SCIAF Youth Topics - Conflict
Transcript of SCIAF Youth Topics - Conflict
7/28/2019 SCIAF Youth Topics - Conflict
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ConflictMore than 2,000 children are killed or disabled by war each day, mostly in poor countries.Youth Topics explores the causes and consequences of conflict.
AIM To explore our responses to conflict
Lover or fighter?Conflict isn’t just about wars – it happens
in our own lives. How well do you cope?
Try a light-hearted test and see!
1. You’ve waited for ages at a bus stop in
the rain. When the bus arrives there’s
only room for a few. Someone behind
you pushes past. Do you:
a) sigh but do nothing – it’s not worth it
b) politely say that everyone should wait
their turnc) say nothing but ‘accidentally’ whack
them with your bag
d) yank them back, yelling, ‘Get to the
back, scum!’
2. Your TV programme is interrupted by a
news flash about a war in Africa. Do you:
a) sigh, ‘Will there never be an end to this
terrible fighting?’ and do a little
channel surfing
b) write to your MP saying, ‘here’s another
reason to stop selling weapons to the
Third World’
c) remark, ‘Another job for the UN. Send
our boys in’
d) yell, ‘If they’re gonna fight, we should
nuke ‘em all,’ and start a game of
Streetfighter.
3. You’re at the supermarket quick
checkout where the maximum number
of items allowed is five. The person in
front has 15 items! Do you:
a) ignore it. What’s a few extra minutes?
b) tap their arm and say, ‘Sorry, it’s justfive items here.’
AIM To reveal the extent of conflict and the arms trade
Face the
factsAre the following true or false?
1 More than 20 million people have
been killed in wars since 1945.
2 Seventy per cent of people killed in
wars today are civilians.
3 Nine of the world’s ten poorest
countries have fought armedconflicts in the last decade.
4 One hundred thousand children are
fighting as soldiers in armed conflicts.
5 The UK exports weapons to
repressive regimes.
6 In 1999 global military expenditure
was more than $700 billion.
Answers
1 True. Exact figures are unknown, but
estimates are 20-30 million.
2 False. Ninety per cent are civilians,half of these children.
3 True. War is a major cause of poverty
– in 1996, $2.75 billion worth of food
was lost in Africa due to conflict.
4 False. It’s 300,000.
5 True. In 1998 the UK sold weapons
to 30 of the 40 governments with
the worst human rights records in
the world.
6 True. Yet, for $80 billion, basic health
care and education could be
provided for all, worldwide.
S o u r ces: C a m p a i g n A g a i nst t h e A r ms T r a d e , S t oc k h ol m I nt e r n at i o n al P e ac
e R ese a r c h I nst i t ut e , U n i t e d N at i o nsD evel o p me nt P r o g r a m me , F oo d a n d A g r i c ul t u r e O r g a n i s at i o n
c) lean across to the cashier (sticking your
elbow into the person in front),
shouting ‘Five items here, is it?’
d) shove past saying, ‘Wrong queue! Can’t
you count?’
4. You only drink Fairtrade coffee. A friend
offers you Nescafé. Do you:
a) ask for tea
b) explain about fair trade and offer to
send them some Café Direct samples?
c) accept but spit it out on the sofa saying
‘Pathetic! Can’t you buy Fairtrade coffee?’
d) smash the jar and stomp out, returning
later to daub their walls with ‘Buy
Fairtrade or Die’.
Results
Mostly (a) You’re a happy hippie, who
avoids conflict at all costs. But are you
burying your head in the sand?
Mostly (b) You’re a peaceful person who
confronts injustice in a non-violent way.Ever thought of joining the UN?
Mostly (c) You try to be fair, but you’re like
a bull in a china shop. Chill out!
Mostly (d) Don’t want to bump into you in
a dark alley! Injustices make you angry,
but will fighting solve anything?
DISCUSS Which responses are most likely
to tackle the situations successfully?
Is it important to confront injustices? Can
problems ever be solved with violence?Does the end justify the means?
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