Road to Independence Notes Essay Example for Free

Road to Independence Notes Essay People are reconsidering the policy of colonialism. 1. After WWII, people questioned whether dictatorship was a good idea. 2. â€Å"All nations should be free from the power of other nations. † 3. Keeping colonies had a high cost. It wasn’t worth it. 4. Colonized people pressed harder for freedom. Ex: British-held India II. A Movement Toward Independence A. The Indian’s strive to freedom intensifies. 1. British had power over India for 2 centuries. 2. Britain drafted Indians into WWII in 1939 without the consent of the the colony’s representatives. . Gandhi launched civil disobedience and many who followed were arrested. 4. To gain favor of the Indians, Britain promised government changes after WWII, but didn’t offer freedom. B. Besides colonialism, India struggles with internal conflict. 1. They have religious disagreements. 350 million Hindus 100 million Muslims 2. The Congress Party (aka Indian National Congress: India’s national political party) was made up mostly of Hindus, and a few Muslims. C. The Muslim League is created. 1. The Muslim League (1906) is the organization against the mostly Hindu Congress Party, aimed to protect Muslim interest. . (The leader) Muhammad Ali Jinnah asked all Muslims to leave the Congress party. He would not accept independence from Britain if it meant staying under Hindu rule. III. Freedom Brings Turmoil A. The decision of who receives power is being made. 1. The British lost much wealth after WWII, and was ready to turn over their power, since keeping up with colonies was cos tly. 2. The power will either be given to Hindus or Muslims. B. Muslims resisted Hindu domination. 1. Rioting broke out and in 1946, there were 20,000 casualties in a 4 day clash in Calcutta. C. Pakistan was created. 1. To maintain peace, Britain decided to partition (division of Indian religions into separate nations; idea first brought up by Muslims) India. 2. North western and eastern part of India became Pakistan which was dominated by Muslims. D. Everything in India was being divided. 1. British granted India and Pakistan a month of independence in July 16, 1947. 2. Princes had to decide which nation they’d join. 3. The civil service (courts, military, railways, police) was divided. 4. The differing religions had to decide where to go. E. One million people died during the move to their new nation. 1. Muslims killed Sikhs moving to India. 2. Sikhs and Hindus killed Muslims going to Pakistan. 3. Gandhi went to the Indian capital (Delhi) to ask for mercy, but was killed by a hindu extremist in January 30, 1948. F. Hindus and Muslims fight for Kashmir. 1. Kashmir is at the northern point of India next to Pakistan. 2. It had a Hindu ruler, but the majority of people living there was Muslim. 3. Fighting continued until UN arranged cease-fire in 1949. 4. One-third went to Pakistan (Muslims) and the rest to India (Hindus). IV. Modern India A. India has become the world’s largest democracy. 1. India gained independence in August 15, 1947. 2. Jawaharlal Nehru (the independent nation’s first prime minister) addressed India’s freedom. B. Nehru is the leader. 1. He served the first 17 years of India’s independence as leader. 2. He was a devoted follower of Gandhi. 3. He emphasized democracy, unity, and economic modernization, and became very popular with all Indian groups. C. Nehru pushed India forward. 1. He led newly independent nations into making alliances with other non aligned nations. 2. He reorganized the states by language and pushed for industrialization and social reform. 3. He raised the status of those in lower class (lower castes and women). D. A new leader came. 1. Nehru died in 1964. 2. His daughter, Indira Gandhi, became prime minister in 1966, left office, and was re elected in 1980. E. Challenges set on Indira caused more violent acts and death. 1. Sikh extremists wanted an independent state. 2. The Golden Temple was the Sikh’s religious center. 3. The Sikhs attacked symbols of Indian authority, so Indians troops overran the Golden Temple, killing 500 Sikhs and destroying sacred property. 4. Indira was gunned down by Sikh bodyguards and another murder spree occurred, killing thousands of Sikhs. . Indira’s son, Rajiv, became prime minister, but lost power because of corruption. He was then killed. F. Atal Bihari Vajpayee faced problems. 1. The leader of the nationalist party of India, Vajpayee, faced challenges of overpopulation and strife among religions. 2. The struggle between India and Pakistan was bad, now that they became nucle ar powers. India exploded a nuclear device in 1974. For 24 years, India improved nuclear capability in private. In 1998, 5 nuclear tests were conducted. Pakistanis also showed they had nuclear capabilities. The nuclear weapons of both rival groups became an international concern, especially because of Hindus and Muslims continuous struggle over Kashmir. V. Pakistan Copes with Freedom A. Pakistan was already very turbulent and had differences between West Pakistan and East Pakistan. B. The two regions of Pakistan struggled with each other. 1. A tidal wave hit East Pakistan and killed 266,000 residents in 1970, calling for international aid that West Pakistan was not eager in giving. 2. East Pakistan protested and called to end all ties with West Pakistan. C. Pakistan undergoes its own partition. 1. On March 26, 1971, East Pakistan became Bangladesh. 2. Civil war broke out. Indians sided with Bangladesh and Pakistan surrendered. 3. 1 million people died. 4. One-seventh of area and one-half of the population in Pakistan was lost. D. Pakistan is instable. 1. After the death of the first governor general of India, the nation had no strong leader and went through many military coups. First in 1958 by Ali Bhutto Second in 1977 by General Zia Third Benazir Bhutto, Ali’s daughter, became prime minister. Fourth, Sharif in 1997. VI. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Struggle A. Bangladesh faces many problems. 1. War brought economic and communication issues in Bangladesh. 