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. 

Videos

 Ambassador Rice: Assad’s Days are Numbered (CNN) – Feb. 7, 2012: In this 3 min video, Wolf Blitzer interviews Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice about the situation in Syria and the U.S. and U.N. role.

China’s View on U.N. Vote and Syria (CNN) – Feb. 7, 2012: China and Russia blocked a U.N. Security Council resolution that would force President Bashar al-Assad to step down and have the Syrian government reform.

 Death Toll and Violence (PBS): A video documenting the rising death toll in Syria and the different factors contributing to it.

Free Syrian Army and the Captured Iranian “Snipers” (Aljazeera) – Jan. 27, 2012: A video documenting the capture of the alleged Iranian snipers by the Free Syrian Army. Iran claims that these “snipers” are really Iranian engineers who went missing in December 2011.

Syrian Council and the Free Syrian Army (Aljazeera) – Jan. 28, 2012: A video reporting on the strong holds of the Free Syrian Army and the escalation in violence between opposition forces and the state security forces.

Red Cross Calls for Aid Ceasefire in Homs (Aljazeera) – Feb. 20, 2012: As the fighting continues in the city of Homs, the Red Cross is asking for an Aid Ceasefire.

Inside Syria: Syrian Conflict (Aljazeera) – Feb. 14, 2012: A 25 min video discussion on the Syrian conflict with different opinions on the current situation and how to move forward.

Inside Syria: Syria Descending into Civil War? (Aljazeera) – Jan. 29, 2012: A 25 min video discussion on the Syrian conflict with different opinions on how to deal with the threat of Civil War. Includes talk of Russian involvement and the UN Security Council vote.

Video Appears to Show Protest Interrupted by Gunfire in Syrian Capital (NYTimes) – Feb. 18, 2012: Various videos showing protesters in Damascus and clashes with security forces.

Syria Steps up Homs Bombardment (BBC) – Feb. 21, 2012: A video and article about the continuing bombardment of the city of Homs.

The World Tonight – Syria Special (BBC) – Feb. 21, 2012: An hour-long special on the Syrian Conflict.

Photo Slideshows

Fighting Intensifies in Syria (NYTimes)

In Rankous, Barely Holding On (NYTimes)

Violence Continues in Syria (NYTimes)

Anthony Shadid, Times Correspondent, Dies in Syria (NYTimes)

Articles and Timelines

Syria (NYTimes) – updated Feb. 20, 2012: Overview of Syria and the conflict as well as relevant articles.

Bombardment of Syria’s Homs kills 21 (Reuters) – Feb. 21, 2012: An article detailing the continuing fight in the city of Homs.

Brief Timeline of Syrian History (BBC): Text based timeline of Syrian History.

Brief Timeline of the Conflict (Guardin UK) – Feb. 16, 2012: A multimedia look at the conflict from March 2011-Feb. 2012.

Iranian Warships Leave Syria (NYTimes) – Feb. 20/21, 2012: Iranian-U.S. relations and the Iranian threat of war if there is foreign intervention in Syria.

Russian-Syrian Relationship (NYTimes) – Feb. 18, 2012: Russian-Syrian relations and Russia’s hesitance to intervene in Syria.

Syria and the Arab League (Economist) – Nov. 14, 2011: An article on the Arab League’s decision to suspend the membership of Syria in the League until Syria implements reforms.

Syria, Iran, and the Middle East (Council on Foreign Relations) – July, 2006: An overview of the Syrian-Iranian relationship.

The Struggle for Syria in 2011 (Institute for the Study of War) – Dec. 2011: An in depth look at the conflict in Syria during 2011.

Why Syria is not Libya (CNN) – Feb. 8, 2012: Many wonder why Western Powers, including NATO, are not intervening in Syria the way that they did in Libya. This article details the many differences between the two countries.

Books

Inheriting Syria: Bashar’s Trial by Fire (by Flynt Leverett): A detailed book on President Basahr al-Assad and U.S. Foreign Policy.

Syria and Iran: Diplomatic Alliance and Power Politics in the Middle East (by Jubin M. Goodarzi): A historical review of the Iranian-Syrian relationship.

The Truth about Syria… (by Barry Rubin): A detailed history of the politics of Syria from before independence to now and the international issues facing Syria.

Resources compiled by Daniel Johnston, World Affairs Council intern
Updated Friday, February 24, 2012 

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 6^th 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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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

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.

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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.

