Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Kite Runner: Building Context


(due as a comment to this post; worth a quiz grade; 0 to + holistic scale)


Part A: Click here to visit the CIA's World Fact Book. Peruse the Afghanistan page on this site and respond to the following questions:

1. What are the top eight agricultural products? What product is #1? 
2. What is the life expectancy rate? What is the infant mortality rate? What deeper issues are typically reflected in these statistics?
3. How many kilometers of coastline does Afghanistan possess? How might this number have contributed to the country's history?
4. Identify the transnational issues that Afghanistan faces. 
5. Construct a thesis statement that encapsulates the essence of the Afghan nation (both its assets and its challenges). 

Part BClick here to visit The Boston Globe's "The Big Picture: Afghanistan". View each photograph (use your judgement for the objectionable pieces) and read the corresponding footnotes. Choose the most powerful image to prompt a piece of short fiction. Write a descriptive passage that embodies the "show vs. tell" technique.

Part CArticle: "Hazaras: Afghanistan's Outsiders" (9 pages). Produce a thesis statement that encapsulates the author's message and illuminates the deeper meaning of the text.

Part D: FOR EXTRA CREDIT (QUIZ): Click here to view the Frontline Program: "The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan". Take notes and prepare to participate in a Discussion Facilitation that will include this topic.

If you happen to finish early, please proofread your work carefully. 



45 comments:

Unknown said...

Blog assiment
Part A The eight products that are used are in order Opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, and lambskin. Opium is the number one product. The life expectancy is about 50.49 years. The infant mortality rate is 117.23 deaths per 1000 live births. The deeper issues is how the numbers are affected if the rate is high then that means that there are less medicine and doctors to take care of the infants and the new mothers. The resources that are used to create new and improved hospitals is very low, the countries that general have more money have a lower mortality rate because they have the resources to keep the citizens alive.
Part A 3 Afghanistan is completely landlocked mean that the county did not have a very big trade route with western civilization. The county was left alone from western civilization until the 1960’s
Part A 4 The transnational problem or issue is terrorism, The Taliban, a Pakistani-sponsored movement in 1994, then after The September 11 terrorist attack the US launched a joint military operation to stop the terrorists. Which in turn left the county in ruins just like what Russia did in the 90’s.
Part A 5 Afghanistan has many problems that were not their own until Russia invaded, Afghanistan major problems is the Taliban, and the only way to stop the enemy is to have the people of Afghanistan fight the Taliban. The people of Afghanistan have been at war during the 1970’s through now.
Part B The image that shows part of Afghanistan life and its impact on the Western world in an image of a US Army soldier with the 101st Airborne Division being fired upon by the Taliban on September 11, 2010. It shows that no matter how many years after the attack on September 11 the enemy will still attack The United States and try to kill our citizens. The battles that have been fought over the years is no big city that has hundreds or thousands of troops fighting, its small town with only a hand full of terrorists fighting. The US soldier is well armed meaning that he has the resources to fight the Taliban and defend his position even though he is most likely outnumbered because it is just him fighting off the enemy.
Part C From the article The Outsiders written by Phil Zabriskie, he describe that the main reason that there is inequality in the middle east is because of the different religions in the regions people are willing to kill for their different religions, and the most powerful religion is controlled by the Taliban. Phil Zabrikie shows different scenarios and what’s happening to its citizens by showing that everyone, the people of Afghanistan are blaming the Hazaraen people for all their problems, it is not the Hazaraen people fought it is the ruthless dictator that rule Afghanistan with an iron fist

Laura said...

Part A:
1. The top eight agricultural products are opium, fruits and nuts, hand woven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, and precious and semi-precious gems. Opium is the number one product.

2. The life expectancy of males is 49.17 years and the life expectancy of females is 51.88 years. The infant mortality rate is 117.23 deaths for every 1,000 live births. Deeper issues typically reflected in these statistics include poor living conditions, such as starvation, poor hygiene, lack of clean water, as well as many diseases that may make one vulnerable in such conditions.

3. The zero kilometers of coastline Afghanistan possesses makes the country as a whole reliable on other neighboring countries for trading more closely, which in turn has contributed to the country’s history. Without coastline, transportation becomes limited and the opportunity to develop industrially is hindered. Afghanistan might have spiked instances of border disputes and other conflicts with surrounding countries because it is a landlocked country that is visited by many outside people traveling through.

4. Afghanistan faces issues about their border with Pakistan and Iran. It is currently a source and destination for men, women, and children in trafficking. Although adopting an anti-trafficking plan in 2013, Afghanistan has not made much progress in controlling it. Because the country is the number one producer of opium in the world, drug wars are common. The Taliban inside the country use this as their key way of gaining revenue. Russia is particularly concerned with drugs that may be smuggled into its country.

5. Despite the countries recent recovering from decades of conflict, Afghanistan still remains unstable and must rely highly on foreign aid, in order to address the lack of medical care, infrastructure, and the extending of trade.

Part B: image #24
The sound of cackling filled the air as my feet moved swiftly towards the bird. Feathers floated down from the air as I triumphantly walked along. No more pestering, no more men being tripped, and now no more seconds to be spared. We were up in the air now, being thrown against the compacted earth. Nothing could be heard other than the ringing in my ears. Nothing could be seen other than the cloud of dust that spit us and parts of others out.
Part C:
Depicting the country’s history of discrimination towards the Hazaras, Phil Zabiskie utilizes narrative journalism to highlight the cultural, agricultural, and educational differences between the Hazara and the rest of the country in order to elicit hope that the country can be saved by this oppressed culture as the reader learns that “much more than the fate of the Hazara people is at stake.”

Eric Sanford said...

Part A
1. What are the top eight agricultural products? What product is #1?
Opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, and lambskin are Afghanistan’s top 8 agricultural products, with opium being #1.

2. What is the life expectancy rate? What is the infant mortality rate? What deeper issues are typically reflected in these statistics?
The life expectancy rate in Afghanistan is about 43 years on average. The infant mortality rate is 165 per 1000, which is extremely high, with even higher rates on mortality of children under 5 years old.

3. How many kilometers of coastline does Afghanistan possess? How might this number have contributed to the country's history?
There are zero kilometers of coastline in Afghanistan, meaning the entire country is landlocked, so it may have suffered from loss of connection to the surrounding world without the ability to trade and travel by sea.

4. Identify the transnational issues that Afghanistan faces.
-The steady drug trade of opiates is a major cause for concern, both internally and internationally.
-Afghanistan is used as both transit and destination for human trafficking of forced labor and sex slavery of men, women, and children.

5. Construct a thesis statement that encapsulates the essence of the Afghan nation (both its assets and its challenges).
Overrun with war and instability, Afghanistan endures such serious problems as human trafficking for manual and sexual labor, an overpowering opium trade, and devastating terrorist activity, leading it to become a nation of challenges to the world at large.

Katie Folan said...

Part A
1.Opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins. Opium is the number one product.
2.49.1 is the average life expectancy. 117.23 deaths/1,000 live births is the infant mortality rate. Deeper issues include hunger, poverty, little access to medicine, unsanitary conditions, and disease.
3.0 km of coastline- they have no access to the sea for trading, fishing, and navy defense.
4.International disputes about borders, refugees and internationally displaced people, labor and sex trafficking, and illicit drugs
5.Despite an improved economy and gains toward a more stable central government, Afghanistan still faces economic and political issues as it is a poor, landlocked country that depends largely on foreign aid and has a weak government and high levels of corruption.
Part B
A man in a green camouflage uniform with a name and a red, white, and blue flag stitched on the right arm wears black medical gloves as he carefully dabs with white material at the bright red wounds on a young boy’s face. The boy’s right arm and dirt-covered hand fall over his face, which is scrunched up in pain, as his other hand clutches onto a greenish-gray material. The young boy lies shirtless, his prominent ribs on display, on a dirty, white-checkered sheet with wooden walls behind him.
Part C
As Afghanistan’s best model of what is possible, the Hazara symbolize the hope of a new era as they rebuild after persecution and decades of war; however this optimism of a new era “is tempered by past memories and present frustrations,” leaving the fate of the Hazara people and more at stake.

Unknown said...

