Session 4 - Clash of Civilizations? - Sept 24, 2008

Clash of Civilizations Videos

 I. Davos Annual Meeting 2004 with Samuel Huntington (5:20 - 16:35) - [World Economic Forum]

In a globalized world, cultural heterogeneity can often spark conflicts.

1) Is there a set of values around which the world's cultures converge?

2) If not, what kind of mechanisms must be put in place to facilitate global understanding?

3) What role do notions of "tolerance" and "respect" play in that regard?

Samuel P. Huntington, Chairman, Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, USA.

II. Edward Said (0:50-14:20) [Media Education Foundation]

In 1993 Harvard Professor Samuel P. Huntington wrote an essay titled "The Clash of Civilizations?" and later he expanded into a book with the same title, but without the question mark. Edward Said, late Columbia professor rips Huntington's thesis to shreds.

 

III. Danish Cartoons A

The Danish cartoons which caused all that angst.

IV. Danish Cartoons B

Protests throughout the Islamic world in the wake of a series of cartoons published in a Danish newspaper.

V. Muslims: United Against Islamophobia

Saturday, 11th of February 2006: Thousands of British Muslims joined pro-Islam protest in London's Trafalgar Square to express their anger at the publication of insulting cartoons in a Danish newspaper depicting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The event was organised by the Muslim Council of Britain and the Muslim Association of Britain with the backing of many peace organisations, Christian groups and the Mayor of London.

This video artwork is an attempt to capture the remarkable event where people from all backgrounds came to show their deepest love and greatest respect for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

VI. Fitna [CNN]

Author of film takes issue with ISLAM, not Muslims.

VII. Protest vs. Fitna [MSN Video]

25,000Protesters from Pakistan against the film 'Fitna'.

View video through this link. 

VIII. Protesting Fitna in Tehran

Protestors gather outside Dutch embassy in Tehran to protest the short film "Fitna," which was produced by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders. Muslims consider the film anti-Islamic.

View video through this link.

IX. Myth or Reality [IDEA]

Clash of Civilizations: Myth or Reality?

View article with this link.

X. Danish Cartoons [CBS]

Clash of Civilizations? - February 8, 2006

The controversial Muhammed cartoons have been printed in 20 countries, including the U.S. As Richard Roth reports, the fury over the cartoons has driven a wedge between some Muslim nations and Europe.

View video through this link.

XI. Libya Cartoon Clash [BBC]

'Ten die' in Libya cartoon clash.

At least ten people are reported to have been killed in Libya in clashes during a protest outside an Italian consulate. The protests came after an Italian minister who wore a shirt with cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Jannat Jalil reports.

View streaming video through this link.

Session 2 - Armed Conflict since the End of the Cold War - September 10, 2008

End of the Cold War: Georgia and NATO Expansion

I. Era of Soviet Union

Maps of Soviet Union (click maps for full view)

1. Administrative Map

2. Ethnicity Map

3. Map of Georgia

4. Fall of Soviet Union 

Maps of Georgia (with South Ossetia and Abkhazia)

5. Georgia 01 

6. Georgia 02

II. Georgia War of 1992-3

1. Abkhazia Before, During and After - Georgia version (4:21)

"Wonderful pictures of the most beautiful place in the world-Abkhazia (Republic of Georgia). Before and After..."

2. Georgia version of the war (6:27)

"Collection of various video footage of the war in Abkhazia (Georgia) in 1992 and 1993 with some info".

3. ‘Republic of Abkazia’ version of the war (3:00)

"A video clip made by photos of Abkhaz-Georgian war.When you finished watching this video you will see more clearly that Georgia's fascist politics."

4. Together apart (49:00):

"During Georgia-Abkhazia war of 1992-1993 two former colleagues, one Georgian, one Abkhazian took up arms on opposite sides. Thanks to a videoconference technology they got the opportunity of seeing each other and speaking about possible solutions to resolve the conflict, to share with the audience their impressions of the conversations."