Africa

Smithsonian Natural History Web: African Voices The Smithsonian Natural History Museum provides a comprehensive webpage that provides information to users. Tabs include History of Africa (broken into time periods), Themes (including wealth in Africa, working in Africa, living in Africa, etc.), and a Learning Center.

PBS: Explore Africa PBS has created an interactive website where teachers and students alike can go and access information on Africa depending on region. Each region then has links for a general overview, people, eco-life, slideshows, and related clips from PBS shows.

Asia

Asia 1-2-3! Provided by the University of Pittsburgh’s Asian Studies Center, this publication provides many activities for children and provides cultural context and background on the activities as well.

 Asia for Educators Provides resources and classroom materials on Asia, primarily China, Japan, and Korea. Materials are searchable by subject area, file type, and time period.

Asia Society The Asia Society’s Education page provides students and teachers with resources on more than thirty Asian countries. The materials range from early civilizations to current events, including topics such as art, education, policy, business, countries, and lifestyle.

Association for Asian Studies The Association for Asian Studies is a scholarly, non-political, non-profit professional association open to all people interested in Asia. The AAS website provides information on publications, links, and resources pertaining to Asia.

Southern Center- The World in Transition The eight-part World in Transition series from the Southern Center includes resources on South and East Asia. Information includes background essays, an accompanying videotape, and extensive lesson plans. These materials can be borrowed from the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh free of charge.

East-West Center The East-West Center is an education and research organization established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States.

Europe

Europe in Twelve Lessons These lessons are accessible online, or a paper version of this resource can be ordered from the EU Delegation to the United States in Washington, D.C. This resource can be adapted to virtually any education level.

The European Union: A Guide for Americans A paper version of this resource can be ordered from the EU Delegation to the United States in Washington, D.C. A link is provided for the 2011 online edition.

European Union Center of Excellence (EUCE) Resources The EUCE at UNC-Chapel Hill provides educational content, including lesson plans. This includes a comprehensive guide to EU related resources for a K-12 environment. Where applicable, this website lists which educational goals are accomplished through a particular lesson.

“Let’s Explore Europe!” This is a comprehensive introduction to Europe and the European Union for 9-12 year olds. Students can explore a wide range of topics such as the environment, history, languages, geography, and the European Union. Available materials include photos, games and online quizzes.

Latin America

Center for Latin American Studies, University of Pittsburgh As a National Resource Center on Latin America, CLAS’ Outreach Program plays a pivotal role in sharing information and expertise on Latin America to educators at the college/university level and K-12 levels as part of its Educational Public Service (Outreach) mission. It provides school visits as well as access to its resource library.

Latin American Network Information Center This resource, provided by the University of Texas, has sorted resources by both subject and region. They also provide links to various databases and full-text collections.

Latin American Studies and Educational Resources LASER is a web site for middle and high school teachers and students who are learning about Latin America in social sciences and humanities classes. This site offers information on Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as sample lesson plans, materials, and resources for teaching about the region.

Library of Congress Resources for Teachers: Latin America This website has a variety of websites and topics that are listed alphabetically with everything from interactive tours of the Amazon to art exhibits to organizations tackling health problems in these areas.

Smithsonian Education: Hispanic Heritage Teaching Resources Educational information, activities and resources on Hispanic heritage for educators, families, and students. Educational materials emphasize inquiry based learning.

Middle East

Institute on Religious and Civic Values (formerly the Council for Islamic Education) Provides resources on Islam and Muslims, including background information, lesson plans, glossaries, and guides to teaching about religion.

In Perfect Harmony: Cultures, Dialogue, and the Heart Created by the University of Arizona Center for Middle Eastern Studies, this website provides resources and curriculum companions for middle and high school classes learning about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

PBS Teachers: Middle East Social Studies Resources This website provides lesson plans, projects, videos, and interactive projects on the Middle East designed for students in grades 6-8

Harvard University: Center for Middle Eastern Studies The Outreach Center aims to promote a critical understanding of the diversity of the Middle East region for educators and the general public through professional development programs, online resources and public events. This includes: prepared curriculum resources such as Celebrating Ramadan and Celebrating Nowruz, online webinar based learning, and a resource-rich blog.

We’ll continue to update this list as we find additional resources that may be of use to you. If there are any websites that you particularly like for lesson plans (or photos, video or audio, multimedia, etc), please share in the comments!

Happy New Year, everyone! 2012 is off to a snowy start here in Pittsburgh, and this seems like a perfect time to review what has happened over the past 360-some odd days.