2. Sheik Mujibur Rahman became the first prime minister of Bangladesh. Interested more in power than making reparations 3. Bangladesh tries to become democratic and fraud and corruption was common. Recently, it has been more stable and Begum Khaleda Zia became prime minister in 2001. 4. Natural disasters were troublesome. Bangladesh (low-lying) is subject to cyclones, tidal waves, massive storms which floods lands, ruins crops, takes lives, and homes. 5. Rapid growth in population put stress on the economy. B. There is civil strife in Sri Lanka. . Sinhalese Buddhists and Tamil Hindus make up the two main groups in Sri Lanka. 2. Tamils wanted to become a separate Tamil nation and violence occurred in order to do so. Rajiv Gandhi and the president on Sri Lanka made an agreement that called Indian troops to disarm Tamil rebels. A civil war between Tamils and Sri Lankans still exists. New Nations in Africa: Chapter 34 Section 3 I. Setting the Stage A. Africa was also a nation victim to colonization. B. Like India, they were unwilling to return to colonization after WWII, so they also won their independence and went on to creating new African nations. II. Achieving Independence A. A movement is made for Black Heritage. 1. The French-speaking Africans and West Indians grew pride for traditional Africa. 2. The Negritude movement (movement to celebrate African culture, heritage, and values) was formed. B. WWII changed the views of colonies and colonizers, which helped Africa gain independence from 1950s-1960s. 1. The African joined Europeans in WWII to defend freedom, and were unwilling to return to colonization. 2. The European colonizers developed morale and wondered whether it was a good idea to still hold colonies. In addition to morale, maintaining colonies was costly and wasn’t viewed as something worth losing money for. C. Africa achieved independence in a unique way. 1. Unlike other colonized areas that pushed for independence, Africa was colonized indirectly and directly. Those who were ruled indirectly were able to enjoy limited self-rule and were ruled by local officials. They achieved independence more easily. Those ruled directly were governed at all levels by foreigners and did not have any self rule. To get independence, they had to fight wars. D. Africa struggled even after they gained their independence. . They had to start from scratch: creating a new gov. , and establishing postcolonial economy. 2. Internal conflicts made it hard create stable nations. When colonized by Europeans, Africa was separated by random and many tribes who shared the same culture were divided and enclosed with rival groups, causing violence. III. Ghana Leads the Way A. The Gold Coast, a British col ony, achieves full independence. 1. The Gold Coast (South of the Sahara) achieved independence, so British allowed for Africans to be nominated for legislative council. 2. However, they wanted full freedom and created a group. . Kwame Nkrumah (leader of the nonviolent group) organized strikes and boycotts, and was also imprisoned many times, (starting in 1947) eventually being able to liberate the Gold Coast from the British government. B. Good intentions called for opposition against Nkrumah. 1. The Gold Coast became Ghana (from the Ghana Kingdom of Africa) after it received its independence in 1957. 2. Nkrumah, the first prime-minister and president for life, pushed for industrialization by building new roads, schools, and health facilities. 3. His programs were too costly, and people began to oppose him. C. Ghana still continues to struggle. 1. Nkrumah was criticized for neglecting economic issues. 2. When in China (1966) he was replaced by the police and army in Ghana. 3. The power shifts between civilian and military rule, and Ghana struggles economically. 4. 2000 marks the first open election in Ghana. IV. Fighting for Freedom A. The British is forced to allow Kenyan self-government. 1. The British were unwilling to give Kenyans independence because they’ve taken over prized farmland in the northern highlands of Kenya. 2. The Kenyans had 2 developments which forced British to surrender. Jomo Kenyatta’s (Kenyan nationalist) strong leadership. The Mau Mau, a secret society of mostly native Kenyan farmers forced out of the highlands by British people. B. The Mau Mau fight for independence. 1. Guerilla tactics were used to push out the British from the highlands. 2. Kenyatta had no connection to the Mau Mau but did not stop them from fighting for their freedom. 3. Kenyatta was imprisoned for about a decade. 4. Kenya was granted independence in 1963, however, 10,00 Africans and 100 settlers died. C. After gaining independence, Kenya still faced some struggles from poor leadership. 1. Kenyatta became the president and worked to reunite various groups in his nation, but he died in 1978. 2. He was succeeded by a weak leader, Daniel arap Moi. 3. Under Moi’s leadership was opposition to his one-party rule, corruption, and conflicts between ethnicities killing hundreds and making thousands homeless. 4. He left office in 2002, and a new party gained power through elections. D. Algeria wins independence through battle. 1. Algeria had a population of 1 million French and 9 million Arabs and Berber Muslims. 2. French did not want to share political power with the natives even after WWII. . The FLN (Algerian National Liberation Front) would fight for freedom, and upon hearing this, the French sent half a million troops to fight the FLN. 4. The FLN won and gained independence in July 1962. E. Uncertainty within Algeria calls for civil war. 1. The FLN leader, Ahmed Ben Bella, becomes president and attempts to make Algeria follow socialism, but is overthrown. 2. From 19 65-1988, Algeria tried to modernize, but failed. Religious fundamentalists wanted to make Algeria an Islamic state because they were dissatisfied with the current government and high unemployment rates. 3. The Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) won elections in 1990 and 1991, but the government and army refused the results. 4. Civil war broke out between Islamic militants and the government, and goes on and off until this day. V. Civil War in Congo and Angola A. The people of Congo were unprepared for independence, and it led to turmoil. 