Blog Post 4

D.W.

H.M.

C.J.

K.W.

October 14, 2013

Blog Post #4

Fisher, R. J. (1997). Training as Interactive Conflict Resolution: Characteristics and Challenges. International Negotiation, 2(3), 331-351. doi:10.1163/15718069720848004

            The Scholarly Article we found was titled “Training as Interactive Conflict Resolution: Characteristics and Challenges.” The First six pages were the main pages that were of importance to our group and the topics we had. The author gave in depth detail regarding the different types of ways to resolve conflicts and which ways are best to go about solving certain conflicts. The main key point that the author was trying to make was that the main way to solve an international conflict is to focus on any internal conflicts that the nation is faced with. If you can analyze those internal conflicts and find the roots and the outcomes of the internal struggles, than you can find the cause and solution for the international struggle.

This article relates to Scottish Independence because the author of the scholarly article talks about ways to solve an international conflict that relate to the ways the Scottish are going about their conflict. For example, Donald Fisher, author of the scholarly article, mentions that you must solve any internal conflict a nation has in order to relate it to an international conflict and create a resolution. By looking deep in to Scottish history, it is easy to make a connection with this statement. The Scottish have been controlled by England for about a thousand years and the main concern that the Scots had with this is that they felt that their rights were being taken away. They wanted their independence and, by the British not giving them this right, the Scottish felt as though their human rights were being taken from them. Therefore, the Scottish as a nation wanted freedom, which being the internal conflict, led to a conflict between the two separate nations, creating the international conflict.

Ronald Fisher’s article titled Training as Interactive Conflict Resolution: Characteristics and Challenge, explains how to resolve conflict. Fisher suggests that in order to resolve an international conflict two parties must both come to an agreement about the core conflict that became international.  The ongoing war in Egypt is an internal conflict that causes a division between the people in Egypt. In order for this war to avoid becoming international, the people along with the government must touch base without the unnecessary aggression. Due to the reckless behavior such as several protest , and rioting by the Muslim brotherhood along with former president Morsi and citizens of Egypt who approved of the military’s over turn of government, the conflict has resulting in the deaths of many citizens. In order to peacefully resolve the governmental issues the people of Egypt must agree on a structure of government and a leader who satisfies all of the people in Egypt.

The point of Ronald Fisher’s article, Training as Interactive Conflict Resolution: Characteristics and Challenge, is to emphasis that to solve international conflicts you must solve the internal conflict that reside that may exist. This relates to my conflict because the Tibetan quest for autonomy has led to both nonviolent and violent protest around the world, where dozens of people have been hurt during the demonstrations that focus on the lack of human rights responsible by the Chinese government toward Tibetans.  If a solution on the human rights issue can arise in which both parties find a solution that are mutually agreeable then they can eventually and successfully resolve the sovereign debate. Thus, putting to an end to all the protest on the issue.

The article written by Robert J. Fisher indicates a couple points that are specific to my conflict because Fisher indicates this point of identify the root cause. The root cause of my conflict is a history of prejudice policies created by the government. The way America thinks is that we cannot have any more people of color within this country. The article that Fisher writes does not talk about how the government is this racist organization but it does talk about how when you look at the internal conflict you get the ability to negotiate. The article indicates that internal conflicts are caused by economic instability, and structural inequalities which is the root cause of things like institutional racism. This article’s concept of internal cause and effect is the basis of most articles that try give meaning to things like racist government policies used to control movement. In conclusion this articles spot on assumption of structural instability is the exact reason why Latin Americans migrate towards lands where they believe that they have a chance where in fact they are put at disadvantage like the other people of color.

Law and Violence

IDIS: Information Literacy

14 October, 2013

Law and Violence

            The law can contribute a big deal to how crime is just, simply, ignored. The government and/or the police do not put all effort into stopping crimes and, sometimes, actually contribute to breaking the law. In the article, Law and Violence, author, Christoph Menke discusses how the law is supposed to put an end to crime, but it, merely, does not. The article states, “Law is justified violence” (Menke, 2010, Pg.1). Law is power and too much power could be taken advantage of. Many political figures ignore the violence that takes place in their cities, but avoiding a situation does not make it better. “Law is about power, its own power” (Menke,  2010, Pg.1).