As always, the global stage was full of tumult and change: 2011 saw the deaths of influential world figures (Warren Christopher, Muammar Gaddafi, Vaclav Havel, Steve Jobs, Kim Jong-Il, and Osama bin Laden, for example); uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa; the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq; devastating natural disasters (earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand, typhoon in the Philippines, floods in south-east Asia, and famine in the Horn of Africa); and economic crisis in Europe.

We’ve scoured the web to find some of the best of the “2011 in Review” resources, and compiled them below. Are there any we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments.

2011 Year in Review (Reuters): Photos and descriptions of the most important news stories of the year, including a dramatic 60-second multimedia video presentation of the key stories, and some of the top images from 2011.

Best Articles of 2011 (Foreign Policy Magazine): Although not necessarily highlighting the most important news stories of the year, here are the most-read articles from foreignpolicy.com in 2011.

Best International Relations Books of 2011 (Foreign Affairs): In every issue of Foreign Affairs, scholars review recent academic and nonfiction books.  At the end of 2011, the reviewers were asked to select the best ones.  Here you will find the best books in a number of categories, including: Western Europe; the Middle East; the Western Hemisphere; Eastern Europe; Economic, Social, and Environmental Subjects; Asia; Africa; the United States; Military, Scientific, and Technological Subjects; and Political and Legal Subjects.

Personal Favorites from 2011 (A Realist in an Ideological Age): Stephen M. Walt is a professor of international affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and writes a blog, A Realist in an Ideological Age, for Foreign Policy.  In this post, he shares his favorite blog posts from the past year, all of which are worth a read.

Shots Seen ‘Round the World (Foreign Policy Magazine): Fifty of the best/most important photographs from 2011, as selected by Foreign Policy.

Top 5 Foreign Policy Books in 2011 (Foreign Policy Association): The FPA asked its staff, editors, writers and bloggers to select the best books about foreign policy. Here is what they came up with.

Top 5 International Documentaries of 2011 (Foreign Policy Association): The FPA asked its staff, editors, writers and bloggers to select the best international documentaries on issues related to U.S. foreign policy. Here is what they came up with.

Twitter’s 2011 Year in Review (Twitter): It is no secret that social media is playing an increasing role in current events. Here is a look at some of the key stories, hot topics, and important moments of 2011 — as seen on Twitter.

Your Top 10 Stories of 2011 (The Guardian): Links to the top ten news stories of the year, as selected by readers.

The Year in Foreign Policy (Foreign Policy Association): The FPA looks at several key foreign policy events that promise to shape the coming year, including the 2012 election.

Year in Review (Foreign Policy Blogs Network): The FPA’s blog network has a number of great, topic-specific “Year in Review” posts, all of which can be found here. Read about 2011 in Russia or Israel, or the year in Global Food Security or War Crimes (to name just a few).

As we approach the holiday season, we think it is finally time to answer that age-old question: What’s the deal with Christmas Island?

Well, dear readers…we have some shocking news for you. It turns out that there are actually two Christmas Islands! (Who knew?)

Here’s some more information about the two Christmas Islands:

1. Christmas Island (Territory of Australia)

So named because of its discovery on Christmas Day in 1643, Christmas Island became a territory of Australia in 1958 after spending a number of years under British sovereignty. The island is primarily rainforest, and 63% of the Island has been designated a national park. The population of the island is small — around 1,400 people. The primary ethnic groups represented are Chinese (70%), European (20%), and Malay (10%). While the official language of the island is English, Chinese and Malay are also spoken.

Flag of Christmas Island

Location of Christmas Island

2. Kiritimati AKA Christmas Island (Part of the Line Islands, a district of Kiribati)

Kiribati is a country comprised of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, including three island groups: the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands. The Line Islands, where Kiritimati (Christmas Island) is located, can be found in the central Pacific Ocean, south of Hawaii.  Kiritimati (where the ‘ti’ combinations are pronounced as ‘s’) is the world’s largest coral atoll, and has a population of approximately 5,100. The island was discovered on Christmas Eve in 1777 by explorer James Cook, thus the reason for the island’s festive name.

A fun fact about the country of Kiribati: it is the only country in the world to fall into all four hemispheres (northern, southern, eastern, and western).

Flag of Kiribati

Location of Kiribati

So there you have it. Some information about Christmas Island (and the other Christmas Island, too). If you’d like some additional information on either of the islands, check out some of the links below. And happy holidays from everyone here at the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh!

