Snapshots of Development

http://graphs.gapminder.org/world/#$majorMode=chart$is;shi=t;ly=2003;lb=f;il=t;fs=11;al=30;stl=t;st=t;nsl=t;se=t$wst;tts=C$ts;sp=6;ti=1960$zpv;v=0$inc_x;mmid=XCOORDS;iid=phAwcNAVuyj0%2DLE4StzCsEw;by=ind$inc_y;mmid=YCOORDS;iid=phAwcNAVuyj1jiMAkmq1iMg;by=ind$inc_s;uniValue=8.21;iid=phAwcNAVuyj0XOoBL%5Fn5tAQ;by=ind$inc_c;uniValue=255;gid=CATID0;by=grp$map_x;scale=lin;dataMin=2;dataMax=100$map_y;scale=log;dataMin=240;dataMax=119849$map_s;sma=49;smi=2.65$cd;bd=0$inds=

The graph demonstrates the relationship between the percent of urban population and the quantity of income per person throughout the years of 1960 to 2005. In 1960, South Asia, East Asia, the Pacific, and Sub Saharan Africa had low incomes per person (with a range of about 400 – 2,000 $) therefore the percent of urbanization was low too (with a range of 2 – 26%). There are very few countries with high income and high urbanization percentage at this time. These countries consist of the Middle East, North Africa, and America.  As time goes by, the income of most people augments while the percent of urbanization also rises. Around the year of 1985, Sub Saharan Africa seems to stop increasing in income although it continues to increase in percent of urban population. All of the other countries appear to continue growing in both income and urban percentage. I find it interesting that countires with a huge population such as China and India start off at the very bottom of the graph for low income and low urban population and although they do rise, by the year 2005, they still havent quite reached the midpoint on the income and urban population percent scale. Throughout the years of 1960 to 2005, there is a very clear trend that shows that as income per person increases, so does the percent of urban population.

As the two indicators for the graph, I chose urban population (% of total) and Income per person (GDP/capita, inflation-adjusted $). I chose these two because I thought it would be interesting to observe the pattern between the two aspects. I believe that it is easier to see a trend in urban population (% of total) instead of simple urban population because in this case, it is more effective to deal with percents instead of the actual number of people.  Urbanization indicates that human development is occurring. It is linked to income because people move to cities to get better jobs and therefore make more money. The GDP is an indicator of the amount of money a person makes so it indicates the growth of an individual, not an entire country. These are two important indicators for human development because it is vital to know that as people in our world are making more money, more people are relocating themselves into cities. This means that in the future, if people continue to grow in wealth, cities will be more populated and perhaps there will be less farmers. 

A possible limitation of these indicators is that certain people that have a great income do not always wish to move into cities. For example, people in Liechtenstein have a constant growing income between the years of 1960-2005 yet the percent of urbanization does not increase. On the contrary, the percent of urbanization decreases! In addition, there are certain countries the will stop growing in income but continue growing in percent of urbanization. For example, Liberia did grow both in income and urbanization for a few years but then stopped growing in income and continued growing in urbanization. A question I have about the graph is why is it that some countries from the same area increase in income and urbanization faster than other countries from that area? What are the causes to these results?

The Lemon Tree – Blog 5

Chapter 9: Bashir and Dalia meet (1967)

Chapter 10: Bashir is accused in the bombing of the Jerusalem supermarket (1969).

Chapter 11: Bashir is deported to Lebanon (1988).

 

Dalia welcomes Bashir and his cousins into her house. Later that summer, Bashir is arrested by Israeli soldiers and spends 100 days in jail accused of leading the lawyer’s resistance. In 1968, Dalia travels to Ramallah to visit Bashir. Even though they argue about the right to the land, they have a connection and decide to see each other again.

A bomb explodes in a supermarket in West Jerusalem. Bashir is accused of being part of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine responsible for the attack. He is interrogated and tortured (beatings, dog attacks and psy-ops).  He never admits any connection to the bombing but is sentenced to 15 years in prison for complicity. Dalia reacts very strongly to Bashir’s arrest. She believes that “personal dialogue was the key to transformation.” (p. 176). Dalia cuts all contact with Bashir’s family. Bashir is released in1984 and shortly after, his father Ahmad, dies. That same year, Moshe (Dalia’s father) dies.  Dalia contacts Bashir to inform him that the house in Ramla is empty (she lives with her husband in Jerusalem). They meet and Dalia offers to share the home. Finally Bashir and Dalia agree that the house in Ramla would become a preschool for the Arab children of Israel.