A. 1.The top eight agricultural product s of Afghanistan are Opium, Wheat, Fruits, Nuts, Wool, Mutton, sheepskins, and Lambskins. The number product is Opium.
2. The life expectancy of Afghanistan is 50.49 years old. The Infant Mortality Rate is 117.23 deaths/100,000 births. The quality of the living in the country is poor. There is no essentials in the country for proper life. It is also a country under attack, which means that there are many more deaths than there would be in the United States due to fighting.
3. There is 0km between coastlines in Afghanistan. The country is landlocked. This means that it is easier to invade and take over than most countries. Being landlocked also makes importing and exporting products into and out of the country very difficult.
4. International disputes, trafficking in persons, and eliciting of drugs are the transnational issues that Afghanistan faces.
5. Based on its poor life expectancy, vulnerable geographic location, and transnational issues, Afghanistan has a very poor future outlook, for its nation and the residents residing in the country.

B. Awakens by the shouts of Afghan protestors, Hubar arises from his bed and opens his curtains to see smoke rise high up and out into the atmosphere.
" Not another day of this", Hubar exclaimed.

He reaches down and puts on his glasses and changes into clean clothes. He heads downstairs to eat a hot breakfast made by his mother. He finishes the meal and puts his plate in the sink. It is a typical weekend for Hubar. He plans on reading for school and then heading out into town with his friends to watch as the protestors burn tires and block highways. It is usually a humorous sight to see. He loves watching the Afghans scream and shout and sometimes even get into fist fights that end up in blood puddles surrounding the loser of the battle and the arrival of the local cops to end the bought.

The protest is a result of an American Churches decision to burn copies of the Quran at Jalabad. This is not sitting well with many Afghans.

Hubar's day consisted of finishing his religion book for class then going into town. He spent his day people watching. He watched as a man robbed another man at a market and proceeding to run right into a cop. It was the highlight of Hubar's day. As the day came to a close he walked home with his friends and admired the beautiful sun as it was setting over the mountains just on the horizon. It made him think back to much simpler timer in Afghanistan, without the war and without the protests. He missed old Afghanistan and was ready to lead a charge to bring it back.
C. Shifting from devastation to optimisim, the author of, "The Outsiders", Phil Zabriske conveys brutal oppression, newfound beliefs, and poor geography to show the hope of Afghanistan rests in the hands of the Hazaras.
John Munger

Unknown said...

Part A- 1. The top eight agricultural products are opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, and lambskins with opium being the number one product.
2. The life expectancy rate is 50.49, and the infant mortality rate is 117.23 deaths/1,000 live births. These statistics are due to the unclean water, diseases such as malaria, lack of food, and medical care.
3. Afghanistan has 0 kilometers of coastline because it is landlocked. Afghanistan is surrounded by other countries, and because of this they are at a disadvantage. Other countries could easily invade.
4. Some transnational issues include the selling of illicit drugs, exploitation of children such as forced labor, and prostitution.
5. The Afghan nation is struggling with high mortality rates, due to disease, lack of food, and lack of medical care.
Part B- Blinded by the sun, there is no telling whether the sun is coming up or going down. The glare of the sun and the huge clouds of dust make it difficult to see what is going on. Afghans are riding bicycles in these dust clouds on a dusty road in Kabul, side by side with some other cars. The people are silhouettes, and in the background, mountains and trees can be seen.
Part C- In the article “Hazaras: Afghans Outsiders” Hazaras are being treated like outsiders due to the history and religion differences; the author wants this to change.
Part D. Frontline followed Dastager and got on the inside of the bacha bazi network. They prey upon poor families and orphaned boys mostly twelve to thirteen. Bacha bazi is the ritual in which boys dress up in women’s clothing and dance for men. If any of the men saw a boy they liked they would be able to purchase the boy. This practice is outlawed and considered taboo considering that it is a form of slavery. Even so, there wasn’t too much being done to sop it (until now). The biggest issue was that most of the authorities took part in bacha bazi. Shafiq, a boy of eleven who only looked nine, was one of the boys Dastager took. Dastager paid the family for Shafiq to dance and stay with him. He kept Shafiq for a year, 6 months of learning and 6 months of dancing. Shafiq only saw his family every 3 months. The boy ran away after a visit with his family. A story was made up saying he died by a “stack falling on top of him.” He was eventually found alive and was relocated with his father in a hidden location.

Emily Brogan said...

Part A: Click here to visit the CIA's World Fact Book. Peruse the Afghanistan page on this site and respond to the following questions:

Part A: The top eight agricultural products are opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins. Opium is the number one exported product. The life expectancy rate is 50 years, and the infant mortality rate is 117 deaths to each 1,000 births. This shows that living conditions over there are not very good if the life expectancy is so low. The country is entirely landlocked, meaning that it can be affected by other neighboring nations who are impoverished, at war, etc. Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey; Iran protests Afghanistan's restricting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during drought; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries Encompassed by other struggling nations and riddled with war and low life expectancy, Afghanistan poses as a harsh living environment for all citizens involved.

Part B: As the sun rises on the morning of Operation “Glued Finger 2”, French soldiers are staked out behind a “haphazardly-built” (that is what they said. I do not know what it means) stone hut - my home - in the village of Dwakoleh. I did not ask for them to come here. When I prayed and hoped and fasted for a change, I meant for an end to the war. Insha’Allah, please end the suffering. My goat is my only treasure, and my husband is barely making enough money to support having her… Allah, please, send help.

Part C: Living in an inhospitable nation as a minority and outsider to their own people, the Hazaras face a life of incomparable struggle as they coexist with a privileged, majority Pashtun people.

Unknown said...

Part A
1. What are the top eight agricultural products? What product is #1? The top eight are wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, and lambskins with opium being the number one product.
2. What is the life expectancy rate? What is the infant mortality rate? What deeper issues are typically reflected in these statistics?
A) 50.49 years
B) 117.23 deaths/1,000 live births
C) This usually points to lack of infrastructure and available health services.
3. How many kilometers of coastline does Afghanistan possess? How might this number have contributed to the country's history?
Zero and this may have to some extent isolated it from the rest of the world which is why Afghanistan today is not as industrialized as some other counties in the world.
4. Identify the transnational issues that Afghanistan faces.
A) Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey; Iran protests Afghanistan's restricting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during drought; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries
B) Refugees: 16,825
C) Internally Displaced Persons: 667,158
D) Trafficking in persons: Afghanistan is a source transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking, although domestic trafficking is more prevalent than transnational trafficking
E) Illicit Drugs: world's largest producer of opium
5. Construct a thesis statement that encapsulates the essence of the Afghan nation (both its assets and its challenges).
A) Struggling to regain stability after the over throw of the Taliban and the election of Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan is going to redouble its efforts to reform its economy, empower the central government, and restructure its interior in order to face the current issues in the country.

Unknown said...

Part B
The bright sun bored down on me and the rest of my squad as we walk this blasted desert landscape. “At least they gave us sunglasses” I thought. When the Navy told me I’d see the world, when I signed my life away, I didn’t think a desert in a landlocked state. But none of that matters at the moment as we approach a little town, village more like, in this country we find ourselves in. When suddenly a loud volley of CRACKs cut through the silence in the air and dozens of little plumes of dirt kick up around all of us. The fire is coming from a ridge to the left of the road we were marching on. The sergeant barks at us to get to cover but Johnson is hit and goes down. I turned to run toward him to help since I’m the corpsmen of the group thus trained to handle the wounded. Yet as soon as I turn my head to look at him a sharp pain and the taste of blood fills my mouth. A bullet had torn across my lip and exited through my cheek. My head whipped back and rushed to meet the ground. Vibrations shook the ground and the incoming fire seemed to slacken. One blurry object came in front of him and brought me up to my feet as the words “Medic!” echoed across in my ear. Once my vision steadied and my senses returned I found out a Medevac helicopter was coming for me and Johnson. During the wait I dress Johnsons wound, a shot though the left bicep, and hold some bandages to my own face. What a start for my first deployment.
Part C
Shifting between the regions past events and the current lives of the Hazara people in Afghanistan, Phil Zabriskie in his article Hazaras: Afghanistan's Outsiders uses primary sources, third person point of view and a professional tone to show both the struggles Hazara face in Afghanistan along with the new opportunities that are available to them in this age.

Eric Sanford said...

Part C
Focusing on the struggles of a historically oppressed group of people in Afghanistan in this article, Zabriskie uses sympathetic narration, important data, and a cautiously optimistic tone in order to not only explain the ordeals of the Hazara people, but to also humanize them to western readers who may have difficulty empathizing with their difficult situation.

Eric Sanford said...