            My conflict, the Mexican government vs. the Mexican drug cartels, relates to the article in many ways. The article states that the law is not doing its best to stop crimes and that is, also, what was stated in another article about the Mexican government. Enrique Pena Nieto is the president of Mexico and believes that should work closely with the U.S. in terms of the drug war, but has so far failed in that effort and actually distanced himself farther from the U.S. Nieto’s effort is not what is expected from a president that is supposed to care for the well-being of his country. Menke (2010, Pg.1) writes, “That the concept of law entails the idea of justified violence and that this is the formula of a problem, not of a solution” (Menke, 2010, Pg.1). The law is not doing their best in order to prevent the crimes that are committed, but they are not trying hard enough. (P.C)

    In the Colombian Drug War, rebels and guerrilla members have united over the past several decades based on the idea of not following government law.  They have been very successful in their very violent and illegal activities.  Menke states in this article that “law is justified violence” however it is through the greater cause of this violence to enforce the law.  Violence is the opposite of law, in the Colombian Drug War it is clearly seen that the violent members of the cartel are acting primarily to overthrow the law that has been established.  “And I say this as the president of the country that has suffered more deaths, more bloodshed and more sacrifices in this war, and the country that has also achieved more results in the fight against this scourge and the mafias that underpin it.”  Colombia’s current president, Juan Manuel Santos recently shared this statement with the press.  He shows his determination to end this ongoing conflict, and has two ways to do so.  He is allowing the guerrillas to decide if they would like to accept Colombian law, or it will be forced upon them through violence.  This is one of the main idea’s of Menke’s article.  (D.G.)

    This article relates to the Trayvon Martin case in many ways. One of the things that stand out the most about it is the quote “Law, so its critics say, does not show a way out of violence; it only continues it in a different way,” (Manke, 2010, pg 1). I relate this quote based off of the reaction that arose after the reading of the verdict. There were many protests and press conferences that were saying that Zimmerman being found not guilty if a form of injustice. Manke is saying that even though the law is here to “help”, it doesn’t always do the good it was supposed to, sometimes doing the exact opposite and in the end, the law will always be a contradictory system. (D.B.)

This article relates to my conflict City gang violence “Chicago” because it is dealing with violence in general. In the article it says “law is itself a kind of violence; because it imposes a judgment that determines its “subject” like a curse” (Menke, 2010, para. 3). This is showing how laws and violence is like a curse because you can never get rid of it. Being in a gang is like having a curse because there is no way out of it. (B.J)

My conflict, The BART shooting of Oscar Grant, relates to the article because in paragraph 2, the article focuses on the comparison of the two statements. It reflects on how the law is supposed to reduce violence and be so against it, yet they bring it into the world themselves. The writer states that the law itself is a kind of violence and that the decision making could exert violence both physical attacks and inner violence which reflects back to my conflict. The officer who shot the victim in my conflict made a decision along with a judgment, a judgment who most define as a racial thing. The purpose that the officer gives about even confronting the victim was because he was bringing violence to citizens however, was it right to fight violence with violence? No. in an end result, there was a dead body on sight, Oscar Grant. Because of the incident, there then were riots, protests, many which ended in violence and plenty of deaths. The law doesn’t grasp the fact that their actions and decisions that they make will have an effect on future events. If the one officer of the “law” genuinely wanted to follow the law and make the streets a better and safer place, he would have played that incident out differently. This just goes to show how much the “law” is being valued or just human rights in general. It appears to me that the law is being less and less valued as time goes on.   (T.B.)

This article relates to my conflict, gang violence, because it shows how the law effects what happens to the gangs and the gang members in terms of how they are brought to justice because the law is the deciding factor in what happens to them after they commit these violent crimes “law is the opposite of violence, since legal forms of decision-making disrupt the spell of violence generating more violence.”(Menke, 2010, Pg.1). Law and violence always seem to go together because violence always seems to follow the gangs and the law. The police or the law are always trying to find the gangs or gang members that terrorize certain neighborhoods of Washington D.C. and in order to do this it ties back to how you can’t really completely get rid of the violence with the gangs because it constantly follows them. (F.C.)

 

References

Menke, C. (2010). Law and Violence. University of California Press, 22(1), 1-17.

