Terrorism - is there global terrorism?

To IH2103 students in 204, 205 and 206:

For this short class activity, please note you need to view the interactive map at http://www.nctc.gov/site/map/index.html.

You will also need to complete your individual worksheet after discussion with your pair or trio. And yes, you can choose your preferred working partner this time round.

The questions here are in your worksheet. So if you lose your worksheet, you can still respond by referring to the questions here.

The big picture:
Q1. How will you describe the global distribution of terrorist groups? (3 marks, 3 points to make)

Q2. Discuss, using geo-political factors, how terrorist groups survive elimination despite efforts made by the UN, US and local governments to clamp down on them. (9 marks, 3 elaborated points + a case study to illustrate your point)

Focusing on the ASEAN region:
Q3. Read up on THREE terrorist groups in the ASEAN region.
a) Explain their common motivations for staying as terrorists. (6 marks, 3 elaborated points)
b) Are these other means of getting what they want without using terrorism as a method? (4 marks, 2 elaborated points)
c) Discuss the common traits of the attacks they are responsible for. (3 marks, 3 points)

Remembering the hazy days in Singapore during June 2013 (Singapore's role in ASEAN - providing the technologies?)

As many of you can recall from your ("not too long ago") IH module on ASEAN, Singapore exist in a region where peace is actively negotiated at the regional level, where trans-boundary conflicts are constantly being negotiated as and when they arise. The recent haze episode in June essentially brings back the living memories of having to yet negotiate with our neighbors....

The first thing that crossed my mind however was....

BUT, to move on to the real issues of resolving conflicts, as any good diplomats will focus on....













PM Lee Hsien Loong's 20 June press conference on the haze, especially after it hit the unhealthy range for a few days.


Our PM himself took the time to address the nation and assure the population that Singapore will do its best to negotiate with the Indonesia authorities on finding the (Singaporean)companies responsible for any burning.

The video coverage of the environmental ministers who met later on in mid-July 2013.


Amongst the ASEAN countries, Indonesia is the only country that has not ratified the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, but has recently this year reported that they will raise the ratification issue in parliament after causing the PSI to cross into the unhealthy range in Singapore, registering the highest PSI levels above 370s, a historical high in Singapore, and sent Muar, Malaysia into a state of emergency with PSI levels over the 700s range.

Many people in Singapore were angry with the situation and many point fingers at the palm oil companies that were responsible in allowing their workers to persist in using the slash and burn method of clearing plantations and getting them ready for the next batch of palm oil planting.

As Environment Minister Vivian Balakrishnan had pointed out, Singapore's advanced satelite imagery technologies basically provide all the tools available to pin-point the errant companies. Singapore also obviously have to diplomatically work with the other governments in ASEAN to handle the transboundary haze issue.

ACE discussion on Singapore and ASEAN:

Discussion 1:
In your MGs, let's focus on discussing if there were other alternatives Singapore could have taken. Can you agree with the course our Ministers have taken so far?

Discussion 2:
Do you remember a comment made by a senior Indonesian minister that Singapore was "behaving like a child" over the haze situation? Singapore decided not to engage that comment. Think about such diplomacy exercised in the spirit of unity in the region. What kind of character/strength does a government office holder need to show such restrain?

Discussion 3:
Palm oil is actually commonly used in the manufacturing of many food items and sold as "vegetable oil". It is the cheapest form of cooking oil and you can imagine not only most households will buy it, but many food manufacturers use it because of its relative cheap price. The crop needs to be cleared, i.e. slashed and burnt down, after about 25 years of growing, which means there will be smoke produced every time a large tracts of Indonesian palm plantations reach their 25 years shelf lives. Is this something we want to "live with"?

Singapore has recommended naming the errant companies to allow a form of commercial pressure to operate, and possibly make the companies think twice about using the slash and burn method of clearance. How effective do you think this is in place of diplomatic ties? Will you modify your own consumption to avoid food items prepared using "vegetable oil"? 

This looks like a regional problem but it seems consumers like you and I can "do something about it"?

E-learning for 20 August Lesson (GE4102 students)

Dear students,

You would have collected the video comprehension handout from the 13 August lesson. Please watch the following videos (China Children Left Behind - 3 parts), Urban Migration for Young Chinese on the Rise and China's Migrant Children.

