January 2007
An enewsletter for CultureGrams™ and World Conflicts Today™ subscribers
Happy New Year!
Our monthly Culture Matters enewsletter helps teachers, librarians, administrators, and students stay informed about the world's cultures, while providing classroom resources and giving tips for using CultureGrams™ and World Conflicts Today™. Check out our online archive for access to past issues.
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1. Notes for CultureGrams & World Conflicts Today Users
In January 2005, after he had won a second term, President George W. Bush spoke extensively about the relationship between U.S. security and the spread of democracy overseas. He said:
"The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world... So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world."
Passages like that were viewed by many as an explanation and a defense of the Bush administration's policies in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq.
In the World Conflicts Today report on Iraq, users can explore the global implications of the conflict and consider the effects on U.S. security of ongoing efforts to establish a democratic government in Baghdad.
World Conflicts Today reports provide easy access to primary sources, video clips, photographs, slide shows (10M Iraq PPT), dynamic maps, and other resources that allow users to understand conflicts from multiple perspectives.
How much do you know about the Caribbean region?
Test your knowledge with these tidbits from CultureGrams:
Which two countries share the island of Hispaniola, where Christopher Columbus landed in 1492?
Nearly half the population of which country lives in the area surrounding the capital city of Saint John's?
Which Caribbean nation is named after the Portuguese phrase "bearded ones," which referred to the bearded fig trees Portuguese explorers encountered on the island?
The U.S. Virgin Islands, located in the Greater Antilles, covers a total of 135 square miles (349 square kilometers) across how many islands?
People of mixed East Indian and African descent are called Duglas in which island nation?
In which country does tourism fuel a per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) typically exceeded in the Western Hemisphere only by the United States and Canada?
The United States invaded which Caribbean island, now a U.S. territory, during the Spanish-American War?
The movie The Swiss Family Robinson was filmed on which island?
In 1934, the United States received a 99-year lease on Guantánamo Bay, located in which country?
Which country is called the "Emerald Isle" for its early Irish settlers and its lush vegetation?
Answers: 1) Haiti and the Dominican Republic. 2) Antigua and Barbuda. 3) Barbados. 4) 68. 5) Grenada. 6) Bahamas. 7) Puerto Rico. 8) Tobago (of Trinidad and Tobago). 9) Cuba. 10) Monteserrat.
Did you also know...
The political and religious Rastafarian movement originated in Jamaica. Only about 5 percent of Jamaicans practice Rastafarianism, but it has had a profound impact on Jamaican and Caribbean culture. Adherents generally believe they should separate themselves from white people and regard Africa as the promised land. They consider Ethiopia's late ruler Haile Selassie I an incarnation of "the living God." Many also observe Old Testament laws, including dietary restrictions, and regard marijuana as a sacred herb.
In Haiti, voodoo is perhaps as important as organized religion. Voodoo is practiced to some degree by a majority of Haitians. It was given legal status equal to other religions in 2003. Though the practice is opposed by Catholic priests, voodoo has incorporated the worship of Catholic saints and the use of other Catholic rituals. Voodoo ceremonies and rituals, held in temples, usually are performed at night. Voodoo adherents believe that during the temple ceremonies, a voodoo god inhabits the body of a believer. Not all voodoo adherents practice the religion openly. Still, certain voodoo temples are the focus of annual pilgrimages.
The CultureGrams Photo Gallery contains hundreds of photos from around the globe. Browse the more than 30 new country collections we've added in recent months.
Tree fruit: These young boys are feasting on fruit they have picked from trees. Souroup (front) and mangos are common and are often picked straight from the tree and eaten. This particular type of mango is called "belly-full" because of its large size. Fruits are eaten raw or made into juice, jelly, or confections. (Victoria, Grenada, July 2004).
Little Rhody (a nickname for Rhode Island) is small. It's the smallest U.S. state, with only 1,545 square miles (4,001 sq km). There is a Texas ranch bigger than all of Rhode Island. Alaska, the largest state, is 425 times as big as this small state. About 60 percent of the land is covered with forests. Many of the trees are canoe birches, which Native Americans used to make canoes.
