Directions for Kite Runner detailed metaphors connecting to themes and relationships

Instructions:

STEP 1: choose one aspect of the novel on which to focus

(ex: key relationship; personality trait of character; insecurity of character; key interaction; specific theme, etc.)

STEP 2: use your phone camera to take an image that serves as a metaphor for this aspect. It must include at least 3 specific elements that reveal different nuanced elements of your key aspect. Write paragraph and post with image on blog.

Sample:

This image represents Amir’s phone call with Rahim Khan. Amir has placed a stone wall between him and his past, refusing to speak of his relationship with Hassan to anyone- even his wife. When Rahim Khan calls, it is like a small window has been carved out of the wall, and he is offered a chance of redemption by facing his past. He begins to remember what he left behind, represented by the fuzzy landscape seen through the image. His mind is a blur; he suddenly thinks of “Baba. Ali. Kabul” (2).  As he has hidden behind the wall for so long, he struggles to make sense of everything on the other side. However, his devotion for Rahim Khan is seen through the one flower in focus, and he chooses to focus on that. Because of his loyalty to Rahim Khan, Amir ultimately decides to return and learn of the possibility for redemption.

Important note: make sure you are going beyond the obvious!

Examples of what is too obvious:

• Hassan appreciates Amir more than Hassan
• Baba feels guilty when he sees Amir (or Hassan)
• Amir seeks redemption through Sohrab
• Amir feels like not having children is a punishment
• Amir feels relief when getting beaten by Assef

These are all pretty blatantly stated in text & we have talked about them a lot.

Your post:

Title: [your key focus]

Labels: Your Names, Kite Runner Metaphors

Body of Post: Include image and explanation of how that image represents something specific from the novel. Clearly explain at least 3 aspects of the photo that reveal different nuances of your key focus.

Cheap for Us, Yet Costly for the Invisible

The people were excited. Meetings had been called, and deals had been struck. Every villager from the surrounding area had convened today to sign the contract, and government officials were present to ensure propriety. But when the Singapore-owned Golden Veroleum corporation’s representatives arrived to ready their new plantation, the villagers discovered that the conditions weren’t what they thought they had agreed to. Instead of the 108.63 acre plot Golden had described, the illiterate villagers had given up 2,195 acres — a detail which had been changed but never read aloud. And the hospitals, roads, and schools Golden had promised? A lack of deadlines meant they would likely never see the light of day (Global Witness, Macdougall).

This story is no exception. For as long as many Americans, Europeans, and Chinese can remember, they have had an unspoken agreement with corporations that they will stay silent about buying illicitly sourced products in exchange for lower prices. Golden’s meeting was held in Liberia during the height of the Ebola crisis, breaking anti-assembly laws intended to protect people from the disease (Macdougall). But the people were poor, and they took desperate actions. To allow corporations from these countries to continue to enter Africa and conduct such business is to condone a brand of capitalism that is unconscientious, if not malicious.

Foreign business in Africa is often even more illicit than Golden Veroleum’s. Consider the Congo, where armed groups fight for control of mines that produce minerals like tantalum (Global Witness). Tech firms rely heavily on it to create their products, and Apple is under scrutiny for potentially using tantalum smuggled from the Congo, which would fund armed groups that have normalized rape and displaced approximately 2.7 million people (Browning, Global Witness). While this is the status quo across the continent, efforts for change can be found in the Dodd-Frank Act, which requires multinational corporations to publicly disclose supply chains which use materials from conflict zones in the Congo and its neighbors. But new legislation will have to be introduced before these companies can be directly punished for such conduct.

While tech firms indirectly promote the use of conflict materials, others promote violence in more direct ways. When Charles Taylor, a Liberian rebel notorious for conscripting child soldiers, took control of Firestone’s rubber plantation in 1991, he convinced the company to bribe him with millions of dollars in food, money, and arms, which enabled a brutal coup on the nation’s capital (Miller). Such actions can have damaging effects on stable governments as well; $1.36 billion given to Congolese bureaucrats could have covered the country’s health and education budgets twice over (Global Witness).