Part B
Image 12
The quick moving white spot of a bird stood out against the still, cloudless sky over the grey landscape. A grey mountain in the distance overlooked the grey hills, upon which stood the little grey houses. Abdul knew many of those houses had been left empty after an air strike a few months ago. He remembered the day well, as it had been only a day after his eleventh birthday. Smoke and fire turned the houses bright red and yellow, before leaving them dull and crumbling, without life. He remembered the fear he felt, huddled with his mother and siblings, unable to understand why this terrible thing was happening. Thankfully the chaos had ended, and a large group of army men from America had taken to living in the village, helping the wounded, and occasionally investigating boxes and bags left on the roads. The bird cried out, bringing Abdul back to the present. He was starting to feel hungry and wanted to get home in time for dinner, as his mother had promised to make his favorite, mantu dumplings with beef and onions. He watched the bird soar in the sky, and suddenly wished he too could fly away from this grey village. A rusty pickup truck lay abandoned at the side of the road, a common sight, so Abdul delayed it no mind. His eyes continued to follow the bird as he neared the truck. "Almost home," he thought as he passed the rusting vehicle, but a sudden flash of white and a deafening noise cut this thought short.

Unknown said...

Emily Durst
Part A:
1) Top Eight Agricultural Products
a) Opium
b) Wheat
c) Fruit
d) Nuts
e) Wool
f) Mutton
g) Sheepskins
h) Lambskins

2) The life expectancy rate is 50 to 51 years. The infant mortality rate is 117.23 deaths/1,000 live births. Issues such as poor quality of life, poor healthcare, poverty, and lack of access to physicians can be reflected in the statistics.

3) There are zero kilometers of coastline, or in other words, Afghanistan is landlocked. This means that the country could not reap the monetary benefit from trading overseas. Also, Afghanistan would be more susceptible to invasion by other countries.

4) Iran protests Afghanistan’s restriction of the flow of Helmand River tributaries during drought season. Iran has invaded Afghanistan and built fenced around tribal areas, allowing illegal activities to occur such as the housing of foreign terrorists. There is also smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Asia.
Afghanistan is currently home to almost 17,000 Pakistani refugees and over 667,000 internally displaced Pashtuns and Kuchis.
Afghan men, women, and children are often trafficked to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Women from the Philippines, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and China are trafficked to Afghanistan for sexual exploitation. Afghanistan is currently on the Tier 2 Watch List for these issues.
Being the world’s largest producer of opium, militant groups like the Taliban participate and make revenue in the opiate trade.

5) Reaping economic gain from opium, crops, and animal products, Afghanistan thrives off of its agricultural exports despite its social issues and lack of resources.

Part B:
Photo 39: Zachary Powell is consoled by his father as he grieves for his older brother. This photo shows the true grief behind losing a loved one to war. Depicted is a small child, about five years old, crying in the arms of his father. The look on the boy’s face is one of pain and sadness while the man tries to console his child. The way the man and child are dressed tells the viewer that they are at some sort of funeral procession. Out of focus in the background is a picture of a soldier in his uniform below an American flag, the sign of a fallen hero. Altogether, the photo shows the tragic loss of a loved one that far too many American families experience.

Part C:
Depicting the difficult journey of an ethnic group through religious persecution in his article “Hazaras: Afghanistan’s Outsiders”, Phil Zabriskie conveys the struggle of the Hazaras through the telling of Taliban inflicted violence, Genghis Khan’s role in Hazaran ancestry, and the liberal steps being taken to make life better for Hazaras in a country wracked with turbulence.

Anonymous said...

Ariana Bruno

Part A
The top eight agricultural products of Afghanistan are opium, wheat, fruit, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin and lambskin. The main agricultural product is opium. The life expectancy of Afghani people is around fifty while the infant death rate is about 117: out of 1000 which is a lot compared to the United States at 8: out of 1000. The country of Afghanistan is landlocked and doesn’t hold any coastline. This contributes to the countries lack of resources and possible isolation. Many transitional issues in Afghanistan include the tension with surrounding countries such as Pakistan over border control, sex trade and opium production. The sexual exploitation of women and children in Afghanistan is at an extreme high along with forced labor of children, the country’s opium production also fuels the world’s drug problems in the rest of Europe and Asia.

Afghanistan captures the image of a successful yet militaristic torn country, through their tense global issues and unlawful business representation. The exploitation and slavery of its people for sex and labor lead to a highly populated country with a brief life expectancy and mediocre quality of life for a vast majority but a seemingly thriving country.

Part B
Walking up to the helicopter with my camera and my notepad I am accompanied by American soldiers Dan Bradford and Sean Harold, through the rubble of concrete and sand we quickly approach the evacuation helicopter. I can see a man unmistakably an enemy man who is being treated in the helicopter. There were wires and fluids hooked up to him all over his body, like an alien who crash landed into a scientists’ laboratory the man looked fearful but angry. I asked the soldiers if I would be able to take a picture of the man for my article I was writing, they replied with answers that seemed fitting for a person of the opposing forces. With my camera in hand I nonchalantly took a picture when the man wasn’t looking, thankfully he wasn’t because seconds later after lowering my camera I caught him staring into my eyes. I stared back knowing we were both wondering the same thing… why would the United States army save a prisoner of war instead of killing him? We were fighting them anyway what’s one less person to the cause? I guess I knew if it were the other way around the situation may have been different but at the same time all’s fair in love in war, right?

Part C
Through the determined and hopeful eyes of the Hazara people of Afghanistan, Phil Zabriskie writes of how the most oppressed and judged population may be able to unify and resurrect the corrupt violent government and make changes in favor of those being persecuted.

Elliot Ariola said...

Part A:
The top 8 agricultural products are opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, and lambskins. Opium is the top product.
The life expectancy rate is 54.9 years. The infant mortality rate is 117.23/1000 births. Life expectancy is low compared to other countries, there is probably malnutrition due to the repercussions of war.
There is no coastline, Afghanistan is landlocked. It is difficult to export and import goods resulting in a difficult self sustained economy.
Afghanistan faces international issues such as, disputes, refugees and internally displaced persons, trafficking in persons, and eliciting drugs.
Though Afghanistan flourishes in its opium market production resulting in high profit, it faces many international challenges of which weapons are not the solution, only its detriment.
Part B:
photograph 1) On September 14, 2010 an Italian NATO soldier sits cautiously inside Heart’s prison. Equipped with his weapon and gun he is ready for the worst. His shades are over his eyes as the sun casts its shadow from the prison. A trifecta of Afghan boys walk by all all showing different expressions. Angered and life threatening, the youngest of the boys holds his toy weapon drawn pointed at the guard. A smile from the eldest of the boys shows only play, while in the eyes of the youngest, wishes the worst.

Part C:
Depicting the difficult lives of the oppressed Hazaras in The Outsiders, Phil Zabriskie utilizes war-stricken imagery, encapsulates multiple characterizations, and creates a hope-seeking mood, in order to convey a sense of helplessness yet emerging faith, of future leaders to bring Afghanistan “beyond the mindset of war.”

Unknown said...

1. The top eight agricultural products are Opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, and lambskins. Opium is the number one product.

2. The life expectancy rate in Afghanistan is 50.49 years. The infant mortality rate is 117.23 deaths and 1,000 live births. One issue is that they are losing more boys than girls at birth.

3. Afghanistan doesn’t boarder any coast. This effects them because it makes is extremely hard to trade with other countries, also makes is harder to get supplies.

4. The transnational issues that Afghanistan faces are rising at a high rate. Some awful things that are happening are forced labor and sex trafficking. Due to the high content of opium drugs in Afghanistan have become a huge part of the countries life style.
5. Living in Afghanistan has its pros and cons for everyone. Having a high infant death rate is definitely a negative aspect of the country but has a lot of opium which interest some people. As a whole Afghanistan is a poor place to live due to peoples standards.

Part B: The picture that stood out most to me is when the three French soldiers were invading this hut and a nearby citizen is just standing by barley paying attention to what’s going on. If something like this happened in the US where soldiers were about to invade a house with assault rifles people would run in terrier where this lady appears to be comfortable with the situation like it happens regularly. This image is very powerful and gives the French soldiers a lot of respect.

Part C: In “Hazaras: Afghanistan's Outsiders” Phil Zabriskie utilizes powerful imagery, diverse characterization, and unsettling mood, in order to change Afghanistan “beyond the mindset of war.”

