Porfolio

9 ARMED CONFLICT AND INEQUALITY

Today there are a high number of confrontations and conflicts, either between countries, or between groups within them. These conflicts are the consequence of the inequalities between states as well as their territories; the majority are due to political and economic causes.

9.1 Politically motivated conflicts

These arise when a state seeks to impose its interests on another state or extend its area of influence. The most frequent ones are: • Territorial conflicts between neighbouring countries. These are caused by disagreements over land or sea borders, or due to claims relating to an annexed border region. For example, the border disputes between Chile and Argentina; the confrontation between

India and Pakistan in Kashmir; the conflicts between the Japanese,

Filipinos and Vietnamese in the China Sea; and the conflict between

Japan and Russia over the Kuril Islands. • Separatist conflicts. These arise when a social group seeks to separate or gain independence from an established country. Sometimes, this type of confrontation has underlying ethnic or religious causes.

Recent examples are South Sudan, which formally separated from the

Republic of Sudan in 2011, the civil war in the Central African Republic, or the Islamist Boko Haram movement in Nigeria.

9.2 Economically motivated conflicts

These are conflicts whose main cause is countries seeking to gain control of territory with extensive natural resources. They are the result of the growing competition between countries to control the increasingly scarce strategic goods: land, water, crude oil, diamonds, hardwoods, etc. Representative examples are the confrontations between Japan and China over the Senkaku Islands (known as the Diaoyu Islands in China), which are eight small islands with important crude oil and gas reserves; the confrontation between South Korea and Japan over the Dokdo Islands (known as the Takeshima Islands in Japan), due to their territorial waters containing natural gas deposits; and also a number of African conflicts (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Democratic Republic of the Congo), which are countries rich in mineral resources such as gold, diamonds, coltan, cassiterite, copper and cobalt.

9.3 Conflict resolution

Military conflicts are a threat to international peace and security. Therefore, the UN and the international community usually endeavour to stop them with embargos and other initiatives. They also try to resolve them peacefully and fairly, through bilateral agreements and by taking them to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The coltan wars

Many conflicts arise from attempts to gain sovereignty over a particular territory, as this provides rights, such as the exploitation of natural resources. In Africa, for example, control over coltan mines has led to more than 60 border conflicts.

Skills progress

Using maps

1 Locate the conflicts cited in the text on a world map. Label each one with the type of conflict.

Resolving conflicts

2 Hold a class debate on what measures could be taken to provide a peaceful solution to military conflicts.

Prepare by finding information on this subject.

Promoting environmental improvements

3 Find out about the so-called

‘coltan wars’: causes, countries affected, consequences, etc. 4 Many military conflicts occur in countries with a low Human

Development Index. Use the map above and the statistical data on the Anaya website, and provide representative examples.

Types of conflicts and their consequences

Conflicts in 2018

Friction points Ongoing con icts Cases that could be resolved

0 1 000 2 000 3 000 km

Type of con ict

Civil Drug traf cking Problems with neighbouring countries Ethnic and religious Jihadi threat Raw materials

Mexico

Colombia Venezuela Mali Ukraine Armenia

Azerbaijan

Turkey

Syria Israel Libya Egypt

Niger Chad Sudan Iraq

Afghanistan Iran

Pakistan

India

Yemen

Nigeria South Sudan Somalia

Central African Rep.

Dem. Rep. of the Congo Myanmar

Some of the consequences

Military conflicts often cause major population displacements which have serious consequences: abandonment of agricultural land, famine, epidemics, violence, recruitment of child soldiers, etc.

CHALLENGES THAT LEAVE THEIR MARK

APPLY

3 The African continent has abundant natural resources. So why is it currently so impoverished?

1 Some 1.2 billion people live on less than $1.25 per day, and 1.5 billion people live in a situation of multidimensional poverty.

What differences are there between these two indicators? What other indicators are used to measure inequalities? 4 According to UN data, the world's 85 wealthiest people have the same combined wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest people. a) Why is economic inequality a threat to human development? b) What solutions to this problem could be implemented to redistribute wealth and welfare? c) Which social groups are most affected by inequalities?

REFLECT AND EVALUATE

2 Study the map and answer the questions: a) Which are the most politically unstable areas in the world? b) How does this problem influence countries' development? c) List other differences between highly and low developed countries and emerging countries. In this unit we will study inequalities in the world. Reflect individually and share in a group the assessment of the activities involved. Download the corresponding rubric at anayeducacion.es

TEST YOUR SKILLS

Take the skills self-assessment test you will find at anayeducacion.es.