Australian Government: Christmas Island National Parks

CIA World FactBook: Christmas Island

CIA World FactBook: Kiribati

Lonely Planet: Christmas Island (Kiritimati)

Wikipedia: Christmas Island*

Wikipedia: Kiritimati*

*Please consider this a disclaimer that the opinions expressed on the above
resources are not those of the World Affairs Council and that you should
always verify your sources, especially when visiting sites like Wikipedia.

Today, most of us in the United States are preparing for Thanksgiving — a day filled with food, family, friends, and football. And we can’t forget the turkey! It’s not Thanksgiving without a turkey (and stuffing, and mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie).  Thanksgiving is a distinctly American tradition — celebrating the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving feast with the Native Americans.  The American President even gets in on the action, and pardons a turkey (or two).

But there are celebrations of thanks that take place around the world, all year long. Here, we’d like to highlight a few other Thanksgiving holidays from other parts of the globe.

Canada (Thanksgiving Day, Jour de l’Action de grâce)

Held on the second Monday in October, Canadian Thanksgiving is a holiday for giving thanks at the end of harvest season.  Thanksgiving Day in Canada is celebrated very similarly to its American counterpart, with food (including turkey), football (the CFL hosts a “Thanksgiving Day Classic” double-header), and parades.

China (Mid-Autumn Festival, 中秋節)

The Mid-Autumn Festival (which is also known as the Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival, August Moon Festival, and Zhongqiu Festival) takes place on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month (typically around September/October), and is a celebration of the fall harvest.  Festival traditions include: eating mooncakes; lighting lanterns to be carried, hung, or floated; worshiping deities and lighting incense; and fire-dragon dances.  The Mid-Autumn Festival was named a Chinese Public Holiday in 2008.

Ghana (Yam Festival, Homowo)

The Yam Festival (also called Homowo, or the “To Hoot at Hunger” Festival) is typically held in rural communities in early August at the end of the rainy season. Yams are a common food in Africa, and are one of the first foods to be harvested in the season. During the yam festival, women dig up the yams and carry them home, where a feast is prepared. Yams are, naturally, the central food of the festival. In addition to the feast, traditional activities include singing and mask-wearing.

India (Thai Pongal, தைப்பொங்கல்)

Pongal, the harvest festival celebrated by Tamils in South India and Sri Lanka, takes place on January 14th of every year. It is the only Hindu celebration that follows the solar calendar.  Traditionally, rice is boiled in new clay pots with fresh milk and jaggery; it is considered good luck to watch the milk boil over. Celebrations also include visiting temples to pray and provide offerings to the gods, as well as visiting with family and friends. Pongal is just one day of a 4-day celebration.

Japan (Labor Thanksgiving Day, 勤労感謝の日)

Celebrated on November 23, Labor Thanksgiving Day is a day for Japanese citizens to express gratitude to one another for the work done throughout the year, and for the fruits of those labors. This holiday was traditionally called Niinamesai (Harvest Festival), and celebrated the harvest and year’s hard work. The change was made following World War II, to reflect the changes to the Japanese constitution that included fundamental human rights and the expansion of workers’ rights. Today, Niinamesai is celebrated as a private function of the Imperial Family, while Labor Thanksgiving Day is the public national holiday.

Korea (Chuseok, 추석)

The Korean holiday of Chuseok is a three-day celebration that begins on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar (typically around September/October).  As with many thanksgiving festivals, the Korean holiday celebrates the end of the fall harvest season. During the holiday, Koreans typically gather with family to share food and give thanks to their ancestors for an abundant harvest. Common Chuseok traditions include: ancestral worship and the visiting/cleaning of ancestors’ graves, eating songpyeon(송편), a crescent-shaped rice cake, and traditional folk games.

Nigeria (Yam Festival, Iriji)

Very similar to the Yam Festival in Ghana, the holiday in Nigeria is celebrated in August or September, at the end of the rainy season. Altars are built in honor of ancestors and gods.  The men dig up the yams and prepare an offering, and a large feast is prepared. On the second day of the festival, people participate in traditional activities such as dancing (with masks that reflect aspects of nature), wrestling competitions, and drumming.

Vietnam (Mid-Autumn Festival, Tết Trung Thu)

Similar to the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, and Chuseok in Korea, Tết Trung Thu takes place on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month as a celebration of the fall harvest.  Mooncakes are a popular tradition during the Vietnamese celebration, as are lanterns, telling traditional stories, and lion dances, which are performed by children and professional dance groups, and are thought to bring luck.

Students gather to discuss and draft a resolution during a committee session. (Photo credit: Allegra Harris & Lara Cole)

-Krista, World Affairs Council Intern

–Krista, World Affairs Council Intern