Visual Evidences on the Genocide in Darfur Essay Example for Free

Visual Evidences on the Genocide in Darfur Essay There is an old saying that goes â€Å"a picture paints a thousand words. † There is almost perfect truth in this proverb. Images are worth more than the medium on which they were created, the colors they show, the shapes and textures they protrude and the subjects they portray. They keep inside literally a million of information. In fact, the human mind registers images better than words or sounds. This concept can be seen in teaching grade school students, where images are used a lot. Also, presenters use a lot of pictures in their slides to illustrate points and mark their theses. Ultimately, photographs are tools used not only to capture still life images, but also to relay messages and thoughts. Sometimes these informations are vague, and hard to understand. Such as that in abstract paintings, where different observers and art critics can have varying interpretations, each having perfect sense. But there are images that have straightforward notes, photographs that have only one perfect meaning and description. These clear cut photographs were used by Nick Kristof in one of his works. These were just a few taken from an archive of photographs on the genocide in Darfur (Kristof, 2005). He posted these on a website, available to the masses, with some paragraphs of his own editorial. By doing so, his article gained a huge advantage over other essays found regarding the same topic. This is due to the attention catching theme of the photographs. Kristof posted pictures of dead humans, killed in bizarre and very disturbing ways. An onlooker would immediately notice the article as something unusual, something catchy and probably worth their time. But the real essence of these photographs was their ability to portray several principles and concepts about the genocide happening in Darfur. First it gives an idea of who are killed. Of course, the editorial gives us information about it. The author wrote all about the Arabs driving out the Africans (Kristof, 2005). But by the pictures themselves, one can decipher that fact without prior knowledge of the genocide – the four photos show four corpses of Africans. These images are powerful enough to stir a looker’s consciousness towards these Africans. Another is the idea of mercilessly killing anybody. The first picture greatly stresses this point. In this image one can see a young boy, lying dead and facing the ground. From his small body one can estimate his age to be no higher than about 4 years old. At a very young age, he was attacked, as the editorial notes, together with his brother and mother. He was still wearing his home clothes, and even had a pair of shoes on his feet when he was killed. This represents one of the many child killings that happened during the genocide. There was no space to spare anyone, and every African was subjected to death. The photographs also show the mutilations and tortures the victims endure before finally being put down. On one image, a skeleton lies with the hands tied together with pants pulled down up to the knees. This suggests the possibility of sexual torture before killing the victim (Kristof, 2005). This image in particular tends to stick out because of the skeleton corpse. This shows the lack of proper burial, and that the dead bodies of the Africans are just left to rot and decompose on the hot sand. These pictures do tell their own story. As a matter of fact, I think the four images are enough to portray the misery and darkness in Darfur. By themselves, a lot of information can be taken about the mistreatment and inhuman actions of the Sudan government towards the Africans. The author’s action in accompanying his editorial with these photographs took his subject a level higher. Not only did the pictures catch all important attention, they also created a kind of tension that tends to spark feelings on observers. These visual evidences on the genocide in Darfur are very strong and more effective compared to voices and texts describing it. By placing photographs, the author created a face-to-face frame, where the audiences are faced with the dark truth and evidence about the slaughter. References Kristof, N. D. (2005). The secret genocide archive. The New York Times website. Retrieved March 11, 2008 from http://www. nytimes. com/2005/02/23/opinion/23kristof. html? _r=2oref=sloginoref=slogin

