Sunday, December 2, 2007
http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/health-report.cfm, http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2007-10-28-voa2.cfm
I listened two podcasts - "What is Your Favorite Song About Autumn?" and "Debating the Teen Brain". First podcast was quite easy, I listened it once and the speaker spoke quite slow. On the other hand, I found some new words. Despite of this, it was interesting and enjoyable podcast with beautiful music and not difficult speech. Second podcast was slightly more difficult. I listened it once but there was much more unknown words. However it was interesting and informative podcast too. Summing it up, I understood that I am not prepared for exam and I should listen much more if I want to pass my exam.
Terrorism
Terrorism in the modern sense is violence or other harmful acts committed or threatened against civilians for political or other ideological goals. Most definitions of terrorism include only those acts which are intended to create fear or "terror", are perpetrated for an ideological goal, and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants. Many definitions also include only acts of unlawful violence.
As a form of unconventional warfare, terrorism is sometimes used when attempting to force political change by convincing a government or population to agree to demands to avoid future harm or fear of harm, destabilizing an existing government, motivating a disgruntled population to join an uprising, escalating a conflict in the hopes of disrupting the status quo, expressing a grievance, or drawing attention to a cause.
Terrorism has been used by a broad array of political organizations in furthering their objectives. Both right-wing and left-wing political parties, nationalistic, and religious groups, revolutionaries and ruling governments. The presence of non-state actors in widespread armed conflict has created controversy regarding the application of the laws of war.
Terrorism can be classified into six categories: civil disorders– a form of collective violence interfering with the peace, security, and normal functioning of the community. Second category is political terrorism – violent criminal behaviour designed primarily to generate fear in the community, or substantial segment of it, for political purposes.
Third - non-political terrorism – terrorism that is not aimed at political purposes but which exhibits conscious design to create and maintain high degree of fear for coercive purposes, but the end is individual or collective gain rather than the achievement of a political objective.
Fourth category is quasi-terrorism – the activities incidental to the commission of crimes of violence that are similar in form and method to genuine terrorism but which nevertheless lack its essential ingredient. It is not the main purpose of the quasi-terrorists to induce terror in the immediate victim as in the case of genuine terrorism, but the quasi-terrorist uses the modalities and techniques of the genuine terrorist and produces similar consequences and reaction. For example, the fleeing felon who takes hostages is a quasi-terrorist, whose methods are similar to those of the genuine terrorist but whose purposes are quite different.
Fifth - limited political terrorism – genuine political terrorism is characterized by a revolutionary approach, limited political terrorism refers to acts of terrorism which are committed for ideological or political motives but which are not part of a concerted campaign to capture control of the State.
The last category is official or State terrorism – referring to nations whose rule is based upon fear and oppression that reach similar to terrorism or such proportions.
Many opinions exist concerning the causes of terrorism. They range from demographic to socioeconomic to political factors. Demographic factors may include congestion and high growth rates. Socioeconomic factors may include poverty, unemployment, and land tenure problems. Political factors may include disenfranchisement, ethnic conflict, religious conflict, territorial conflict, access to resources, or even revenge.
As a form of unconventional warfare, terrorism is sometimes used when attempting to force political change by convincing a government or population to agree to demands to avoid future harm or fear of harm, destabilizing an existing government, motivating a disgruntled population to join an uprising, escalating a conflict in the hopes of disrupting the status quo, expressing a grievance, or drawing attention to a cause.
Terrorism has been used by a broad array of political organizations in furthering their objectives. Both right-wing and left-wing political parties, nationalistic, and religious groups, revolutionaries and ruling governments. The presence of non-state actors in widespread armed conflict has created controversy regarding the application of the laws of war.
Terrorism can be classified into six categories: civil disorders– a form of collective violence interfering with the peace, security, and normal functioning of the community. Second category is political terrorism – violent criminal behaviour designed primarily to generate fear in the community, or substantial segment of it, for political purposes.
