This week e are going to begin discussing the roles and perceptions of women in the Middle East.  Read the following two articles and post your comments here.  Do you agree with any aspect of the two articles?  Is there something that is missing or not discussed that you think is important to know about how women live in the Middle East (particularly in Egypt)? 

What Factors Determine the Changing Roles of Women in the Middle East and Islamic Societies?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/questions/women/#quran
Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this article and watch the Related Video on Veiling and Feminism!

Why Do They Hate Us?
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/23/why_do_they_hate_us?print=yes&hidecomments=yes&page=full

 
Read the article linked below on the new assertiveness of the Muslim Brotherhood.  What do you think is going to happen with the Muslim Brotherhood in the next few months?  Do you think they will run a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections?  What do you think about the fact that they keep changing their minds about how much involvement they will have in Egyptian politics?  Do you think this article is biased in any way?  Find another source that discusses the Muslim Brotherhood in recent months that is not published in a US based publication and compare the coverage of this issue.  Please create a link to the non-US source that you choose to compare.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/muslim-brotherhood-asserts-its-strength-in-egypt-with-challenges-to-military/2012/03/21/gIQAJ9pmaS_story.html
 
After seeing the video, what do you think of the campaign to "make Kony famous"?   Things that you might want to discuss or comment upon:  What does the filmmaker use to get attention?  How well does he explain the situation in Uganda?  Is this an effective method of getting public and government action?  What if this cause were not one that most people would support?  In what way do you think the video could be changed or improved?  What do you think the short term and long term impacts of this campaign will be?
 
Read any article in the newspaper Midan Masr and voice your opion
 
Read the article below.  What did you expect Egypt would be like one year after the Revolution?  Given what you have learned from our presentations, what do you think each of the Presidents of Egypt have done to create the situation that Egypt is currently in and what do you think the Muslim Brotherhood will contribute (if anything) in terms of changes and solutions?


 
Read the article below and write a thoughtful response to it.   You might address whether you agree or disagree with the government's decision or whether there is a need to keep the support of NGOs and foreign money in Egypt at this time.  There is no right or wrong answer, but be sure to take a stand one way and justify your answer.  Response is due by the beginning of class on Monday, February 13.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-egypt-ngo-crackdown-and-draft-law-have-chilling-effect/2012/02/11/gIQANO9b6Q_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop


 
Post a description of the topic you will be researching for your opinion/editorial article on a global environmental issue.  You should try to avoid doing the same topic as another student, if possible
 


Click on the titles below and read the following articles (aslo handed out today in class).  After reading these articles, and factoring in what you saw in the movies Home and An Inconvenient Truth,  write a comment that assesses the pros and cons of the global climate change debate.  What arguments do the skeptics (those who deny global climate change or who don't believe that humans are responsible for it) make in challenging the science of global warming?  What do you think?  Is this nature running its natural course or is there an environmental impact from human activity.  How serious is this issue and what can be done about it?

Officials from various countries discuss upcoming U.N. climate talks

A bad month for climate-change skeptics

The global warming guessing game




 
You will be working on a project to analyze the development issues facing the worlds least developed countries (LDCs).  You may choose from any of the LDC's found on the United Nation's Human Development Index.  Once someone has chosen, you cannot repeat the country.  Check all blog entries before posting your choice!


 
The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were created by the United Nations in 2000 to work towards the eradication of poverty by the year 2015.  We are only a few years away from this target date but have not fully achieved these ambitious goals.  I would like you to weigh in on these goals.  Of the 8 MDGs, which three do you think are the most important ones to achieve in order to end poverty and why do you think that?  Which ones do you believe can actually be achieved and which ones do you think are going to prove more difficult?  What, if anything, do you think your country (whatever one you feel most affinity towards) could or should be doing to help achieve the goals?  What, if anything, do you think you could do personally to end poverty by 2015?