The most effective solutions will come from international courts and political entities like the Kimberley Process, an international alliance that works to prevent conflict diamonds from reaching the market. But along with the ICC and the African Criminal Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Kimberley is heavily restricted by its realm of jurisdiction. While these courts have assorted jurisdictions that include rough diamond trade, genocide, crimes against humanity, and illicit exploitation of natural resources, they must be expanded to prosecute against the complex schemes that exist today (Clarke, Global Witness).

What so often allows this type of criminal activity to go unfettered is a distorted sense of morality. The productivity of these companies is weighed against the most basic needs of the peoples of Africa. In the words of Kofi Annan, "Africa loses twice as much in illicit financial outflows as it receives in international aid… It is unconscionable that some companies, often supported by dishonest officials, are using unethical tax avoidance, transfer pricing and anonymous company ownership to maximize their profits, while millions of Africans go without adequate nutrition, health and education" (Stewart).

Works Cited

Browning, Lynnley. "Where Apple Gets the Tantalum for Your IPhone." Newsweek. 04 Feb. 2015.

Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

Explains the ways in which Apple and other companies rely heavily on tantalum and

notes suspicions that despite Apple's thorough denials, their supply chain may include

tantalum from conflict zones in the Congo.

Clarke, Kamari Maxine. "Treat Greed in Africa as a War Crime." The New York Times. The New

York Times, 29 Jan. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

An opinions column which argues that the greed of government officials, corporations

and others should be considered a war crime due to its far-reaching consequences. In

this case, greed refers to actions whose costs outweigh acquisitive benefits.

Global Witness. "Conflict Minerals in East Congo." Global Witness. 2 Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Mar.

2016.

Describes the ways in which certain sectors of the Congolese army have become

involved in and attempted to take control of trafficking of conflict minerals. Lists

recommendations that will allow international courts to hold the army accountable.

Global Witness. "Congo's Secret Sales | Global Witness." Global Witness. 3 May 2014. Web. 20

Mar. 2016.

Explains the way that Congolese president Joseph Kabila's personal friend Dan Gertler

was able to use offshore companies in the relatively unregulated British Virgin Islands to

unfairly sell and profit from assets which should have been under the equal control of the

other shareholders.

Global Witness. "Financing a Parallel Government | Global Witness." Global Witness. 11 June

2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

Explains how Chinese businessman Sam Pa paid the Zimbabwe secret police in order to

provide security to his holdings in the country.

Global Witness. "The Kimberley Process | Global Witness | Global Witness." Global Witness. 1

Apr. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Describes the Kimberley Process, an international pact working to prevent Blood Diamonds from reaching international market through a system of sanctions and agreements as well as national audits. Explains some of the weaknesses of said process.

Global Witness. "The New Snake Oil?" Global Witness. 23 July 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

Supplements the New York Times article on Golden Veroleum with details about Golden's

specific agreements with villagers as well as a video with investigative interviews with

anonymous villagers explaining the conditions to which they agreed in comparison with

those stipulated in the contract. Also explains the specifics of Golden's expansion in

Liberia.

Global Witness. "Update following Financing a Parallel Government Report | Global Witness."

Global Witness. 30 Oct. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

An update on the situation of Chinese businessman Sam Pa. Explains new sanctions by

the U.S. Department of the Treasury intended to punish Pa for his crimes.

Macdougall, Clair. "Palm Oil Company Is Accused of Exploiting Liberia’s Ebola Crisis." The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Aug. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

Describes the way in which Singapore-backed Golden Veroleum exploited the

desperation of Ebola-afflicted Liberia in order to dramatically expand its territory for palm

oil production. Includes interviews with villagers explaining their current life situation and

what they hoped to receive within the contract.

Miller, T. Christian, and Jonathan Jones. "Firestone and the Warlord." Top Stories RSS. ProPublica, 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

A major report by Frontline and ProPublica that explains the ways in which Charles

Taylor's rebellions in the early 1990s were largely funded by Firestone, whose plantation

he took over in 1991. Explains in detail why Firestone is partly responsible for an

indiscriminate rebellion that took many lives and destabilized Liberia.

Stewart, Heather. "Annan Calls for End to 'unconscionable' Exploitation of Africa's Resources." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 09 May 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Quotes former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his appeal to David Cameron to punish British corporations for their corrupt actions in Africa.

