Activ ity 4 Introd uct io n A number of problems can arise from the intersection of geography and politics The world is plagued by numerous conflicts caused by a variety of factors ranging from local and regional responses to the impacts of globalization of the economy Knox and Marston 2004 339 40 to racial religious and ethnic strife to competition for scarce resources The purpose of this activity is for you to become familiar with current political conflicts and to reflect on the causes and cures for some of these conflicts You will use a well respected organization the International Crisis Group and their materials particularly CrisisWatch as well as other sources to accomplish this task Proce d ure 1 Read the bulletin 29 from the International Crisis Group issued on January 2 2006 reporting on the status of conflict situations around the world during December 2005 on the next page In early February watch for the next bulletin available at the web site http www crisisgroup org 2 Map these conflicts one map for December one for January in this fashion Color A locate label and color the nations locations or regions of nations with deteriorated situations Color B locate label and color the nations locations or regions of nations with improved situations Color C locate label and color the nations locations or regions of nations with unchanged situations Color D locate label and color the nations locations or regions of nations on the conflict risk alert Use a symbol to denote any nation s locations with a conflict resolution opportunity 3 Compare the maps and write type a brief summary addressing these questions on a separate sheet of paper Do you observe any patterns in the locations of nations in conflict Can the concept of core periphery help to explain the incidents of conflicts Do you observe any changes from December to January 4 Select any three deteriorated or conflict risk alert nations for December or January and write type a brief summary of the conflict based on your research using the CrisisWatch web site The site includes maps articles updates and links to additional resources Address these questions What is the conflict about What is precipitating the latest crisis In what ways does geography geopolitics resource competition ethnic strife core periphery relations imperialism colonialism neo colonialism decolonization globalization the new world order etc contribute to tensions in each instance Be sure to write these three summaries in your own words Write clearly and succinctly They should be typed and attached to the two maps and answers to 3 Use your textbook Chapter 9 for assistance Geography 201 Human Geography Dr Sarah Bednarz Spring 2006 CrisisWatch Bulletin No 29 from the International Crisis Group January 2006 Eleven con flict situations around the world deteriorated in December 2005 according to the new issue of CrisisWatch http www crisisgroup org home index cf m id 3856 l 1 released today A surge o f violence in Sri Lanka raised fears o f a return to full scale civil war Internal divisions within the ruling Fatah part y helped hardline Hamas win major West Bank cities in municipal elections casting a shadow over the scheduled January general election Nuclear negotiations with North Korea returned to stalemate a fter fi ve months o f apparent progress In Colombia despite an optimistic start to government talks with leftist ELN rebels the Revolutionary Armed Forced of Colombia FARC killed 37 in two of the worst attacks in years against securit y forces In Egypt the final round of parliamentary elections was marred by arrests obstruction and violence as 12 were killed in the 7 December run o f f vote And in China police killed up to 20 rural protesters demonstrating against land seizures for state projects The situations also deteriorated in Bangladesh Chad Lebanon Pakistan and Peru Four conflict situations improved in December 2005 The Democratic Republic o f Congo held its first democratic vote in four decades as an overwhelming majorit y o f the population approved a draft constitution In Afghanistan the first elected parliament in 30 years was inaugurated by President Karzai Bolivia saw the election o f its first indigenous head of state in a free and fair poll And in C te d I voire a fter months o f political deadlock all parties accepted Charles Konan Banny as interim prime minister For January 2006 CrisisWatch identi fies Ethiopia Eritrea Nepal and Sri Lanka as Conflict Risk Alerts or situations at particular risk of new or significantly escalated conflict in the coming month No new Conflict Resolution Opportunities are identi fied for January TRENDS AND WATCHLIST SUMMARY DECEMBER 2005 TRENDS Deteriorated Situations Bangladesh Chad China internal Colombia Egypt Israel Occupied Territories Lebanon North Korea Pakistan Peru Sri Lanka Improved Situations Afghanistan Bolivia C te d I voire DR Congo Unchanged Situations Albania Algeria Angola Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Basque Country Spain Belarus Bosnia Herzegovina Burundi Central A frican Republic Chechnya Russia Croatia C yprus Ecuador Ethiopia Ethiopia Eritrea Gabon Georgia Guinea Guinea Bissau Haiti India non Kashmir Indonesia Iran Iraq Jordan Kashmir Kazakhstan Kenya Kosovo Kyrgyzstan Liberia Macedonia Mauritania Moldova Myanmar Burma Nagorno Karabakh Azerbaijan Nepal Nigeria North Caucasus Russia Northern Ireland UK Philippines Rwanda Saudi Arabia Serbia Montenegro Sierra Leone Somalia Somaliland Somalia Sudan Swaziland Syria Taiwan Strait Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine Uzbekistan Venezuela Western Sahara Yemen Zimbabwe JANUARY 2006 WATCHLIST Conflict Risk Alert Ethiopia Eritrea Nepal Sri Lanka Conflict Resolution Opportunity None NOTE CrisisWatch indicators up and down arrows conflict risk alerts and conflict resolution opportunities are intended to re flect changes within countries or situations from month to month not comparisons between countries For example no conflict risk alert is given for a country where violence has been occurring and is expected to continue in the coming month such an indicator is given only where new or signi ficantl y escalated violence is feared Geography 201 Human Geography Dr Sarah Bednarz Spring 2006