The intifada (rebellion) has started and Bashir is deported from the West bank to Lebanon 3 years after being released from jail. Dalia is in the hospital diagnosed with cancer but is pregnant and refuses to undergo a hysterectomy. Dalia writes a letter to Bashir, “Letter to a Deportee”, which is published in the Jerusalem Post. Bashir escapes Lebanon to Cyprus, Greece, where he learns about the letter. A year later, Bashir is in exile in Tunis and responds to Dalia’s letter in which he tells her that he has lost a hand when he was a child playing with a booby-trap in Palestine. In 1991, Dalia opens the Arab kindergarten in Ramala. It was called the “Open House.” 

 

“I loved Palestine more than before, and I hated occupation more than ever” (p. 154). This is what Bashir says upon being released from jail. It shows how by trying to break him, the Israelis have actually made him stronger and more determined. For me this explains some of the extreme fanatic individuals that are still fighting for their cause.

 

My favorite chapter is Encounter (Chapter 9). It is very relieving and diverting to read because Bashir and Dalia argue about the right of the Palestinians versus the Israelis with such a tolerant and peaceful approach. After all the destruction described in the book, there is finally a moment of hope.  Page 160 is very meaningful to me. “ But you are saying the whole world did this, Dalia. It is not true. The Nazis killed the Jews. And we hate them. But why should we pay for what they did? Our people welcomed the Jewish people during the Ottoman Empire. They came to us running away from the Europeans and we welcomed them with all that we had.” Dalia responds, “We tried to live in other places. But we realized we were not wanted in other places. We had to come back home.” I can feel how painful the issue is for both Bashir and Dalia. I think that Sandy Tolan could have eventually finished his book here. It is such a strong passage full of hope.

The Lemon Tree – Blog 4

Chapter 7: Arrival of the Eshkenazi’s in Ramla (1948)

Chapter 8: The Six Day war (1967)

 

Moshe and Solia arrive along with many other Jews in Ramla, which is basically deserted. Each family was free to enter an empty house and claim it theirs. Moshe and Solia move into the Khairi’s house. They start new jobs. Food is rationed because there are so many Jews in Israel now. Dalia starts to recognize that not all Jews are the same. Some come from Poland and have lost spouses or children in the Nazi camps. Also, she realizes that the Jews from the Arab countries have a much darker skin then those from Europe. The Israelis focus on defining the identity of a “new Jew”. Egypt takes control of the Suez Canal in 1956. Dalia is ready to start University in Tel Aviv just as war is about to start (1967).

Bashir is now a lawyer in Ramallah. The Israelis attack Egypt. The air forces of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Egypt were demolished by the Israeli pilots within a matter of hours. Dalia feels relieved that Israel had won the war.  The Israelis now occupy the West bank. The Israelis announce a new justice system to be administered by judges in the West bank. Arab lawyers, such as Bashir, refuse to come to the Israeli courts. It is easier for Palestinian families to cross into their homeland, West Jerusalem.

 

 I am impressed by the “Law of Return” described on p. 108.  It states that each Jew who expresses his desire to settle in Israel automatically was granted Israeli citizenship. It allows the Jews to make sure that the Israeli population grows to the quantity lost of the Arabs who will find it even harder to return to their homes. The extracts of the legal recourses on page 110 are sad. I feel that the Arabs are only asking for what is legally theirs. All they want is to return to their houses and farms.

 

Page 142 describes that as the Arabs have lost everything following the 6 Day war, it is now clear that they will never be able to return to live in Palestine and “a sense of freedom was emerging”. The Palestinians must no longer depend on the UN or on the Arab states. The must fight for themselves, become “Freedom Fighters”. This is the birth of the Palestinian national liberation movement (the Fatah) led by Arafat and Abu Jihad.

