Final Video Project Presentation Questions

1) Describe the issue you selected to make the topic of your film. Why is this a human rights issue? What impact is it having on your nation(s) of focus? Use concrete details to support your answer.

2) What political system is in place in your nation of study? Describe the structure of power, leadership and state of human rights in general in this nation. Be specific and current in your response.

3. Compare the system of government in your nation of focus with one other nation that we studied in class this year. How are they similar/ different?

3. To what extent does the political system in place in your nation of study contribute to the human rights issue featured in your video? What is the government doing to either contribute to the problem or it’s solution. What barriers does the nation and it’s people face in the struggle to resolve this problem?

4. What group(s) rights are most directly violated by this issue? Is this problem widespread or only affecting a minority population within your nation of focus? Explain.


5. Does your issue of focus require a domestic or international resolution? Identify and evaluate one international or one domestic program to alleviate this problem.

6. Identify two editing techniques employed in your video project. How did you achieve these effects? To what extent did these effects fulfill the creative vision of your project?

7. If given a “do over” for this assignment, what would you do differently? Explain.

8. Evaluate the collaboration among members of your production team. How did each member contribute? What challenges did your group face in completing the project? How did you help one another work through those challenges?

9. If you saw the trailer for your film on TV, would you be compelled to see it in the theatre? Why or why not?

UK Test Review and some reminders

REMINDER: If you committed to donating a gift for the children's shelter, PLEASE bring it in tomorrow, Mon. 12/20. If you wrap it please mark with age and gender of gift and intitals if possible. If you still want to give but didn't get a specific gift request, bring anything but mark it appropriately if it's wrapped.

TEST ON UK TUESDAY

Review the following terms and concepts:

Parliament
Prime Minister
Royal Assent into Law
MP
constituency
House of Commons
House of Lords
Peers
Law Lords
Life Peers
Hereditary Peers
Bishops
Ministers
Shadow Ministers
Question Time
Front bench
Back bench
British National Party / Conservative
Labout Party/ Liberal
Liberal Democrats/ New Labour Party
Speaker
Government
Separation of powers between Government and Parliament
Standing Room
Debate
Ratification of Bills (process)
Powers of the Monarch
Selection of Prime Minister
Seating in Parliament
Ping-pong
David Cameron
Gordon Brown
Tony Blair
Members of UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Ulster (Northern Ireland)
Troubles*
Ulster*
imperialism
Irish Republican Army*
Republic of Ireland*

*note- as we just began studying Ireland, there will be very limited and OPTIONAL (as in short answer choices) regarding this topic.

We are in the MAC lab in the Library finishing your political system videos Monday.

Also, be sure to pick up a copy of the Trailer Treatment project rubric from me TOMORROW. This assignment is essentialy a scaffolded proposal for your group trailer final assessment it will be due the Wednesday we return from break, 12/5.

Have a fun and safe holiday with your family and friends. Best wishes and health in the New Year and always. It's a real gift working with the class of 2011 everyday. :)

Comparative Government Human Rights Film Trailer Study

In order to help you think through the format of your Political Issue Documentary or Feature trailer project, you and your Production Team are asked to view and analyze at least SIX trailers from the links below. You must view at least two documentary and two feature trailers. These should be a mix of ametur and professionally produced films.

Features (trailers available for view in large format at www.movies.yahoo.com click on “trailers” or, simply google the title of the film and trailer " ___________ trailer"):

City of God - street children in Brazil
Paradise Now- suicide bombing and the Israeli Palestinian Conflict
Maria Full of Grace- drug trafficking
Osama- women's rights in Afghanistan
Bread and Roses- immigrant worker rights/ labor organizing USA
The Last King of Scotland - dictatorship of Idi Amin in Uganda
Human Trafficking - self explanatory
Taken- Human Trafficking
Slumdog Millionaire- poverty, the caste system and child rights in India
Blood Diamonds- conflict diamonds from Sierra Leone

Documentaries:
The Cove: Dolphin slaughter and illegal fishing practices in Japan
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/thecove/

God Grew Tired of Us: children of war in Sudan: http://www.spout.com/films/God_Grew_Tired_of_Us/261762/921795/trailers.aspx

Born Into Brothels – young women born into sex trafficking in India
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/299929/Born-Into-Brothels/trailers

Sicko: Health care in US and Canada
http://www.spout.com/films/Sicko/284216/35687/trailers.aspx

Afghan Star: investigates how increased access to free speech and the growing popularity of POP IDOL is informing cultural values in Post-Taliban Afghanistan
http://www.afghanstardocumentary.com/watch_sm.html

The Dark Side of Chocolate: Child labor and trafficking in Africa:
http://www.thedarksideofchocolate.org/

The Price of Sugar: Child labor and trafficking in Haiti and Domincan Republic
http://www.thepriceofsugar.com/trailer.shtml


Inheritance - an American woman comes to terms with the Nazi roots of her family's wealth: http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/inheritance/index.html

Various POV doucmentaries are available for view at: http://www.pbs.org/pov/filmarchive.php