III. NATO

1. NATO vs. Warsaw Pact map

2. Post Cold-War NATO expansion map

3. Bush Pushes for NATO Expansion - CBS on AOL (1:43) 

Click here to view video.

IV. Georgia's Rose Revolution (29:00)

Here is a video documenting the Rose Revolution of 2003, a bloodless revolution in the country of Georgia that displaced President Eduard Shevardnadze.

"THE ROSE REVOLUTION On November 2, 2003, the Republic of Georgia held parliamentary elections which were grossly rigged. The Supreme Court invalidated the elections which the opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili claimed that he had won."

V. Missiles vs. Iran

1. G8 Summit, June 2007 (0:40-2:50):

2. Bush continues to plan for war with Iran, 11 May 2008 - Democracy Now (1:00): 

"President Bush says he's agreed to boost Polish military aid in return for Poland's cooperation in hosting part of a US missile shield. Appearing with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk Monday, Bush committed to reaching a final agreement before leaving office.
President Bush: "Well, I think there's a commitment to a system that respects Polish sovereignty, that will ensure that the people of Poland will, you know, not be subjected to any undue security risks, that the system is necessary to deal with the realities of the threats. Obviously there's a lot of work to do, because many times, you know, a strategy on paper is a little different from the details. And so our experts are working through the system to make sure that, you know, the people of Poland are comfortable with the idea."
Poland would host at least ten missiles as part of the deal. Critics say the US is pushing the missile system as a first-strike weapon against Iran. Public opinion polls continue to show majority opposition in both Poland and the Czech Republic, the other planned host.

VI. Russo-Georgia War 2008

1. War Breaks Out in South Ossetia - Al Jazeera (2:37):

In the past hour the UN Security Council has convened a meeting in a bid to end the hostilities. An earlier meeting failed to produce any agreement. Al Jazeera takes a look at how simmering tensions in the Caucuses have reached boiling point. August 08, 2008.

2. Who Started Hostilities? (1:43):

In a video compilation entitled "BBC Video Proves Georgia to Blame for Hostilities", Kurt Nimmo of Infowars argues that: "The BBC video here was aired two days before Russia intervened to stop Georgia's ethnic cleansing operation in South Ossetia. It needs to be viewed by Bush, Condi, Robert Kagan, Charles Krauthammer, little Billy Kristol and all the neocons and their associated slavering bloggers and newspaper columnists calling for war against Russia, a nation bristling with thermonuclear weapons and an increasing desire to use the tactical variety of nukes against the United States, or rather its servile little clients such as Poland that are installing U.S. missile "defense systems" on Russia's borders...." Sunday, Aug 17, 2008

3. Russia Invades Georgia - Al Jazeera (1:10-8:06):

This is part 1/2 of the Al Jazeera newscast on the Russia - Georgia war - August 11, 2008

EDS II Syllabus

Here is the class syllabus for EDS II. You may click the links to directly to access the online journals, news articles and other readings. All materials are also available as hard copies at room 3K 205.


English Discussion Seminar II (War, Peace and Security)
Nathan Gilbert Quimpo
Credit 2, Year 1-2, Trimester 2, Wednesday, 5&6 Period

Course Description This intermediate-level course serves as an introduction to conflict, peace and security studies. The objectives of the course are to broaden the students’ knowledge of major issues related to conflict, peace and security in the contemporary period and to develop the students’ proficiency in listening, speaking and engaging in informed discourse in English.

Requirement for Enrollment
No formal pre-requisites for enrollment into the course.

Course Work
Students are expected to attend all seminars, study the assigned readings before class, and participate actively in class discussions and debates.

Method of Assessment Participation in class discussions/debates, and presentations: 50% of overall
course mark.
Final examination: 50% of overall course mark.
Course Schedule and Readings


Session 1: 3 September
Introduction


Session 2: 10 September
A. Debate: The world has become a relatively more peaceful and safer place to live in since the end of the Cold War.
B. Lecture: Armed Conflict since the End of the Cold War

1. Human Security Centre, Human Security Report 2005: War and Peace in the 21st Century, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, pp. 1-11. (For the complete Human Security Report 2005, Access/Download here.
2. Readings on the Russia-Georgia War:
   

• Zbigniew Brzezinski, “Staring Down the Russians”. Access/Download here.
  