Third - non-political terrorism – terrorism that is not aimed at political purposes but which exhibits conscious design to create and maintain high degree of fear for coercive purposes, but the end is individual or collective gain rather than the achievement of a political objective.
Fourth category is quasi-terrorism – the activities incidental to the commission of crimes of violence that are similar in form and method to genuine terrorism but which nevertheless lack its essential ingredient. It is not the main purpose of the quasi-terrorists to induce terror in the immediate victim as in the case of genuine terrorism, but the quasi-terrorist uses the modalities and techniques of the genuine terrorist and produces similar consequences and reaction. For example, the fleeing felon who takes hostages is a quasi-terrorist, whose methods are similar to those of the genuine terrorist but whose purposes are quite different.
Fifth - limited political terrorism – genuine political terrorism is characterized by a revolutionary approach, limited political terrorism refers to acts of terrorism which are committed for ideological or political motives but which are not part of a concerted campaign to capture control of the State.
The last category is official or State terrorism – referring to nations whose rule is based upon fear and oppression that reach similar to terrorism or such proportions.
Many opinions exist concerning the causes of terrorism. They range from demographic to socioeconomic to political factors. Demographic factors may include congestion and high growth rates. Socioeconomic factors may include poverty, unemployment, and land tenure problems. Political factors may include disenfranchisement, ethnic conflict, religious conflict, territorial conflict, access to resources, or even revenge.
Racism
According to UN Iternational Conventions, "the term "racial discrimination" shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life." This definition does not make any difference between prosecutions based on ethnicity and race, in part because the distinction between the ethnicity and race remains debatable among anthropologists According to British law, racial group means "any group of people who are defined by reference to their race, colour, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origin".
Racism exists at three main levels: individual, institutional and cultural. Individual racism takes the form of individual attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviours. Racial prejudice, bigotry, belittling and jealousy are examples of racist attitudes. Examples of racist beliefs are racial stereotypes, the belief that some races are better than others and even the belief that people can be classified according to race in the first place. Violence, name-calling and discrimination in hiring are examples of racist behaviour. Institutional or systemic racism takes the form of the practices, customs, rules and standards of organizations, including governments, that unnecessarily disadvantage people because of their race, color or ethnicity. They do not always involve differences in treatment. Educational requirements that are not related to actual job duties are an example. Cultural racism are the cultural values and standards that disadvantage people because of their race, color or ethnicity. Examples are cultural expectations as to the race of a company president and the cultural standard for what a beautiful, trustworthy or competent person looks like.
What can we do to stop racism? First of all, we can take part in activities marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination every March 21 or join organizations dealing with issues of racism and human rights. What is more, we can suggest that our local newspaper publish a special section on the racial and cultural diversity of our community, create a speakers bureau of persons willing to speak about racism and human rights.
Finally, everyone of us can explore ways in which community organizations can work together to promote positive race relations.
Racism exists at three main levels: individual, institutional and cultural. Individual racism takes the form of individual attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviours. Racial prejudice, bigotry, belittling and jealousy are examples of racist attitudes. Examples of racist beliefs are racial stereotypes, the belief that some races are better than others and even the belief that people can be classified according to race in the first place. Violence, name-calling and discrimination in hiring are examples of racist behaviour. Institutional or systemic racism takes the form of the practices, customs, rules and standards of organizations, including governments, that unnecessarily disadvantage people because of their race, color or ethnicity. They do not always involve differences in treatment. Educational requirements that are not related to actual job duties are an example. Cultural racism are the cultural values and standards that disadvantage people because of their race, color or ethnicity. Examples are cultural expectations as to the race of a company president and the cultural standard for what a beautiful, trustworthy or competent person looks like.
What can we do to stop racism? First of all, we can take part in activities marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination every March 21 or join organizations dealing with issues of racism and human rights. What is more, we can suggest that our local newspaper publish a special section on the racial and cultural diversity of our community, create a speakers bureau of persons willing to speak about racism and human rights.
Finally, everyone of us can explore ways in which community organizations can work together to promote positive race relations.
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