The questions for reflections are here, but do note that it has been physically given to you as well in fixed box space (to help control your writing).

Video 1: China Children Left Behind

PART 1



PART 2

PART 3

Video 2: Urban Migration for Young Chinese on the Rise

Video 3: China's Migrant Children

Video 1:

Q1. Explain at least 3 socio-psychological impacts on the children of the migrant workers when they are left behind with their elderly parents.

Q2. Explain 2 main reasons for migrant workers leaving their children behind in the rural areas.

Q3. Discuss 3 issues you think rural Chinese society is facing because of the prevalent rural-urban migration.

Video 2:

Q1. Describe the typical Chinese migrant who will take migrate from rural provinces into cities for work.

Q2. Explain the sociological changes the video is trying to describe.

Video 3:

Q1. What is the social injustice that is happening to the migrant children in Beijing?

Q2. To what extent do you feel the "houkou system" is sabotaging Chinese society? (You can include reflections from the first 2 videos too).

Submission of your physical handout for this activity is essential.
DEADLINE: 21 August 6pm to my pigeonhole (86).

What GE4102 Students need to do on 13 August (Mrs Lim away on training)

Dear Students, (Amendments as of 13 August 3pm)

Please note the order of the lesson should go this way. I will like De Rong to help facilitate the flow.

(first 20 mins)
Please sit in class for the McGee and Latin American Groups to present their powerpoints on delimiting the CBD in their assigned urban model and chosen case studies.

These groups should send in their powerpoints earlier, so everyone gets a copy of the presentations done for this lesson unit on urban models.

(next 100 mins)

Take time to research and create your Diigo cloud library to search out relevant information for your assigned topic. You should focus on searching and annotating using 1 common user you can create for the purpose of this activity. You should watch the demonstration video and play around with the interface. It's not too difficult to figure out how to do highlights, put in sticky notes, and send the library as a link to me.

A tip to deal with PDFs - you can cut and paste the text into a blog entry OR you can capture images directly.

Link to your migration lesson handout: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0NH1U79c6yJVmlneXAyU2RqX0E/edit?usp=sharing

Administration:

1. Collect back Assignment 1(marked)
2. Collect Model Answers for Class Activity and Assignment 1
3. Collect Print Outs of Urban Models Group Presentations (if everyone emails me their presentations then)
4. Collect Handout for E-learning activity (Video Comprehension) and Tutorial Assignment 3 on migration (Data Response Questions and Essay Question) to be done during E-learning Day. Tutorial 3 is "class work". Assignment 3 is graded work to be done in place of lesson.
5. Remind representatives of Tutorial 2 readings on fertility and mortality rate to input answers for the class to have a collective summary. Link here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SsS53C0r1sP6AUL-cJ2RFr68l-MOJo6IOU3qULWo_Ig/edit?usp=sharing 

Deadlines to meet in the next 2 weeks, submit work to pigeon hole 86:

By 16 August 6pm: 

• Tutorial 2 collective answers should be filled up. If representatives do not fill this up, the whole class does not get answers to Tutorial 2.
• Migration topic has been granted a week's extension as requested.

By 21 August 6pm:

• Submit your Assignment 2 (3 essays) in physical copy to my pigeonhole. Assignment 2 (soft copy) is available here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0NH1U79c6yJTWFKRVpkaFJfdW8/edit?usp=sharing Please note that you were issued this assignment on 6 August.
• Submit E-learning activity handout (video comprehension). This is a physical submission of the handout given on 13 August. You are expected to watch the videos, and capture your own reflections. This should only take 1 hour.
• Submit via email to madzious(@)gmail.com (1) link to your Diigo library and (2) 2-page handout on assigned migration topic in DOC.Format.

By 23 August 6pm:

• Submit Assignment 3 on Migration DRQ to my pigeon hole. This is a physical submission of your written responses. Also note, this is to be done as part of the lesson time allocated for E-learning and part of the 1 hour of the allocated lesson time ought to be spent on this assignment.

To be continued: E-learning Activity will be posted soon over the August long weekend.