Free Tibet March

http://www.fromthefrontrow.net/2010_03_01_archive.html

 

The following picture shows a protest march that advocates the autonomy of Tibet from China. This picture was created as to show the deep level of dedication Tibetans feel toward their quest.

hidden reality

This picture is of a shattered family. The father is completely covered and whited out. This artifact was created to represent what happens to families after a member is deported. The creators purpose was to give a visual view of what the family feels. As the old saying goes a picture tells a thousand words , this picture shows feeling and emotion all wrapped in one. this picture tells me that my conflict is a serious topic after all it can destroy lives.

http://bataraonimmigration.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/a-cry-for-help-the-hidden-deportation-of-u-s-children-to-foster-care/

“University Of Texas Conservative Students Hold Affirmative Action Bake Sale”

At university of Texas conservative students had a bake sale which displayed a table that says bake sale and have different prices for the same items depending on your race. This image was created to show how they believe affirmative action works. The creator’s purpose for making this image was to show how some people might actually be offended by affirmative action. Also another purpose they was trying to show was that affirmative action is still reverse racism/discrimination even if it’s supposedly be for the better. This image let me know it’s still some animosity about how the ruling of Fisher V. University of Texas case ended. This image also expands on the idea that many other people feel the same way as Abigail Fisher even people who are attending University of Texas today.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/affirmative-action-bake-sale_n_4025362.html

Primary Source: Dokdo Academy Protestors

http://dokdonetwork.or.kr/gnuboard4/bbs/board.php?bo_table=aca_gallery&wr_id=409&nca=

This image shows a group of South Koreans protesting near the islets of Dokdo/Takeshima. The people in the image are holding up parasols with the South Korean flag on them as well as two parasols that say, “독도는우리땅,” which translates to, “Dokdo is our land.” To the right of the parasols, a banner states that the group of protestors are from Dokdo Academy, a non-profit organization that educates others about Dokdo/Takeshima.

This photograph was most likely taken to show the international community that there are young South Koreans who care about Dokdo. The point that the protestors are trying to prove is that Dokdo belongs to South Korea, not Japan. In addition to this photograph, dokdonetwork.or.kr provides many other photos of South Korean protestors near Dokdo. This photo shows that protesting and providing information to other citizens about Dokdo are important to many South Koreans.

BART Police Shooting of Oscar Grant

BART Police Shooting of Oscar Grant

This video I am presenting is from YouTube by 4MEGAtainment. The video shows three different videos from the night of the killing of Oscar Grant. The video also shows news reports and Oscars family and parents of his friends speaking on the incident followed by footage from a riot in Oakland provoke because of the killing of Grant and injustice of the verdict. It showed true emotion and passion from people who did know and people who had never met Oscar a day of their life. 

Primary Source: Washington D.C. Gang Violence

Link: http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/how-washington-dcs-illegal-alien-friendly-policies-promote-gang-violence-and-child-rape/

This picture shows an illegal immigrant that is getting arrested for gang activity and violence in the Washington D.C. area. The purpose of this picture is to show how gang activity leads to people getting into trouble with the law because of the violent crimes that these gangs commit. The value of the picture tells me that my conflict is still an issue that the people of Washington D.C. are still dealing with constantly because gang activity exist in many neighborhoods in D.C.

The Killing Joke (Not the Graphic Novel)

The image I found was taken after the verdict of the Trayvon Martin case was announced. It was an image of George Zimmeran smiling and shaking hands. This photo was taken to show the reactions of the opposing side after such a powerful case. This is relevant to the Trayvon Martin case because there were many reactions and speculations as to why he was smiling. Was it because he was happy that he was found not guilty? Or was it because he got away with murder? So the question remains: what was the killing joke?

Gangland- “Gangster City”

http://youtu.be/PjKp4VWy1RY

This is a video from History channel show called “Gangland” it tells the inside stories of some of America’s most notorious street gangs.

 

Purpose: To give information about one of Chicago’s most notorious street gang the “Gangster Disciples”. To learn how they’ve shaped their times and affected the neighborhoods that they controlled.

 

Value: This video shows how gangs ruined Chicago. The video describes Chicago as if it was like a war zone filled with a bunch of rival gangs. Local gangs had people in fear of stepping out of their own doors.