Several SHORT documentaries concerning global human rights issues are available for view at:www.mediathatmattersfest.org

Rights on the Line - Immigrant Rights:
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/7/rights_on_the_line_vigilantes_at_the_border/index.php?fs=about

Bread: Poverty in Guatemala:
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/6/bread/

Blog #6: 2nd Marking Period Research Project - Modern Problems and Politics in your Nation of Study

For the final blog assignment of the second marking period you will advance your understanding of the nation you researched for your paper by analyzing recent news articles related to a specific political or human rights issue in that country. The issue or event you select will ultimately shape the film/documentary trailer you will be working on next marking period, so be sure you are genuinely interested in the topic. In addition, it is an EXCELLENT idea to use the issue you've selected for your capstone project if possible. Your research will enhance the international component of that assessment.

You will select and analyze three news articles summarizing the impact of a single poltical or human rights issue in your nation of study.

The articles selected for this assignment must reflect international perspectives (they must be from the media of at least TWO different nations.)

Questions you MUST answer in your summary include:

-WHat are the roots of this problem/conflict?
-Who is being most directly affected?
-Who is responsible or being held responsible?
-How are leaders and organizations working to alleviate this problem?
-How does the structure of power in this nation contribute to or alleviate this problem?

Note: if you haven't completed the first part of this project, please select a nation and move forward with this assignment anyway. I'll be happy to help you chose one - just ask!

Some topics you might like to research include:

-Effects and events of specific wars in your nation of study

-Race based conflict and discrimination

-Women’s suffrage/ voting rights

-Universal suffrage/ voting rights

-Impact of specific leaders and/ or dictators

-Gender parity (difference) and/or discrimination

-Labor issues, strikes, and unions

-Genocide

-Imperial rule and colonialism

-Indigenous/ native rights

-Terrorism

-Health crises

-Human trafficking (may be labor or sex work related)

-Pollution, water and waste management

-Poverty

-Industrialization

-Child rights issues (soldiers, labor, slavery, orphan crises, health crises, education and infanticide (killing of unwanted babies) are some issues you might chose to focus on)


For the purposes of this assignment you must Cite your THREE internet or printed articles in MLA format( http://www.easybib.com/ ) will format citations for you in MLA if you have the necessary information.

No fewer than 200 words - articles must be recent (last 5 years)

This is not a pair or group assignment. Even students who are researching the same issues in the same nation should end up with original articles and ideas.

Due: Tuesday, Dec. 7

Iran Test Review Sheet

REVEW SHEET FOR EXAM #2 : Iran

Be prepared to discuss and distinguish the roles of lall of the following in Iranian government:

Supreme Leader
Parlaiment
majils
Assembly of Experts
Guardian Council
Expediency Council
electorate
constituency
President
Revolutionary Guard
Basiji

Be familiar with the following terms:
imam
cleric
hijab
chador
purdah
sharia law
Islamism
fundamentalism
enlightened despot
modernization
autocracy
republic
theocracy
socialism
communism
imperialism
containment
pan-Arabism

Know the signifigance of each of the following figures/ groups in Iranian history:
Quajar Dynasty
Shah
Mohamed Reza Shah Pahlavi (1941-1978)
Reza Shah Pahlavi (1925-1941)
Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Mahmoud Ahmadinejdad
Neda Agha Soltan

Be familiar with how each of these events/ interests have affected Iranian politics
Cold War
satellite wars/ proxy wars
Iran-Iraq War
OPEC
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company
NATO
Kabul War

Can theocracy be democratic? Analyzing government in modern-day Iran

Article 1 of the Iranian Constitution reads:
The form of government of Iran is that of an Islamic Republic, endorsed by the people of Iran on the basis of their longstanding belief in the sovereignty of truth and Koranic justice, in the referendum of 29 and 30, March 1979, through the affirmative vote of a majority of 98.2% of eligible voters, held after the victorious Islamic Revolution led by Imam Khumayni.

Iran's population is 89% Shia Muslim, 9% Sunni Muslim, and 2% split among Judaism and Zoroastrian (the oldest monotheistic religion). As we learned in class, Iran is a theocratic regime that has democratic elements. (See BBC's "Iran, who holds the power?" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/iran_power/html/default.stm

This week's blog requires you to analyze some primary and secondary source documents on the experiences of religious minorities in Iran.

Directions:
1. Summarize the photo essay "Faces of Iran" that documents religion, tradition and modernization in Iran available at: http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2007/paolo_woods_iran/


What do the photos and narration tell you about the experiences of religious minorities in Iran? To what extent are Iranians expressing their individual identities and beliefs in Iran? How is the government postured on civil liberties (individual rights)?

2. Consider the demographics of modern Iran. In a nation where over 90% of the population is Muslim can one argue that a constitution based on the Qu'ran IS democratic? Further, when a nation overwhelmingly favors one belief system, are democracy and theocracy one in the same? (In other words, does it make sense to have religious law when a vast majority of citizens share the same beliefs?)

This blog is due before class on Friday, November 12.