The Lemon Tree – Blog 3

Chapter 5: Emigration of the Eshkenazi’s to Israel 

Chapter 6: The Khairi’s seek refuge in Gaza

 

Moshe and Solia emigrate with their daughter Dalia from Bulgaria to Israel by boat. When arriving in Israel, they decide to sign up to move to the town of Ramla.

In December 1948, Ahmad and Zakia realize that they will never be able to return to al-Ramla. There is no work to be found in Ramallah and they decide to move to Gaza.  Ahmad is able to find a job working as a carpenter. Zakia and the eldest daughters have received permission from the head of the family, Sheikh Mustafa, to work. They embroider different items and sell them.  After 9 years in Gaza, the Khairi’s inherit some money and decide to move back to Ramallah where they hope to buy property and enroll the children in higher education. Bashir is now 15 years old.

 

I feel that the UN is so powerless with regards to their 1948 Resolution #194 in which they recognize that refugees willing to return to their homes to live in peace with their neighbors should be able to do so and that those who choose to not return home, should be duly compensated. Israel refuses to abide and by 1949 Jordan , Egypt, Syria and Iraq have signed armistice agreements with Israel putting an official end to the war. Israel now controls 78% of Palestine. The Palestinian nationalism is forced underground which is the beginning of a very powerful movement. This is all building up to a very violent and intense conflict.

 

I was very touched by Bashir’s story of his friend’s death when his school was attacked as well as the slaying of his favorite teacher and his wife (p. 102). With just a few words, Talin is able to provide the reader with a sense of the violence the Arabs and Jews lived in.

The Lemon Tree – Blog 2

Chapter 3: Near Deportation of the Jews from Bulgaria. 

Chapter 4: Partition of Palestine and expulsion of the Arabs.

 

The Plot:

It is March 1943 and the Jews in Bulgaria are aware of a plan to deport them to Nazi camps in Poland (King Boris of Bulgaria is an ally of Hitler). Moshe and Solia, Jews in Silven are assembled along with other Jewish families in the middle of the night to be loaded onto train cars. Dimitur Peshev, vice president of Bulgaria’s national assembly, forces the ministry to suspend the deportation order. Bulgaria was one of the only 3 countries, along with Finland and Denmark that saved its entire Jewish population. In 1947, Dalia is born to Moshe and Solia. 

In 1947, the British announce they will hand over the Palestine problem to the UN. The UN decides to partition Palestine into 2 separate states – one for the Arabs and one for the Jews. Al-Ramala would be in the Arab state but just a few kilometers from the Jewish state. The war begins between Arabs and Jews.  Ahmad Khairi and his family abandon their home in al-Ramala and seek safety in Ramallah. By July 1948, the Arab residents of al-Ramla are removed from their homes by Jewish soldiers. Tens of thousands of refugees find themselves in the valley of Ramallah. 

 

These 2 chapters are so similar and yet show how people’s future depends on the goodwill or the evil of a few individuals. Deportation and expulsion are one and the same and I find it interesting that Tolan decided to call one chapter, “Rescue” and the other, “Expulsion”. The Jews in Bulgaria were saved from death thanks to the incredible strength and conscience of the Bulgarians who stood up for what they believed in. On the contrary, the Arabs were expulsed from their homes abecause the Jews wanted to deport them to Transjordan in order to freely create the new state of Israel.  I admire the Arabs and Jews who, despite the UN’s arbitrary decision, decided “to keep the road open between the communities” (p.53). 

 

The description on p. 34 in which Violeta gives up the cash contributed by the Jews in Kyustendil to the Bulgarian district governor, Miltenov, in exchange for travel documents (so that a Jewish delegation may travel to Sofia to meet with the parliament), only for him to take the money and refuse to give her the documents, is heartbreaking. This description clearly demonstrates the harsh and immoral ways people were being treated during this conflict.

The Lemon Tree – Blog 1

a) The Plot:

In July 1967, Bashir Khairi, a 26 year-old Arab, currently living in Ramallah (Palestine) embarks on a journey to al-Ramla with his cousins Ghiath and Yasser. He had been expulsed from his hometown twenty years earlier and this was the first time he was returning. Dalia Eshkenazi, a student at Tel Aviv University is analyzing the recent victory of Israel over Egypt, Jordan and Syria in the 6 Day War from her home in Ramla. She is Jewish and had moved to Israel from Bulgaria when she was a baby.