Governments Fighting Pirates

“Come all you young sailormen, and listen to me!” a voice booms, “I’ll sing you a song of the fish in the sea!” (Ubisoft). The images that enter one’s head from this song is probably what people would think of when they hear the word “pirates”. The term “African pirates” brings a different connotation than just “pirates”. The Tom Hanks and the 2013 movie “Captain Phillips” comes to mind instead of old timey pirates sailing the seven seas.

Yet as cheerful as the previous sea shanty may be, West African pirates are quite the opposite. In the past, most of Africa’s piracy stemmed from Somalia due to the cargo being exported. In 2011 alone, piracy in Somalia accounted for more than half of the attacks and hijackings worldwide (WSC).

After the government had put in place measures and actions to reduce piracy (SA), the pirate attacks and hijackings had declined. But, the pirates didn’t simply leave Africa, they have shifted towards West Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea. The reason for this appeared to be due to the lack of cargo going through Somalia, and the oil going out of West Africa (IPD). With 100 billion dollars worth of crude oil stolen out of West Africa since 1960 (UNNC), what will the African governments do to combat this emerging form of piracy?

Possible short-term solutions have been proposed and are in practice. They range from outfitting ships with pirate deterrents (SA), to military action from foreign nations (BBC).

Long-term solutions would come from government action, as most countries have agreed (ANS). Piracy originates from the unstable economy created by the country’s corruption. To permanently rid West Africa of all piracy, the government must work on an economic reform. Piracy fuels the existing corruption and creates more crime and instability (Economist). However, West African government is not alone in this fight. The all of five members of the UN Security council have sent forces in aid, the first time since World War Two (GALE).

Though some of the short-term solutions may seem a little extreme for cargo and oil rigs, they do present a practical solution that would work nearly immediately (SA). The agreed long-term solution is significant change in government to completely remove corruption from the country (Economist). As the sea shanty says: “Up jumps the whale, the largest of all. If you want any wind, well, I'll blow ye a squall!” (Ubisoft).

Works Cited

"Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Soundtrack - Fish in the Sea." YouTube. YouTube, 2 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

"Danger Zone: Chasing West Africa's Pirates - BBC News." BBC News. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

"How East African Piracy Ended, and Lessons West Africa Can Learn to End Crime on Its Waters." Somali Agenda. 02 Mar. 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

"Piracy in West Africa | Africa Renewal Online." UN News Center. UN. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

"Piracy in West Africa Targets the Region's Oil Industry." International Policy Digest. 30 Dec. 2014. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

"UN Authorises Naval Forces to Fight Piracy in East Africa." Africa News Service 18 Nov. 2015. Global Issues In Context. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.

"The Ungoverned Seas." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 29 Nov. 2014. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.

"Piracy." World Shipping Council. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

Traditions Lost by Racism

“The plague of racism in insidious, entering our minds as smoothly and quietly and invisibly as floating airborne microbes enter into our bodies to find lifelong purchase in our bloodstream”, by Maya Angelou. The impact of racism is not taken lightly in any part of the world, especially Africa. The black culture that is often made fun of, and mocked in today’s society leads to unprecedented consequences elsewhere. These actions diminish the rights and culture of a once proud Africa.

Starting in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Portuguese started their slave trade which was the first step in eliminating rights for native Africans. This first step of exporting slaves, and colonizing Africa, took away the rights of Africans. These colonies would eventually grow to cities and would then spread their white, European ideals (Lowcountry Digital History Initiative). In addition to the lack of rights that and racism that Africa now has to offer, there is a tremendous amount of influence of white culture amongst the blacks. These blacks have every right to study their own tradition and practice their own culture, but in modern day Africa, the white culture that exists overrules the black culture and pushes it out, soon, ceasing to exist. This white culture is helping the blacks lose touch with  their past. This lack of past influences racism because as Africans move closer towards modernism, they compete with whites, which in turns frightens them, creating a vicious cycle of reignited racism . (Evaluating the Africa).