The Iraqi War has Made a Fool of George Bush Essay -- essays research

The Iraqi War has Made a Fool of George Bush There were several wars in the twentieth century that caught the attention of the people. World War II, Vietnam War and The Cold War are only a few of the many wars we lived by. Now, in the twentieth first century the first war we have lived is the Iraqi War. The United States started a war against Iraq for causes that brought more negative than positive effects for the Iraqi people. II. CAUSES The Iraqi War started for allegations the U.S. had against Iraq with the United Nations. Even though Saddam Hussein, the President of Iraq gave a report to the United Nations of all the arms he possessed, the United States decided to take action superceding the United Nation’s diplomatic process and go into war. Another cause of the Iraqi War was because the United States promised to liberate Iraqis from the Hussein’s regime. Iraq had been in a regime where they did not have any liberty and they were robbed by their own government. This cause was another excuse for President Bush and his administration to declare a war against Iraq. A year after the war, the Iraqi people seem worst than before the war started. II.POSITIVE EFFECTS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A positive effect of the Iraqi War left was the overthrown of Saddam Hussein. With their advanced technology, the United States’ military could strategize smartly where Hussein was and captured him. Because Hussein was accused for having in possession nuclear and biological weapons of mass destruction, the capture certainly was a relief for the whole world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another positive effect of the Iraqi War is the opportunity of Iraq to a new government. Gubash mentions about the war effect on Iraqi government, â€Å"The U.S. – led overthrow of a dictator has accelerated the pressure for political and social reform that began in the wake of September 11, 200, terrorist attacks. For years, people have been clamoring for democratic reform while Arab regimes have just as staunchly resisted any change that that would erode their grip on power† (4). Many Iraqi people lived in fear because they never knew what to expect next of their dictator. Feisal Amin Al-Istrabadi, a Chicago lawyer said, â€Å"This is a day we’ve been waiting for 35 years.† (qtd. In â€Å"Iraqiâ€Å" 1). Iraqis now feel somewhat liberated by the drastic change in their government. III. NEGATIVE EFFECTS One effect of the Iraqi ... ...ates asked the Iraqi people not to fear the war because they promised a new democracy. They repeatedly told the Iraqi people they were going to be at liberty. Many Iraqi hoped for a new life style with a new government where democracy really could rule their lives. It has been a year after the war and no positive results have seen. Sukkar quotes in Gubash, â€Å"I don’t think American credibility has been at a lower level at anytime in the past Syria. Proposals about democratic initiatives have no credibility whatsoever. The U.S. does not tackle the Arab-Israeli conflict which is the crux of the problem†¦ It goes ahead and occupies another country. You cannot talk about democracy and right of self determination and invade someone’s territory without legimacy.† (5). The reality is that the United States has not helped the people of Iraq to achieve a new government; they have actually made it worst than what it was. V. CONCLUSION In The United States Bush Administration has clearly made a fool of them with the world. Now a year later, the poor people of Iraq are mad and angry because they have not seemed a new democratic government, nor a positive change as the U.S. promised.

Norse, Teutonic, or Scandinavian mythology Essay

   Thought (Hugin) and Memory (Munin) were the two ravens that went unto the world to observe and return to tell of what all men do, Driven by further search for knowledge, Odin begged Mimir, the wise, to allow him to drink from the well of wisdom, for this he consented to lose an eye. â€Å"Wounded I hung on wind swept gallows For nine long nights, Pierced by a spear, pledged to Odin, Offered myself to myself: The wisest know not from whence spring The roots of that ancient rood. They gave me no bread, they gave me no mead: I looked down; with a loud cry I took up the runes and I fell. † (The Elder Edda 56) Here we find Odin once more sacrificing himself for knowledge, In The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology it is said that Odin actually died on the gallows of Yggdrasil, that he traversed Nifleheim, or Hel in order to obtain the nine sacred runes, that seem to be extremely powerful as described in The Elder Edda. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology adds yet another theory to Odin hanging himself, † The parallel between Odin’s voluntary death on Yggdrasil and the crucifixion remains striking. Odin was pierced with a spear and like Christ, cried out before he died†¦ there is little doubt that his hanging on the cosmic tree had pre-Christian origins and derived from ancient pagan worship. Odin had long been the god of the spear, the god of the hanged. † This could definitely be determined as less than speculation, seeing as we must rely on our sources and to this point one could say that this is a very valid and well thought out work. Regardless of minor differences in text again we must as they did default ourselves to the larger span of information. There were two different groups of gods in Scandinavian Mythology, The Aesir and the Vanir. Each having their own respective dwelling place, Asgard for the Aesir, and Vanaheim for the Vanir. Of the two, The Vanir have been said to be the older. â€Å"Unlike the warrior Aesir, the Vanir were a race of gods associated with fertility, wealth, and good weather. † (The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology 500) Among the Vanir were, Njord, the sea and fortune god, Skadi, the god of destruction, Freyja, the goddess of love, and Freyr the god of Fertility. Among the Aesir were, Odin, Balder, Bragi, Forseti Heimdall, Hodr, Thor, Tyr, Vili, Ve, Vidar, Frigg, Sif, and Idun. At one point in time there was a great war between these two branches of gods, yet both the Aesir, and the Vanir came to terms by exchanging several prominent gods of each side. The Vanir sent Njord, Freyr, Freyja, and Kvasir, while the Aesir sent Mimir, and Honir. The Vanir soon found that they got the bad end of the deal due to the fact that Mimir was the only one who knew what he was talking about, and that in his absence Honir, wasn’t really that bright. The Vanir then sliced of Mimir’s head and sent it back to Asgard, where Odin used Powerful magic to allow Mimir’s head to speak. Little else is known of the Vanir, they seemed to lose importance quickly after it was concluded that the war was resolved however it was noted that Vanaheim, was potentially unaffected by Ragnarok. This shows evidence of two religions colliding with Scandinavian and Germanic mythology. Revealing to us that Scandinavian mythology has most definately influenced by other ancient tales and stories. (Cherry, Vanaheim) Scandinavian mythology might have been the inspiration to several works of modern day literature. It is Nicole Cherry’s opinion that â€Å"Tolkien was very well acquainted with the northern mythos, as can be seen by the use of it in his books. The name of one of his main characters, Gandalf, is found in The Poetic Edda. Gandalf is, in some ways, reminiscent of Odin, the leader of the Norse pantheon. Even the name Middle-earth, the setting for Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, comes from Norse mythology. † There are several other modern day works of literature based on or derived from Scandinavian mythology as well, such as, The Ring of the Nibelung and The Nibelungenlied. These works, may well show the effect and legacy of Scandinavian Mythology in the World. Another notable element of Tolkein’s Lord of The Rings was his use of the ring itself to the Viings the ring meant wealth honor fame and destiny. It was in fact a tradition to give rings to neighboring countries, bringing to notice the ever prominent focal point of the Lord of the Rings. (Day 29) There is no Heaven or Hell in Scandinavian mythology, the only hope is to be brought up to Asgard by a Valkyrie or â€Å"Battle Maiden†. Even then those chosen or the Einherjar (The Heroic dead) faced defeat at Ragnarok in the Final Battle on the Vigrid Plain. This may be unlike any other focal point of religion known. It reasons in many ways that the only way to gain honor is to die in battle unfaltering. Scandinavian Mythology, although comparable to other religions or other pagan beliefs is an original and unique work of the Norwegians, Swedish, Icelandic, and Danish peoples of Europe. Hamilton describes it justly by saying, † Asgard, the home of the gods, is unlike any other heaven men have dreamed of. No radiancy or joy is in it, no assurance of bliss, it is a grave and solemn place, over which hangs the threat of inevitable doom†¦ the same is true for humanity†¦ this conception of life which underlies Norse religion, as somber a conception the human mind has ever given birth to†¦ A heroic death†¦ is not a defeat, but a triumph. † Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE JRR Tolkien section.   

