des phénomènes que nous n’aurons pas réussi à atténuer
ou à anticiper. Il est bon de revenir à ces trois options et de convenir qu’une
réduction conséquente des émissions polluantes ainsi que de prudentes mesures
d’adaptation nous épargneront bien des problèmes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Alors que cela fait des années
que l’on nous serine cet avertissement très simple, nous nous dirigeons vers un
peu de réduction, encore moins d’adaptation, et beaucoup de problèmes.
Pourquoi ? Parce que si la question du diagnostic est bien un problème
scientifique, la réponse au changement climatique, elle, ne l’est pas. Ne pas
exploiter les énergies fossiles est une question de réglementation ; investir
dans les énergies renouvelables est un choix politique ; et moderniser les
logements pour mieux les isoler dépend surtout de la capacité des décideurs à
affronter le lobby du bâtiment. Tout est question de pouvoir, d’argent et de
volonté politique.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>L’engagement d’un grand nombre
de personnes<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Cela implique de parler du
changement climatique et de s’engager politiquement à tous les niveaux. Pour
placer le changement climatique au cœur des débats avant les prochaines
élections, on pourrait demander aux candidats des circonscriptions disputées
s’ils sont prêts à légiférer sur le sujet. Des centaines de militants,
favorables à cette législation, iraient ensuite démarcher les électeurs en leur
nom. Un dialogue s’ouvrirait au niveau de la base, cela deviendrait un thème de
campagne et l’on pourrait compter sur l’engagement d’un grand nombre de
personnes, à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur du Parlement, pour plaider la cause
de cette législation nécessaire sur la réduction des émissions polluantes et
l’adaptation au changement climatique.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Voir le changement climatique
comme un problème politique concret permet de ne pas désespérer car nous savons
que d’importants bouleversements politiques se sont produits par le passé et
continuent à se produire. L’avenir nous appartient si nous agissons
collectivement et si nous nous engageons sur le terrain politique. Comme le
disait [le philosophe italien] Antonio Gramsci : “J’ai le pessimisme
de l’intelligence et l’optimisme de la volonté”. Vu sous cet angle, on peut
considérer la politique comme le combat entre un futur fondé sur la peur et un
futur nourri par l’espoir.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Cet espoir repose sur la
possibilité d’une meilleure issue et les moyens d’y parvenir. Compte tenu des
connaissances scientifiques et de la prodigieuse richesse à notre disposition,
nous sommes en mesure de résoudre bon nombre des grands problèmes de la planète
tout en vivant tous confortablement. Sachant que nos actes ont des conséquences
durables sur notre environnement, l’avenir dépend des choix politiques que nous
faisons aujourd’hui.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Simon Lewis</b></div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-69747750618739902642018-04-22T08:18:00.000+02:002018-04-22T08:18:28.277+02:00Seing the world anew...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iXwMDMdSOqg/WtwnVZ7ny4I/AAAAAAAA4YI/iIfXvDRmIjIvxnSNfsJBL6QeWl1LkRfnQCLcBGAs/s1600/time-100-parkland-students.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iXwMDMdSOqg/WtwnVZ7ny4I/AAAAAAAA4YI/iIfXvDRmIjIvxnSNfsJBL6QeWl1LkRfnQCLcBGAs/s320/time-100-parkland-students.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://time.com/collection/most-influential-people-2018/5217568/parkland-students">Click HERE!</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-6249199042580035632016-12-14T16:51:00.004+01:002016-12-14T16:56:51.713+01:00Does Santa Claus really exist?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qw2DJ1GvbY0/WFFrSpoDzOI/AAAAAAAAy4c/9org956z3SwcJMpxHtKGRJr-9P2oZC9vgCLcB/s1600/santa-claus-034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qw2DJ1GvbY0/WFFrSpoDzOI/AAAAAAAAy4c/9org956z3SwcJMpxHtKGRJr-9P2oZC9vgCLcB/s320/santa-claus-034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Belief in Santa could affect parent-child
relationships, warns study</span></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/profile/hannah-devlin"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Hannah Devlin</span></a>,</b><b><span lang="EN-GB"> Science correspondent<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/nov/23/belief-in-santa-could-affect-parent-child-relationships-warns-study">theguardian</a></span></i></b><b><span lang="EN-GB">, Wednesday 23 November 2016<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Spoiler alert: this article contains sensitive information about the
existence of Santa Claus. Children may wish to look away now.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">Parents, though, are being urged to re-consider <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">the ethics</span> of the great Santa Claus lie. In
an </span><a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(16)30363-7/abstract"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">article published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry</span></a><span lang="EN-GB">, two psychologists have raised the spectre of
children’s <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">moral compass</span>
being permanently <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">thrown
off-kilter</span> by what is normally considered a magical part of the
Christmas tradition.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The darker reality, the authors suggest, is that lying to children, even
about something fun and frivolous, could <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">undermine their trust</span> in their parents and leave
them open to “<span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">abject
disappointment</span>” when they <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">eventually</span> discover that magic is not real.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kathy McKay, a clinical psychologist at the University of New England,
Australia and co-author, said: “The Santa myth is such <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">an involved lie</span>, such a <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">long-lasting</span> one, between
parents and children, that if a relationship is vulnerable, this may be <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">the final straw</span>. If
parents can lie so convincingly and over such a long time, what else can they
lie about?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: silver; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: FR; mso-highlight: silver;">Levelling with</span><span lang="EN-GB"> your children so close to the big event may put
<span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">a bit of a dampener</span>
on festivities, but parents must sometimes <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">take the long view</span>, according to McKay. “There is
potential for children <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">to
be harmed</span> in these lies,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">McKay’s <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">moral stance</span>
on Santa may <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">collide with
real life</span> in the near future if her three-year-old goddaughter <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">makes inquiries</span> on the
subject. “She believes in Santa at the moment and it’s not my role to go
against her parent’s wishes,” she said. “She’s never asked me about Santa ...
when she does, I’ll tell her because I want my goddaughter to grow up knowing
that there will always be safety and honesty with us.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The article’s first author, Chris Boyle, a psychologist at the University
of Exeter and the lead author, has a less <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">hard-line position</span>. “I’m not planning to go
through the streets of Exeter <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">dropping leaflets</span> through doors,” he said, and admits that he
would probably <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">play along</span>
with the story if he had children of his own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">However, he is critical of those who invoke Santa’s potential <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">no-show</span> as the ultimate
punishment for bad behaviour. “Some parents use it as a tool of control when
they’re under a bit of pressure in <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">the lead-up to</span> </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/christmas"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Christmas</span></a><span lang="EN-GB">,” said Boyle. “It’s potentially not the best <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">parenting method</span>. You’re
talking about a mythical being deciding whether you’re getting presents or
not.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The authors advance several psychological explanations for why the “<span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">collective lie on a global scale</span>”
persists. First, humans have a strong <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">tendency to conform</span>, even when a behaviour is
illogical. Second, all the evidence suggests that even adults have <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">a strong urge to escape reality</span>
through <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">make-believe</span>.