1. Belgians colonized and plundered Congo taking all its riches and resources such as rubber and copper. 2. They gave no social services to the natives of Congo, and did not prepare them for independence. 3. They granted Congo (aka Zaire from 1971-1997) independence in 1960, which cause upheaval, and civil war. B. Congo goes through two leaders. 1. Years of civil war sprung up, and Mobutu Sese Seko (aka Colonel Joseph Mobutu) seized power in 1965. He renamed Congo to Zaire and ruled it for 32 years. He held control over Zaire with force, one-party rule, and bribing supporters with gifts. He withstood rebellions. 2. In 1997, he was overthrown by Laurent Kabila (rebel leader). Zaire was renamed The Democratic Republic of Congo. C. Kabila wasn’t the leader people hoped for, and a new leader rises. 1. He became president and promised a democracy, but never delivered it. 2. Civil war broke out again, and rebel groups wanted to overthrow Kabila. . He was assassinated by a bodyguard in 2001. 4. Joseph Kabila, his son, took power and pushed for peace. 5. Rebels stopped rebelling in 2002 in hope that the peace may come. D. Angola (South West of Congo) fought for independence. 1. Angola was ruled by the Portuguese who were unwilling to let go of their colony. 2. An independence movement broke out and Portugal sent 50,000 troops to end it, which wiped out half of Portugal’s budget. 3. The cost of war and the war’s opposition in Portugal called for them to withdraw from Angola in 1975. E. Civil war broke out in Angola. 1. Angola became a new nation, and the MPLA (Communist leaning â€Å"Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola†) declared itself as the government. 2. Rebel groups fought against the government for power. 3. 50,000 Cuban troops and Soviet Union supported the MPLA. 4. South Africa and the U. S. supported the UNITA (the major opposition to the MPLA; â€Å"National Union for the Total Independence of Angola†) 5. The MPLA and UNITA abandoned many cease-fire agreements, but in 2002, a peace accord was agreed to and the civil war ended. Conflicts in the Middle East: Chapter 34 Section 4 I. Setting the Stage A. By the end of WWII, Jewish finally gained its own state, which proved to have bad consequences. 1. The Jewish gained a state that was located by the Mediterranean Sea. 2. It consisted of mostly Arabs who rejected the creation of a Jewish state. 3. Palestinians claimed Jewish states to be theirs, therefore opposing Jewish states. 4. Wars were fought between Jews and Arabs, and Jews and Palestinians. II. Israel Becomes a State A. Palestinians, Jews, and Arabs all claim the same lands (Israel, West Bank, and the Gaza Strip in modern day Palestine). 1. Jews’ reason: 3,000 before, Jewish Kings ruled the lands from Jerusalem. . Palestinians’ reason: land was theirs since Jewish exile on A. D. 135. 3. Arabs’ reason: their conquest of the lands in the 7th century (600s). B. The Jews wanted to return to Palestine and gain a Jewish state centuries after their exile. 1. The Jewish were unable to gain their own state after their exile, and dispersed around the world (Diaspor a). 2. Zionists (people who favored a Jewish state in Palestine) started returning to their homeland during the 19th and 20th centuries (1800s-1900s). C. A British idea of creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine cause sparks between the Jews and Palestinians. 1. The British directed Palestine (League of Nations’ commands) as a result of the loss of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in WWI. 2. Many Jews were in Palestine, and pressed for their own nation. 3. Palestinians opposed the idea, so when Secretary Sir Arthur Balfour of Britain proposed creating a Jewish state while keeping the rights of non-Jewish communities (Balfour Declaration) and the plan failed, tensions rose between Palestinians and Jews. D. The U. S. and many European nations felt sympathy towards the Jews, who were targeted in the Holocaust, so they devised a plan that would give Jews what they desired. 1. The UN General Assembly voted for partition in Palestine, one part being a Palestinian state, the other being a Jewish state, and Jerusalem being an international city owned by no one. 2. The Jews made up 34% of the population but gained 55% of the land. E. The partition was set, although Muslims and Palestines rejected it. 1. â€Å"The UN has no right to make such a proposal without first consulting the majority who will be affected by it. †- Muslims and Palestinians. 2. David Ben Gurion (leader of Jews in Palestine) announced that the independent nation of Israel was formed on May 14, 1948. III. Israel and Arab States in Conflict A. War broke out between Israeli and Arab states. 1. The first one (won by Israel) was a day before Israel became a nation, where Islamic states (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi, Arabia, and Syria invaded Israel. B. The partition wasn’t fully effective because of fighting. 1. Israel seized half of Palestine in 1948-1949. 2. 600,000 Palestinians left to nearby UN sponsored refugee camps. 3. Arabs also seized Palestinian lands. C. War broke out in 1956 during the Suez Crisis. 1. Egypt seized the Suez Canal. 2. Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egyptian president) sent troops to seized the canal controlled by British because he was angry that the U. S. and British stopped financially supporting Egypt’s Aswan Dam. 3. Britain formed an alliance with France and israel to regain the Suez canal. 4. Israel defeated the Egyptians using air support of their European allies. 5. The war ended when the U. S. and Soviets forced Israel and Europeans out of Egypt, ultimately giving Egypt the Suez Canal by the end of the Suez Crisis. D. Another war broke out in 1967, called the Six-Day War. 1. Nasser and Arab allies, equipped with Soviet tanks and aircraft were ready to confront Israel and close off Israel’s outlet to the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba. 2. Israelis knew Arabs would attack, so the struck airfields in Egypt, Iran, Jordan, and Syria, and ground forces defeated Arab states in this Six-Day War. 4. Israelis gained the lands around them (Jerusalem, Sinai Peninsula, The Golden Heights, and the West Bank). 