"Killing Fields" Reflection

We've spent a good portion of class time talking about Cambodia and the genocide carried out by the Khmer Rouge.  Use your notes to write a reflection on this topic.  Your reflection must demonstrate understanding of the geo-political and socio-historical issues that contributed to this horrific event.  It might also be helpful to relate this to other topics/events studied this year.

Reflection - Partition

Identify and evaluate the causes and consequences of the partition of India.  Be sure to identify course themes in your response (ex. imperialism, agency, interdependence, globalization, etc.)

Reflection - Nationalism in South Asia

Discuss the positive and negative impacts of nationalism in South Asia.  Specifically, consider religious fundamentalism, militancy, and communal violence in the post-partition subcontinent.

Reflection - Gandhi

Discuss  Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent resistance to British rule.  What were the tactics used? What was the purpose for those tactics? How effective were they?

Thesis - Sino-Japanese Relations

Since 1894, the ownership of the Senkaku islands has been a matter of dispute, and as a result, Sino-Japanese relations have grown increasingly tense over the past three years; China and Japan need to resolve their differences and look to the future in order to prevent regional war breaking out.

Thesis- Chikungunya

Though the Chikungunya virus originated in Africa, it has spread to various countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, which is a threat to global tourism; now in the Americas, Chikungunya is becoming a virus that can be contracted locally, instead of just a virus caught in a foreign land; this is a problem because it is very hard to contain mosquitos, the carriers of the virus, so the best worldwide response to the Chikungunya virus would be to try and eliminate as many mosquitos as possible.

Thesis- Boko Haram in Nigeria

The actions of Boko Haram in Nigeria have widened the social gap between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, as well as forced the government to take actions against an internal force; the media coverage encourages Boko Haram to continue their terrorism and the international community needs to put an end to these actions in Nigeria in order to prevent the expansion of Boko Haram outside of Nigeria.

Thesis- Hong Kong Protest

The protests in Hong Kong are a necessary part of their history in their transition to rule by China from their special history of being rued by the British Empire.

Thesis-Afghanistan

There are numerous religious and historical causes to the Afghanistan war that in turn present multiple consequences regarding the social, economic, and political fabric of Afghanistan and the neighboring states.

Thesis- Saudi Women Religious Conflicts

In Saudi Arabia, women are hidden from society because they are belittled from education, politics, and marriage. Educationally, most Saudi women were not provided with schooling because their families never permitted it. Politically, women have no say in government or the right to vote. Saudi women also have their husbands chosen for them during their teenage years.

Thesis- North Korea

North Korea's isolationism and totalitarianism is the result the division of the Koreas and has been kept alive dictators determined to keep power and the people's loyalty to the state; North Korea's poverty and prison camps have been hidden from international news until recently, along with threats of nuclear war on the United States and other Western powers; this totalitarian state can be saved if the people of North Korea were shown the freedoms that the people of other nations have and turn them away from their leader.

Thesis - Ebola

The rapid spread of Ebola throughout west Africa is of great global concern because of its high mortality rate and how easily contractible it is; in addition, the status of west Africa for Ebola to be able to spread this rapidly can be traced back to the colonization of Africa, and how it influenced Africa post colonial era.

Thesis- Contemporary Rwanda

The Rwandan Genocide of 1994 led to many negative effects on Rwanda's society but it has also led to many positive effects politically, socially, and economically on Rwanda's contemporary society.

Thesis - Strife in Libya

Islamist militant rivals are currently fighting anti-Islamist forces due to the collapse of the National Transitional Council and the interim government , Libya's strong Islamic population, and the abrupt end to Qaddafi's brutal regime; the news sources portray the situation as helpless, dangerous, and spiraling into a much worse situation; these ideas are widely accepted and/or inevitable unless major changes are made; lastly, the way to confront this situation is for international forces, especially those of the neighboring countries of who's security is at the most risk, to take control of the situation through military action and put an end to these radical Islamist groups and ideas. 

Thesis - Politics in Turkey

Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is rising to be an authoritarian leader through limiting democracy; in addition, Erdogan's evolving character and other nationalistic factors have significantly influenced Turkey's contemporary state.

Thesis - Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The contemporary crisis between Russia and Ukraine is, to a great extent, reflective of the geo-political and socio-historical events and conflicts that have occurred between the two countries throughout the Modern Era; Countless media outlets portray Russia as the aggressor in the present day situation, and most aim to create sympathy when addressing Ukraine even though many of the hostilities stem from pro-separatist Ukrainian’s themselves; The world needs to take action to create peace in Ukraine by facilitating negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and by assisting the general public in receiving and understanding information regarding the conflict, which will allow the public to appropriately voice its concerns without introducing violence. 

Thesis - Israeli-Palesinian Conflict

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict contains many local and global consequences that affect global relations socially, politically, and economically.

Thesis- Rape in sub-Saharan Africa

Rape, as a weapon in war, continues to reflect the political, economic, and social issues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria even after their initial civil wars; Despite news sources from around the world portraying these rapes as evil, horrifying, and inhumane, the government rarely punishes the offenders; In order to control and decrease rapes in these countries, the international community should take action, instituting programs to help educate civilians and punishing rape offenders for their crime.

Thesis - ISIS

ISIS rose to power due to the instability in Iraq and Syria due to civil wars in Syria, effects from the war in Iraq, and the power of Al Qaeda, and continues to persecute opposing groups, violate human rights, run a caliphate that threatens stability in the Middle East, and hurt the world economy; In addition, almost all news sources, whether from western or eastern countries, portray ISIS as evil and horrible, while the group's propaganda on social media is often censored or removed; Finally, the way to stop ISIS is for the west to refrain from taking military action and allow the Middle Eastern to handle the warfare themselves while instead taking action to hurt the group economically, weakening its power.

Thesis- Syrian Civil War

The negative economic and social impact of the Syrian Civil War has roots of harsh political corruption and environmental conditions, but the damage and extent of the war can be slowed or even halted by short term solutions.

Thesis- HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS has impacted countless nations across the globe, but specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa where it has had social, economic, and political effects on the countries in this region.

Thesis - Globalization and Cold War Effects

The Cold War created widespread effects throughout the entire world, encompassing Europe through the Iron Curtain and Asia through Cold War Paradigms; as recent news stories reflect, the conflict revolutionized the lives of people in three ways: first by creating alliances and divergences that persist to this day, second by transforming social, economic, political, and technological norms, and third by accelerating globalization; finally, the best international response to such consequences is to put past animosities behind by engaging in respectful diplomacy that accepts ideological differences and promotes the freedom of choice, thus taking advantage of globalization and empowering individuals with agency.

Edit: The Cold War generated profound international effects, encompassing Europe through the Iron Curtain and Asia through Cold War Paradigms; as recent news stories reflect, the conflict revolutionized the lives of people by creating enduring alliances and divergences, transforming cultural norms, and accelerating globalization; finally, the best international response to such consequences is to put past animosities behind, taking full advantage of globalization.

Edit 2: The Cold War generated profound international effects, encompassing Europe through the Iron Curtain; as recent news stories reflect, the conflict revolutionized the lives of people by creating enduring alliances and divergences, transforming cultural norms, and accelerating globalization; finally, the best international response to such consequences is to put past animosities behind, taking full advantage of globalization.