Current+Events


 * 1: Conflict in Syria

All materials are from Brown University, The Choices Program, The Conflict in Syria [|Choices Program]

** I. Background information on Syria ** To access the video, click on the link below and use the menu button at the top of the page. The video is on the first page: __**"Understanding the complexities of Syria's civil war."**__ It is not the video that appears when you click the link. You need to access it through the menu tab which is in the upper left hand corner. You may need to stop the video as you watch it in order to gather the information to answer the questions below.  Answer the following Questions using the information in the video: When did this conflict start? Why did it start? What do opposition groups want? Why do students think the government has responded with force? What ethnic divisions exist in Syria? What has been the international response to the conflict? [|AP News Site]

[|Obama's Speech about Syria](video) [|Obama's Speech - Transcript]

You may also find the following links helpful for understanding and clarifying your thinking about the conflict. Associated Press: US Considers Syria Strike BBC: Syria Conflict PBS NewsHour: Your Cheat Sheet to the Syrian Conflict Al Jazeera: Connecting Syria's Allies and Enemies Al Jazeera America: Syria’s War Statement by President Obama on Syria (video and transcript) Jadaliyya: Syria

Research Topics/Groups 1. domestic actors in Syria 2. Syria’s neighbors 3. International Community - not neighbors 4. International Community - not neighbors  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Use the links below to research the topic you have been assigned. Fill out the accompanying worksheet for your topic. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> Associated Press: Syrian Uprising–From Arab Spring to Civil War This site provides a wide variety of background material including statistics, information about Syria’s ethnic groups, international positions on the conflict, and a timeline. To scroll through the site, use the arrow buttons at the top of the page. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> Council on Foreign Relations: Syria’s Crisis and the Global Response <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;">This Q&A article offers information on the Syrian opposition movement and the positions of the Arab League, UN, United States, China, and Russia. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> The UN Refugee Agency: Syria Regional Refugee Response This site provides graphs on the numbers of Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> Al Jazeera: The Syrian Squeeze This site features a graphic on the economic sanctions on Syria and statements by permanent UN Security Council members. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> Al Jazeera: Syrian Conflict Affects Traders in Jordan This short video describes some economic effects of Syria’s crisis. Related sources are linked in the right-hand column. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> PBS Frontline: Syria Undercover This website for the November 2011 Frontline program Syria Undercover has the video of the program as well as links to numerous articles about the conflict. “Q&A: A Closer Look at Syria’s Fragmented Opposition” and “How the World Stacks Up on Syria” are particularly useful for this activity. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> PBS: Violence in Syria Aggravates Sectarian Tensions in Lebanon This short video highlights the spillover violence in Lebanon due to the conflict in Syria. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> //The New York Times//: Syria This site provides a detailed overview of the conflict, with links to New York Times articles, video, and other multimedia. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;">
 * II. Researching the conflict **

** III. Discussing the conflict and response options ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; text-align: left;">