“We’re trying <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">to hark back</span>
to our <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">glory days</span>
as children,” said Boyle.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">The two are not the first <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">to question</span> why society perpetuates the Santa myth. Richard
Dawkins has previously questioned whether children should be encouraged to
believe in Santa and <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">scientifically
implausible</span> fairy tales. “I think it’s <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">rather pernicious</span> to <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">inculcate</span> into a child a <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">view of the world</span> which includes <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">supernaturalism</span>,” he said
in a </span><a href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/science/article4109368.ece"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">2014 talk</span></a><span lang="EN-GB">. However, </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jun/05/richard-dawkins-fairytales-not-harmful"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Dawkins later said</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> that Santa could, in fact, “equip the
child to reject supernaturalism <span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">when the time comes</span>”.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>GROUP WORK</b></span></span></div>
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</span>
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</div>
<ol>
<li>Read the text.</li>
<li>Translate and learn the words highlighted in grey.</li>
<li>List the spurious arguments that some misguided people advance to deny the existence of Santa Claus.</li>
<li>Have a five minute <a href="http://www.debate.org/opinions/does-santa-claus-exist">debate </a>with another workgroup on the following question: "<i>Does Santas Claus exist?"</i></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>HOMEWORK</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Are you kidding?! It's Xmas, give us a break!"</i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-67935348755673568192016-11-20T09:30:00.003+01:002016-11-22T18:25:01.402+01:00Universal Children's Day is on 20 November every year...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6I0ryj_kc-8/WDFemVENJXI/AAAAAAAAyx0/Q3xj8cKUAJoNd4AkiXwk-afbwCWTpujpwCLcB/s1600/syria-children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6I0ryj_kc-8/WDFemVENJXI/AAAAAAAAyx0/Q3xj8cKUAJoNd4AkiXwk-afbwCWTpujpwCLcB/s320/syria-children.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Aleppo, Syria, 2016</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">> </span><a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/childrenday/" style="text-align: left;">Universal Children's Day</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
> <a href="http://www.humanium.org/en/convention/adapted-for-children/">International Convention on the Rights of the Child Text adapted for children 10 and up</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
> <a href="http://www.humanium.org/fr/convention/convention-droits-enfant-adaptee-aux-enfants-des-10-ans/">Version en français</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-8791961070531253572016-08-23T16:27:00.003+02:002016-09-28T07:07:17.644+02:0015 years on from 11th September 2001 ("9/11")...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B3ojYjGjjWs/V7xgqO5x1eI/AAAAAAAAxX8/Bi2HNgTXWCkVzw0qJsBWtAOzG4yL3PM-gCLcB/s1600/151446416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B3ojYjGjjWs/V7xgqO5x1eI/AAAAAAAAxX8/Bi2HNgTXWCkVzw0qJsBWtAOzG4yL3PM-gCLcB/s400/151446416.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center">Freedom Tower</a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">> <a href="https://storycorps.org/listen/lee-hanson-and-his-wife-eunice/#">Click HERE to listen to Mr and Mrs Hanson (StoryCorps)</a></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;">Transcript:</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">Lee</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;">: My name is Lee Hanson.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">Eunice</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;">: I’m Eunice Hanson.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB">Lee</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;">: We’re here to talk about our
children - Peter, our son, Sue Kim, our daughter in-law, and our granddaughter
Christine Lee - who were all killed on 9/11 while flying on United Airlines
175. The morning of the eleventh we got up and we were having breakfast. We
were talking about the kids taking the trip and it was Christine’s first trip
in an airplane. And um, the phone rang and it was Peter, and he said: “Dad,
we’ve been hijacked”. He said: “I think they’ve already killed somebody and I
don’t think the pilot’s in control of the plane.” I hung up and I called
the police and they said: “A plane’s crashed into the World Trade Center and
you ought to turn your television on.” Uh, then I waited. I didn’t want to
call Peter because I didn’t want to attract any attention to him. He called
again and told me he thought they were going to crash into a building because
they’d been talking about it. He said: “Well don’t worry Dad, if they do, it
will be quick.” And, just after that, Peter very quietly said: “Oh my God, oh
my God, oh my God.” Then I heard what sounded like a woman screaming, and
everything was cut off. We turned to the television.</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Eunice</span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">: And we saw the plane burst into
flames and the building explode. And uh, I wanted to reach out, I said: “my
kids are on that plane.” I kept shaking my head. “This isn’t real, this can’t
happen.” To this day, Peter’s friends are in contact with me, and, I get
cards and pictures of their children. I should be happy for them, and I am. But
I think “I don’t have that anymore.” I have nothing of the people I love the
most. It had to be that they stayed together right to the end, died in each
other’s arms.</span></span></div>
</div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CpiHjJSjOs/V7xaJyD2v3I/AAAAAAAAxXk/2d-yIWp9Owcs5TjadYbVelBnTt6F7JpbwCLcB/s1600/tumblr_n0rw4fFm8Q1r46fnpo1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CpiHjJSjOs/V7xaJyD2v3I/AAAAAAAAxXk/2d-yIWp9Owcs5TjadYbVelBnTt6F7JpbwCLcB/s400/tumblr_n0rw4fFm8Q1r46fnpo1_500.png" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://www.gradesaver.com/christina-rossetti-poems/study-guide/summary-remember-1862">Remember </a></i>by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti">Christina Rossetti</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ZsSv75UME">Click HERE to listen to Steve Reich's WTC 9/11</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">> <a href="http://kronosquartet.org/projects/detail/steve_reich_new_work">Article on Reich's piece</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpRwOnZebOQ">Interview</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-39541160896171761002016-04-07T14:53:00.003+02:002016-04-08T06:06:21.639+02:00Remembering the Easter Rising...<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Afficher l'image d'origine" height="249" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03587/Easter_Uprising_ex_3587876b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">A rebel is executed...</span></b></i><br />
<br />
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Easter, 1916 by W. B. Yeats<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">I</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">I have met them at close of day</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Coming with vivid faces</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">From counter or desk among grey</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Eighteenth-century houses.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">I have passed with a nod of the head</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Or polite meaningless words,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Or have lingered awhile and said</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Polite meaningless words,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">And thought before I had done</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Of a mocking tale or a gibe</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">To please a companion</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Around the fire at the club,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Being certain that they and I</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">But lived where motley is worn:</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">All changed, changed utterly:</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">A terrible beauty is born.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">II</span></b><br />