5. They served as buffers for future attacks. 6. Palestinians living in Jerusalem chose Jordanian citizenship, and others not living in Jerusalem went other Jewish control. E. A fourth War broke out in October 1973, called the Yom Kippur War. 1. Anwar Sadat,(Egyptian president who succeeded Nasser) planned an Arab attack on Israel during Yom Kippur. . Sadat was able to reconquer land lost in the Six-Day War. 3. Golda Meir (prime minister of Israel during the Yom Kippur War) counterattacked and regained most the land. 4. After weeks of fighting, a truce was declared. F. Palestinians pushed for recognition and its own state. 1. The UN had given Palestinians its own state during the partition, but the land given was seized by Is raelis during their vast amount of wars. 2. The PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) was organized by Palestinian officials in 1964, and initially consisted mostly of social workers, like teachers, lawyers. 3. Guerilla fighters then dominated the PLO and insisted that to get what they want, it needs to be done by means of struggle. 4. Yasir Arafat became PLO’s chairman in 1969 and carried out attacks on Israel, which was supported by Arabs, since they were able to operate on Arab land. IV. Efforts at peace A. An attempt of peace was made by Anwar Sadat. 1. In 1977, he declared that Israeli parliament (Knesset) and Arabs make peace, with the terms that Israel returns the land they took in the Six-Day War and recognize Palestinian rights. B. An agreement is reached between the Israel and Arab country. 1. President Carter invited Anwar and the Israeli prime minister, Menachem Begin, to a presidential retreat, Camp David, Maryland, 2. There, Begin and Sadat negotiated, and finally in 1979, Carter announced that Egypt recognized the Israeli state and Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula, in an agreement called the Camp David Accords. C. Peace was maintained even after Anwar’s assassination. 1. Muslim extremists were enraged at his plan for peace, and killed him. 2. Hosni Mubarak maintained the peace. D. Tensions increased between Israelis and Palestinians. 1. The military of PLO intensified its armed struggle with Israel during the 1970s-1980s. . Israel responded by bombing bases of Palestinian towns and invading neighboring countries such as Lebanon, to destroy Palestinian strongholds. 3. Israel became involved in the Lebanon civil war and was forced to withdraw. 4. Palestinians showed their frustration with civil disobedience (using boycotts, attacks on Israeli soldiers, demonst rations, and rock throwing) called intifada (uprising) in 1987. 5. This put global pressure on Israel, which forced them to organize peace talks with Israeli and Palestinian delegates on October 1991. E. The peace talks made little progress, so a new document was made. . Secret talks in Oslo, Norway produced an agreement called the Oslo Peace Accords (Declaration of Principles), which stated that Palestinians have self-rule in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, beginning with the town of Jericho. 2. The agreement was signed on September 13, 1993 by the Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, and Arafat. F. The agreement was hard to work out. 1. A Jewish extremist, who opposed concessions to Palestinians, assassinated Rabin in 1995. 2. He was succeeded by Benjamin Netanyahu, who also opposed the Oslo Accords, but was willing to keep to the agreement. . He met with Arafat in 1997 to discuss Israeli partial withdrawal from the West Bank. V. Peace Slips Away A. The peace agreement is stalled. 1. Prime Minister Ehud Barak (1999) supported the peace plan more t han Netanyahu. 2. (2000) Bill Clinton hosted a summit meeting between Ehud Barak and Arafat in Camp David, but they couldn’t reach a compromise. B. A second intifada was launched. 1. An Israeli political leader, Ariel Sharon, visited the Dome of the Rock, a reverend place for Muslims. 2. Muslims were outraged and broke out a new intifada. 3. The second intifada was much like the first one, but instead, included suicide bombers which called for more bloodshed. 4. The Israelis responded by bombing possible Palestinian refugee camps, where extremist could be hiding. They also bombed Arafat’s headquarters. C. Peace seems far from being reached. 1. Ariel Sharon became the prime minister of Israel in 2001, and refused to negotiate with the Palestinians if the attacks of suicide bomber continued. 2. Israeli officials declared to no longer meet with Arafat, who had strained relations with many Israeli leaders. D. A solution for peace is being worked on. 1. Arafat agreed to lessen his involvement in peace talks, and the first prime minister of the PLO, Mahmoud Abbas, was appointed in 2003. 2. George W. Bush brought together Sharon and Abbas to work on a peace plan called the â€Å"road map. † E. Sharon and Abbas are willing to find a solution. 1. Sharon declared that he looks for the day when Palestinians can govern themselves in their own state. 2. Abbas declares that the goal was for Israel and Palestine to live side-by-side in peace and security. Central Asian Struggles: Chapter 34 Section 5 I. Setting the Stage A. The region of Central Asia changes throughout history because it has been invaded by many powerful groups (Mongols, Byzantines, Ottomans, and the rulers of the Soviet Union. B. The people of this region still tried to keep its culture, and longed to create their own nations. 1. It was made possible with the fall of the Soviets Union. C. They were faced with challenges in making strong independent nations. II. Freedom Brings New Challenges A. Two geographic areas are made. 1. The Soviet Union fell in 1991. 2. Their republics in the south became 15 independent nations which were split into two geographic areas. 3. Transcaucasian Republics (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) lies between the Black and Caspian seas, on the Caucasus Mountains. 4. Central Asian Republics (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan) lies east of the Caspian sea and extends to the Tian Shan and Pamir mountains. B. These independent nations deeply depended on the Soviet Union for economic help, so they could not be independent. C. The Soviets made economic practices which weakened these nations’ economy. 