Exploration 11

        The article that I read was on BBC news and it is a profile of South Africa. It tells about how diverse the country is and that they have 11 languages recognized as official languages. They have a very diverse community structure with many different types of leaders. The country has a very prosperous economy compared to surrounding countries because of the mining and manufacturing businesses. They had a recession in 2009 due to the slowdown of these sectors, and most of the citizens are still poor and unemployment is high.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14094760

One of many great quotes from the 14th Dalai Lama

         The 14th Dalai Lama designed a plan for Tibet to set up a democracy and have them live without the communistic control of China. He made it possible for them to choose their leaders and have a vote in what goes on in the country. He truly changed the way Tibetans would live and how officials would be elected. Not only does he want peace and equality in Tibet, but he stands up for world peace and has traveled to more than 62 countries and  met with various governmental leaders.

While Aung San Suu Kyi was still on house arrest, A cyclone tore down Kyi's house's roof top. This event took place in 2008. It was called cyclone Nagris. A huge tree fell on her front gate and her roof, damaging the roof completely. Her house didn't have power for a while and she had to live in a house without power. She relied on Candles to go through the night. When I first read about this little incident, it didn't have any info on how Kyi felt about it or if she was bothered at all. I think that is probably because it didn't bother her, she could probably careless about her powerless house. As brave as Kyi is, I doubt having no power was a big deal to her at all because her focus was something completely different. It wasn't to live a comfortable life but to fight for freedom for herself and others.

Dalai Lama is considered to be a spiritual leader of Tibet. He was asking for Tibet's independence from China which he never end up being successful in achieving. However, recently he changed his mind and is not  fighting for independence anymore but merely wants to negotiate a level of autonomy for Tibet. Chinese government is finding it difficult to trust Dalai Lama and so far has refused to go along with Lama's request. In my opinion, to see someone like Dalai Lama who has been working toward gaining independence for Tibet and all of a sudden changed his mind about it seems suspicious. Although, it can be true that he truly desires it due to his own claim that people of Tibet would have benefits but at the same time he knew this before as well. So, I think I understand Chinese government's position on this situation and personally wouldn't go along with someone like Dalai Lama who has been working against China.

China blamed Dalai Lama for the Violence and attack

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Something interesting that i found about Nelson Mandela was jailed for sabatoge while being the leader of the ANC and was sentaced to life. He was released after 22 years in prison and soon after acheived a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in desegregating South Africa.

F.W. de Klerk shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela in 1993 for his work i desegregating South Africa although he was president before the desegregation took place. He was and is the last white president scince 1994 when Nelson Mandela took his place.

 I found Aung San Suu Kyi  interesting because she was on house arrest her whole life because she was fighting for what she thought was right, and punishment for what people see as right seems like a trend between leaders like Nelson Mandela, and MLK jr.

The Dali Lama is a "pope-like" figure for Tibeten Buddhists, he is believed to be a reincarnated person of the previous Dali Lama's. His work is to spread peace and give advice to the world. He is dis liked throuout China because he claimes to be "tibeten in appereamce but indian in spirit". The Chinese dont see him as a worthy leader to the tibeten buddhists if he claims to be indian.

Exploration 11

In 1962, Mandela was put in prison for a life sentence but while he was in prison he was the most signifiant black leader in South Africa. Also, became the potent symbol of resistence as the anti- aparttheid movement. Frederik Willem de Klark was the reason why Mandela got out of prison. They worked together to change South Africa. The thing I found very important about Aung San Suu Kyi is she was on house arrest her whole life because she was fighting for what she thought was right.

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/mandela-bio.html
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/klerk-bio.html
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/burma/about-burma/about-burma/a-biography-of-aung-san-suu-kyi

 Dalai Lama the 14th.

Dalai Lama actau name is Lhamo Dhondup but that changed when he was recognized and recarninted by the Dalai Lama the 13th. To become what he became he had to do five majors and five minors which he suceeded with honors. He was giving the full political power after China had an invasion with Tibet. Throughout the years, Dalai Lama made the Five Point Peace Plan which was:

1. Transformation of the whole of Tibet into a zone of peace.
2. Abandonment of China's population transfer policy that threatens the very existence of the Tibetans as a people.
3. Respect for the Tibetan people's fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms.
4. Restoration and protection of Tibet's natural environment and the abandonment of China's use of Tibet for the production of nuclear weapons and dumping of nuclear waste.
5. Commencement of earnest negotiations on the future status of Tibet and of relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

This helped out his country.

Exploration 11

In the South Africa of today many still struggle. Hunger and crime still plague the majority citizens, and education is lacking in just about every single way for the people of South Africa. What we take for granted in United States are luxuries for those in Africa nation.

On the education front, many cannot attend school simply because they are too poor to be able to afford basic education. It's not like the US, where even the those with great debt can still send their children to school. Out education, for K-12, is free (in most cases). Another issue with the education system in South Africa is over crowding in the schools. One teacher, Priscilla Maseleme, talks about how she has fifty students in one class. The only bright side is that they all have textbooks.

One of the biggest issues, however, is segregation. Many feel they have much more freedom now than their parents, but the issue is still there. One man stated that he will not live to see the full effects of a joint society, but his children just might.

Link to BBC Special Report on South Africa.


The Dalai Lama, though not part of any Western religion, is still an icon. He advocates peace, frowns upon the use of weapons in his home country of Tibet against China, and has been traveling the world since leaving Tibet in 1959 due to Chinese rule over the area. He is a man of great will in the peaceful fight for freedom from China, and a man of wisdom.

Buddhist monks protest with Dalahi Lama picture looking over them.

 

 

 

The issue between Tibet and China is not a simple matter. It's rather complex with a mix of political conflict and religious conflict.Strong enough feelings exist that, in Tibet, two monks within the past five years have lite themselves ablaze in protest. It's true that religion and politics spark great fights, and this is a perfect example in the modern world. On one hand, Tibet says that that China will not allow them to practice their form of Buddhism, but a watered-downed communist form. China says differently, that Tibet (which is a Chinese territory to Beijing, but independent to Tibetans) has religious freedom.

The Dalai Lama was forced out of Tibet in 1959 because of a failed uprising against China. If not for the Dalai Lama, most people would probably be unaware of Tibet and the issues within the country.

Link to BBC News Q&A: China and the Tibetans

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Nelson Mandela's father was chef of Tembu Tribe in South Africa, so he was born with the traits of a leader.  In 1942, Mandela studied Law at University College of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand . In 1944 he joined the African National Congress and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party's apartheid policies after 1948. He was put on trial from 1956-1961 was ruled not guilty in 1961.  In 1963, Mandela was arrested for plotting to overthrow the government with violence, he was release from prison in 1990.


http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/mandela-bio.html

The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

The Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader and are considered enlightened beings, they give up their lives to be rebirth'd so they can serve humanity. A conflict I found is that the Dalai Lama, in 1992 issued guidelines for the constitution of the future free Tibet from China.

Exploration 11

An article I found along with interesting facts about Nelson Mandela is that he was first charged with high treason in 1956 but after a four-year trial the charges where dropped, then in 1964 he was sentenced to life in prison and he served time starting in the summer of 1964. But during his time in prison his followers grew steadily and he was quickly accepted as a very significant leader in South Africa. After his release in 1990 he worked even harder to make the goals he had set earlier possible.

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/mandela-bio.html

The 14th Dalai Lama as a child

The Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader of Tibet, they are considered enlightened beings who have given up their lives to be rebirth'd so they can serve humanity. A conflict I found is that the Dalai Lama, in 1992 issued guidelines for the constitution of the future free Tibet from China.