<span style="background: white;">That woman's days were spent</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">In ignorant good will,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Her nights in argument</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Until her voice grew shrill.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">What voice more sweet than hers</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">When young and beautiful,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">She rode to harriers?</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">This man had kept a school</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">And rode our winged horse.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">This other his helper and friend</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Was coming into his force;</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">He might have won fame in the end,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">So sensitive his nature seemed,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">So daring and sweet his thought.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">This other man I had dreamed</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">A drunken, vain-glorious lout.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">He had done most bitter wrong</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">To some who are near my heart,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Yet I number him in the song;</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">He, too, has resigned his part</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">In the casual comedy;</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">He, too, has been changed in his turn,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Transformed utterly:</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">A terrible
beauty is born.</span><br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></b></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="background: white;">III</span></b><br /><span style="background: white;">Hearts with one purpose alone</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Through summer and winter, seem</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Enchanted to a stone</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">To trouble the living stream.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">The horse that comes from the road,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">The rider, the birds that range</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">From cloud to tumbling cloud,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Minute by minute change.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">A shadow of cloud on the stream</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Changes minute by minute;</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">A horse-hoof slides on the brim;</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">And a horse plashes within it</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Where long-legged moor-hens dive</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">And hens to moor-cocks call.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Minute by minute they live:</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">The stone's in the midst of all.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">IV</span></b><br /><span style="background: white;">Too long a sacrifice</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Can make a stone of the heart.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">O when may it suffice?</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">That is heaven's part, our part</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">To murmur name upon name,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">As a mother names her child</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">When sleep at last has come</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">On limbs that had run wild.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">What is it but nightfall?</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">No, no, not night but death.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Was it needless death after all?</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">For England may keep faith</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">For all that is done and said.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">We know their dream; enough</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">To know they dreamed and are dead.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">And what if excess of love</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Bewildered them till they died?</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">I write it out in a verse --</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">MacDonagh and MacBride</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">And Connolly and Pearse</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Now and in time to be,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Wherever green is worn,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Are changed, changed utterly:</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">A terrible beauty is born.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: white;"><b>Links:</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;">For a reading of Easter, 1916: click </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RODe9l9SM0" style="line-height: 23px;">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;">!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;">What is this poem about? Click </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter,_1916" style="line-height: 23px;">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;">!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;">Click <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1923/yeats-bio.html">HERE</a> to know more about Yeats (Nobelprize.org)!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">What was the Easter Rising? Click </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2016/mar/26/easter-rising-ireland-rebellion-video-explainer" style="line-height: 115%;">HERE </a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">for a video explainer from </span><i style="line-height: 115%;">The Guardian</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">For a more detailed history of the Rising, click <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/20/what-was-irelands-easter-rising-in-1916-and-how-did-the-insurrec/">HERE </a>(<i>The Telegraph</i>)!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">100th anniversary celebrations: click </span><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ireland/12205437/Iriish-president-lays-wreath-to-marks-centenary-of-Easter-Rising.html" style="line-height: 115%;">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"> to read an article and watch videos (</span><i style="line-height: 115%;">The Telegraph)</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Can violent rebellion ever be justified? Click <a href="http://theday.co.uk/politics/easter-1916-a-terrible-beauty-is-born">HERE</a> to read an article in THE DAY!</span></li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-59113606950541130512016-02-27T10:54:00.001+01:002016-02-27T10:54:44.947+01:00Why are there so few women at the top?<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Afficher l'image d'origine" height="400" src="http://beckymcmichael.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/iwd.jpg" width="356" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.internationalwomensday.com/">IWD is on 8th March 2016... Click HERE!</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.ted.com/speakers/sheryl_sandberg">Click HERE to watch the TED talk by Sheryl Sandberg!</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-8240368758055326372015-09-12T13:38:00.001+02:002015-09-12T13:38:34.915+02:00We were all migrants once...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LuIiZF4eTA4/VfQOoGfFT2I/AAAAAAAAskQ/mWxL5163KPk/s1600/f41a8570f98033234e38d8be706b27c6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LuIiZF4eTA4/VfQOoGfFT2I/AAAAAAAAskQ/mWxL5163KPk/s400/f41a8570f98033234e38d8be706b27c6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://theday.co.uk/slideshow/2015-09-11/through-the-eyes-of-a-child">Click HERE to watch a slide show called "Through the eyes of a child"!</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-33770100858451905442015-08-30T12:00:00.001+02:002015-09-09T11:17:19.837+02:00Remembering 9/11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M3hqmngn0CQ/VeLOpHTb2VI/AAAAAAAAsic/8YIif-DjY6w/s1600/splash_1816404b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M3hqmngn0CQ/VeLOpHTb2VI/AAAAAAAAsic/8YIif-DjY6w/s400/splash_1816404b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Fourteen years ago, on the 11<sup>th</sup>