Transitioning to around 400 years later,  Apartheid, a cruel government that left many Africans with a lack of rights and plenty of discrimination by whites. Even with Apartheid gone, African natives are still feeling the effect of apartheid today. A town in the western cape of Africa, Oralia, consists of all whites. Although the local government states that this is to preserve Afrikaner traditions, the procedures that handle visitation of colored or black people contradicts to what the government asserts. They have to stay in a separate townhouse, cannot stay for extended periods of time, and all actions that this black or colored person takes is to be reported back to the government (RelativityOnline). This stereotype that the whites have created has circled back against them. In the last decade, groups of black Africans have gone around the country and killed white boers, or white farmers of dutch decent. The number of farm murders, or "plaasmoorde" as it is called in Afrikaans, is staggering. Over the last decade, it is estimated that at least 3000 Boers have been killed (Ahlert).

These acts of violence and clear acts of racial discrimination lead to the loss of culture and traditions that were once proud in Africa. This modernism that the whites have implemented amongst the blacks has tormented their souls which an unsettling aura of a country trying to unite itself again. Traditional morals and value, which include “respect, love, marriage, taboos, laws, hard work, kindness and worship” (Sabre) have been taken away, meaning if these are implemented back into society, communities and the nation will bond, and unite as one.

Works Cited 

"Racism Alive And Well in South Africa." Relativity OnLine. 11 Feb. 2011. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

"The Lost Of African Culture, Values And Morals: Reason For Africa’s Underdevelopment-Part 1." Modern Ghana. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

"Evaluating the African." Evaluating the African. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

The Poor Person´s Life of Crime

The death sentence. People don't usually think of this punishment for many crimes, but South Africa might be forced to enforce the sentence more often than not due to the amounts of crimes happening around the country. The poverty in South Africa has majorly been affecting the rates of crime, which in turn is causing South Africa to become even less cultured as it could be.

With nearly 46% of the population living in poverty,(BBC) almost half of South Africa is essentially at risk to become criminals, simply because their poor background and upbringing. These issues restricts South Africa´s abilities because it blackens a reputation that can be deemed respectable as it continues to dig itself out of the hole that is Apartheid. The black and white discrimination is not the only barrier that it faces, the schism between the poor and everyone else. This in turn leads crime to be strongly affected by the poverty of many.

In 2007, there were 18,545 murders, 54, 926 rapes, and 2,320 kidnappings in South Africa.(Biles) These staggering numbers shows the violence and lack of competent policing in the country. These being staggering numbers, the crime actually is in more impoverished communities. For many of those living in poorer communities, crime, gangs in this case, can be one of the only ways to acquire income because of how hard it is to obtain a better job. (Simpson) Many do not see an escape from their life as it is, so their turn to crime to try and provide for their families and themselves through this. When the general population was asked about this, three quarters of the two thousand asked, believed that crime was mainly caused by poverty(News 24). Though a majority see poverty as the root problem, some see the problem being a lack of education (SA Crime). This lack of education causes youth and others like that to not understand other choices and opportunities there are. To help with this issue SA Crime believes that there should be a stricter punishment for crimes, even going as far as to say the death sentence should be used more commonly.

Unfortunately, crime and poverty remain a large problem in South Africa. These two issues have a profound effect on the country as a whole. One case in a rural village describes the murder of a quiet, working man who had no connections with crime in the evening(Smith). This not only shows the lengths that people are willing to go in order to maintain a job or get money. These would strongly affect the daily life of many living in this environment. When many people live off a wage of 1.25$. This is not 1.25$ per hour even, it is 1.25$ per day (Otachi). This wage all but forces some to find other sources of income strongly influencing the lives of citizens living with this conditions.

Because of these glaring issues of poverty and crime, the South African people have been unable to accomplish what they have to experience on a diurnal routine. These problems force them to fall to places that shouldn't be fallen to and cause dangers to be found everywhere they look. The government has been pressured about this issue for years now, but only suggestions and ideas have been made to try and help solve these issues.(BBC) Where will this stop? How will it be fixed? These questions have to be continually asked to try and improve the people´s lives and as the days go on, more and more South African citizens will be afflicted with  these problems making them pass them on from one generation to the next.

