Syria: Resources
Posted: February 24, 2012 Filed under: Arab Spring, Resources, Syria Leave a comment »The Syrian Arab Republic, which gained independence from France in 1946, has recently been swept up by the escalation of the Arab Uprising in the Middle East. Violent clashes between the Syrian government and rebel forces have increased dramatically in the first two months of 2012. According to the CIA World Factbook, as of January 2012, at least 5,400 people have been killed since the beginning of the conflict. A quick Google search of the Syrian uprising provides a multitude of resources. We’ve compiled a fraction of them for you here, and will continue to update the list as additional resources become available. Aljazeera English, a news channel which won the George Polk Award in Journalism in February 2012, conducts a weekly overview of the Syrian situation which is very informative. If you have any additional resources or suggestions, feel free to share in the comments.
Country Facts (CIA World Factbook)
Capital: Damascus
Language: Arabic
Independence: from France (1946); from United Arab Republic (1961)
President: Bashar al-Assad (won Second Term in 2007)
Prime Minister: Adel Safar
Legislature: People’s Council (unicameral)
Population (2011): 22.5 million (estimate)
GDP (2011): $107.6 billion (estimate)
Currency: Syrian Pound
Area: 185,180 sq. km (slightly larger than North Dakota)
Ethnic Makeup: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Religion: Sunni Muslim 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%, Christian; 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Links to resources on Syria, including videos, articles, multimedia, and books can be found after the jump.
Running for Global Ed
Posted: February 16, 2012 Filed under: Pittsburgh Leave a comment »
On any given Saturday morning you can count on seeing members of the World Affairs Council braving the cold Pittsburgh winter and running 8+ miles, past PNC Park, across the 31st St. Bridge, up the Penn Avenue hill towards the Children’s Hospital of UPMC, or through the Strip District’s wafting aromas from the various restaurants and cafés opening up downtown.
Just a couple of fitness freaks? While many members of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh do like to keep in shape, these runners have a specific goal they are working toward. They are getting ready to run the Pittsburgh Marathon and Half Marathon on May 6th as part of the WorldRunners Team, the group of people who have committed themselves to raising money and awareness for the Council’s global education programs.
“I’m supporting the Council because I think that students in the U.S. now, more than ever, need to be educated on world events so that they will be prepared tocompete in the global marketplace when they graduate and go out to look for jobs,” says Ryan Hoffman, a student in the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, and a member of the WorldRunners Team.
This is the first year that the World Affairs Council has been an official charity for Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon’s Run for a Reason Charity Program, along with about 40 others in the Pittsburgh area. The Team is really excited to use the Marathon as a way to help bring the Council’s various award-winning education programs, including the Student Ambassador Program, International Student Summits, and the Global Travel Scholarship Program, to underserved schools throughout the Pittsburgh region. Go Team!
If you’d like to join or support the team, you can go to their FirstGiving page to get involved.
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Academic WorldQuest 2012
Posted: February 6, 2012 Filed under: Academic WorldQuest Leave a comment »Which country has the world’s only non-quadrilateral flag?
What specific event is credited for igniting the Arab Spring?
What is the official language of Suriname?
Last Friday, nearly 200 local high school students tackled questions like these — and many more — as they competed to see which school knows the most about the world. The tenth annual Academic WorldQuest competition tested participants with questions on world cultures, geography, flags, global business and economics, recent world history, people in the news, and international affairs.
Moderators Jon Delano and Sally Wiggin pose with Council President Steve Sokol (right) at the event
Sally Wiggin (WTAE-TV) and Jon Delano (KDKA-TV) moderated the competition, which was incredibly close. The scores were so close, in fact, that the judges needed to implement a Sudden Victory round to break the tie between first and second place.
The first place finishers were Pittsburgh Allderdice High School, followed by Shady Side Academy in second, and Upper St. Clair High School in third.
First Place: Pittsburgh Allderdice High School
Second Place: Shady Side Academy
Third Place: Upper St. Clair High School
As the winning team, Pittsburgh Allderdice will be sponsored to participate in the National Academic WorldQuest competition in Washington, D.C. on April 21, 2012. The competition will include high school teams representing world affairs councils from over 50 cities throughout the country. Participants will enjoy a weekend of exciting activities and a discussion with a prominent speaker.
The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, in cooperation with the International Business Center of the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, presented the event, which was held at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum. UPMC, UPMC Health Plan, and the Global Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh were generous sponsors of the event.
Congratulations to all of the students and teachers who participated!
Academic WorldQuest 2012
2012 – Year of the Dragon
Posted: January 24, 2012 Filed under: Asia, China, Holidays Leave a comment »
Happy Lunar New Year!
Often called the “Chinese New Year,” Lunar New Year celebrations took place yesterday across many countries in East and Southeast Asia. 2012 represents the year of the dragon, a zodiac sign that is considered to be one of the most powerful and is associated with “high energy and prosperity.”
To learn more about this year’s Lunar New Year celebrations (both in the U.S. and abroad), please check out the articles, videos, and photos listed below.
Year of the Dragon Brings Promise of Change (CBC News | Canada) An in-depth look at Lunar New Year and the beliefs surrounding the dragon zodiac sign, including several pictures from celebrations around the world.
Happy Chinese New Year: Millions Welcome Year of the Dragon (Mail Online) – Fantastic imagery from celebrations around Asia
Video – NYC Celebrates Chinese Lunar New Year (Washington Post) – A short video of celebrations that took place in New York City
Bill Would Create School Holiday for Lunar New Year (New York Times) – A short article about efforts to create a holiday for the New York City public schools in honor of “the Asian community’s most important and greatest holiday.”
Throwing a Chinese New Year Party in Pittsburgh (CBS Pittsburgh) – This article identifies ways to create your own Lunar New Year celebration, including some great local restaurants and grocery stores available here in Pittsburgh.
Great International Resources for Students & Teachers
Posted: January 13, 2012 Filed under: Africa, Asia, Current Events, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Resources, Student, Teachers 1 Comment »We at the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh are always looking for ways to help out our students and teachers learn more about the world. In that vein, we have put together a list of some of our favorite online educational resources. These links include a wide range of information, including facts, photos, videos, podcasts, books, discussion boards, and lesson plans.
We have identified some general international resources at the top of the list. After the break, you’ll find information and resources relating to Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
General
CIA World Factbook An excellent compilation of country facts (i.e. population, geography, etc.).
CNN for Teachers and Students Spotlights the day’s current events and offers printable quizzes, discussion questions, and maps.
National Geographic Kids A variety of resources are present on this website, including an online atlas with road, satellite, physical, and theme maps (population density, weather, and natural resources) as well as country profiles and pictures from around the world.
New York Times for Teachers and Students This blog highlights the day’s events, but also offers everything from lesson plans for teachers and comment boxes for students.
Outreach World This website offers a wealth of information for teaching students about the world. Under ‘Download Instructional Materials,’ it is possible to search for lesson plans by region of the world and age group.
PBS for Teachers Exclusively for teachers, this site acts as a network for lesson planning, programming, and resource guides.
PBS News Hour for Teachers and Students Offers lesson plans for teachers, but is also a great resource for students looking to comment on and follow world events.
Peace Corps World-Wise Schools Also provides lesson plans and resources created by Peace Corps volunteers around the world.
Time for Kids Interactive and informative, and is applicable to teachers and students. The site has sections with age-specific material.
Region-specific resources can be found after the jump.