Here are some other interesting facts about Rhode Island:
The official state name is actually the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
Rhode Island was the first of the original colonies to declare independence from England and the last to become a U.S. state.
Rhode Island was one of only two states to never ratify the 18th Amendment (Prohibition, or the outlawing of all alcohol manufacturing and sales), which was eventually repealed (done away with).
Touro Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in North America, can be found in Newport. The synagogue contains the oldest Torah (Jewish scripture) in North America.
Newport was the first place (in 1904) where anyone was jailed for speeding.
Holidays provide a great way to introduce students to the culture and history of a country. "Observe" a world holiday in your classroom by asking students to research the holiday's origins or learn more about a particular aspect of the country.
Holiday Focus: Día de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day)
Across the Spanish-speaking world, January 6 (Epiphany) marks the day when children receive their presents and the long Christmas season comes to a close. Spaniards call the holiday the Día de los Reyes Magos (Day of the Wise Men).
In some Spanish cities, the wise men arrive on January 5, the eve of epiphany, accompanied by a musical procession. In Spain and elsewhere, children leave hay or straw out -- by the side of their beds or tucked in their shoes -- for the Wise Men's horses or camels to eat. They wake up the next morning to sweets and presents left by the Three Kings. Some countries now celebrate Christmas with Santa Claus on December 24 and the Wise Men on January 6, meaning kids get presents twice!
World Holidays Featured This Month
Sierra Leone – New Year's Day – January 1
Tradition is to have a party, with a sound system, at a nearby river or beach. Masquerades are a popular part of big celebrations: masked "devils" entertain the people. On any holiday, children often go door-to-door asking for (and sometimes dancing for) money.
Moldova – New Year's Day – January 1
New Year's day is a favorite for decorating trees and for children to go to parties with Mos Craniun (Santa Claus) and Alba-ca-Zapada (his granddaughter, Snow White).
South Korea – New Year Celebration – January 1–3
Families gather to exchange gifts, honor the dead, and enjoy large meals. Generally everyone dresses in traditional clothing. After the memorial services, family members bow to each older person in a show of respect. Games are played and fortunes are told.
Mexico – St. Anthony's Day – January 17
Children take their pets to church to be blessed with holy water, since Anthony is the patron saint of animals. Animals may be adorned with flowers and ribbons for the occasion.
U.S. elections, particularly presidential elections, are watched eagerly everywhere, from Western Europe to the Pacific Rim to the Middle East.
During the 2004 election, there was even a suggestion in a major British newspaper that everyone in the world should be allowed to cast a vote. The reason for this unparalleled interest, of course, is that the policies of the United States have a tremendous influence on what happens in the rest of the world.
When George W. Bush was elected president in 2000, he did a number of things very differently from his predecessor, Bill Clinton. The impact of these changes was felt acutely on the Korean Peninsula and in the Palestinian territories. View the World Conflicts Today slide shows associated with these conflicts to get an idea of the different styles of these two presidents.
Then go into the advanced search feature in the main World Conflicts Today text and search using keywords Clinton and Bush. Browse the results within the texts on the Korean Peninsula and the Palestinian territories and try to answer the following questions:
In attempting to shut down North Korean's nuclear program, why did the Bush administration reject the diplomatic approach of the Clinton administration?
How did North Korea respond to President Bush's use of the term "axis of evil" in his 2002 State of the Union address?
Read the quotes listed for Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in the Key Individuals section of the Palestinian territories report. Which expresses the more concrete view of how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be resolved, and why is that view controversial?
In what way, if at all, did the elections of George W. Bush in the United States and Ariel Sharon in Israel change the nature of U.S.-Israeli relations?
The transition from the Clinton to the Bush administration had a substantial impact on the conflict in Iraq as well. Read through the Developments sections of the Iraq text. Then, with reference to what you have learned about Clinton's Iraq policies, describe how the course of events might have been altered if Al Gore, Clinton's vice president, had won the 2000 election instead of George Bush.
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