M. Eisnor said...

Part A
1. What are the top eight agricultural products? What product is #1? Opium is number one. Others include wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, & lambskin.
2. What is the life expectancy rate? What is the infant mortality rate? What deeper issues are typically reflected in these statistics? Life expectancy is 50.49, infant mortality is 117/1,000 births, and the deeper issues that reflect on these statistics is the lack of medical developments and war in the country.
3. How many kilometers of coastline does Afghanistan possess? How might this number have contributed to the country's history? Afghanistan is landlocked which leaves it open for land wars on all sides of the country.
4. Identify the transnational issues that Afghanistan faces. Afghanistan faces many issues involving human rights and dealing with decades of war and terrorism.
5. Construct a thesis statement that encapsulates the essence of the Afghan nation (both its assets and its challenges). The Afghan nation has both assets and issues among the people, including valuable agricultural exports and also social issues due to instability and violence.

Part B
Picture Two- The Blue Door
Its quite, I can only hear each of us breathing. I stand behind my two fellow country men; they are my friends, soldiers, young men, new fathers. We have been together since out unit was deployed from France. They tell us the war is almost over. They tell us the war is almost over but here we are, standing outside of this blue door, assault rifles ready as sweat clings to my thin body armor. No longer do I know if I sweat from the hot Afghan heat or if its from nerves; everything in this foreign place seems dangerous. Just last week we heard about an entire convey being taken out by a string of roadside bombs, and just yesterday we were told about an ambush as a small group of American soldiers, much like ourselves, barging into an average looking house filled with Taliban. There were no survivors. The locals however do not seem alarmed or concerned, for many of them they do not remember a life before war ravaged this desert like country. I see an elderly woman watching us and I wonder if she and this blue door will be the last things I see. Behind this blue door could hold a small family eating breakfast or a father and son praying together. Maybe there is no one even in this house. Behind this blue door could hold men with dusty but deadly riffles, aimed for our heads, eager to kill us in the name of the Taliban, or maybe an improvised explosive device ridged to the door so it will blow up whoever dares to open the door. I hold my breath and clutch my weapon as the sudden destructive sound of the blue door being kicked down ripples through my ear drums and we rush inside.

Part C
Phil Zabriskie's article, Hazaras: Afghanistan's Outsiders, illustrating a shift from a struggling country to images of hope for Afghanistan, Zabriskie uses past and present events, multiple view points, and constructive imagery to show how Afghanistan has developed and changed as a whole through out the years.

Unknown said...

Question 1:
1. opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
2. life expectancy- 50.49 years infant mortality rate -117.23 deaths/1,000 live births . Deeper issues include the not fit living conditions and unfair treatment of women bearing five or more children by their mid-twenties.

3. None. The country really has no access to the rest of the world via ocean. It's surrounded by other countries which bring their issues into Afghanistan.
4. Boundary alignment, Refugees and internally displaced humans, trafficking in persons, and illicit drugs.
5. Being landlocked between six countries can prove to provide issues politically, socially,and environmentally,making the country unappealing to live in and also very tough to live in due to limited resources and mistreatment of the citizens.

Question 2:

Her brown curls created a curtain over my eyes, her soft voice soothing me to sleep. Never could I have imagined her voice being only a memory. My mother was real to me, she protected me and gave me her all through hard times of war and told me one day I would live a happy life,a peaceful successful life.Her words would always keep me strong.
Once my mind has meandered it's way into a dream of a better country, a better people,a life of more than 50 years, I realized something wasn't right. I could hear my father, who had returned late from work. He sounded worried, though he normally did being obsessed with tracking the war and gathering intelligence of the next village to be attacked.Lately it seemed as if Afghanistan would gain no hope, no victory in this battle for a better life. That's all I'm ever told. The outside countries, America, France, Scotland, they'll bring us peace. It seems to me as though only war and violence have been brought to my country.
Suddenly I'm woken by my father. "We must leave our village. I love you and we must move now."
I'm soon running with other, running and screaming. That's all I hear, screaming. My father was a little behind with my mother at the time the RPG hit.I was no longer running or screaming. Instead I lay on the ground, unable to move and unable to speak. Maybe 10 minutes went by, my head was throbbing with pain and the majority of my body was covered in dirt and blood. I soon felt my body lift from the ground.Maybe it's my time to go; maybe I'm dead. That's all I can remember before my world went black; my curtains closed, and I accepted fate.
Fate has a funny way of showing sometimes, because I woke up breathing next to my father with American soldiers giving me help. They eased my pain which came in awful flashes. I recognized most of them, being from the team of Marines in my village. All I could think of was how my country needed to get better. This attack was the beginning of my secret involvement. From this moment forward I would do anything to stop the war and bring back the many innocent citizens who have given their life, not for defeat, but for victory. (Image 26)

Question 3:

Depicting discrimination and social injustice among the Hazara people in Hazaras: Afghanistan's Outsiders, Phil Zabriskie utilizes present day people and their situations, the beauty and images of the land, and facts on the ongoing fight for equality to convey a sense of hope in the Hazara community and spread awareness of the unfair treatment of the hardworking people who provide a safe district for each other and support their government's needs, and it's a story to be shared for , "It's the story of the whole country. It's everybody's story."

Unknown said...

Part A)
1) fruit is the #1 product, but the top eight is fruit potatoes , nuts, wheat , berries fish , meat , greens
2) Afghanistan life expectancy at birth is 50.49
3) Afghanistan coastal line- 652,230
4) they experience cross boarding and weapon smuggling along with other sorts of goods

5) Afghanistan has broad idea about real world violence and day to day struggles that part of the world endures every day, the challenges they have are education and food and access to clean purified water.
Women don’t have rights nor will they ever so respect is a rare unheard of thing over there. Violence is all they really know.


Part B)

The picture that jumped out at me the most was the Italian soldier and the little boy holding the gun because that child looks no older than 7 years old and he is holding a loaded gun and aiming it at someone. Here in the U.S that situation would never occur. This photo tells us that kids are exposed to real violence at an extremely young age.

C) In this article the author portrays that people of Afghanistan struggle with violence and education and the exposer they have to war on a daily bases. The deeper message that the author is trying to get to the readers is not every person in Afghanistan is a bad guy who causes a war outbreak.


Melissa Potvin

Jensen Bramwell said...

A) 1. opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
2. Life expectancy- 50.49 years
Infant mortality-117.23 deaths/1,000 live births
Issues- Sanitation, disease, water
3. O km, landlocked so there is no access to ports, ships, or trading.
4. Transnational issues- boarders, refugees, trafficking, and drugs
5. Despite the struggles Afghanistan faces with poverty, disease, mortality, and overall lifestyle, they remain a great exporter of energy, mainly from hydroelectric plants.

Jensen Bramwell said...

B) As the woman slowly exits her home to feed Betsy, the goat, she is surprised to see 3 armed men waiting at the front door. The woman was just trying to reach her pink scarf, but now she must return to safety. The animals begin to scatter and she heads back inside to spend another day alone and trapped.

Jensen Bramwell said...

C) In the article, the author aims to convey the idea that waiting for something is a big deal, whether it be waiting all day for a job, or waiting your entire life for freedom and acceptance from the Taliban and social prejudice.

Unknown said...

#1-4 are on my school account so I will upload them tomorrow from a school computer.
5) Because Afghanistan is landlocked, history has presented a number of issues within the country such as border control, lack of commerce, and poor integration leading to international conflicts.
Part B:
For the past 11 months, with the war ranging in nearby villages of Afghanistan, a fleeting flock of white birds has become a common sight. Gun shots and loud screams of terror seem to set the birds off the most. Generally peaceful, these beautiful creatures have become wary of the environment that used to be so comfortable to them. Instead of living in comfort, these birds are often frightened away from their nests by intruding forces. The same can be said for the villagers themselves…
It’s been 3 weeks since the last explosion in this village. The residents have become hopeful that they had seen the last of the devastating explosions and the deafening booms that accompany them. Suddenly, their wishes are pulled into question. A minute but distinct whizzing sound can heard. The villagers know all too well that this means; they brace themselves for the explosion about to come.
“HEADS DOWN” they yell, which has become their code for the impending destruction of the bomb. They burry their heads in their arms, grab their children, and pray the bomb strikes far enough away.
For those brave enough to keep their eyes open and uncovered, they see the explosion before they hear it. Then all at once, the sound waves hits them and they are overcome with the deafening force of the explosion and once again, the white birds of peace scatter.
Part C:
Depciting the historic and ongoing conflict between the Hazaras and Shitte Muslims of Afghanistan, Phil Zabriskie explains how the supposedly inferior Hazaras may be the biggest source of hope for the future of the country through their frequent production of opportunistic, educated individuals yet might cause ethnic and racial issues with their emergence.