'Poverty the Root Cause of Crime'" News24. 06 Oct. 2008. Web. 05 Mar. 2016

"Is Poverty the Cause of Crime?" Crime in South Africa. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

Biles, Peter. "BBC NEWS | Africa | South Africa Debates Crime Rates." BBC News. BBC, 05 Feb. 2007. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.
"Urban Crime and Violence in South Africa." Urban Crime and Violence in South Africa. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

Smith, David. "Calls for Inequality to Be Tackled in South Africa as Violent Crime Rises." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 01 Oct. 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

"The Truth About Crime In South Africa." The Truth About Crime In South Africa. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

"ISS Africa | Monograph 14: Stolen Opportunities: The Impact of Crime on South Africa`s Poor, By Antoinette Louw and Mark Shaw."ISS Africa. Web. 05 Mar. 2016.

Diamonds, No Longer Forever

Forever associated with one’s declaration of love, the signature form of carbon, marketed as “a girl’s best friend”, has a dark side that the public is near oblivious too. Instead, the slogan should be aptly named “ a war’s best friend”, a reality in certain parts of Africa. The notorious “blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds” of Africa earn their status for being mined in war zones, often through forced and unjust labor, and then being used to fund conflicts (Baker).  Popularized by the media through the film Blood Diamond, the most famous power struggle involving “blood diamonds” would be the eleven-year civil war in Sierra Leone, lasting from 1991 to 2002 (Flanagin). Other instances of conflicts between warring factions, driven by the greed for these natural resources, led to the formation of the Kimberley Process in 2003. The program was created to combat and restrict African government’s ability to profit from “conflict diamonds” (Blood). Though the program has made great strides in preventing the injustices that are “conflict diamonds”, the illegal mining and trade of these precious stones still have repercussions today in other parts of Africa.

In one of the poorest countries in the world, the Central African Republic, religious conflict between Muslim and Christian forces has been a mainstay since 2013 (Central). Both militias have funded themselves through their control of certain diamond mines, leading to Amnesty International concluding that the government must confiscate these “conflict diamonds” before these factions can further profit from them (Central). Along with this, the Kimberley Process levied a ban on any diamond exports coming out of the Central African Republic, also known as CAR (Flanagin). However, the sanctions placed did not apply to trade within the country, so these “conflict diamonds” began to be smuggled out, to appease the high demand of Western buyers. These diamonds traveling across numerous borders insure that the origin of the jewel cannot be determined “conflict- free”.  In addition, these “blood diamonds” also began to be stockpiled in warehouses, where the militia groups would just wait for the sanction by the Kimberley Process to be lifted (Calderwood). Similar loopholes were exploited by the Zimbabwe government, which has always been criticized for its violation of human rights when mining (Blood). For these reasons, the question must be asked, how can these groups circumvent the restrictions placed by the Kimberley Process?

The larger issue that Africa faces regarding the mining and trading of “conflict diamonds” is the recent ineffectiveness of the said Kimberley Process. Loopholes are present for factions to take advantage of the policy. However, the general impact that the process has made should not be ignored. It has played a major part in limiting the profiting of diamonds in larger scale war zones (Blood). The cause of recent criticism is just due to the fact that the program must be reformatted, so it can combat the “entire diamond industry chain”. Suggested reforms could include the increasing the government oversight on domestic trade, essentially eliminating the stockpiling of diamonds. The reformatting of the “investigation” system to include a focus on human rights violations and child laborers would also prevent governments like Zimbabwe to take advantage of the people.

Though there are still repercussions of the larger “blood diamond” conflicts, like in the CAR or in Zimbabwe, the efforts to reform the Kimberley Process provides hope for a better future. Thus, there can finally be an efficient way to combat the illegal mining and trade of diamonds, so that these ravaged African communities can finally see the beauty of these precious gems, not it’s ugly side.

Works Cited:

Baker, Aryn. "Why the Blood Diamond Trade Won't Die." Time. Time Inc. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.

"Blood Diamond Trail Leads to Loopholes in Kimberley Process." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 05

Calderwood, Imogen. "'Blood Diamonds' Dug from African Mines by Children as Young as 11, Gold Taken from 25m Underwater by Kids Aged 9: The Slave Labour Scandal behind the Jewellery Hanging around Your Neck." Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers, 02 Oct. 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

"Central African Republic Warning over 'blood diamonds'" BBC News. BBC, 30 Sept. 2015. Web. 09 Mar. 2016.

Flanagin, Jake. "The Blood Diamond Trade Is Tearing the Central African Republic Apart." Quartz. Quartz Africa, 30 Sept. 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.