History Day- Extra credit

Fabulous blog posts last week! For the next 2 weeks we will be taking a break from the Current Events blog because you should be focuing on your History Day research.



However, if you are not happy with your current events grade you may do the following three tasks for 5 points of extra credit towards your 10% Current Events Blog grade for quarter 1:

1. Search news sources for articles about modern day slavery.
2. Post the link to the article as a comment to this blog post.
3. Write a blog response for the article you found. Remember that blog responses includes a 3 sentence summary, 2-3 sentences of reflection, 2 questions and a prediction.

Modern Day slavery

Wonderful posts last week.  You had great reflection and almost everyone answered the questions from the blog.  As you complete this week's blog, don't forget to begin your article summary with a main idea sentence.  After your summary remember to write 2-3 sentence of reflection, 2 questions and a prediction.  When you write your predictions please say WHY YOU THINK YOUR PREDICTION WILL HAPPEN.  I look forward to this week's blog posts!  -Ms. Lalor

In 1926, the Slavery Convention defined slavery as

"...the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised…."

According to the Human Rights Education Association (http://www.hrea.org/index.php?doc_id=430 ) "to be a slave is to be controlled by another person or persons so that your will does not determine your life's course, and rewards for your work and sacrifices are not yours to claim. According to Kevin Bales, one of the world's leading experts on contemporary slavery, "people are enslaved by violence and held against their wills for purposes of exploitation." While people today most likely believe that slavery is a thing of the past, the practice is still thriving wherever poverty, social conditions, and gullability can be exploited. Bale estimates that there are 27 million slaves in the world today. (Kevin Bales, Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy, University of California Press, 1999)"

For this week's blog post:
Read the CNN article about slave-like conditions on Brazilian farms. Then, in your reflection answer the questions below.

"Brazilian officials rescue workers in slave-like conditions."
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/09/11/brazil.slavery/index.html#fbid=itC0Z2B25gy&wom=false


Questions for Reflection:
1. Do the conditions of the farm fit the definition of slavery given by the slavery convention or Human Rights Education Association?
2. How common do you think these "slave-like" conditions on other farms in other countries?
3.  What do you think is the cause of "slave-like conditions" and other forms of modern day slavery?

Middle East Peace Talks- search for an optimist

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Clinton met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.  Their goal was to restart discussions about peace between their countries, facilitated by the U.S..  These negotiations between Israel and Palestine were the first since talks ended 20 months ago.  U.S. President Obama has told each side that their goal is a permanent settlement that ends the Israeli occupation of Palestine territory captured in 1967, and an independent, democratic Palestinian state existing peacefully next to Israel.

Many critics of these talks say that talks have happened before, with no peaceful results.  At the beginning of the talks on Friday, September 3rd, Clinton acknowledged these critics' pessimism, but said that "The core issues at the center of these negotiations - territory, security, Jerusalem, refugees, settlements and others - will get no easier if we wait, nor will they resolve themselves."

For this weeks blog, read the BBC article "The Search for a Middle East Optimist" by Wyre Davies.  An optimist is someone who always looks for the good side of every situation.

Article:  "The Search for a Middle East Optimist."

After writing your summary, reflection, questions and prediction:

1. Explain why Elie Wiesel is optimistic about the Peace Talks. 
2. Do you agree with Wiesel's optimism?  Why or why not?


BACKGROUND OF THE CONFLICT:

The division of the former British mandate of Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel in the years after the end of World War II have been at the heart of Middle Eastern conflicts for the past half century.

The creation of Israel was the culmination of the Zionist movement, whose aim was a homeland for Jews scattered all over the world following the Diaspora. After the Nazi Holocaust, pressure grew for the international recognition of a Jewish state, and in 1948 Israel came into being.

For more information on the Conflict read:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/803257.stm