Global Peace Index (2014)

Source: Institute for Economics and Peace 0 1500 3000 4500 6000 km

PROTAGONISTS

IN THE PAST Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti

Basic information

Name: Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Period: 1900-1978 Nationality: Nigerian Occupation: teacher, politician and activist I was born when there were barely two months left until the beginning of the 20th century in Abeokuta (Nigeria). After studying for a few years in Nigeria, I moved to England to continue my training, but always with the idea of returning to my country and working as a teacher. In 1922, back in my land, I was not only dedicated to education, I also fought for women’s rights. Upon understanding what aspects were hurting female Nigerian workers who mainly engaged in trade, we started protesting against the control of prices and colonial taxes. After the Second World War, I joined the emerging movement in Africa in favour of decolonisation and independence. After my travels to Russia and Cuba I was accused of being a communist and was prevented from entering my country. In spite of everything, I was part of the delegation that negotiated the independence of Nigeria with the British government, which was finally achieved in 1960. Immediately there were coups that turned my country into a military dictatorship in which violence slowed development. As I get older, I have less strength, but I see that my children now fight for peace and freedom and I admire them. I suffer because in 1978 it seems the only means to silence all conflicts is by force.

NOW City of Joy

Basic information

Name: Women’s attention centre (City of Joy) Date of creation: 2011 Location: Bukavu, city of the Democratic Republic of Congo Founders: Denis Mukwege, Eve Ensler and Christine SchulerDeschryver Objectives: Attend to women, both emotionally and physically who have suffered rape and sexual abuse. The Democratic Republic of Congo is an example of how women are one of the sectors of the population that suffer most from the consequences of war, since, in addition to the horrors of conflict, they suffer from sexual violence. Denis Mukwege is a Congolese gynaecologist who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for serving women who suffer sexual abuse and assault in his country. In 1996, as director of a hospital in Lemera, he witnessed guerrilla groups, from Ruanda, killing thirtythree patients and a large part of the hospital staff. He moved to Bukavu and set up the Panzi hospital in which the first patient was a woman who had been raped. The victims continued to arrive and he found that sexual violence and genital mutilation were not isolated cases, they were used as a weapon of war. In 2002 these experiences led him, together with the German, Eve Ensler and Congolese activist, Christine Schuler-Deschryver to found the reception centre for victims of gender violence called the City of Joy.

QUESTIONS

1 Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti tried to improve the conditions of women dedicated to trade in her country, what kind of taxes do we pay when we buy a product? 2 What do they teach in the

City of Joy? What is the purpose of each of these classes?

Many of the women who arrive at this shelter are pregnant or have children from repeated rapes. In the centre they teach them their rights, to speak English and different selfdefence techniques and various trades. This work has been put in a documentary, called City of Joy, by the director Madeleine Gavin. It tells stories of women who have overcome mistreatment and abuse. The testimonies of Dr. Mukwege and Eve Ensler and Christine Schuler-Deschryver also appear. They work side by side with the victims to create a place that meets their needs and returns a smile to the women who are part of the City of Joy.

CHALLENGES THAT LEAVE THEIR MARK

PORFOLIO

COEXISTING BETTER

Leave your mark The result of the eco-audit expose a series of problems and environmental impacts related to daily activity in our educational centre, which will requiretake actions to modify our consumption habits and, above all, to those of the high school. Thus, using the 'I think, I organise, and I defend my position' technique, each group must publish the last part of the eco-audit. It will include proposals for solutions to the problems that have appeared as a result of our analysis. The appropriate medium for the publication of the aforementioned proposals will be the subject's blog. Although, if possible, it would be impactful to get more publicity with these proposals and post them on the high school website. The finalisation of this process would be to create a list, a kind of Ten Commandments, of green practices to be applied at our educational center.

SPREAD YOUR WORK OUT THERE

When we have finished our work, we will go to the School Council with the intention of giving them the results of the eco-audit and making them aware of environmental problems in our centre and of providing some solutions. In this way, if we get the centre to take action, we will have contributed our part in the global fight for sustainability and against climate change. After the work at our school, we can venture to carry out an eco-audit of the municipality where we live. This will be even more challenging as the areas to investigate will be broader, but the results may also benefit more people. To carry out this action, we could coordinate with other educational centres in our locality and contact the administration and local authorities to propose carrying out this study.

TEST YOUR SKILLS

To test the skills that we have been working on in the digital space, we propose a series of activities, to which you will have to add the existing ones in the resource bank, which will help you reveiw and remember. Through these self-assessment sheets, you will also be able to check the degree of achievement of the skills that you have to develop.

Skill

Linguistic communication

Multilingual

Descriptor Level 4

Expressing facts, thoughts or feelings, orally or in writing.

Understanding and evaluating various sources to learn about and critically report on the environmental consequences of the production of various products. I think my level of oral and written expression in this task has been excellent. What has been created has reached the entire educational community.

Level 3

I am quite satisfied with my level of oral and written expression in this task. What has been created has reached the vast majority of people.

Level 2

I am satisfied with my level of oral and written expression in this task.

Level 1

I think my level of oral and written expression in this task can still be improved.

What has been created has remained among a small circle of close people. What has been created has remained within the personal sphere.

EVALUATE YOUR WORK

At anayaeducacion.es you will find this activity to assess your work.

Appearance Descriptor Level 4

ID I have clearly understood the task entrusted to me at all times.

Connection between activities

Level 3 Level 2

TEAMWORK REVIEW

In anayaeducacion.es you will find this activity to review teamwork.

Appearance Descriptor Level 4

Task delegation

Consensus For the delegation of tasks, the abilities and preferences of each person have been taken into account.

Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Level 1

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