Unknown said...


Part B:

With the backbone of Afghanistan’s nation relying on agriculture, in order for their country to benefit from their resources the country need’s to put aside religious beliefs and come together. The image above shows an American soldier with the 101st Airborne Division patrolling through a hazy pomegranate orchard in Afghanistan with what looks like the aftermath of three long decades of conflict. The symbolism in this photo is the clouded scene of pomegranate trees that are the main source of wealth for farmers in the region. However because of the conflict with the two religious groups the Sunni and Shia have been so disastrous over the past decades, the U.S is forced to intervene to prevent Islamic extremists and other terrorist groups from taking complete control of the nation.

- Connor McKenney

Unknown said...

Part C:

The history of the people of Afghanistan is brought to the attention of everyone who reads The Outsiders and those who do will experience the burden of the everyday struggles of isolated Hazaras. Zabriskie displays the constant hardship of discrimination the people face throughout their lives because of their ethnicity and religion, however despite the challenges that these “Outsiders” have faced and even with being branded since the rise of Shiite muslims in an overwhelmingly Sunni muslim country. The Hazara’s serve as the model of what is possible for all Afghans of the nation, because of how they fought and worked for their equality with having Taliban oppression every step of the way and yet continue to create windows of opportunities for their country.
- Connor McKenney

Unknown said...

1. What are the top eight agricultural products? What product is #1?
Opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, lambskin. If I had to say which agricultural product would be number one I would say opium, because I feel they sell it and make it to make max profit off of the stuff.
2. What is the life expectancy rate? What is the infant mortality rate

The life expectancy rate for Afghanistan is 50.49 years, the Infant mortality rate is 117.23 deaths and 1,000 live births. The deeper issue is, some people can’t get good health care if any at all. People don’t take care of themselves and killings happen on the daily so you never know what’s going to happen.
3. How many kilometers of coastline does Afghanistan possess? How might this number have contributed to the country's history?

Afghanistan possess 0 Km of coastline, they are landlocked with countries all around them which could be a problem if they ever got invaded but another country.
4. Identify the transnational issues that Afghanistan faces.
Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey; Iran protests Afghanistan's restricting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during drought; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries. refugees (country of origin): 16,825 (Pakistan)
IDPs: 667,158 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to drought and instability)
Most of the world’s opium and poppy seeds comes from Afghanistan. These things could be life or death situations for some people in Afghanistan.


5. Poppy cultivation has increased 57 percent, from 115,000 hectares in 2011 to 180,000 hectares in 2012; despite the increase in area under cultivation, the effects of poor weather and crop disease resulted in lower yield so potential opium production remained stable at 4,300 mt in 2012 compared to 4,400 mt in 2011; the Taliban and other antigovernment groups participate in and profit from the opiate trade, which is a key source of revenue for the Taliban inside Afghanistan; widespread corruption and instability impede counterdrug efforts; most of the heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium; Afghanistan is also struggling to respond to a burgeoning domestic opiate addiction problem; vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial networks; regional source of hashish.
Part B

Unknown said...

1. What are the top eight agricultural products? What product is #1?
Opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, lambskin. If I had to say which agricultural product would be number one I would say opium, because I feel they sell it and make it to make max profit off of the stuff.
2. What is the life expectancy rate? What is the infant mortality rate

The life expectancy rate for Afghanistan is 50.49 years, the Infant mortality rate is 117.23 deaths and 1,000 live births. The deeper issue is, some people can’t get good health care if any at all. People don’t take care of themselves and killings happen on the daily so you never know what’s going to happen.
3. How many kilometers of coastline does Afghanistan possess? How might this number have contributed to the country's history?

Afghanistan possess 0 Km of coastline, they are landlocked with countries all around them which could be a problem if they ever got invaded but another country.
4. Identify the transnational issues that Afghanistan faces.
Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps; Afghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey; Iran protests Afghanistan's restricting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during drought; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries. refugees (country of origin): 16,825 (Pakistan)
IDPs: 667,158 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to drought and instability)
Most of the world’s opium and poppy seeds comes from Afghanistan. These things could be life or death situations for some people in Afghanistan.


5. Poppy cultivation has increased 57 percent, from 115,000 hectares in 2011 to 180,000 hectares in 2012; despite the increase in area under cultivation, the effects of poor weather and crop disease resulted in lower yield so potential opium production remained stable at 4,300 mt in 2012 compared to 4,400 mt in 2011; the Taliban and other antigovernment groups participate in and profit from the opiate trade, which is a key source of revenue for the Taliban inside Afghanistan; widespread corruption and instability impede counterdrug efforts; most of the heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium; Afghanistan is also struggling to respond to a burgeoning domestic opiate addiction problem; vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial networks; regional source of hashish.
Part B






In this picture we see a poor Afghan boy who is terribly injured from the war, his Father was instantly killed and all he has is his Uncle left for family. When we think of war we don’t think of the little things that happen that effect people with great pain and agony. No child deserves to go through this no matter what the race, religion, or the color of their skin. What we see here tells a bigger story than we could ever know.
Part C
The message portrayed in the thesis is understood that Afghanistan was a wonderful place that has a lot of history. Slowly over the years Afghanistan hasn’t been a part of the luckiest often left in bloody footprints and a trail of tears caused by Mongols, Safavids, Moguls, British, Soviets. A country called Afghanistan took shape. Regimes rose and collapsed or were overthrown, people trying the absolute hardest to get by. Physical torture and mental abuse everyday can really break people down, but they just get back up every time.

Unknown said...

Mike Travers
Part A: Click here to visit the CIA's World Fact Book. Peruse the Afghanistan page on this site and respond to the following questions:

1. What are the top eight agricultural products? What product is #1? The top eight agricultural products in Afghanistan are opium,wheat,fruits,nuts,wool,mutton,sheepskins and lambskins.
2. What is the life expectancy rate? What is the infant mortality rate? What deeper issues are typically reflected in these statistics? The life expectancy rate is 50.49 years. The infant mortality rate is 117.23 deaths 1,000 live births. There is a lack of doctors,hospitals and medicine in Afghanistan.
3. How many kilometers of coastline does Afghanistan possess? How might this number have contributed to the country's history? Afghanistan has 0 Kilometers of coastline. Afghanistan is landlocked and has most of their roads unpaved. It makes trading harder.
4. Identify the transnational issues that Afghanistan faces. Afghanistan and Pakistan fight over the border boundaries. Afghanistan messed up Iran’s river. There is drug smuggling into Russia.
5. Construct a thesis statement that encapsulates the essence of the Afghan nation (both its assets and its challenges). Afghanistan has many problems within their nation and the surrounding nations,their assets are insufficient to balance out the quality of the lives of the people that live there.

Part B: Click here to visit The Boston Globe's "The Big Picture: Afghanistan". View each photograph (use your judgement for the objectionable pieces) and read the corresponding footnotes. Choose the most powerful image to prompt a piece of short fiction. Write a descriptive passage that embodies the "show vs. tell" technique.
A civilian who shot. The shot was intended to hit the US marine who was patrolling her village.She suffers wounds on her face. I was shot when I walking outside with my family. There was a US soldier patrolling the area who questioned me. The Afghan soldiers were trying to kill the US patrol but missed and hit me. I was five meters away from the patrol. It hurt so bad. The US soldiers helped me out and transported me to the nearest hospital. I still have a scar on my face from the bullet.

Part C: Article: "Hazaras: Afghanistan's Outsiders" (9 pages). Produce a thesis statement that encapsulates the author's message and illuminates the deeper meaning of Part C: Article: "Hazaras: Afghanistan's Outsiders" (9 pages). Produce a thesis statement that encapsulates the author's message and illuminates the deeper meaning of the text. Even though Hazaras have lived in Afghanistan for thousands of years, they are considered outsiders because they are hated, the Taliban destroyed their statues which is a huge part of their culture.

Unknown said...

Part A
The top eight agricultural products are opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, and lambskins. The number one product is opium.