September 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed in a terrorist attack in the USA. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Extremists hijacked four passenger jets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">They used
two of them to destroy the T</span>win Towers skyscrapers of the <span lang="EN-GB">World Trade Center, </span>in Manhattan, downtown New York.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">A third
plane crashed into the Pentagon, America's military headquarters in Washington D.C.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">A fourth plane went down in fields near Pittsburgh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As
thousands of workers scrambled to escape the burning buildings, hundreds of rescue
workers rushed to get in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The south
tower collapsed first and then the north tower.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Around 300
firefighters were among those killed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The group
behind the attack was Al Qaeda, </span><span lang="EN-GB">an islamic </span>terrorist organization.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">America,
backed by the UK and other countries, promised to strike back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">They
launched the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present)">Afghan conflict</a> (in October 2001); i</span>n
Afghanistan the ruling Taliban supported the organisation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">They also launched the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War">second Iraq War</a> (in 2003); it has
since been determined that Iraq was not linked to Al Qaeda and m</span>any think the invasion of Iraq made things worse there, not better.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">In May
2011, American troops tracked down and killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Terror
suspects remain locked up without trial in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/28/14-years-detained-guantanamo">Guantanamo</a>, a controversial US detention
centre in Cuba.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The <a href="http://www.newyorkcity.fr/memorial-du-11-septembre-new-york/">9/11 Memorial</a> to the victims was opened in 2011.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">A
replacement skyscraper to the Twin Towers, the Freedom Tower (officially known as </span><a href="http://www.newyorkcity.fr/freedom-tower-one-world-trade-center-new-york/" style="text-align: justify;">One World Trade Center</a><span style="text-align: justify;">) was completed in 2014.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Click <a href="https://player.vimeo.com/video/41369274?autoplay=1">HERE </a>to watch a video commemorating 9/11.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"></span><br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><b>TO DO:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Answer on paper the following question: Is it important, do you think, to commemorate 9/11 (why / why not)?</li>
<li><span style="text-align: justify;">Interview an adult about what he/she remembers about 9/11. I</span><span style="text-align: justify;">f it is in English, </span><span style="text-align: justify;">record the interview </span><span style="text-align: justify;">on your cell phone (we will listen to it in class). If it is in French, translate your interview and </span><span style="text-align: justify;">write it up.</span></li>
<li>Describe and comment the political cartoon below:</li>
</ol>
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<span lang="EN-GB"></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fkyR2xxSKMM/VeLOvqgQRvI/AAAAAAAAsik/1b0DTu9qBEk/s1600/101427613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fkyR2xxSKMM/VeLOvqgQRvI/AAAAAAAAsik/1b0DTu9qBEk/s400/101427613.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-28198168548768308542015-08-01T09:14:00.001+02:002015-09-27T08:18:39.161+02:00United Nations Sustainable Development Goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TpsPpBfnuEE/Vbxx2TYhOaI/AAAAAAAAsbk/RvtwV81g4L0/s1600/goals1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TpsPpBfnuEE/Vbxx2TYhOaI/AAAAAAAAsbk/RvtwV81g4L0/s400/goals1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/ng-interactive/2015/jan/19/sustainable-development-goals-changing-world-17-steps-interactive">Click HERE to read an interactive GUARDIAN article on the SDGs!</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgsproposal.html">Click HERE to study the UN website on SDGs!</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://globalgoals.org/">The Global Goals for sustainable development website: click HERE!</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/sep/25/sustainable-development-summit-2015-quiz-global-goals">Quiz!</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-74337766136705781612015-04-16T18:05:00.001+02:002015-04-16T18:06:18.506+02:00"We live in an interdependent world. It is not someone else’s problem, but everyone’s." (Bill Clinton)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Et0IuIyango/VS_bzVPJS3I/AAAAAAAAhfY/pqA5NOsK-fE/s1600/2013-10-06_chappatte_drowned-in-lampedusa1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Et0IuIyango/VS_bzVPJS3I/AAAAAAAAhfY/pqA5NOsK-fE/s1600/2013-10-06_chappatte_drowned-in-lampedusa1.png" height="288" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cartoon by Chappatte</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://theday.co.uk/international/europe-stands-accused-over-drowned-refugees">Click HERE!</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-52441129735814684382015-03-19T11:52:00.000+01:002015-03-19T11:52:55.754+01:00Be happy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6A4-Omdr_9w/VQqqMSLURoI/AAAAAAAAhSU/2LeGtD6okNA/s1600/cheesy-grin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6A4-Omdr_9w/VQqqMSLURoI/AAAAAAAAhSU/2LeGtD6okNA/s1600/cheesy-grin.jpg" height="320" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.dayofhappiness.net/#online">Click HERE!</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-9826311178797992952015-03-06T11:01:00.002+01:002015-03-07T17:31:24.851+01:00Oslo Peace Ring: answering hatred with love...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dtSqptvaul8/VPnBkHPgqoI/AAAAAAAAg-A/H3OCLmvFBoI/s1600/peace_ring_norway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dtSqptvaul8/VPnBkHPgqoI/AAAAAAAAg-A/H3OCLmvFBoI/s1600/peace_ring_norway.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, stated: “There
are not enough people who are willing to act against hate and terror.” But, on
Saturday 21st February, more than 1,000 Muslims gathered in Oslo (Norway) and
formed a symbolic protective ring around the Norwegian capital’s single
functioning synagogue to show their support to the Jewish community just four
days after the deadly attacks in Copenhagen (Denmark) that killed Danish
filmmaker Finn Nørgaard, who was attending a free speech debate, and Dan Uzan,
a guard at a Copenhagen synagogue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In contrast, only 70 people showed up to demonstrate in Oslo at the
march organized by the Norwegian Pegida (Patriotic Europeans Against the
Islamisation of the West) a day earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Seven young Norwegian Muslims planned the “Fredens Ring” or Peace Ring
in response to the never-ending violence. Zeeshan Abdullah, one of the
organizers, said that "there’s still hope for humanity, for peace and
love, across religious differences and backgrounds.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Muslim community everywhere in the world has been sharing its
feeling of both disappointment and frustration at the hideous crimes and
terrorist attacks that have happened recently in the name of Islam. Another of
the Peace Ring organisers said she felt “a bit of shame that these people say
that they’re Muslims and they go and kill innocent people.” Muslims are also
tired of being verbally abused and blamed for terrorism as well as seeing
mosques being burnt down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In a population of 5 million inhabitants, Norway has about 1,000 Jews
and about 150,000 Muslims. According to a 2014 poll, both Jewish and Muslim
communities are considered to make an important contribution to Norwegian
society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Following the massacre committed by far-right extremist Anders Breivik who
killed 77 people in July 2011, the then Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said:
“Our response is more democracy, more openness, and more humanity…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-20769618431235460592015-02-19T16:30:00.004+01:002015-02-19T17:52:07.932+01:0020 February is World Day of Social Justice <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xfstrBnAcNg/VOX-Y8qhv-I/AAAAAAAAgvg/7rq27f9yANM/s1600/e14196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xfstrBnAcNg/VOX-Y8qhv-I/AAAAAAAAgvg/7rq27f9yANM/s1600/e14196.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">Young person in Mexico living and working in terrible conditions</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://f.vimeocdn.com/p/flash/moogaloop/6.0.36/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741&controller=player2&view=moogaloop_swf&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fresources4rethinking.ca%2Fen%2Fresource%2Fstand-by-me&cdn_url=http%3A%2F%2Ff.vimeocdn.com&player_url=player.vimeo.com&moogaloop_type=moogaloop">> Stand by me...</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/socialjusticeday/">> UN webpage</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/kenneth_shinozuka_my_simple_invention_designed_to_keep_my_grandfather_safe?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=image__2015-02-12#t-323648">> The power of technology to change lives for the better...</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">Examples of social injustice:</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/oct/29/oxfam-report-220-years-richest-man-spend-wealth">The gap between rich and poor</a> within and among nations continues to grow
and promote conflict.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">1.5 million children under the age of 5 die each year from
vaccine-preventable diseases.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Over 50 countries currently recruit children under the age of 18 into their armed forces.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">82 million girls now aged 10 to 17 will be married before their
18th birthday.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">One hundred million more women would be alive today had they had equal
access to nutrition and health care.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Of the 2.3 million refugees forced to flee Syria, 1.1 million are children.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">168 million children are forced to work (85 million in hazardous work).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">21 million people are victims of forced labour.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice">Social justice</a> will be achieved when:</b></span></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">poverty is eradicated;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">there
is full employment;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">there is gender equity;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">age,
race, ethnicity, religion, culture, disability or gender are not a barrier to
<a href="http://www.usip.org/guiding-principles-stabilization-and-reconstruction-the-web-version/10-social-well-being">social well-being</a>;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">there is justice for all.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations cannot be
achieved without social justice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the needs of all the people are not met, is our common future not compromised?</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-77792303035557296662015-01-14T11:38:00.001+01:002015-01-20T08:52:45.748+01:00No laughing matter...It is difficult to be clear-headed and express one's opinion about what happened in Paris last week... This is because so many complex, overlapping and emotive issues are involved, such as (in no particular order):<br />
<ul>
<li>freedom </li>
<li>freedom of expression</li>
<li>press freedom</li>
<li>the role and responsabilities of journalists</li>
<li>political satire</li>
<li>humour</li>
<li>political cartoons and their impact</li>
<li>anarchy and left-wing politics</li>
<li>terrorism</li>
<li>islamism</li>
<li>totalitarian regimes and theocracies</li>
<li>religious/social/ethnic intolerance</li>
<li>the marginalization of Muslim communities in France</li>
<li>secularism and French "laïcité" laws</li>
<li>anti-defamation laws</li>
<li>the rise of the extreme-right</li>
<li>multiculturalism</li>
<li>racism and poverty</li>
<li>social and spatial divide in urban areas</li>
<li>anti-semitism</li>
<li>blasphemy</li>
<li>iconoclasm</li>
<li>protest and solidarity marches</li>
<li>groupthink</li>
<li>etc.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Here are a few links to help you try and understand more clearly the issues involved:<br />
<br />
<b>Wikipedia entries:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Hebdo_shooting">> Charlie Hebdo shooting</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam">> Islam</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamism">> Islamism</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_France#Discrimination">> Islam in France</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depictions_of_Muhammad">> Depictions of Muhammad</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_freedom_indices">> List of freedom indices</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconoclasm">> Iconoclasm</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink">> Groupthink</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toleration">> Toleration</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La%C3%AFcit%C3%A9">> Laïcité (in English)</a><br />
<br />
<b>Opinion:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/01/islam-free-speech-what-so-funny-201511345039925211.html">> Islam and free speech: What's so funny? Aljazeera article</a><br />
<a href="http://www.contrepoints.org/2015/01/11/194126-international-des-voix-discordantes-sur-les-caricatures-de-charlie-hebdo">> International: des voix discordantes sur les caricatures de Charlie Hebdo. Contrepoints</a><br />
<a href="http://www.contrepoints.org/2015/01/11/194083-caricatures-de-charlie-hebdo-peut-on-rire-de-tout">> Caricatures de Charlie Hebdo : Peut-on rire de tout? Contrepoints</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/12/je-ne-suis-pas-charlie-nuance-groupthink">> Je ne suis pas Charlie... The Guardian</a><br />
<a href="http://theday.co.uk/slideshow/2015-01-09/charlie-hebdo-tributes">> Charlie Hebdo tributes. THE DAY</a><br />
<a href="http://theday.co.uk/big-issue/protests-and-demonstrations">> Protests and demonstrations. THE DAY</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2015/jan/16/france-much-vaunted-secularism-not-neutral-space-claims-to-be">> A The Guardian journalist's opinion on French laïcité</a><br />
<a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_REL_FRANCE_ATTACKS_POPE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT">> The Pope's view. AP</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/17/france-disillusioned-young-muslims-director-the-class">> "France must reach out to disillusioned young Muslims...". The Guardian</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2015/jan/16/muslims-uk-media-cartoons-charlie-hebdo-video">> Video from The Guardian: interviews of members of the British Muslim community.</a><br />
<a href="http://theday.co.uk/big-issue/charlie-hebdo-attacks">> What are the issues around the Charlie Hebdo shootings? THE DAY</a><br />
<br />
<b>Other sources:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15469&LangID=E">> Statement by the High Commissioner (UN) for human rights</a><br />
<a href="http://rsf.org/index2014/en-index2014.php">> World Press Freedom Index 2014</a><br />
<br />
Please send as "comment" suggestions for other sources!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-37667636287207161422014-12-17T11:00:00.001+01:002014-12-17T11:05:04.032+01:00International Migrants Day is on 18 December<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D7r3bp0s-D4/VJFPTzFcPKI/AAAAAAAAgKI/ozG5VCbufV4/s1600/Blue-Card-Immigration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D7r3bp0s-D4/VJFPTzFcPKI/AAAAAAAAgKI/ozG5VCbufV4/s1600/Blue-Card-Immigration.jpg" height="320" width="291" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/migrantsday/">> Click HERE to go to the UN website!</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/oct/10/france.artnews">> Article from The Guardian on the opening in 2007 of France's immigration museum</a><br />
<a href="http://www.histoire-immigration.fr/">> Musée de l'histoire de l'immigration</a><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2014/12/15/hollande-immigration-lecon-sarkozy-lepen-zemmour-france-petit_n_6328350.html">> Huffington Post article (in French) on the December 2014 inauguration of the museum</a><br />
<a href="http://theday.co.uk/politics/eu-migrants-bring-billions-to-uk-report-shows">> Article from THE DAY on immigration in the UK</a><br />
<br />
<b>Questions:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Why do people emigrate?</li>
<li>What are the percentages of immigrants in the different EU countries and where do these immigrants come from?</li>
<li>Who opposes immigration in Europe, and what are their arguments?</li>
<li>Do you consider immigrants an asset for your country?</li>
<li>If you were to emigrate, where would you go and what would be your reasons?</li>
