Issues+and+Background+Hum2+Group2

=Home Page= =Issues and Background= We all need to be able to address the issue of terrorism and find ways of combating it. However, first we must know why and just how much it affects our world.

__Opening Statement: The Big Issue__ As human civilizations continue to expand exponentially throughout the globe, along with this growth naturally comes conflict between or within nations. Every moment, there is unrest in varying parts of the world, and it seems that though the human race has endured centuries of development, we have are still none the wiser at seeking world peace. Instead, we have begun larger wars, performed utterly shocking terrorism events, and have become quite skilled at building deadlier weapons. However, people cannot always turn a deaf ear to the issues of the earth; they need to realize that conflict is a very serious global issue because of the many futures and lives of individuals it destroys and the immense suppression civilians in the conflict zone face. A current example of ruined futures is in the attention-centered Iraq. Here a less spotlighted group of people are already facing their crushed dreams and trying to make the most of their dangerous lives: college students. According to a //New York Times// article, “They started college just before or after the American invasion with dreams...that would lead to good careers, marriage, and children. Success seemed well within their grasp. Four years later, Iraq's 2007 college graduates have ended their studies shattered and eager to leave the country" (Cave 8-11). Already, the majority of the college students and professors have fled Iraq or were killed. The remaining students are willing to flee once they receive their degrees. Their previous aspirations of starting a law firm, or becoming a dentist, do not matter anymore as they only concern themselves with surviving and escaping these nightmares they've seen. Conflict also inevitably leads to the suppression of civilians, which in turn causes more protests and fights within the country itself. An example is during the Cold War, which was a tension that tested countries' relations with each other internationally for 35 years. Because the Soviet Union and the United States were afraid that the opposite country would launch an attack on them, they built more and more frighteningly deadly atomic and hydrogen bombs. They closely monitored all of the people living in their countries to ensure no one was a spy. Finally, driven to paranoia, the United States executed a Russian couple known as the Rosenbergs on Saturday, June 19, 1953 just before the Jewish Sabbath so there would be no religious feelings toward them. "The couple were the first civilians in American history to be executed for espionage. They were sentenced to death on April 5, 1951, for passing on atomic secrets to Russia during the Second World War" (Enemies of Democracy). However, later it was said that "while the McCarthyite witch-hunters who led the prosecution never presented any evidence that proved the couple were 'atomic spies,' they did show one thing. The U.S. was willing to go to any length--even killing two innocent people--to destroy communists and their supporters" (The Execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg). To a country that was meant to show "justice for all", this death was an unacceptable violation to the meaning of freedom, for these two were killed merely off the emotion of fear, or perhaps spite. True enough, the case became the center of contreversy internationally. Protests and mass demonstrations were organized because of this single action, for the world still strives to maintain some amount of equity. Why should one emotion affect or end the futures of so many people? If we can do one simple action and change the world, it should be our ways of “keeping the peace” and maintaining the virtue of patience to one another.

__The Main Issue__ The main problem about conflict and terrorism is that they are most often caused by the world's amount of resources and the population's many beliefs, one which is steadily diminishing and the other boundless yet continuing to grow. The earth can only provide so many things for all living creatures to use. Because of this, as time goes on, these resources inevitably begin to decline in amount. Now, we have come to find some resources such as oil steadily running out. Thus, for control of these precious treasures, the amount and intensity of conflicts has grown into full scale war. However, when both parties have weaponry at their hands, solving these fights is no easy matter. As Sir Winston Churchill said, "Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events" (Moncur). The other center of controversy is differences in peoples' beliefs, for in a world as wide and vastly populated as this one, we are bound to have ideas that differ from each others', including our religion. However, with our natural stubborness as part of our character too, often, we believe that OUR and only our ideas are correct, so everyone must follow. In the end, those who cannot keep their patience resort to FORCING others to believe what they believe with violence, or just by wiping out those whose opinions differ. But with so many people living in the world today, forcing others to follow one idea is to be an extremely difficult task that countries are competing to be the first to complete. What they do not seem to pay attention to is just how many lives would be lost to this competition. The easiest way to gain peace is, not for everyone to think the same way, but to embrace the differences in our world at the moment.

__How this Issue is Affecting the World__ Conflict and terrorism is affecting the world in various different ways. Countries need to fund for many things especially conflicts to get a conclusion; residents are weary of the wars that are so extensive. Countering war or just terrorism consumes time, money, resources, and more than just military action. There are more than enough conflicts that we are currently facing which wind up taking a great deal of birr to keep up with such an immense duty. Further more conflict and terrorism may also initiate many other problems for instance national fear, chaos, refugees, lives, and economy wreckage.

__What's Being Done to Stop, Prevent, or Fix this Issue__ One of the organizations that are helping to fix this issue is UNESCO, and they are providing supplies such as laboratory equipments and textbooks for various universities in Iraq. The UN peacekeepers are sending people to buffer zones and to negotiate through politically needs with the opposing parties. UN peacekeepers hold out many missions and they are all designed to help countries and people in need. As the United Nations Peacekeeping page states, “The United Nations Mission in Liberia was established by Security Council [|resolution 1509 (2003)] of 19 September 2003 to support the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the peace process; protect United Nations staff, facilities and civilians; support humanitarian and human rights activities; as well as assist in national security reform, including national police training and formation of a new, restructured military.” (UNMIL) Ambassadors are also holding conferences to discuss this issue on a timely basis.

__Sources__ Cave, Damien. "Stolen Futures." __New York Times__ 17 Sep 2007: 8-11.

"Enemies of Democracy." __The Guardian__ 19 Jun 1953 22 Jan 2008 <[|http://www.guardian.co.uk/fromthearchive/story/0,,980982,00.html#article_continue>.]

Moncur, Michael. "Quotations by Subject: War." __The Quotations Page__. 2007. Quotationspage.com. 29 Jan 2008 [|http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/war/.]

"The Execution of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg." __Socialistworker.org__. 20 June 2003. Socialist Worker. 22 Jan 2008 http://www.socialistworker.org/2003-2/458/458_06_Rosenbergs.shtml.

Trueman, Chris. "Impact of World War One." __History Learning Site__. 2008. History Learning Site. 22 Jan 2008 <[|http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/wei1.htm>.]

“UNMIL, United Nations Mission in Liberia.” __United Nations Peacekeeping__. 2005. 29 January 2008. < __[|__http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmil/__]__>