Ugly history: Japanese American incarceration camps

On December 7, 1941, 16 year-old Aki Kurose shared in the horror of millions of Americans when Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor. Unbeknownst to her, this shared experience would soon leave her family and over 120,000 Japanese Americans alienated from their country, both socially and physically. Densho explores the racism and paranoia that led to the unjust internment of Japanese Americans.

Comment on:
When did the US government officially acknowledge that the wartime incarceration was the result of racism, hysteria, and failed political leadership and issue a formal apology to Japanese Americans?

During World War II, nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of whom were American citizens, were incarcerated by the US government without due process. Can you think of any other times in American history when constitutional rights have been denied to citizens because of their race or religion?

The day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Aki Kurose went to school and her teacher accusingly said, "You people bombed Pearl Harbor." Aki was an American citizen, and had never been to Japan, but she suddenly realized that because of her ancestry, many assumed that she was the enemy. What can you do when you see someone making a false accusation? How can you avoid making a false accusation?

The theme fot the fourth meeting is "The State. How is power divided in the United States government"

The state has an important part to play in making and enforcing law. But what is a state? 

It is a political unit with a territory that the international community treats as independent, for example the United Kingdom, the USA or Japan. 

Law settles how the state is to be governed (its constitution), what duties it owes its citizens, and what duties they owe to one another and to it. The law of the state consists, of a system of government, together with a framework for making the life of citizens more secure and for enabling them to flourish.

Articles I-III of the United States Constitution allow for three separate branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial), along with a system of checks and balances should any branch get too powerful. 

But how is power divided in the United States government? Belinda Stutzman breaks down each branch and its constitutionally-entitled powers.

1. In the late 1700's, who did the Founding Fathers not want ruling the United States?
2. When was the new constitution adopted?
3. Which branch of government is described in Article I of the Constitution?
4. Which branch of the government commands the US military?
5. Who determines if federal laws are constitutional?
6. Besides voting, in what ways can a citizen participate in his/her government?

Protests in France

Demonstrations started in France last weekend, continued through the week and this weekend. Two people died and hundreds were injured.

The protests are over rising taxes on fossil fuels. The French President Emmanuel Macron says that the taxes are needed to reduce the country’s dependency on fossil fuels. Some protesters are also anti-government and they want Macron to step down.

Around 3,000 police officers were ready for the protesters in Paris this weekend. The protests turned violent, and police used tear gas and a water cannon against the protesters.

Difficult words: fossil fuel (a material like gas, coal and oil which people burn to get or make energy), dependency (being dependent – needing something too much), violent (violent people destroy things and attack other people).

You can watch the original video www.newsinlevels.com

What is your opinion? Is it a basic human right to protest? Please comment below.

Tne theme for the third meeting is "Unemployment. Fighting for Workers Rights"

How do workers get better treatrment?
Cesar Chavez worked to improve the lives of farm workers in the United States. Colin Lowther and Katy Blake tell his story here.
Listen to the news.

Monkey Steals Money

Last month, an unusual thief visited a jewellery shop. The thief was a monkey.

First, an employee of the shop noticed the monkey sitting outside the shop door and he offered a piece of fruit to the monkey. Shortly after that, the unsatisfied monkey pushed open the door and went inside the shop. He took a seat in an office chair, relaxed, then took some money and ran off with it.

The employee tried to offer the monkey a banana in exchange for the money, but the thief did not want it and escaped into the street with about 10,000 rupees, which is about 150 US dollars.

Shop staff said that they saw this monkey before. They will be more careful now if he comes back again.

Difficult words: jewellery (small decoration on your body), escaped (ran away and nobody caught him), staff (people that work somewhere).

You can watch the original video www.newsinlevels.com

Can asecurity camera, in your opinion, be a good eqipment for prevention of robbery? Please comment below.

The theme of the second meeting is "Human rights"

The basic idea of human rights is that each one of us, no matter who we are or where we are born, is entitled to the same basic rights and freedoms. That may sound straightforward enough, but it gets incredibly complicated as soon as anyone tries to put the idea into practice. What exactly are the basic human rights? Who gets to pick them? Who enforces them and how? What are the universal human rights? Benedetta Berti explores the subtleties of human rights.

Comment on...

1. Human rights are universal and apply to everybody no matter where they live.
2. The basis of contemporary international human rights law is the _____.
3. All these are considered universal human rights except:
4. Within the international system, the main body tasked with protecting human rights is:
5. What are some of the limitations of the concept of human rights?
6. Some critics argue that the concept of human rights has become little more than a buzzword with no concrete impact. What are the main limitations of human rights today, and what do you think could and should be done to strengthen the international protection of basic rights and freedoms?

The theme of the first meeting is "What did democracy really mean in Athens?"

While we might consider elections to be the cornerstone of democracy, the Athenians who coined the term actually employed a lottery system to choose most of their politicians. Melissa Schwartzberg describes the ins and outs of the Athenian democracy, and addresses some ways in which a lottery system might benefit us today. 

Comment, please

1. Who could attend the Athenian assembly, or ekklesia?
2. How was the Council of 500, or boule, selected?
3. Which office was filled by election?
4. Who was eligible to hold political office?
5. What does "democracy" mean?
6. How would you contrast Athenian democracy with contemporary democracies?