What shaped 2021? an what can we expect in 2022?

The 2021, in 10 minutes video tells us about the three C´s that shaped 2021. Corona, from the alpha to the omicron. The conflicts, geopolitical conflicts across the world. And climate, because 2021 was perceived as a make or break year for the climate action.

The second video tells us which challenges the world can expect in 2022. The different reporters tell us whats ahead for the different countries.

I think that covid is still gonna be really important for many of the countries. There are new variants, such like omicron and there are still some travel restrictions in many countries. Covid has affected the world these past years. Some people has lost their jobs and families. It is for sure much more safer now, compared to when covid first started. People are vaccinated, but there are still countries that haven´t got the vaccine. With all of the new variants we don´t know what to expect.

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Gun laws

Do they protect or do they kill?

There are two sides of the debate about guns, one side believes that guns are an essential tool of self- preservation, and the other side believes that guns are a menace to public safety. More than 30 years of public health research supports thinking of guns as a statistically more of a personal hazard than a benefit.

Why do people choose to own guns when it increases the risk of gun-related violent death at home? The gun owners may be unaware of the risks, better known as a knowledge deficit. There has been a lot of repeated warnings, but the gun ownership still decreases. US surveys back in 1990 revealed that gun are owned most frequently for self-protection, this I largely motivated by past victimization or fears of future victimization. Gun-ownership tends to be lower in urban settings and low-income families, where there might be higher rates of violance and/or crime. The largest demographic of gun-owners in the US are white men living in rural communities that earn more than 100k/year. This is a mismatch between subjuctive fear and objective reality.

Should guns be banned in the US?

74% of homicides were due to firearms. Let’s just look at the fact of us banning guns, if we were to, although there may be illegal trade due to the banning just like there is with other banned objects, the number of people with guns would be highly decreased, and so would homicides. 74% of people killed in America could be saved if we ban guns because guns are one of the easiest to access, easiest to use, and easiest to mass murder with out of all weapons. 

Second Amendment (the right to keep and bear arms) – ratified on December 15 1791. That’s almost 230 years ago

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/second_amendment

Freedom of the press

The three countries i chose are Australia, United kingdom and Russia.

Australia

Australia is number 25 on the list. Press freedom is quite fragile in Australia. The constitutional law contains no press freedom guarantees. There has been some political attacks on the investigative journalism. Pluralism in Australia has been badly eroded by one of the highest levels of media ownership concentration. All of the privately-owned media are now owned by two media giants.

United Kingdom

UK´s government stated commitment to defending global media freedom, but the domestic restrictions remained. There was a secret government unit that appeared, that served as a clearing house for freedom of information requests. Some of the critical media outlets got blacklisted and faced other restrictions. The National Committee for the Safety of Journalists was established in July 2020.

Russia

There has been big anti-government protests in Russia in 2011 and 2012. Since Kremlins opponents Alexei Navalny´s immediate arrest on arrival, the harassment has risen more and more. There is more propaganda than quality journalism. There are laws that are used for imprisoning Journalists and bloggers. The journalists that cover the big protests are often arrested and given a fine, to make them stop. There are murders and physical attacks that still go unpunished.

The most important things I have learned til term

This year I learned about freedom of expression, the main difference between us and uk politics and about what fundamentalism is.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right that allows individuals to freely express their thoughts, ideas, and opinions without fear of persecution or punishment. It is protected by international human rights laws, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Freedom of expression is essential for the functioning of a healthy democracy, as it allows individuals to participate in public discourse and hold those in power accountable. It also allows for the exchange of ideas and the free flow of information, which is essential for the advancement of knowledge and the betterment of society.

I also learned that there are several key differences between the government of the United Kingdom (UK) and the government of the United States (US).

One of the main differences is the system of government. The UK has a parliamentary system, in which the government is formed by the political party that holds a majority of seats in the Parliament. The leader of this party becomes the Prime Minister and is responsible for leading the government. In contrast, the US has a presidential system, in which the President is both the head of state and the head of government. The President is elected by the people and serves a fixed term in office.

Another difference is the structure of the legislature. The UK has a bicameral Parliament, consisting of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons is the lower house and is elected by the people, while the House of Lords is the upper house and consists of appointed members. In the US, the legislature is a unicameral body called Congress, which is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are elected by the people.

I also learned what fundamentalism is!

Fundamentalism is a term used to describe a strict adherence to certain fundamental beliefs, often based on a literal interpretation of religious texts. Fundamentalism can be found in various religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism.

Fundamentalists tend to have a narrow and rigid view of their religion and may reject modern or progressive interpretations of their faith. They often seek to return to a more traditional or conservative form of their religion and may reject the influence of secular society.

Fundamentalism can also be seen in non-religious contexts, such as political ideologies or social movements. In these cases, fundamentalists may advocate for a strict adherence to certain principles or ideologies and may reject any deviation from these beliefs.

Belfast and the troubles

The conflict in Northern Ireland, also known as the Troubles, was a period of sectarian violence and political conflict that occurred in the region from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. The conflict was primarily between two main groups: unionists, who were mostly Protestant and wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, and nationalists, who were mostly Catholic and wanted Northern Ireland to become part of the Republic of Ireland.

The roots of the Troubles can be traced back to the partition of Ireland in 1922, when the island was divided into two separate states: the independent Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland) and Northern Ireland, which remained part of the United Kingdom. The partition was controversial and led to ongoing tensions between the two communities, with the Protestant majority in Northern Ireland often discriminating against the Catholic minority.