</ol>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-57243787797599461142014-12-11T10:02:00.000+01:002015-01-10T14:33:36.527+01:00There are hungry people in wealthy countries too...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lybo05hosvs/VIlbY5YKsXI/AAAAAAAAgG0/9adV4d11w3o/s1600/foodbank-9.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lybo05hosvs/VIlbY5YKsXI/AAAAAAAAgG0/9adV4d11w3o/s1600/foodbank-9.gif" height="321" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://davewalker.cc/category/quick-cartoons/"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cartoon by Dave Walker</span></b></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Text adapted from an a</span>rticle in <a href="http://theday.co.uk/">THE DAY</a>:</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Around 13 million Britons live below the
<a href="http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/uk-poverty-line">poverty line</a>, and the situation is getting worse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A damning new government report shows that
rising food prices and stagnating wages have led to a huge surge in the use of
food banks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over 350,000 people relied on the 420-plus food
banks in Britain in 2012-13; this is almost triple the number for 2011-12.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Food banks receive public and corporate food donations,
which is then distributed to those in need. They have become a lifeline for those
who, with electricity bills and rent to pay, are at risk of going hungry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The report's authors say their “anger knows no
bounds” towards Britain’s supermarkets, which throw away thousands of tonnes of
unsold edible food every day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A charity called <a href="http://www.fareshare.org.uk/"><i>FareShare</i> </a>provides one million meals a month from saved food, but
this is just two percent of all the food that is wasted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The government says it will take action to help
Britain’s beleaguered food banks and to address the supermarkets’ throwaway
culture.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should we feel that concerned though for the
poor in wealthy countries? After all, while the deprivation on our doorsteps
might tug at our heartstrings, our real focus should surely be on the <a href="http://thp.org/knowledge-center/know-your-world-facts-about-hunger-poverty/">842 million people</a> around the world who live in extreme hunger and face a genuine
struggle to survive…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some argue, however, that the world’s hunger
problems are overwhelming, unsolvable, or not our concern. After all, <a href="http://www.inegalites.fr/spip.php?article343">charity should start at home</a>; we can at least help ease the suffering of those around
us, who may well be people we know and, at some point, even ourselves…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Questions/to do:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">What, according to the article, are the causes
of hunger in the UK?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the population of the UK?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">How wealthy is the UK?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Is the percentage of poor people in the UK higher
than in France?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Are there food banks in France?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Would you be a volunteer for a charity like </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">FareShare</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">List some of the charities that try to solve
the problem of hunger in the world.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Prepare a 60-second talk arguing that “charity
starts at home”.</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Questions with answers:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1) What,
according to the article, are the causes of hunger in the UK?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There
is inflation in the UK which means that the cost of things is going up. The
problem is that people’s wages are not increasing and therefore people are
finding it more and more difficult to buy even the basics, such as food, and
pay their bills and the rent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2) What
is the population of the UK?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">About
64 million people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3) How
wealthy is the UK?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According
to official figures, the UK is the fourth richest nation in the world (after
the United States, Canada and Germany). In 2012, GDP (gross domestic product)
per capita was £21,692 (i.e. the total size of the economy divided by the
population).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4) Is
the percentage of poor people in the UK higher than in France?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">Yes,
there are more poor people in the UK than in France. 16,4 % of the population
(80 million people) live below the poverty threshold in the European Union, if
fixing the threshold at 60% of national </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_household_income"><span lang="EN-GB">median income</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">
on the basis of 2010 data. With 13,5%, the poverty rate of France is among the
lowest in Europe. In the UK, it is 17,1%. Romania is the country with the most
poor: 21,1%. The Czech Republic is the country with the least poor: 9%.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>5) Are
there food banks in France?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">There
are 100 « </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.banquealimentaire.org/"><span lang="EN-GB">Banques Alimentaires </span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">» in France. Nearly
one and a half million people use them (200 million meals per year).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>6) Would
you be a volunteer for a charity like <i>FareShare</i>?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes,
definitely. Charities like FareShare depend on all the volunteer help they can
get because the problem of feeding a growing number of poor people is so vast.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Alternative answer: </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">No,
I do not see how I could be of any use, and, quite honestly, I have my own
problems to deal with (like feeding my own family!).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>7) List
some of the charities that try to solve the problem of hunger in the world:</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">FAO:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.wfp.org/"><span lang="EN-GB">WFP</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">:
World Food Programme of the UN</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">FEBA:
Fédération Européenne des Banques Alimentaires (European Federation of Food
Banks)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">AAHM:
Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.oxfam.org/" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-GB">OXFAM INTERNATIONAL</span></a></li>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">ACF
International: </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/about/acf-international"><span lang="EN-GB">Action Against Hunger</span></a></span></li>
</ul>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-1020573008437403332014-11-29T16:40:00.003+01:002014-11-29T16:40:41.398+01:002 December is UN International Day for the Abolition of Slavery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M3P4wydaR58/VHnno7e5FyI/AAAAAAAAgCs/o1PXP2OWEoc/s1600/BSSP-Child-Labour-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M3P4wydaR58/VHnno7e5FyI/AAAAAAAAgCs/o1PXP2OWEoc/s1600/BSSP-Child-Labour-04.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/slaveryabolitionday/">Click HERE!</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/filmedia/play/4809/The-Dark-Side-of-Chocolate">Is it true that children work as slaves in the chocolate industry?</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-67190057163902922242014-11-29T06:47:00.004+01:002015-01-13T17:56:16.512+01:00"The mindless cycle of destruction must end..."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bBcV1zRxGU4/VHlcbSWB39I/AAAAAAAAgCU/ggLPInni-Jg/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bBcV1zRxGU4/VHlcbSWB39I/AAAAAAAAgCU/ggLPInni-Jg/s1600/0.jpg" height="53" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c8qq2cVbeFk/VHldhL8EvXI/AAAAAAAAgCc/X2cbK0t58nU/s1600/SeparationWall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c8qq2cVbeFk/VHldhL8EvXI/AAAAAAAAgCc/X2cbK0t58nU/s1600/SeparationWall.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Separation wall</span></b></div>