• Tony Karon, “The Georgia Crisis: A Blow to NATO”. Access/Download here.
  
• Andrew E. Kramer, “Russia Claims Its Sphere of Influence in the World.” Access/Download here.
  

Recommended:

1. Ted Robert Gurr and Barbara Harff, Ethnic Conflict in World Politics, 2nd Edition, Boulder: Westview Press, 2000, pp. 1-18. (Hardcopy at 3K205)
2. Adrian Hamilton, “We Are Still Fighting the Cold War,” The Independent, 14 August 2008. Access/Download here.
   

Session 3: 17 September
A. Debate: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) should abandon its plan to admit Georgia as a member.
B. Lecture: Ethnic Conflict

1. International Crisis Group, “Sri Lanka: The Failure of the Peace Process,” 28 November 2006, pp. 1-12. Access/Download here.
   
2. Somini Sengupta, “Ethnic Divide Worsens as Sri Lanka Conflict Escalates,” New York Times, 8 March 2008. Access/Download here.
   

Session 4: 24 September
A. Discussion: What should be done to bring about a peaceful resolution of the long-standing ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka?
B. Lecture: Clash of Civilizations?

1. Samuel P. Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations?” (excerpt), Foreign Affairs, vol. 72, no. 3, pp. 22-49. (Hardcopy at 3K205).

Recommended:

1. International Debate Education Association, “Clash of Civilisations: Myth or Reality?”. Access/Download here.
   

Session 5: 1 October
A. Debate: There is a “clash of civilizations” between the West and the Islamic world.
B. Lecture: The War in Iraq

1. Lee Kuan Yew, “The United States, Iraq, and the War on Terror,” Foreign Affairs, January/February 2007. Access/Download here.
   
2. Michael Schwartz, “Why Did We Invade Iraq Anyway? Putting a Country in Your Tank,” TomDispatch.com, October 30, 2007. Access/Download here.
   

Session 6: 8 October
A. Debate: The U.S. and its allies did the right thing in invading Iraq in 2003.
B. Lecture: Terrorism and the War on Terror

1. Rohan Gunaratna, “Islamic Terrorism: Can We Meet the Challenge?”, Global Asia, vol. 2, no. 3, Winter 2007, pp. 34-40. Access/Download here.
   
2. John Sidel, “It is Not Getting Worse: Terrorism is Declining in Asia/From Bali to Karachi: Where's the Terror?,” Global Asia, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 41-49. Access/Download here.
   

Session 7: 22 October
A. Debate: ‘Islamist’ terrorism is declining in Asia.
B. Lecture: ‘Resource Wars’

1. U.S. Agency for International Development, “Minerals and Conflict,” Washington, D.C.: USAID, 2004, pp. 1-15. Access/Download here.
   

Recommended:

1. Michael L. Ross, What Do We Know About Natural Resources and Civil War?”, Journal of Peace Research, vol. 41, no. 3, 2004, pp. 337–356. Access/Download here.
   

Session8: 29 October
A. Discussion: What should we do to prevent valuable minerals from being associated with conflict or used to finance it?
B. Lecture: Humanitarian Intervention

1. Scott Straus, “Darfur and the Genocide Debate,” Foreign Affairs, January/February 2005. Access/Download here.
   
2. Mahmood Mamdani, “The Politics of Naming: Genocide, Civil War, Insurgency,” London Review of Books, 8 March 2007. Access/Download here.
   

Session 9: 5 November
A. Debate: The United Nations should engage in a more forceful humanitarian intervention in Darfur.
B. Lecture: Women and War

1. Jennifer Turpin, “Many Faces: Women Confronting War,” in Ann Lorentzen and Jennifer Turpin, eds., The Women and War Reader, New York: New York University Press, 1998, pp. 3-18. (Hardcopy at 3K205).