1. Eg: The Soviets made Central Asian Republics available farms grow cotton, and having only a single crop made the economy unbalanced. D. Azerbaijan can receive income through its richness in oil, because of the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are still tapping into their oil reserves. E. Ethnic and religious differences causes conflict. F. With the fall of the Soviet Union, who prevented the nations from fighting because of the ironfist rule, the ethnic groups began to battle. 1. Eg: Azerbaijan (Muslim country), which surrounded Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian Christians), battled the Armenians during 1991-1994 when the Armenians pushed to be a new independent nation. III. Afghanistan and the World A. Afghanistan (mostly Muslim nation), which is the least developed country (it was inhabited by farmers or herders), surprised the world with war against the Soviet Union and U. S. B. Afghanistan had many struggles already. 1. Russia wanted Afghanistan because it was near the Indian Ocean 2. British wanted to protect the northern border of its Indian Empire with Afghanistan’s land, eventually fighting 3 wars prior to 1919. C. Afghanistan tries to modernize. 1. In 1919, Afghanistan declared itself a new independent nation, setting up a monarchy. 2. In 1964, reforms and a switch to a democratic government was proposed. . Officials could not agree on reforms, and people people were not interested in the Afghanistan government, so the proposals did not carry out. D. Communism starts to influence Afghanistan. 1. Afghanistan became stable enough to have ties with the U. S. and Soviet Union. 2. They were nonaligned during the Cold War and received support from both sides. 3. They were closely situated with the Soviets. 4. Military leaders overthrew the government in 1973 and rival groups who had close ties with Soviet communists seized power in 1978. 5. Communism conflicted with Islamic teachings. E. The Afghanis stayed loyal to their religion and did not fall to communism. 1. Those who believed that communism conflicted with Islamic teachings formed a group called Mujahideen, who freely fought and rebelled against the government supported by the Soviets. 2. The Soviets heard about this and tried to conquer Afghanistan in 1979-1980 as a new nation in its communist empire. 3. Afghanistan was supported by the U. S. and used guerilla warfare and their knowledge of the terrain to their advantage. 4. In a bloody 10 year war, the Soviets withdrew, and Afghanistan won. F. With the Soviets gone, rebels groups fought for power, and the victor was the Taliban. 1. They were a conservative Islamic group who were controlled 90% of the country by 1998. 2. They turned out to be Islamic Extremists who made strict rules that controlled every aspect of life (woman could not have jobs or go to school, you couldn’t listen to music or watch TV) and punished those who did not listen (severe beating, amputation, and execution). G. The Taliban played a major role in terrorism. 1. They allowed terrorists to train in Afghanistan. 2. They provided refuge to the al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden. 3. After September 11, the Taliban was asked to give up Osama Bin Laden, but they refused. 4. The U. S. bombed Taliban air defense, airfields, and command centers. 5. The Northern Alliance (anti-Taliban force) was supported by the U. S. and finally was able to overthrow the Taliban. H. Hamid Karzai, the selected leader after the overthrow of the Taliban, would find it hard to stabilize a nation who has been under decades of warfare, and he would also find it difficult to unite a nation with 12 different ethnic groups.

Animal Cruelty and Youth Violence Essay -- Animals Kids Pet Pets Child

There are over seventy million cats and fifty-five million dogs in the United States, yet the number of reported cases of neglect, or abuse is severely lacking (Davidson 1). Animal abuse is an ongoing dilemma in this country; recent studies have indicated child animal cruelty offenders often go on to pursue disturbing acts of criminal behavior. This nation simply does not have standardized legislation across the nation as a preventative method of dealing with this predicament. Many states treat animal abuse too leniently, and this is bad because youthful offenders often times will go on to perform criminal acts later in life, therefore anti-youth violence organizations and animal abuse prevention organizations need to join forces in order to enhance existing laws and to better educate America’s youth. It was not until recently people were first beginning to discover that animals do indeed have rights. Brief History: It was not until 1966 that the nation finally realized these kind creatures could in fact feel pain and neglect, when the Animal Welfare Act was finally passed. According to Congress’s Public Law 89-544 Act of August 24, 1966, the use of animals in lab tests, the transportation, sale, and handling of dogs, cats and certain other animals is now regulated by the Secretary of Agriculture (1). Sample State Animal Cruelty Laws: Nevada: Recently it has become mandatory for Nevada juvenile court systems to obtain some form of psychological treatment for animal cruelty offenders (â€Å"States Look at Stricter Laws† 1). This is great news for the state of Nevada; unfortunately this mandatory regulation does not exist in all states. Idaho and Illinois: According to Howard Davidson, director of the ABA center ... ...t Stricter Animal Cruelty Laws." State Legislatures 27.4 (2001): 8pp. 1 Mar. 2006 . "Pawprint Navigation Bar Image." Retrieved from Google.com on April 1, 2006. . "State Animal Anti-Cruelty Law Provisions." The Humane Society of the United States. 2005. 28 Feb. 2006. . "The Link between Animal Cruelty and Child Maltreatment." APA Center on Children and the Law (June 1998). 25 Feb. 2006 . United States Congress. 89th Congress, H.R. 13881 An Act. Public Law 89-544 11 of August 24, 1996. June 1998. 20 Feb. 2006 . "University at Albany Image." Retrieved from Google.com on April 25, 2006. .