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The above photo is of a section of the separation wall in East Jerusalem. The wall winds down the shallow dry valley. There is a road for military patrol vehicles which runs alongside the wall on the Israeli side. The wall is made of cement (the holes at the top of each slab are for the crane hook to hold; the wall was put up quickly but is probably very strong). It is tall enough to stop people climbing over it easily. In the middle distance, there is medium-rise housing which looks recent. There is a road on the left which leads to the settlement (which is quite far from the wall). The houses on the right are low-rise and quite close to the wall. There are no roads only dirt tracks. There seems to be rubbish lying about. Perhaps the people on the Palestinian side are poorer than the people on the Israeli side (the Israelis most probably have many decent roads, public lighting and sewerage facilities). There are a few trees and bushes. The landscape is dry and it is probably a very hot day. The valley is desert-like and there are no people. In the distance there are empty-looking hills. Is this a nice place to live?</div>
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<b>Why is there a wall?</b></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>The region around Jerusalem is disputed territory: the Israeli and Palestinian communities both claim the land is theirs.</li>
<li>The wall was built by the Israelis to keep the Palestinians out of the territory they control (they are afraid of terrorist attacks, that is also why there are few Israeli houses close to the wall).</li>
<li>The wall marks a militarized border (cf. the patrol road; there is probably barbed wire and a watch tower not far away).</li>
<li>The wall "contains" the Palestinians (like in a prison) and makes controlling them easier (the Israelis keep a watch on the Palestinians).</li>
<li>The wall is a way of demarcating Israeli territory (of showing the Palestinians that the land up to the wall is now in Israeli possession).</li>
<li>For the Palestinians, the wall is a constant reminder of their humiliating situation.</li>
<li>For the Israelis, the wall is a way of feeling safer and of asserting their presence in the region.</li>
</ul>
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This documentary photo has no "artistic" pretence, but it was obviously taken to show a very sad situation; it is an illustration of extreme social and spatial disparity: a town is separated by a wall which reinforces the political, territorial, cultural, religious, and wealth divide. The Israelis are militarily strong, claim ownership of disputed land, are mostly Jewish and relatively wealthy. The Palestinians are militarily weak, feel their land is being illegally occupied, are mostly Muslim and relatively poor.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9HlH_WP56Z0/VH3jOGZ03GI/AAAAAAAAgDM/6Bq75tESWBk/s1600/140905-editorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9HlH_WP56Z0/VH3jOGZ03GI/AAAAAAAAgDM/6Bq75tESWBk/s1600/140905-editorial.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRBTvC0kghs">Separation wall in East Jerusalem</a></span></b></div>
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/palestinianday/">> Click HERE for the UN web page!</a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://theday.co.uk/international/renewed-violence-rocks-israel-and-palestine">> Click HERE to read an article from THE DAY on the conflict!</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>To do/questions:</b></div>
<ol>
<li>Read Ban ki-Moon's <a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=2444#.VH3ksvmG-zw">remarks </a>on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.</li>
<li>Research the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/v3_israel_palestinians/maps/html/">Israeli-Palestinian conflict</a>.</li>
<li>Research the Israeli West Bank barrier.</li>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KkWsTZTfHm8/VH3p0OcF3VI/AAAAAAAAgDc/74S4_li86Sk/s1600/gaza6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KkWsTZTfHm8/VH3p0OcF3VI/AAAAAAAAgDc/74S4_li86Sk/s1600/gaza6.jpg" height="255" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Eman Mohammed</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/eman_mohammed_the_courage_to_tell_a_hidden_story?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button__2014-09-24">> Click HERE to watch a TED talk by Eman Mohammed!</a><br />
<br />
<b>Questions on Eman Mohammed's talk:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>What is Eman's job?</li>
<li>Where was her first assignment?</li>
<li>Why do male colleagues not welcome her presence?</li>
<li>To what "worlds" were her male colleagues forbidden?</li>
<li>What flattened Mohammed Khader's house?</li>
<li>Did Eman "run away" (cf. her last sentence)?</li>
<li>What do you think of Eman?</li>
</ol>
<b>To do:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Give a 60-second talk describing and commenting the photo of the kids in their jacuzzi (cf. 3'33'' of the video).<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Answers to the questions:</b></span><br />
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</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">She’s a
photojournalist.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the Gaza Strip
(Palestine) when she was just nineteen.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because local
tradition does not allow women “to do a man’s job” (Eman even received death
threats because of her choice of work).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">To the worlds
where only women are allowed (the domestic sphere).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">An Israeli air
raid.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">No, she “stood
still” (she stayed in Palestine) and courageously took photos of her fellow
citizens, especially of the women whose lives are marginalized.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">She is incredibly
brave, idealistic and talented. She has to cope with the disadvantage in her
society of being a young educated woman who has chosen a job dominated by men.
She risks her life to take photos in a war zone to witness the lives of people
who are suffering (the women doubly so: because of the conflict and because of
their subordinate social position).</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
</div>
<div class="thumb-left" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 10px 25px 0px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-81139583426752611262014-11-25T08:12:00.002+01:002014-11-25T09:57:16.473+01:00EWWR 22-30 November 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9QmP-yhPIP0/VHQqjK7JWOI/AAAAAAAAgAM/gLOOe8MtLTg/s1600/poster_PTDs_2014_EN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9QmP-yhPIP0/VHQqjK7JWOI/AAAAAAAAgAM/gLOOe8MtLTg/s1600/poster_PTDs_2014_EN.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.ewwr.eu/en">> Click HERE!</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.sba63.fr/spip.php?article529">> What LOCAL initiatives against food waste can YOU take part in?</a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tEmeERm1cMc/VHQqnpffEpI/AAAAAAAAgAU/ENG1eK_mLjI/s1600/article-2693000-1FA30DFD00000578-601_634x929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tEmeERm1cMc/VHQqnpffEpI/AAAAAAAAgAU/ENG1eK_mLjI/s1600/article-2693000-1FA30DFD00000578-601_634x929.jpg" height="320" width="218" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>Questions on the video in the Daily Mail article: </b><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-2693000/Forget-ugli-fruit-meet-ugly-fruit-bowl-French-supermarket-introduces-lumpy-misshapen-fruit-vegetables-sold-30-discount-combat-food-waste.html">click HERE!</a></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li>Who is "facing an absurd situation"?</li>
<li>How many tons of fruit and vegetables are wasted every year according to the video?</li>
<li>Who made 2014 "European Year against food waste"?</li>
<li>What is "as good, 30% cheaper"?</li>
<li>How did Intermarché convince consumers to buy the ugly fruit and vegetables?</li>
<li>What problem did the supermarket chain face?</li>
<li>What, according to many journalists, should all supermarkets do?</li>
<li>How many fruit and vegetables do you eat every day?</li>
<li>Does your family eat "ugly" fruit and vegetables?</li>
<li>What do you think of the Intermarché initiative?</li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gVuqc4Xs0SM/VHREXCwiH0I/AAAAAAAAgBc/G4lPAh7Pplo/s1600/Ugli%2BFruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gVuqc4Xs0SM/VHREXCwiH0I/AAAAAAAAgBc/G4lPAh7Pplo/s1600/Ugli%2BFruit.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<b></b><br />
<div>
<b>To do:</b></div>
<ol>
<li>Find out how much food is wasted in the world every year.</li>
<li>Click <a href="http://pn-wordswordswords.blogspot.fr/2014/11/ugly-words.html">HERE</a>!</li>
<li>Click <a href="http://bonappetit-pn.blogspot.fr/2014/11/did-you-know-2014-is-european-year.html">HERE</a>!</li>
<li>Click <a href="http://overgnart.blogspot.fr/">HERE</a>!</li>
</ol>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-64103720586291346052014-11-23T12:21:00.001+01:002014-11-29T05:42:18.661+01:00G20, 2014: what can world leaders do about climate change?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NgPTRibIpQU/VHGzHHPXZnI/AAAAAAAAf-k/FVngVLVdQJs/s1600/AZ2ZgMjz0LFGHCPn4xMDoxOjRlMjvUvk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NgPTRibIpQU/VHGzHHPXZnI/AAAAAAAAf-k/FVngVLVdQJs/s1600/AZ2ZgMjz0LFGHCPn4xMDoxOjRlMjvUvk.jpg" height="218" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Logo of the G20 summit</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;">The 2014 Summit of the G-20 was held in Brisbane, Australia, on November