The life expectancy rate for males is about 49 years,for females the life expectancy is about 52 years and in total is about 51 years. The infant mortality rate for males is 125 deaths/1,000 births, for females the rate is 109 deaths/1,000 births, and at total it is 117 deaths/1,000 births.

Afghanistan is landlocked, they posses zero kilometers of coastline. Being landlocked could have contributed to the countrys history by who their allies are, and their relationships with the surrounding countries.

The transnational issues Afghanistan faces are trafficing in persons, using boys for prostitution and forced labor drug smuggling.

Although there are many useful agricultural products in Afghanistan as well as their use of surrounding countries, their life expectancy and the infant mortality rate are low, as well as the transnational issues.

Part B
This image of a boy aiming a gun, is in my opinion the most powerful, in the ways that it send an aggressive, and saddening image. People do not want to see a boy aiming a gun while behind barbed wire. It can show them as frightened, or neglected. Also it shows they may think a gun is just a toy, and it is in fact a dangerous weapon kids should not be holding, let alone aiming towards a soldier.

Anonymous said...

Jordan Dowdy
A.
1. Top 8 agricultural products are opium, wheat, fruits, wool, mutton, sheepskins and lamp skins but opium is number one.
2. Life expectancy rate is about 50 years. The infant mortality rate is 117 deaths /1000 live births. The issues that are typically reflected in these statistics are they don’t a good Medicare at all.
3. The coast line of Afghanistan is land locked. They were content with what they had around there land and they are closed off by land.
4. Like everywhere Afghanistan is faced with drugs, trading, water flow, and many issues with surrounding countries.
B. I picked the first picture shown on the web site. It was a solder but the picture wasn’t focused on the solder it was focused on the children in the back ground. There all laughing and having fun playing with a toy but this isn’t the type of toy isn’t for kids. The littlest kid is holding a gun pointing it at the camera man. Like it was some sort of joke. There standing behind barbed wire. This shows the influence on kids in Afghanistan. Even though it’s a toy pistol it still shows what life is really like in this third world country.
C. In the article Hazaras: Afghanistan's Outsiders by Phil Zabriskie justifies the hazras life styles and shows us that there group is unappreciated and suppressed but these Buda statues gave them hope until they were destroyed.

Anonymous said...

Part A:
1) The top eight agricultural products are, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins. Opium is the number one product.
2) Life expectancy rate is 50.49 years. The infant mortality rate is 117.23 deaths/1,000 live births. The issues that are typically reflected in these statistics are they don’t know all these procedures, didn’t have certain medicines available and even hospitals.
3) The coastline of Afghanistan is landlocked. They didn’t go off and discover new lands because they are closed off to other lands and people with ideas.
4) There are many transnational issues in Afghanistan like, drugs, trading, water flow, boarding issues with all the surrounding countries.
5) There are many challenges and assets to living in Afghanistan, some people love all rugged beauty of the mountains and some see the issues of drugs and boarding with living there.

Part B:
There are many powerful images that show and tell us many things. The picture I picked was the one with the Italian soldier of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, stand guards an Afghan boy aims a toy pistol inside Herat’s prison. This picture shows us right away that children are not afraid of guns. The kids around the child holding the gun are smiling and thinking is all fun and games. They think if these older men are holding guns and are allowed to shoot them then why can’t they? If children around the world not only Afghanistan but other countries don’t learn that guns are not a game, more intendances like this will happen.

Part C:
In the article “Hazaras: Afghanistan's Outsiders” (2008), Phil Zabriskie bases the continued repression of the Hazaras upon the harsh history of Afghanistan, which was continually over run by many different people.

-Madison Duross

Anonymous said...

Part A
1) Top 8 agriculture products are opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins and lambskins but the number one product is opium.
2) Infant mortality rate they find out in these statistics that more people are dying every year and its becoming a problems especially in Afghanistan because of how brutal it is over there and how strict the rulers are For the life expectancy rate total population is 50.49 years the country comparison to the world is 220, Male:49.17 years and female 51.88 years for infant mortality rate total deaths is 117.23 for live births its 1000 male 124.89 100 live births female deaths 109.18, 1000 live births.
3) None it is landlocked, it might have contributed to the country’s history by creating a lot of explorers that are traveling and like to see beautiful landmarks
4) The religion is a very big issue because the hazaras and the Pashtuns’ because they’ve never really got along and it was a problem
5) The essence of the Afghan nation has a lot of problems because the leaders are very strict over there and don’t get along with other religious groups like the hazaras the Pashtuns and the Hindi who are mostly from India like Hindu.


Part B
In the first picture I see an Italian solider of NATOs international security Assistance force stands by a prison where that kid is behind him pointing the a pistol at him. In this picture I see a relentless afghan boy who doesn’t care if he dies or not he just wants to get out of that prison and see his friends. He’s also very against soldiers that aren’t from his area. That boy is showing he doesn’t care at all and could get shot for pointing a gun at a soldier who is specifically guarding the prison. If I were that Italian soldier I would shoot that kid only because he’s pointing a pistol at him which isn’t right and it doesn’t help that his afghan friends are laughing behind him thinking it’s a joke. That just goes to show you that those little kids don’t care at all they just hate everyone besides Afghans. Even though it is a toy pistol it still shows how crazy the afghan kids are for being bold and pointing a gun at a solider regardless you don’t point a gun at a soldier who is guarding you at a prison.
Part C
In this article “Hazaras: Afghanistan’s Outsiders” Phil Zabriskie generalizes that the Hazaras are disrespected and not treated right since the Taliban destroyed their big giant Buddahs. They destroyed the statues of Buddah because they don’t respect their religion because they are largely Shiite Muslims in an overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim country. Ryan McKenney

Unknown said...

Kylie Barrows
1/30/15

1. What are the top eight agricultural products? What product is #1?
opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins. Opium is their number one product.
2. What is the life expectancy rate? What is the infant mortality rate? What deeper issues are typically reflected in these statistics?
Total population: 50.49 years, country comparison to the world: 220, male: 49.17 years, female: 51.88 years (2014 est.) if they are able to see a doctor, healthcare, education, economy. These all impact these statistics.
3. How many kilometers of coastline does Afghanistan possess? How might this number have contributed to the country's history?
0 km Afghanistan is a landlocked country. This effects their trade process and the ability to get from place to place.
4. Identify the transnational issues that Afghanistan faces.
Afghanistan faces existential transnational threats such as cross-border militancy and weapons smuggling, smuggling and trafficking of both licit and illicit goods—including opiates and refined heroin—and ethnically based extremist ideology.
Militancy, arms transfers, smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and the spread of transnational ethnic and religious ideologies deployed against established states are only the most urgent of these.
5. Construct a thesis statement that encapsulates the essence of the Afghan nation (both its assets and its challenges).
Though Afghanistan is a majorly doubted and looked down apon country there are still many reasons why we should have hope and believe in the Afghanistans.
Part b: I picked picture 45. For some reason this picture seems to speak to me because even during all the tragic and horrific things Afghanistan's are currently going through these women still find the time and place to fight for their own freedom and try to make things better. Even though there were more violent pictures to chose from which for other people may have worked but when I came across this picture it just pulled at my heart. It may just be the fact that I know what's actually happening over there and how terrible it is but knowing these women still are not satisfied so they are fighting for their freedoms is something else.
Part C: In this passage it reflects how Afghanistan's are all exposed to violence at very young ages. No matter how young you are you are very well aware of your surroundings. It's sickening what these young kids have to experience. They don't know any other way of life though. To them violence is a day to day normal thing, it's all they know and what they were taught.

Anonymous said...

Cassandra Goyette

1) The top eight agricultural products produced in Afghanistan are opium, wheat, fruit, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskins, and lambskins. Opium generates the largest income for Afghanistan.
2) In Afghanistan the life expectancy rate after birth is about fifty years.The life expectancy rate for males it about forty-nine years and the female life expectancy rate is about fifty-one years. The Infant mortality rate is about 117.23 deaths/1,000 live births. For male the infant mortality rate is 124.89 deaths/1,000 live births, the female infant mortality is 109.18 deaths/1,000 live births. The deeper issues that lead to this are malnutrition, disease and poor living conditions.
3) Afghanistan is a landlocked country so it does not have a coastline. Having no coastline could have contribute to the history by limiting the possible trade into the country, which could have benefited the income and boosted the economy.
4) Some transnational issues Afghanistan has are Illicit drug use because of opium production, human trafficking , refugees and internally displaced persons, and international disputes.
5) Afghanistan is a nation faced with many problems due its haunting history,this country is poverty stricken, caused by copious amounts of opium produced, it’s isolated landlocked location, and low economic interests that will cripple this nation's future.