The Troubles began in the late 1960s, when the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland, inspired by the civil rights movement in the United States, began campaigning for equal rights for Catholics. This led to a violent response from Protestant loyalist groups, and the conflict quickly escalated into a full-blown sectarian war.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the Troubles saw numerous acts of violence, including bombings, shootings, and assassinations, carried out by both loyalist and nationalist paramilitary groups. The conflict also attracted international attention, with the United States and the European Union becoming involved in efforts to find a resolution.

In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed, bringing an end to the Troubles and establishing a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland. The agreement was seen as a major milestone in the peace process, and it has largely been successful in bringing an end to the violence.

Today, Northern Ireland is a relatively peaceful place, with tensions between the two communities having largely subsided. However, there are still some issues that need to be addressed, including the issue of Brexit, which has caused tensions between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as between unionists and nationalists. Additionally, there are ongoing debates about issues such as the status of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom and the legacy of the Troubles.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

The book is good so far I’ve read it, I like the way it switches to back in time when Changez studied in Princeton and lived in New York and switches back to Changez in the present. The book also brings up important topics such as cultural clashes in the West and East and culture itself and also 9/11.

The firm that Changez gets hired at is very concerned about focusing on the fundamentals. The company’s name is Underwood Samson, where the first letters represent the country USA, which also can be seen as a personification of the country. Changez does notice that there is a lot of diversity in the firm, but the firm does it mostly for the image. The firm only has privileged and classified employees. I get an impression that the firm cares only about what’s on the outside and not what is within their employees.

When Changez studies at Princeton he also supports himself by working a lot. He mentions working at the library of the near eastern studies, he mentions that it is the least frequented library by the American students, as a way to point that they have no interest in foreign cultures.

In the book Erica is described as the flawless, intelligent and also graduating from Princeton. Changez describes Erica as “stunningly regal”. He also says “she had told me that she hated to be alone, and I came to notice that she rarely was. She attracted people to her, she had presence, an uncommon magnetism.” Then compares her to a lioness, which can be referred to as America before the 9/11 attacks.

When Changez first sees the 9/11 attacks, he thinks he is watching a movie, when he realizes that it is actually the collapse of the twin towers he smiles. His satisfaction of the distraction of the towers shows us that he is still considering himself as an outsider in the USA.

First blogpost year 2

I chose this subject because I had it last year and really liked it. I think that English is a really interesting subject, I like how we learn about different topics, such as politics, human rights and literature.

My expectations for this year is learning about the importance of literature in our time, learning about different writers, learning more about what social studies are and maybe also working on a project with a book like we did last year. I also have expectations to get a better understanding on the English texts and also improving at writing texts that has a more professional and varied language.

Guest speakers

We had a few guest speakers in class, but why do teachers actually invite guest speakers? The purpose of guest speakers is to benefit both your studies and your mindset. The guest speakers provide an alternative perspective on topics that are introduced to us during the school year. Students often benefit from the guest speakers independent thinking and it also improves a student´s learning. It also easier for the students to understand the topic on a closer level. Because of this the student can engage in a more approachable way of teaching . This also helps to get the students fully involved in the class.

But, of course the practice doesen´t only depend on the speaker. It depends on the students motivation, interest and willingness. As long as there is a shared interest in the activity, the teaching method will definitely work. Even though i didn´t get to se any of the guest speakers, i really would like to have another guest speaker in class. Because, as i said, their different points of view on topics are interesting to learn from.

Working abroad

I have always wanted to work in a warm country and experience new countries. I came across your homepage on the internet and i was immediately drawn to working as a TUI staff. I have travelled with TUI before and had a really good experience.

I see that i fill out most of the requirements. I live in Norway at the moment and have been living here since 2013, when i moved here from Russia. I know English, Russian, Norwegian and a bit of French. I see that one requirement of yours is being fully conversational in English, which i am since i have learned english since i was really young, because of moving. I also think that i would fit in your team since i am hard-working and always take my job seriously. I also think that it is really exciting to work with people and in the service industry. I think that working at TUI would give me a range of opportunities for the future personal developments and also give me new knowledge.

Thank you for taking the time to review my resume. I genuinely believe that my experience and education would make me a valuable asset to your organization.

Best regards,

Kristina Karlsen

What did they agree on? 

Earlier drafts of the agreement contained an commitment to phase out unabated coal. Instead, countries agreed to “phase down” coal, causing disappointment and concern over whether the world can limit the average global temperature rise to 1.5C. 

What were the most contested last-minute changes? 

India took the floor and sought permission to make a proposal. Mr Yadav proposed that the phrase “phase out unabated coal” in the final draft text of the agreement be replaced with “phase down coal”. 

Were they represented by their state leaders? 

No, India was represented by India’s Environment Minister 

Whar role did they play at COP26 

They play the bad guys 

What policies do they have in effect or planned? 

• accelerate the phase-out of coal 
• curtail deforestation 
• speed up the switch to electric vehicles 
• encourage investment in renewables. 

China said that various countries’ efforts to meet the 1.5C target should be seen in the context of their efforts to eradicate poverty. 

India agreed. “How can anyone expect that developing countries make promises about phasing out coal and fossil fuel subsidies? Developing countries still have to do deal with their poverty reduction agenda,” India’s Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav, said.