Blogging a news story: Darfur

I said you could write about any kind of story for your own blog entries, but for my own I thought I'd write about an ongoing story that is simply horrific. The situation in Darfur is one of the world's worst conflict situations, and even threatens to spread outside Sudan to neighboring Chad. It is a situation that is now involving the UN Security Council, NATO, the African Union, the Arab League and other international organizations. There is supposed to be intervention to stop ongoing genocide, but the logistical and political problems are very serious.

According to Jennie Matthew writing from Khartoum:

The head of the UN peacekeeping force in Sudan's Darfur region has highlighted an urgent need for helicopters, saying the global community must donate them or the entire mission must be reviewed.

The international force, set to number 26 000, will formally replace a small African Union mission on January 1, but still lacks six combat and 18 transport helicopters, vital to operate in a war-torn Sudanese area the size of Texas.

She quotes the head of the African Union force on the ground as saying:

"The international community has got its back to the wall and some are asking 'really is it impossible for the entire international community to mobilise 24 helicopters,'"

She also notes that the UN blamed the Sudanese government for the problems:

On Tuesday, the head of UN peacekeeping, Jean-Marie Guehenno, complained that Sudanese government red tape and lack of resources are delaying the deployment of the peacekeepers

But Reuters News said that the Sudanese government blamed the UN itself for the delays:

SUNA [Sudan's state news agency] quoted senior foreign ministry official Suraj el-Din Hamid as saying President Omar Hassan al-Bashir had already issued directives to allocate all the land the mission needed, and that the United Nations had delayed meetings in New York to discuss the deployment twice in two weeks.

"The problems in dealing with the United Nations on this peacekeeping operation reflects the ability of the peacekeeping unit to direct this mission," Hamid said.

Meanwhile China threatened one of the major rebel groups fighting the Sudanese government. The Justice and Equality Movement, an Islamist group fighting against Arab domination of the Sudan, had said that Chinese troops were only going to Sudan to protect Chinese investments, and said that they would specifically target Chinese troops among any United Nations forces.

According to a report on a South African website:

China on Wednesday fired back at a rebel group's threats against its peacekeepers in Darfur, saying Beijing was committed to stabilising the troubled Sudanese region and urged the opposition to join in peace talks.

. . .

Rebels in the Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement have warned that they could target Chinese troops because Beijing supplies military and economic support to Sudan's government.

The movement, which has boycotted peace talks, claims the Chinese were sent to protect Beijing's investments in the oil industry. Last month, its fighters attacked the Chinese-run Defra oil field in neighbouring Kordofan region and abducted two foreign workers.

I hope you will take an interest in this important, ongoing story and learn something of the background to this conflict. If Japan is really going to ask for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and take a more important role in international affairs, people will have to learn more about what is going on in the outside world.

More information is available at the Save Darfur website, among other places.

Iai Activity

On this past weekend, I was absorbed in taking lessons the Iai. Iai means drawing a sword. We probably learn samurai-soul through Iai. Although I don't know about samurai-soul clearly, I believe that we can get something important mind. The least I do... I do.

My Weekend

I watched 3 DVDs on saturday and Sunday. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is the First one. I've been love its original story series since I was an elementary school child. So I really had wanted to go to cinema, but I couldn't. However, I enjoied the movie enough in my room and soon I hope to watch the next one. Next, I watched "OUTBREAK" for my report of biohazard measures class. It showed me terror of virus and terror of endless report. After that, I watched the last one, "The Great Dictator" which made by Charlie Chaplin. It was funny and interesting, but it made me think, and cry a little at last. Totally, I think I had a good time this weekend.

My weekend

I had a futsal game last week. All participation teams belong to Hirosaki university. Our team won the all league match. In second game in league match, I got a goal with nice pass from team mate. Although we were top in the league, we lost in second round in tournament.
Next week, futsal game is held in same place. We want to win all games by all means.

My job

I am making a dormitory document.It is written about introduction of each room,love survey,boarder's ranking and so on.Eight boarding students makes it and give it to graduates of university and dormitory.We divide the work among us eight.Sending survey of boarder's lanking is my job. It is so hard for me to collate the results of the survey.But making a dormitory document is one of the boarder's job.So,I do my best in order to get graduates of university and dormitory to delighted.