15-16. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;">“G-20” stands for “Group of Twenty”.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;">The members of the group are the
world’s twenty most powerful economies (19 countries plus the European Union):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Argentina</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Australia</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brazil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Canada</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">China</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">France</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Germany</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">India</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Indonesia</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Italy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Japan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mexico</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Russia</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Saudi
Arabia</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">South Africa</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">South Korea</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Turkey</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">United Kingdom</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">United
States</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">European Union</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This group represents about two-thirds of the world’s population and 85%
of the total value of all the products and services that are produced in the
world.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;">The G-20 was formed in 1999 after a financial crisis so that various
countries could get together and work on the world’s economic issues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;">At the Brisbane Summit, country leaders and representatives of international organizations discussed how to improve our world’s economies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;">Issues
included:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">How can trade be made easier?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">How can tax fraud be avoided?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">How can the financial system be made safer?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">How can employment be increased?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Other important issues were discussed:</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Russia’s aggressive stance on Ukraine.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Climate change.</span></li>
</ul>
<b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Click on the links below for more information on the G20 Summit:</span></b><br />
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</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://theday.co.uk/international/climate-change-and-ukraine-dominate-g20-summit"><span style="font-family: inherit;">> Article from THE DAY on the G20 Summit</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.g20.org/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">> G20 2014</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.g20.org/sites/default/files/g20_resources/library/brisbane_g20_leaders_summit_communique.pdf" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">> G20 Leaders' Communiqué</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Point 19 of the Leaders' Communiqué, Brisbane Summit (15-16 November 2014), reads:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"We support strong and effective action to address <span style="background-color: #cccccc;">climate change</span>.
Consistent with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(<span style="background-color: #cccccc;">UNFCCC</span>) and its agreed outcomes, our actions will support <span style="background-color: #cccccc;">sustainable
development</span>, economic growth, and certainty for business and investment. We
will work together to adopt successfully a protocol, another legal instrument
or an agreed outcome with legal force under the UNFCCC that is applicable to
all parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties (<span style="background-color: #cccccc;">COP21</span>) in Paris in 2015. We
encourage parties that are ready to communicate their intended nationally
determined contributions well in advance of COP21 (by the first quarter of 2015
for those parties ready to do so). We reaffirm our support for mobilising
finance for adaptation and mitigation, such as the <span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Green Climate Fund</span>."</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>PAIR WORK:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Questions </b>(to find answers, use the texts and links above AND sources you find yourself):</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Where and when was the latest G20 Summit held?</li>
<li>What is the G20?</li>
<li>What were the important issues discussed at the Summit according to THE DAY?</li>
<li>What does "sustainable development" mean?</li>
<li>What is the UNFCCC?</li>
<li>What is the COP21?</li>
<li>What is the Green Climate Fund?</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dweMsJw1KBc/VHG9PWwOWQI/AAAAAAAAf-0/XrbhXPZdv30/s1600/img_4244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dweMsJw1KBc/VHG9PWwOWQI/AAAAAAAAf-0/XrbhXPZdv30/s1600/img_4244.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ed.ted.com/featured/blFml5vR"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">> A Vanishing Island Off the Louisiana Coast</span></b></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>To do:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Describe and comment the photo above.</li>
<li><a href="http://sectioneuros.blogspot.fr/">What are the causes of climate change?</a></li>
<li>Situate the Isle de Jean Charles on a map (print out the map for your ring binder).</li>
<li>Watch the video (cf. above link).</li>
<li>Click on "Think" and answer the questions.</li>
<li>Click on "Dig deeper" and read the text.</li>
</ol>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Questions:</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>If you were a resident of the Isle, would you stay or would you leave? </li>
<li>What can be done about the situation on the Isle de Jean Charles?</li>
<li>According to you, who can solve the problems linked to climate change: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassroots">grassroots action</a> groups or the world leaders (prepare a 60-second speech in answer to this question)?</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WlR5FJoNo3w/VHlJ5W7YRRI/AAAAAAAAgB0/D8V8kvQsclE/s1600/beasts-of-the-southern-wild02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WlR5FJoNo3w/VHlJ5W7YRRI/AAAAAAAAgB0/D8V8kvQsclE/s1600/beasts-of-the-southern-wild02.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Still shot from the film "Beasts of the Southern Wild"</span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>To do:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Watch the film "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA6FFnjvvmg">Beasts of the Southern Wild</a>" (you can borrow the DVD from your local library!).</li>
<li>Write a short critique of the film for the blog <a href="http://pn-thebiggerpicture.blogspot.fr/">THE BIGGER PICTURE</a>.</li>
<li>Design a POSTER to encourage your schoolmates to contribute to energy efficiency in school (for information, use sources such as the <a href="http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/school.html">EPA website</a>).</li>
</ol>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794427492863610920.post-83330052756641884042014-11-09T09:52:00.000+01:002014-11-09T09:52:12.899+01:00Is the continent of Europe going to break up?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DFVp0bQPAMY/VF8qqCsY19I/AAAAAAAAf5Y/pmOrt5CWcWQ/s1600/atlas-of-prejudices-crystal-ball-view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DFVp0bQPAMY/VF8qqCsY19I/AAAAAAAAf5Y/pmOrt5CWcWQ/s1600/atlas-of-prejudices-crystal-ball-view.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.movehub.com/blog/atlas-of-prejudice">Map from the Atlas of Prejudice!</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/08/gorbachev-cold-war-threat-berlin-wall-25th-anniversary">> Gorbatchev warns of a new Cold War...</a><br />
<a href="http://www.movehub.com/blog/atlas-of-prejudice">> Blog post on the fall of the Berlin Wall</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/apr/24/continental-euroscepticism-rise">> The remarkable rise of continental Euroscepticism</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0