B) The picture depicts three adolescent Afghan boys standing in front of a battered stone house. The intriguing part of this picture is that in front of the boys is a barb wire fence, imprisoning them. A solider stands guard with a high powered rifle ready to shoot. The most powerful part of the image is that the smallest boy has a toy pistol in his hand and he is aiming it at the prison guard. The boys around him are smiling and encouraging him almost like its acceptable. The boys have grown up in such an environment where violence is acceptable and guns are tolerated by children. This image ultimately tells me that the environment in which Afghan children are raised is violent and can influence their later life choices or lead to prejudice.

C) Using the article Hazaras: Afghanistan’s Outsiders, Phil Zabriskie encapsulates how the nation of Afghanistan was born using war-forged imagery, isolated prejudice, and strict tone. Revealing to us the povertous nations true identity and economic struggles. Ultimately this article is bringing attention to the lesser classes in societies who are outcast base on skin, gender or environment they were raised in or in this case enlightening us to the Hazaras lifestyle.

Unknown said...

Part A 1. The top eight agricultural products are opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, lambskin. The number one product is opium.

2. The life expectancy rate is 50.49 years old. The infant mortality rate is 117.23/1000 live births. The deeper issues that are typically reflected in these statistics are that healthcare is very slim and education is also something that is scarce. Without education there are less likely to be doctors.

3. Afghanistan is landlocked. Because of this it is hard for the country to export and import goods. This makes it difficult to trade with countries and get the supplies they need and also make money.

4. The transnational issues that Afghanistan faces are that it is the largest producer of opium. They also have a huge issue with trafficking in persons and refugees and internally displaced persons.

Part B. Image 29. The man in this photograph is preparing himself. He knows where he is and what’s happening around him. The effect of the picture shows how dark it is around him. He’s seen things and about to see things that people shouldn’t have to witness. The expression on his face is a mix between terror and strength. He has that look about him that he is doing what he thinks is best and is capable of doing it. He could have a wife and baby at home, but he’s there doing what he feels is necessary.He must have a million thoughts going through his head the moment this was captured.

Part C. Informing the audience about the inequality between the Hazaras and the rest of the Afghan population in “Hazaras: Afghanistan’s outsiders”, Phil Zabriskie intricates direct imagery, infuses a concerning tone, and utilizes effortful characterization to show how Hazaras aren’t given enough credit for what they do on daily basis, and how much they try to overcome the challenges they are faced with.

Keenan Coffey said...

Keenan Coffey

Afghanistan


1) The top eight agricultural products natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, and sulfur.

2) The life expectancy is; male: 49.17 years, female:

51.88 years. The infant mortality rate is; male: 124.89 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 109.18 deaths/1,000 live births. This happens because of the lack of healthcare, and when babies are born they are not normally born in hospitals, but in the hands of uneducated people.




3) It possess 0 km of coastline and has direct correlation to the countries history. Its lack of a coastline takes away from trading prosperity, and contact with other nations.

4) The main transnational issues with Afghanistan are illicit drugs, and boundary disputes with Pakistan.

5) Afghanistan possesses transnational, behavioral, and governmental issues that ravage the economy and will continue to be evident unless drastic changes are made.


Part B: (Picture 1)

A young boy notices that a man that looks like his father is dressed in army clothing, and looks like he's ready to fight. It reminds the boy of his father that left him when he was the age of 3. He points a toy gun at his head, and begins to fake shoot. This makes his friends break out into laughter, and the soldier begins to get angry. He murmurs something in Pashto, and the boy runs away in freight. The speech translated to something like; "I'll kill you and murder your family.

Unknown said...

1) the top 8 agriculture products are: opium, wheat, fruit, nuts, wool, mutton, sheepskin, an lambskin. Opium is number 1.
2) life expectancy is 49-51 years. This means that there isn't a very good medical system, or educational system so people are more likely to die during childbirth and of lesser illnesses like the flu.
3) Afghanistan has 0 sq km. of coastline. This can contribute to the fact that if people wish to have access to the ocean they would have to cross over either enemy lines or more friendly neighbors. So as long as the country wants access to oceans either for trade or for food there would have to be some sort of negotiation. The only other option would be to develop a way to be independent and not need to trade.
4) Afghanistan's transnational issues are international disputes, Trafficking of persons, and Illicit drugs.
5) Afghanistan's drive to trade with it's neighbors have left the nation no option but to engage in the trading of illicit materials such as Opium and live persons; these illegitimate and nontaxable exchanges have crippled the government and left it's citizens without important infrastructure such as protection and healthcare.
B. Referring to the picture of the soldier shot in the mouth:
After flying around a few times,while Jim and Tom watched the surroundings of the hazy land known as Afghanistan they had spotted a tussle below between what they thought to believe were rebels and their own men. They hovered the helicopter for a moment until one of their own fell, just dropped to the ground. There was no time to land the plane so Jim decided to parachuted down to assist his fellow brethren. Carefully Tom hovered above the men as Jim jumped. Immediately there was rapid gunfire, Tom quickly opened the window of the copter. They fired at tom, he instantly felt a warm trickle upon his chin although he thought it was the belt of the craft. The adrenalin raced high in his veins, as he raced beck to base to search for assistance for Jim while he held a wad of gauze to his cheek.

C. The Hazara people, though cornered in a climate both politically and geographically unforgiving and harsh, are making a proud cultural and political comeback in their heartland of Kabul; though they face genocide and a long road to recovery, the new generations of Hazaras may be ensured a chance at a decent life where they may work to provide for their families and, most importantly, rekindle their pride and identity.

Unknown said...

Part A:
1) Opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, and lambskins.
2)
-50.49 years
-117.23 deaths/1,000 live births
-This shows they do not have good medicine or health care.
3) landlocked-hard to transport and export goods.
4)Illicit drugs, Trafficking in persons, Refugees and internally displaced persons, and international disputes.
5) Learning more about Afghanistan in The World Factbook, the CIA provides us with facts about economy, people and society to fill us in on their assets and challenges.

Part B: First picture. Young Afghan boys have nothing better to do with their day. They kick dirt and throw rocks; their day is filled with boredom. They don’t really go to school so they like to bug others. All the neighbors hang out and like to get themselves into trouble. Boys being boys, you know they will to joke around and fight. This day was no different; the neighborhood boys gathered and went on their daily adventures. They wanted to play guns so they ran around and when they turned the corner they were at the Herat’s prison. One of the boys was dared to point the gun at the guard and he did. All of the boys laughed and joked about it. Little does he know that someday he will be holding a real gun fighting against that man at the prison.

Part C: Learning about life for Hazaras in Hazaras: Afghanistan's Outsiders, Phil Zabriskie shows us that education is wanted but not always an option, the lesser jobs are giving to Hazarsa’s and that there people are making a comeback in Kabul to explain that the Hazaras may be the future of Afghanistan.

Unknown said...

Adam Marcon

Part A:
1. Opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, sheepskin, lambskins. The number one is opium.
2. The life expectancy is 50.49 years. The infant mortality rate is 117.23 for every 1000 births. This typically reflects poor living conditions and medical care.
3. It has none it is landlocked. This can cause serious confrontation with other nations due to the inability to produce crops and products. Most landlocked nations suffer from an inability to produce exports.
4. Poor relations with bordering nations of Iran and Pakistan over disputed territories. Also suffering from citizen debt and international sex trafficking.
5. Transitioning from a richly cultured nation to a war torn land of slums and class division, Afghanistan must try and overcome its ailments of poor borders, terrible living conditions, and illegal enterprises.

Part B:
She stood and admired the calm of the outdoors. Standing in the shade and looking out into the bright gaze of the afternoon sun. She was at peace, with no other soul nearby to disturb her, other than the silent goat. Her thoughts raced and her nerves settled she was alone, basking in one of those rare moments of silence that comes maybe once a day. Her thoughts of joy and dreams would slip to those of planning and unrest but the silence would gently bring the dreams back again. Sometimes, it seemed, the best dreams came when one’s eyes were open.
She was pulled from her dreams at the sound of subtle movement. Her eyes moved to the ever-quiet goat, but there it stood, still. Her confusion turned to mild aspiration as she peered around the side of her home. She could not be certain what it was she saw, these large creatures that moved and muttered like men. They were deathly quiet and slow as stalking predators on the prowl as the approached the door. They were covered in a thick tan and green skin with large armored heads. Each was carrying some kind of weapon that they made sure to handle with caution. She watched quietly as they leapt into action through her door. The silence was gone, this was no dream, and her peace was now over.