My weekend

November 24, I attended a wedding celemony to perform as a band.
I am on keyboards. The performance was a success. The bridal pair was deeply gratified by the performance of our band.
The two of them looked very happy.
It was a very happy day for me.

My holidays

I spent my holidays reading ''HANS ANDERSON'S FAILY TALES''. Andersenian stories are familiar to us, for example ''The Emperor's New Cloths'', ''Thumbelina'',''The Little Marmaid'' and so on. There are some difference between the original and Japanese version. So it was very interesting.

My three consecutive holidays

Three consecutive holidays was short for me because I had a part-time job in a preparatory school on Friday and Saturday. I usually teach junior high school students social studies or English. But sometimes I can't answer questions from students. So I want to be able to answer any question. And I had to clean my room and do a lot of washing on Sunday because my room was so much stuff scattered about that I couldn't find anywhere to sit. It took about half a day. That was my holidays.

weekend

I practiced the trumpet every day last weekend, because we have a concert next week. And I will practice this weekend. I practice very hard to do well the concert.

My Major

I major in life science. We are studying basic biochemistry now. Needless to say that life is composed of various atoms. Then, what's differences between life and nonlife? Life science will leads us to the truth of the life. We can make use of technology which we discover the truth in life science.

My major

My major is Agriculture and Life Science. We learn the fundamentals of biology, science and phisics, then study the function of living body and put it to use developing biotechnology. To be concrete, our major has 3 fields. First, to study about genes is the basic knowledge to understand the infurmation of life. Second, it is important to studyy about cells. Because cells are the most efficient mechanism made by nature. Third, we study about foods and bacteria. Bacteria let foods go bad, but they often ferment foods and change very delicious. And sometimes, bacteria promotes able material which is useful to medicine. Thus, our major study possibility of life and the methods to put to practical use.

MY MAJOR

I major in radiation technology.Most of class mates aim to become radiation engineer.In japan,there aren't enough radiation engineer.This job is needed more and more.We have national exam,so classes are difficult.But, Iwant to try with all my might.

My major

I major in computer science and electric system. Now, I learn programming, how to use Linux well and so on.
Electric system is to begin in sophomore, so I can't imagine detail of contents.

My major

My major is pedagogy. This is a study to be a teacher.
We have to study the Constitution of Japan, the method of human education, and so,on.
We also have some teaching practice and practical teaching in caregiving.

My major

My major is the humanities. I'm interested in Asian culture. For example, history, language, literature and so on. What I want to study most is dialectology. I speak in Tsugaru dialect. But many young people in Aomori feel shame at using Tsugaru dialect. On the contrary, people who speak in Kansai dialect don't feel shame. I want to research what makes the difference of the two.

Humanities

I major in humanities. In special, I'm interested in Asian history and literature. A department of humanities in Hirosaki University has some courses. I want to enter Asian culture course next year. And I want to study abroad in Asian country when occasion arises. So, I'm studying Chinese very hard too.

My major

I major in education of junior higi school. We learn many things about education. For example, psychology of children, the way to teach, teacher's position and so on. And we have practice teaching. We do our best so that we can be good teacher.

Major

I am majoring in pedagogy.It is an omnibus style and change a professor every a lesson.We think about education in various kind of direction.For instance,the way of thinking about it a comparison of Japanese university and American university,the way of thinking about education systems,education of physically and so on.It is difficult to teach us education.The reason is ,human's values and a way of thinking is completely different.It is not easy for us to understand feelings of person and to work on ours emotion.There isn't good education for everyone.Therefore education is the forever theme of human,we always consider what is education.

2.4 liter milk

This picture shows the amount of milk that I have consumed for 2 days. All of these packs are empty now.

I can't stop my drinking milk especially midnight, despite I know that I'll be so sad on the scales in the next day.

It can be said that I am a "milk junkie"!!

birthday party

This photo is taken by me when birthday party for Erika and Hiroka.

They are my best freind.

Kana is who are one of my freind and I cooked for them.

And we gave the present to them.

Both of them were absolutely delighted at the party.

We had a good time.