Recommended:

1. April Carter, “Should Women Be Soldiers or Pacifists?” in Lorentzen and Turbin, pp. 33-37. (Hardcopy at 3K205).

Session10: 12 November
A. Debate: Women should be pacifists, not soldiers.
B. Lecture: Conflict, Peace and Security

1. Rob McRae, “Human Security in a Globalized World,” in Rob McRae and Don Hubert, eds., Human Security and the New Diplomacy: Protecting People, Promoting Peace, Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2001, pp. 14-27. (Hardcopy at 3K205).

Recommended:

1. Lotta Harbom, Stina Hogbladh and Peter Wallenstein, “Armed Conflicts and Peace Agreements,” Journal of Peace Research, vol. 43, no. 5, pp. 617-631. (Hardcopy at 3K205).

Session 11: 19 November
Final Exam


Note: A few course readings may be changed or added to take more recent developments regarding particular conflicts or peace processes into account.

Session 1 - Introduction - September 3, 2008

Here are some videos shown during the first session of EDS II: Conflict and Peace under Prof. Nathan Quimpo, University of Tsukuba for the 2nd tri-semester 2008.


-Benjamin, TA for EDS II

01. Georgia and Russia - CNN

CNN's Matthew Chance reports on the latest violence between Russia and Georgia. August 9, 2008.


02. Sri Lanka - BBC

Sri Lanka's government says it is winning the fight against Tamil Tigers rebels, after 25 years of conflict.
Army Commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka said to foreign journalists in Colombo on June 30 that security forces have inflicted heavy losses on Tamil Tigers and the militant outfit's capability to wage a conventional war will be wiped out within a year.
"LTTE has lost its conventional capability and they no further fight as a conventional army," said the Army Commander.
Since July last year, security forces are trying to demolish the de facto state of the LTTE in north, said the Army Commander.

You may also visit a related website/blog at
http://srilankandiasporablog.wordpress.com


03. Clash of Civilizations

Video featuring a lecture on the historical background of the so called "Clash of Civilizations".


04. War in Iraq- BBC
Video highlighting the 4000 dead US soldiers in the Iraq Conflict. March 24, 2008 from BBC World.


05. War in Afghanistan - Center for American Progress
Six years after the United States led an invasion of Afghanistan to remove the Taliban from power and destroy Al Qaeda's safe haven, Afghanistan faces a growing insurgency that directly threatens its stability and the national security interests of the United States and its allies.

The United States and the international community initially made great strides to oust the Taliban and Al Qaeda and stand up the Afghan government following the invasion in October 2001, but the situation has dramatically deteriorated since 2005. The Taliban and Al Qaeda have regrouped in the borderlands of Pakistan and Afghanistan and are supporting the Afghan insurgency while strengthening their own capabilities. Although the current administration has portrayed Iraq as the central front of the "global war on terror," Afghanistan and the borderlands of Pakistan remain the central battlefield.

You may visit their website and download a full copy of their report called "The Forgotten Front" at this link.


06. Resource War - Blood Diamond

Wikipedia defines Blood Diamond (also called a converted diamond, conflict diamond, hot diamond or a war diamond) as a diamond mined in a war zone and sold, in order to finance an insurgency, invading army's war efforts, or supporting a warlord's activity.

This trailer from the 2006 film of Blood Diamond is an example of the relation between precious natural resources and conflict situations.


07. Ethnic Conflict - Hotel Rwanda
Trailer from the film Hotel Rwanda, based from the Rwandan Genocide of 1994.


08. War and Women: Dzidza and the Red Cross

From the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) comes this video which they tells the stroy of Dzidza, searching for her husband and sons, still missing long after the war is over.

Eleven women tell their own individual stories of how their lives have been affected by war. Coping with displacement, physical and sexual violence, missing relatives, widowhood, detention... challenges and difficulties that these and thousands of other women must face in their daily lives.
ICRC, 2001.

You may view the video at this link.