A Guide to the Syrian Uprising

by Hannah Gent


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13855203

This is a very simplistic guide to what is happening currently in Syria. The 'Syria Crisis' started with protests earlier in 2011 when protesters asked for the release of political prisoners. The protests have then continued and the violence has escalated. The overall aim of the protesters was to gain democracy and 'greater freedom'. The BBC news link shows what the protesters wanted in more detail and how President Assad has responded.

Syria is an important country in the Middle-East. This means that the chaos here could cause problems in near-by countries such as Israel and Lebanon. Furthermore, even without the violence, Syria still needs a large amount of time to recover from the economic impact of the instability of the country. One of the main reasons why Syria is facing economic problems is because of the lack of tourists and therefore business. Moreover, places like Lebanon and Jordan have had to take in thousands of Syrian refugees. Jordan, which is already struggling against a large national deficit and high unemployment rates, is also facing a decline in the number of tourists. This means that Syria is inflicting these economic stresses onto other neighbouring countries which may cause unrest between countries in the Middle East and lead to further violence in the near future.

What do you think will happen with the current situation in Syria?

Sweatshops: a Curse or a Boon?

by Viva Avasthi

Sweatshops have been branded as places where the poor in developing countries are forced to work under horrible conditions for massive multinational companies such as Nike, for example. But is this really the case? Are there benefits to so-called 'sweat shops'?

Contents of Investigation:

1. Introduction
2. The problems with sweatshops
3. An alternative approach to the issues surrounding sweatshops
4. Conclusion