Ahmad is the father of Bashir. He comes from a very old and wealthy family and in 1936 builds a house for his family in al-Ramla. At this time, Palestine is still under the rule of the British. The British defeat the Arab Rebellion by 1940.

 

b) I enjoy the descriptions of the food and local cultures “At the markets the girls would gaze up at the stalls of eggplants and peppers, tomatoes cucumbers and parsley, spices and herbs, and live chickens and squab (p. 16)” “Ahmad rarely socialized at home, instead, he would join the other Khairis to play cards, drink Arabic coffee, and smoke from the arguileh (water pipe) at the diwan,… (p. 17). The reason I enjoy these descriptions is because it shows the richness of the country. Food is plentiful and traditions are enjoyed. The author paints a picture of a land of plenty, hope and beauty and it makes the unceasing conflict so much more futile, frustrating and fruitless.

 

c) The accounts of the causes of the Arab-Israel conflict are written in a very neutral and comprehensive way. Lord Peel writes, “I did not realize how deep-seated was the Arab fear of Jewish overlordship and domination.” (p. 17). This evokes that the British did not understand the depth of the issue nor the terrible rebellion their act of “Partition and Transfer” of 1937 would entice in the Arab world. In 1939, the British released its White Paper, “a sharp change from the Peel Commission plan of only two years earlier” (p.21) calling for a single independent state, accepting to limit Jewish immigration, and to tighten restrictions on land sales in Palestine. Neither position taken by the British is acceptable for the Arabs or the Jews. What a failure they made of their mandate over Palestine! The creation of a national home in Palestine for the Jewish People stated in the Balfour Declaration was an awkward attempt by the British to conquest and hold power. It was done with little regard for the non-Jewish communities in Palestine. I regret that what seemed to be a fairly small declaration has evolved in the mass conflict, which is far from being resolved.

Child Soldiers – Entry #3

The United Nations is moving fast, just not fast enough. While the UN is creating ways to protect civilians in Congo, the Lord’s Resistance Army is killing civilians, abducting scores of children, and burning homes and schools.

In response to the renewed attack by the Lord’s Resistance Army, several human rights organizations have ordered for the UN Security Council to increase the number of peacekeepers in Congo in addition to creating an arrest strategy for LRA leaders.

“The LRA leader, Joseph Kony, is continuing his brutal and abusive tactics,” said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The US and UK, along with the UN and governments in the region, should actively work together to apprehend LRA leaders wanted by the ICC (International Criminal Court).”

The 150 peacekeeping troops in Orientale, Congo, are apparently struggling to fulfill their mandate to protect civilians, as there has been recent abductions of 36 boys and 21 girls. The security general in Congo has asked the Security Council for reinforcements but no action has been taken yet and no countries have offered reinforcements.

As the conflict is not improving, “The LRA is committing new abductions of children with the clear purpose of restocking its ranks,” said Michael Poffenberger of Resolve Uganda. “This was the strategy in Uganda for two decades.”

Hundreds of people are fleeing their homes in fear of future LRA attacks. The peace treaty agreed upon by the government of Uganda and the LRA should have been signed by Kony, the head of the LRA, but he did not show up at the signing of the agreement. He has therefore promised to sign it but in the mean time, he continues his attacks on civilians.

I believe that the United Nations should do everything it can to stop the LRA now. Not in 1 month, not in 8 months, and not in 1 year. Now. If it means that numerous reinforcements should be sent into Congo, then that is what should happen. For 20 years the international community has not had a comprehensive strategy to end the LRA insurgency,” said John Norris, executive director of the Enough Project. If a successful strategy is not developed and put into action to stop the LRA now, civilians will continue to die, they will continue to flee, and children will continue to be abducted and forced to sacrifice their childhood. 
There is no good coming out of this conflict.  People should not have to live in fear. 

This conflict could be different if the UN had acted a while ago by sending in large amounts of peacekeeping troops and retracting them quickly once the conflict would have ended. The more time wasted, the more harm caused. Also, if Kony, the LRA leader, had showed up to sign the peace treaty, hopefully the LRA would have seized from abducting children and burning homes. Since this hasn’t happened yet, all that can be counted on is that the treaty will be sign soon and maybe the UN won’t have to send in more reinforcements if the conflict is coming to an end.