Part C:
A country shifting from an oppressed and hate filled land to one learning to understand and accept others, the Hazara minority in Afghan are finding a way to rebuild their culture through politics, education, and even public media, and soon they’re culture may hopefully be rebuilt alongside the ancient Buddha’s of their faith.

Unknown said...

Adam Marcon

Part A:
1. Opium, wheat, fruits, nuts, wool, sheepskin, lambskins. The number one is opium.
2. The life expectancy is 50.49 years. The infant mortality rate is 117.23 for every 1000 births. This typically reflects poor living conditions and medical care.
3. It has none it is landlocked. This can cause serious confrontation with other nations due to the inability to produce crops and products. Most landlocked nations suffer from an inability to produce exports.
4. Poor relations with bordering nations of Iran and Pakistan over disputed territories. Also suffering from citizen debt and international sex trafficking.
5. Transitioning from a richly cultured nation to a war torn land of slums and class division, Afghanistan must try and overcome its ailments of poor borders, terrible living conditions, and illegal enterprises.

Part B:
She stood and admired the calm of the outdoors. Standing in the shade and looking out into the bright gaze of the afternoon sun. She was at peace, with no other soul nearby to disturb her, other than the silent goat. Her thoughts raced and her nerves settled she was alone, basking in one of those rare moments of silence that comes maybe once a day. Her thoughts of joy and dreams would slip to those of planning and unrest but the silence would gently bring the dreams back again. Sometimes, it seemed, the best dreams came when one’s eyes were open.
She was pulled from her dreams at the sound of subtle movement. Her eyes moved to the ever-quiet goat, but there it stood, still. Her confusion turned to mild aspiration as she peered around the side of her home. She could not be certain what it was she saw, these large creatures that moved and muttered like men. They were deathly quiet and slow as stalking predators on the prowl as the approached the door. They were covered in a thick tan and green skin with large armored heads. Each was carrying some kind of weapon that they made sure to handle with caution. She watched quietly as they leapt into action through her door. The silence was gone, this was no dream, and her peace was now over.

Part C:
A country shifting from an oppressed and hate filled land to one learning to understand and accept others, the Hazara minority in Afghan are finding a way to rebuild their culture through politics, education, and even public media, and soon they’re culture may hopefully be rebuilt alongside the ancient Buddha’s of their faith.

Unknown said...

Part A
1. Top eight in increasing order are lambskins, sheepskins, mutton, wool, nuts, fruits, wheat, and the top export is opium.
2. The life expectancy rate in Afghanistan for males is 49.17 years and 51.88 years for women. The mortality rate for infants is 117.23 deaths/1000 live births. The underlying issue with life expectancy are drinking water, sanitation facilities and major infectious diseases.
3. There is no coastline. They have no access to sea ports for trading or naval uses, all journeys and potential attacks are limited to land, no easy access for imports and exports of goods. This keeps them more isolated from the rest of the world compared to other countries on the water.
4. Transnational issues include border disputes, refugee, trafficking people, and drugs are all major international issues.

Anonymous said...

Doug McKeen

A.
1. Afghanistan’s top agricultural products are opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, and lambskins. Opium is the top product.
2. The life expectancy is 50.49 years and the infant mortality rate is 117.23 deaths to 1,000 births. A poor health care system or squalid living conditions are indicated by these statistics.
3. Afghanistan is landlocked. A country like this has a history of less trading than country’s with access to the ocean; this means less money.
4.It is a place with border disputes, slaves, and is the world’s largest producer of opium.
5.Marked by violence and illegal activities, Afghanistan is a country lacking health care and a strong government.
B.
1. The 5th picture speaks the most; the crowd of protestors is battered and angry while standing in front of something they are burning.

C.
1. Informing readers about the violence Hazaras have been subjected to, Phil Zabriskie uses dark imagery, compelling pathos and a grave tone to convince others to lend their support to these people in need.

Emily Beauchamp said...

Part A
1) The top agricultural exports of Afghanistan are opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, and lambskins. Opium is the top export.
2) The life expectancy rate is about 50.5 years. The infant mortality rate is 117.23 deaths per 1,000 live births. These statistics indicate that there is inadequate healthcare available in the country.
3) Afghanistan possesses 0 km of coastline, as it is landlocked. It means that most of the people settled near whatever rivers or lakes they could find, instead of along the coast, like in America.
4) Forced labor, human trafficking, border disputes, and opiate use are all transnational issues in Afghanistan.
5) Even though Afghanistan has seen much recovery in recent years, the country is still riddled with issues that continue to plague the region and its people.

Part B (Picture #34)
There was a silence that hung in the room as the last note from a cello faded into oblivion. Then, a rustle of papers as a sheet of music fluttered to the floor. A young girl, embarrassed, reached around her double bass and snatched up the papers, her face rosy-red. A man, standing at the front of the room, cleared his throat and lifted a thin wand in his right hand. All at once, the young musicians readied themselves and their instruments. The conductor flicked his wrist again, and the room exploded in color and life. Violins and violas sang together in yellows and bright greens and blues as cellos and basses and double basses added rich reds and purples, creating a symphony of color unknown outside those paneled walls. In the corner, the young girl with the dropped sheet of music wept with joy.

Emily Beauchamp said...

Part C
In the article The Outsiders by Phil Zabriskie, the author uses powerful imagery, characterization, and a harshly realistic point of view to give the reader a personal connection to the piece and to evoke their sympathies in the hope of stirring the world into action to make a difference in the lives of the impoverished Hazaras.

Anonymous said...

Part A
1. What are the top eight agricultural products? What product is #1?
opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
2. What is the life expectancy rate? What is the infant mortality rate? What deeper issues are typically reflected in these statistics?
Life expectancy 50.49 infant morality rate is 117/1000
3. How many kilometers of coastline does Afghanistan possess? How might this number have contributed to the country's history? 0 it is land locked it contributes to droughts and reliance on other countries
4. Identify the transnational issues that Afghanistan faces.
People trafficking, illicit drugs, refugees
5. Construct a thesis statement that encapsulates the essence of the Afghan nation (both its assets and its challenges).
Afghanistan uses Harsh weather drug sales and human trafficking to create the country that it is today
Part B
I think the first picture is the most influential and it especially shows the show vs tell technique because if you were told about this pcture it would not have the same effect as actually seeing it you couldn’t see the kids behind the gun holder laughing and you would not feel the
-kenzie

Unknown said...

Part A:
1. Opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
2. Life expectancy- 50.49 years infant mortality rate -117.23 deaths/1,000 live births. Further issues include health issues associated with younger people dying. Women are bearing up to five children by their mid-twenties with dangerous living conditions.
3. Afghanistan has no coastline, therefore, there are countries all around it that have issues and bring it to Afghanistan. They also have no access to the world through the ocean.
4. Boundary alignment, Refugees and internally displaced humans, trafficking in persons, and illicit drugs.
5. Hosting an ongoing war can provide political and social issues that are brought upon Afghanistan due to being landlocked and having limited resources.



Part B:
I’m here on duty. This is my job, and yet, the children are only violent towards me. Some are taught that my services are needed; others are taught that I’m the enemy. As I stand outside the Herat prison, I can hear the nearby laughter of children growing up under the reign of the Taliban, expressing their bitter feelings by pointing a toy gun at my head. I can’t blame them for their ignorance of the situation, but I can’t help but wonder how they can be raised on the ideals of violence, hate and fear. Why a country would want their citizens to be tormented so that they can only hide and hope to be free someday.
Faintly in the background I can hear gunfire and explosions that come along with war. The children are now making noises to go along with the many shots they’ve delivered to my head. One day, my son will be facing the children on the other side of the barbed wire. The generations will continue to grow in the mindset of the Taliban, unless, of course, the war ends with victory on our side and we deliver peace to a country that can once again prosper.

Part C:
Depicting a country full of racism and war in Hazaras: Afghanistan’s outsiders, Phil Zabriskie uses present day stories of Hazaras, past experiences of war and the beauty of the land to convey a country full of hope and spread awareness for the hardships and discrimination against a people in their native homeland.