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 15

Hannah's breath was taken away. She hadn't expected a coherent answer from Maya†¦ but she'd gotten one. And she did understand. Maya had devoted her life to keeping Hannah and Thierry apart. Her long life. Her thousands of years. If she lost at this point, that life became meaningless. â€Å"You don't know how to do anything else,† Hannah whispered slowly, figuring it out. â€Å"Oh, enough of the press conference. I know how to do lots of things-you'll find that out. I'm through fooling around with you, cupcake.† Hannah ignored the threat-and the insulting endearment. â€Å"But it won't do you any good,† she said, * genuinely bewildered, as if she and Maya were discussing whether or not to go shopping together. â€Å"You're going to kill me, sure, I understand that. But it won't help you get Thierry. He'll just hate you more†¦ and he'll just wait for me to come back.† Maya had knelt by the backpack, rummaging in it. she looked up at Hannah and smiled-a strange slow smile. â€Å"Will he?† Hannah stared at those red lips, feeling as if someone were pouring ice water down her backbone. â€Å"You know he will. Unless you kill him, too.† The lips curved again. â€Å"An interesting idea. But not quite what I had in mind. I need him alive; he's my prize, you see. When you win, you need a prize.† Hannah was feeling colder and colder inside. â€Å"Then he'll wait.† â€Å"Not if you're not coming back.† And how do you arrange that? Hannah thought. God, maybe she's going to keep me alive here†¦ tied up and alive until I'm ninety. The idea brought a wave of suffocating fear. Hannah glanced around, trying to imagine what it would be like to spend her life in this place. In this cold, dark, horrible†¦ Maya burst into laughter. â€Å"You can't figure it out, can you? Well, let me help.† She walked to where Hannah was sitting and knelt. â€Å"Look at this. Look, Hannah.† She was holding up an oval hand mirror. At the same moment she shone the flashlight on Hannah's face. Hannah looked into the mirror-and gasped. It was her face†¦ but not her face. For one instant she couldn't put her finger on the difference-all she could think was that it was Hana's face, Hana of the Three Rivers. And then she realized. Her birthmark was gone. Or †¦ almost gone. She could still see a shadow of it if she turned her head to one side. But it had faded almost to invisibility. God, I'm good-looking, Hannah thought numbly. She was too dazed to feel either vain or humble. Then she realized it wasn't just the absence of the birthmark that made her look beautiful. Even in the unnatural beam of the flashlight she could tell that she was pale. Her skin was creamy, almost translucent. Her eyes seemed larger and brighter. Her mouth seemed softer and more sensuous. And there was an indefinable something about her face†¦. I look like Poppy, she thought. Like Poppy, the girl with the copper hair. The vampire. Wordlessly, she looked at Maya. Maya's red lips stretched in a smile. â€Å"Yes. I exchanged blood with you when I picked you up last night. That's why you slept so long†¦ you probably don't realize it, but it's afternoon out there. And you're changing already. I figure one more exchange of blood†¦ maybe two. I don't want to rush things. I can't have you dying before you become a vampire.† Hannah's mind was reeling. Her head fell back weakly to rest against the post. She stared at Maya. â€Å"But why?† she whispered, almost pleadingly. â€Å"Why make me a vampire?† Maya stood. She walked over to the backpack and carefully tucked the mirror inside. Then she pulled out something else, something so long that it was sticking out of the top of the pack. She held it up. A stake. A black wooden stake, like a spear, about as long as Maya's arm. It had a nice pointed end on it. â€Å"Vampires don't come back,† Maya said. Suddenly there was a roaring in Hannah's ears. She swallowed and swallowed. She was afraid she was going to faint or be sick. â€Å"Vampires†¦ don't†¦ ?† â€Å"It's an interesting bit of trivia, isn't it? Maybe it'll be on â€Å"Jeopardy!† someday. I have to admit, I don't exactly understand the logistics-but vampires don't reincarnate, not even if they're Old Souls. They just die. I've heard it suggested that it's because making them vampires takes their souls away, but I don't know†¦. Does Thierry have a soul, do you think?† Everything was whirling around Hannah now. There was nothing solid, nothing to hang on to. To die †¦ she could face that. But to die forever, to go out†¦ what if vampires didn't even go to some other place, some afterlife? What if they just suddenly weren't? It was the most frightening thing she had ever imagined. â€Å"I won't let you,† she whispered, hearing her own voice come out hoarse and ragged. â€Å"I won't-â€Å" â€Å"But you can't stop me,† Maya said, amused. â€Å"Those ropes are hemp-they'll hold you when you're a vampire as well as when you're human. You're helpless, poor baby. You can't do anything against me.† With a look of pleasure in her own cleverness, she said, â€Å"I finally found a way to break the cycle.