German Genealogical Word List English Equivalents

Researching German family history eventually means delving into documents written in German. Records written in German may also be found in  Switzerland, Austria, and parts of Poland, France, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and other places that Germans settled. Even if you dont speak or read German, however, you can still make sense of most genealogical documents found in Germany with the understanding of a few key German words. Common English genealogy terms, including record types, events, dates, and relationships are listed here, along with German words with similar meanings, such as words commonly used in Germany to indicate marriage, including marry, marriage, wedding, wedlock, and unite. Record Types Birth Certificate - Geburtsurkunde, GeburtsscheinCensus - Volkszà ¤hlung, Volkszà ¤hlungslisteChurch Register - Kirchenbuch, Kirchenreister, Kirchenrodel, PfarrbuchCivil Registry - StandesamtDeath Certificate - Sterbeurkunde, TotenscheinMarriage Certificate - HeiratsurkundeMarriage Register - HeiratsbuchMilitary - Milità ¤r, Armee (army), Soldaten (soldier) Family Events Baptism / Christening -Taufe, Taufen, GetaufteBirth - Geburten, Geburtsregister, Geborene, geborenBurial - Beerdigung, Beerdigt, Begraben, Begrà ¤bnis, BestattetConfirmation - Konfirmation, FirmungenDeath - Tot, Tod, Sterben, Starb, Verstorben, Gestorben, Sterbefà ¤lleDivorce - Scheidung, EhescheidungMarriage - Ehe, Heiraten, Kopulation, EheschließungMarriage Banns - Proklamationen, Aufgebote, Verkà ¼ndigungenMarriage Ceremony, Wedding - Hochzeit, Trauungen Family Relationships Ancestor - Ahnen, Vorfahre, VorfahrinAunt - TanteBrother - Bruder, Brà ¼derBrother-in-law - Schwager, Schwà ¤gerChild - Kind, KinderCousin - Cousin, Cousins, Vetter (male), Kusine, Kusinen, Base (female)Daughter - Tochter, Tà ¶chterDaughter-in-law - Schwiegertochter, Schwiegertà ¶chterDescendant - Abkà ¶mmling, Nachkomme, NachkommenschaftFather - Vater, Và ¤terGranddaughter - EnkelinGrandfather - GroßvaterGrandmother - GroßmutterGrandson - EnkelGreat-grandfather - UrgroßvaterGreat-grandmother - UrgroßmutterHusband - Mann, Ehemann, GatteMother - MutterOrphan - Waise, VollwaiseParents - ElternSister - SchwesterSon - Sohn, Sà ¶hneUncle - Onkel, OheimWife - Frau, Ehefrau, Ehegattin, Weib, Hausfrau, Gattin Dates Date - DatumDay - TagMonth - MonatWeek - WocheYear - JahrMorning - Morgen, VormittagsNight - NachtJanuary - Januar, Jà ¤nnerFebruary - Februar, FeberMarch - Mà ¤rzApril - AprilMay - MaiJune - JuniJuly - JuliAugust - August,September - September (7ber, 7bris)October - Oktober (8ber, 8bris)November - November (9ber, 9bris)December - Dezember (10ber, 10bris, Xber, Xbris) Numbers One (first) - eins (erste)Two (second) - zwei (zweite)Three (third) - drei or dreà ¿ (dritte)Four (fourth) - vier (vierte)Five (fifth) -  fà ¼nf (fà ¼nfte)Six (sixth) - sechs (sechste)Seven (seventh) - sieben (siebte)Eight (eighth) - acht (achte)Nine (ninth) - neun (neunte)Ten (tenth) - zehn (zehnte)Eleven (eleventh) - elf or eilf (elfte or eilfte)Twelve (twelfth) -  zwà ¶lf (zwà ¶lfte)Thirteen (thirteenth) - dreizehn (dreizehnte)Fourteen (fourteenth) - vierzehn (vierzehnte)Fifteen (fifteenth) -  fà ¼nfzehn (fà ¼nfzehnte)Sixteen (sixteenth) - sechzehn (sechzehnte)Seventeen (seventeenth) - siebzehn (siebzehnte)Eighteen (eighteenth) - achtzehn (achtzehnte)Nineteen (nineteenth) - neunzehn (neunzehnte)Twenty (twentieth) - zwanzig (zwanzigste)Twenty-one (twenty-first) - einundzwanzig (einundzwanzigste)Twenty-two (twenty-second) -  zweiundzwanzig (zweiundzwanzigste)Twenty-three (twenty-third) -  dreiundzwanzig (dreiundzwanzigste)Twenty-four (twenty-fourth) -  vierundzwan zig (vierundzwanzigste)Twenty-five (twenty-fifth) -  fà ¼nfundzwanzig (fà ¼nfundzwanzigste)Twenty-six (twenty-sixth) -  sechsundzwanzig (sechsundzwanzigste)Twenty-seven (twenty-seventh) -  siebenundzwanzig (siebenundzwanzigste)Twenty-eight (twenty-eighth) -  achtundzwanzig (achtundzwanzigste)Twenty-nine (twenty-ninth) -  neunundzwanzig (neunundzwanzigste)Thirty (thirtieth) -  dreißig (dreißigste)Forty (fortieth) -  vierzig (vierzigste)Fifty (fiftieth) -  fà ¼nfzig (fà ¼nfzigste)Sixty (sixtieth) -  sechzig (sechzigste)Seventy (seventieth) -  siebzig (siebzigste)Eighty (eightieth) -  achtzig (achtzigste)Ninety (ninetieth) -  neunzig (neunzigste)One hundred (one hundredth) -  hundert or  einhundert (hundertste or einhundertste)One thousand (one thousandth) - tausend or eintausend (tausendste or eintausendste) Other Common German Genealogical Terms Archive - ArchivCatholic - KatholischEmigrant, Emigration - Auswanderer, AuswanderungFamily Tree, Pedigree - Stammbaum, AhnentafelGenealogy - Genealogie, AhnenforschungImmigrant, Immigration - Einwanderer, EinwanderungIndex - Verzeichnis, RegisterJewish - Jà ¼disch, JudeName, given - Name, Vorname, TaufnameName, maiden - Geburtsname, Mà ¤dchennameName, surname - Nachname, Familienname, Geschlechtsname, SunameParish - Pfarrei, Kirchensprengel, KirchspielProtestant - Protestantisch, Protestant, Evangelisch, Lutherisch For more common genealogy terms in German, along with their English translations, see German Genealogical Word List at FamilySearch.com.