This conflict is important to the world because it is just another piece of evidence proving that countries need the help of others. Therefore, it is very important that countries have allies to depend on when they fall into crisis. 

A story from Uganda

Continuing to talk about the conflict occurring in Uganda, a 16-year-old girl now recalls the cruel past she had once lived when she was forced to join the Lord’s Resistance Army to fight against the government.

 

“One boy tried to escape, but he was caught.  They made him eat a mouthful of red pepper, and five people were beating him.  His hands were tied, and then they made us, the other new captives, kill him with a stick.  I felt sick.  I knew this boy from before.  We were from the same village.  I refused to kill him, and they told me they would shoot me.  They pointed a gun at me, so I had to do it.  The boy was asking me, “Why are you doing this?” I said I had no choice.  After we killed him, they made us smear blood on our arms.  I felt dizzy.  They said we had to do this so we would not fear death, and so we would not try to escape.”

Child Soldiers – Entry #2

The conflict occurring in Ugandan has been going on since 1986. There have been serious human rights abuses by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) and, although to a lesser extent, also by the Ugandan Government. Both girls and boys have been recruited into battle and it is reported that a third or more of the child soldiers in this conflict are girls. These girls are often raped or given to military commanders as “wives.”

 

            In December 2003, Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, ordered the ICC (International Criminal Court) to examine for crimes committed by the LRA. It was investigated that Martin, a twelve-year-old boy recruited by the LRA, stated, “Early on when my brothers and I were captured, the LRA explained to us that all five brothers couldn’t serve in the LRA because we would not perform well. So they tied up my two younger brothers and invited us to watch. Then they beat them with sticks until two of them died. They told us it would give us strength to fight. My youngest brother was nine years old.”

 

            The Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda have finally agreed upon a peace agreement.  This agreement will settle certain domestic prosecutions such as the recruitment of relevant experts, the attention to the needs of victims, and traditional justice practices. 

 

            The pain that these child soldiers are going through is unimaginable. Many children are forced into the army either by being ganged up on or the military comes to get them at night while they are asleep. So many hundreds of children are experiencing a violation of their rights at this very minute. Although this peace agreement between the Ugandan government and the LRA might help a little, it will most likely take a long time before it is put into practice. I have noticed that there are numerous organizations attempting to end the recruitment of child soldiers all around the world. Unfortunately, children’s brutal military experiences still have not come to a stop. The Ugandan conflict has been going on for 22 years. We cannot even imagine how many children have been killed during this period of time because they were forced to participate. 

Child Soldiers – Entry #1

Child soldiers are existent even though any case with a child under the age of 18 involved in armed conflict is against the law. There have been numerous international efforts to end the recruitment of child soldiers yet many are too little and too late.

             The United States has recently adopted the “Child Soldiers Accountability Act” that will allow the United States to take legal actions against any foreign military leader who has recruited child soldiers from abroad. The U.S. forces in Iraq include children although each child’s rights must be respected and treated according to their status as children. Currently, there is a case of a 21 year-old Canadian who has been imprisoned in Guantanamo since he was 15 years old. He will be brought to the US federal court.

            The United Nations plays a major role in securing the rights of child soldiers. They are urging Chad to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers in their armed forces. They are also insisting that the United States improve its treatment of children involved in armed conflict.

            In India, the Naxalite rebels and the Indian security forces use children in the Chhattisgarh conflict. This act is prohibited and puts children at risk of injury or death.

            I believe that children are unsuited for any involvement in armed conflict. Even if a country does not have enough soldiers to fight, they shouldn’t turn to children as their last option. Future generations are dependent on the children of today therefore it is important that children are educated. Child soldiers cannot fight for their country and educate themselves at the same time. 

People in armed conflicts can become crazy, can become greatly injured, or can even die. How can society depend on children as young as 7 years old to go through all of this? According to the Human Rights Watch in 2007, “In over twenty countries around the world, children are direct participants in war. Denied a childhood and often subjected to horrific violence, an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts.” Children are easily passed off as being older than they really are because documentation does not exist in many areas. I believe that the world has to fight harder to secure the rights of children soldiers.