† She left the backpack and knelt in front of Hannah again. This time when the red lips parted, Hannah saw long sharp teeth. Hannah fought. Even knowing that it was hopeless, she did everything she could think of, lashing out at Maya with the strength of sheer desperation. But it wasn't any good. Maya was simply that much stronger than she was. In a matter of minutes, Hannah found herself with both hands pinned and her head twisted to one side, her throat exposed. Now she knew why Maya had forced her to drink vampire blood before. It hadn't just been random cruelty. It was part of a plan. You can't do this to me. You can't. You can't kill my soul†¦. â€Å"Ready or not,† Maya said, almost humming it. Then Hannah felt teeth. She struggled again, like a gazelle in the jaws of a lioness. It had no effect. She could feel the unique pain of her blood being drawn out against her will. She could feel Maya drinking deeply. I don't want this to be happening†¦. At last the pain faded to a drowsy sort of ache. Hannah's mind felt dopey, her body numb. Maya was wrestling her into a different position, tilting Hannah's head back and pressing her wrist to Hannah's mouth. I won't drink. I'll let myself drown first. At least I'll die before I'm a vampire†¦. But she found that it wasn't that easy to will yourself into dying from lack of air. Eventually, she choked and swallowed Maya's blood. She wound up coughing and sputtering, trying to clear her throat and get air. Maya sat back. â€Å"There,† she said, slightly breathless. She shone the flashlight into Hannah's face again. â€Å"Yes.† She looked judicial, like a woman considering a turkey in the oven. â€Å"Yes, it's going very well. Once more should do it. You'd be a vampire now, if so much time since the first we hadn't wasted exchange.† â€Å"Thierry will kill you when he finds out,† Hannah whispered. â€Å"And break his sacred promise? I don't think so.† Maya smiled and got up again, pottering with her backpack. â€Å"Of course, this wouldn't be happening if he hadn't broken his promise to me,† she added, almost matter-of-factly. â€Å"He told me that you wouldn't come between us anymore. But the next time I turn around-there you are! Shacked up in his house, no less. He should have known better.† Hannah stared at her. â€Å"He didn't even know I was there. Maya-don't you realize that? He didn't know-â€Å" Maya cut her off with a gesture. â€Å"Don't expect me to believe anything you say. Not at this point.† She straightened up, looked at Hannah, then sighed. She switched off the lantern and picked up the flashlight. â€Å"I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you for a while, now. I'll be back tonight to finish this little job. Don't worry, I won't be late†¦ after all, I have a deadline to meet. Tomorrow's your birthday.† â€Å"Maya †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I have to keep her here talking, Hannah thought. I have to make her understand that Thierry didn't break his promise. She was trying to ignore the chilling question that ran just under her thoughts. What if Thierry had been serious about what he'd told Maya? If he really wanted to be with Maya as long as Hannah was no longer between them? â€Å"Can't stay; must fly,† Maya said, trilling laughter again. â€Å"I hope you won't be too lonely. By the way, I wouldn't rock that pole too much. This is an abandoned silver mine, and that whole structure is unstable.† â€Å"Maya-â€Å" â€Å"See you later.† She picked up the backpack and walked away. She ignored Hannah's yells. And eventually, when Hannah couldn't see the beam of the flashlight anymore, she stopped yelling. She was in the dark again. And weaker. Drained emotionally and drained of vitality by what Maya had done. She felt sick, feverish, and itchy as if there were bugs crawling under her skin. And she was alone. Almost, almost, she gave in to the panic again. But she was afraid that if she lost control this time, she'd never get it back. She'd be insane by the time Maya returned. Time. That's it, girl, you've got some time. She's not coming back until tonight, so get your head clear and start using the time you have. But it's so dark†¦. Wait. Did she take the lantern with her? She turned it off, but did she take it? With the utmost caution, Hannah felt around her with her hands. Nothing-but then she couldn't lean very far because of the rope. Okay. Try your feet. Carefully. If you kick it away, it's all over. Hannah lifted one leg and began to gently pat the foot down toward the ground. Little pats, slow pats. About the third time she did it, her foot hit something that fell over. That's it! Now nudge it toward you. Careful. Careful. Closer†¦ almost†¦ now around to your side†¦ Got it! Hannah reached out and grabbed the lantern, holding it desperately with both hands like somebody holding a radio while sitting in the bathtub. Don't drop it †¦ find the switch. Light blossomed. Hannah kissed the lantern. She actually kissed it. It was an ordinary battery-operated fluorescent camping lantern, but she felt as if she were holding a miracle. Light made such a difference. Okay. Now look around you. What can you do to help yourself here? But looking around made her heart sink. The cavern she was in was irregular, with uneven walls and overhanging slabs of rock. A silver mine, Maya had said. That meant the place was probably blasted out by humans. On either side of her, Hannah could see more posts like the one she was tied to. They seemed to form a kind of scaffolding against the wall. So miners can get to it, I guess, she thought vaguely. Or maybe to help hold the roof up, or both. And it's unstable. As a last resort, she could simply do her best to bring the whole thing down. And then pray she died quickly. For now, she kept looking. The wall on her right, the only one she could see in the pool of lantern light, was surprisingly variegated. Even beautiful. It wasn't just rough gray rock; it was rough gray rock veined with milky-white and pale pink quartz. Silver comes in quartz sometimes, Hannah thought. She knew that much from her mom's friends, the rockhounds. But that doesn't do me any good. It's pretty, but useless. She was starting to panic again. She had a light, but what good was it? She could see, but she had nothing to work with. There's got to be something here. Rocks. I've got rocks and that's it. Hannah shifted to get away from one that was bruising her thigh. Maybe I can throw rocks at her†¦. Not rocks. Quartz. Suddenly Hannah's whole body was tingling. Her breath was stopped in her lungs and her skin felt electrified. I've got quartz. With shaking hands, she put the lantern down. She reached for an angular chunk of rock on the ground beside her. Tears sprang to her eyes. This is a quartz nodule. It's crystal. Fine-grained. Workable. I know how to make a tool out of this. She'd never done it in this life, of course. But Hana of the Three Rivers had done it all the time. She'd made knives, scrapers, drills†¦ and hand-axes. She would have preferred flint to work with; it fractured much more regularly. But quartz was fine. I can feel in my hands how to do it. †¦ Okay. Stay calm. First, find a hammer stone. It was too easy. There were rocks all around her. Hannah picked up one with a slightly rounded surface, weighed it in her hand. It felt good. She pulled her legs in, set the angular chunk in front of her, and started working. She didn't actually make a hand-ax. She didn't need to. Once she had bashed off a few flakes with long sharp edges, she started sawing at the rope. The flakes were wavy and irregular, but they were as sharp as broken glass and quite sufficient to cut the hemp. It took a long time, and twice she had to make new flakes when the ones she was using blunted. But she was patient. She kept working until she could pull first one length of rope, then another and another free. When the last strand parted, she almost screamed in sheer joy. I'm free! I did it! I did it! She jumped up, her weakness and fever forgotten. She danced around the room. Then she ran back and picked up her precious lantern. And now-I'm out of here! But she wasn't. It took a while for the realization to dawn. First, she walked back in the direction that Maya had come. She found what felt like miles of twisting passageways, sometimes so narrow that the walls almost brushed her shoulders, and so low that she had to duck her head. The rock was cold-and wet. There were several branching passages, but each one led to a dead end. And it was only when Hannah got to the end of the main passage that she realized how Maya had gotten into the mine. She was standing below a vertical shaft. It soared maybe a hundred feet straight up. At the very top, she could see reddish sunlight. It was like a giant chimney, except that the walls were nowhere near that close to each other. And nowhere near irregular enough to climb. No human could get out this way. I suppose they had some sort of elevator or something when the mine was working, Hannah thought dazedly. She was sick and numb. She couldn't believe that her triumph had turned into this. For a while she shouted, staring up at that square of infuriating, unattainable sunlight. When she got so hoarse she could scarcely hear herself anymore, she admitted that it was no use. Nobody is going to come and rescue you. Okay. S(c) you have to rescue yourself. But all I've got is rocks†¦. No. No, I'm free now. I can move around. I can get to the scaffolding. I've got rocks-and wood. Hannah stood paralyzed for a second, then she clutched the lantern to her chest and went running back down the passageway. When she got to her cavern, she examined the scaffolding excitedly. Yes. Some of this wood is still good. It's old, but it's hard. I can work with this. This time, she made a real hand-ax, taking special care to fashion the tip, making it thin and straight-edged and sharp. The final tool was roughly triangular and heavy. It fit comfortably in her hand. Hana would have been proud of it. Then she used the ax to chop off a length of wood from the creaking, groaning scaffolding. All the while she did it she whistled softly, hoping she wasn't going to bring the whole structure down on her head. She used the ax to shape the length of wood, too, making it round, about as thick as her thumb and as long as her forearm. She knocked off a quartz scraper to do the finer shaping. Finally she used a flake to hone one end of the stick to a point. She ground it back and forth against an outcrop of gritty stone to bring it to maximum smoothness and sharpness. Then she held out the finished tool and admired it. She had a stake. A very good stake. And Maya was going to get a surprise. Hannah sat down, turned the lantern off to conserve the battery, and began to wait.

The Day Brain Power Program - 956 Words

7-day brain power program Benefits of brain power Whether you are smart or just a regular human being, as you age your brain gets old too. It means that, somewhere along the way, you will end up losing some of your youthful abilities such as having a great memory, being able to work for long hours, having bright ideas, etc. That is perhaps something we all have to accept (as sad as it may sound). Now, the good news is that you can still preserve a healthy and working brain for long by using the right brain stimulating techniques and of course, living a healthy lifestyle. All these activities briefly quoted above are meant to give you more â€Å"brain power†. With brain power you will enhance your concentration at work, school, home, in other words with just about anything you put your mind into. Your memory will be much better, you will feel more alert and lucid and your enthusiasm will also be stimulated. 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