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PEACE BUILDING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTIONA

GLOBAL EDUCATION LEARNING EMPHASES

Dr. Susan Bliss Director NSW 2001-2010

Global Education website – Peace Buildinghttp://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/554

Global Perspectives: a framework for global education inAustralian Schools (2008)

Inner peace is an important aspect of an individual’s abilityto respond to conflict situations which affect them and othersaround the world. Students who develop goodcommunication skills to avoid violence and negotiatesolutions to problems such as sharing scarce resources,differing values and exertion of power are able to build morepeaceful futures. Conflict has occurred in the past, ishappening in the present, and will occur in the future. It canoccur globally, as well as regionally, nationally,communally, within families and among individuals. Peace building is designed to address the causesof conflict and the grievances of the past. It must involve justice to promote long-term stability, humansecurity and equality.

The study of Peace Building and Conflict Resolution provides students with opportunities to:• explore different concepts and examples of peace, security and cooperation• understand that there are choices and consequences for others in conflict situations• explore parallels between international conflict and conflict at a classroom or school level• identify and investigate different types of conflict and the causes of conflict, as well as the effects ofconflict and violence on people and the environment• recognise the difference between negative and positive conflict and explore examples of each• identify and discuss how individuals, groups and states can build and sustain positive and trustingrelationships• develop an understanding of ways in which conflicts can be prevented or peacefully resolved,including advocacy, negotiation, reconciliation and mediation• explore the role of development and poverty eradication in creating the conditions for peace andcooperation• understand that international conventions aim to protect adults and children from torture and othercruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment• acquire knowledge about multilateral initiatives to build peace, disarmament and the role played bythe United Nations and its agencies• explore how place and change impact on peace and human rights• understand how regional differences in economic and social wellbeing need to be addressed in orderto reduce impact of conflict on individuals, communities and governments• investigate particularhistoric and contemporary conflicts, and come to understand that there are differing and contestedperspectives about resolving conflict• examine and discuss specific United Nations and Australian involvement in and contributions topeace building.

"The pursuit of peace and progress, with its trials and errors, its successes and setbacks, can neverbe relaxed and never abandoned" - Dag Hammarskjold, Nobel Peace Prize 1961

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Peace Building and Conflict Resolution overlaps with the other four global education learningemphases

In a globalised world we must learn how to live, workand exist together - in peace, with an appreciation forhuman rights and diverse cultures and perspectives.

Peacebuilding is a term used within the internationaldevelopment community to describe the processes andactivities involved in resolving violent conflict andestablishing a sustainable peace (sustainable future). Itincludes conflict transformation, restorative justice,trauma healing, reconciliation, development andleadership. It is similar in meaning to conflictresolution but highlights the difficult reality that theend of a conflict does not automatically lead topeaceful, stable social or economic development. A number of national and international organisationsdescribe their activities in conflict zones as peacebuilding.

Peace building does not end with disarmament, ceasefire, election monitoring, restoration ofdemocracy, repatriation of refugees or even monitoring conflicts through peacekeeping forces but liesat the success of societal stability and reconstruction – such as restoring human rights and the economicand social development of ‘all’ the people. More importantly it is about prevention of future wars andviolence.

Both human rights advocates and conflict resolvers believe that prevention is the best approach toviolent conflict or widespread human rights abuses. Especially societies in which ethnic, religious, orpolitical tensions run high; where there is a history of past conflict or rights abuses; where theinstitutions of civil society designed to provide alternatives to violence are weak, corrupt, or non-existent; or that are wracked with political or economic instability, are fertile ground for the outbreak ofviolence or repressive rights abuses.

As the world proceeds into the new millennium, war, terrorism and a proliferation of regional, localethnic, religious and civil conflicts occurring around the world emphasise the need for a globaltransition from a culture of war to a culture of peace.

International Peace Day, 21 September, helps us to commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace both within andamong all nations and peoples

The International Decade for the Culture of Peace 2001-2010.

In Cambodia, South Africa, Mozambique and many countries in Latin America communities have demonstrated thatenmities can heal and a culture of peace can be developed.

Since 1980 almost one half of the worlds least developed countries have suffered from a major conflict.

The number of civil wars, which now make up more than 95% of all armed conflicts, rose sharply after World War II,but have declined greatly since 1992.

State-based wars worldwide have become much less deadly since the 1950s. The war death rate of troops andcivilians killed in battles in the 1990s was only one-third that of the 1970s.

Of the 29 state-based armed conflicts in 2003, only 2 were interstate (India against Pakistan and the US-led waragainst Iraq). The remaining 27 were civil wars (government against rebels).

UNICEF estimates that the number of children under the age of 18 who have been coerced or induced to take up armsas child soldiers is in the range of 300,000.

The budget for UN peace keeping operations for the 12 months to June 2007 is about $4.75 billion.

Sources: http://www.un.org/peace/http://www.humansecurityreport.info/

http://www.unicef.org/protection/childsoldiers.pdf

SustainableFutures

Identity andCulturalDiversity

SocialJustice and

HumanRights

PeaceBuilding

and ConflictResolution

Interdependenceand Globalisation

FIVELEARNINGEMPHASES

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CURRICULUM LINKS History: colonialism (conflicts) and resolutions, disarmament, reconciliation, United Nations, conflict,

peace, terrorism, landmines, democracy, good governance Aboriginal Studies and past conflicts and reconciliation Geography – Stage 5 – Australia Defence Links, terrorism, landmines, United Nations Studies of Asia Primary HSIE Legal Studies

HistoryHistory focuses on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution and Human RightsTopics: such as Australia as a Global Citizen – UN, International treaties and agreements: globalisation –movement around world – trade, migration, refugees: social and cultural changes in post war decade –globalisation of music, film, TV, sportGlobal Education and History promotes democracy and good governance and covers topics such as: childsoldiers, landmines, terrorism, globalisation, United Nations, social justice and human rights, migration,refugees, HIV/AIDS, racism, poverty, gender inequality

HSC Course (120 indicative hours)Part IV: ONE International Study in Peace and Conflict 25% of course timePrincipal focus: Students investigate key features and issues of ONE International Study in Peace and Conflict.Students will undertake ONE International Study in Peace and Conflict from those listed:

A Anglo-Irish Relations 1968–1998B Conflict in Europe 1935–1945C Conflict in Indochina 1954–1979D Conflict in the Pacific 1937–1951E The Arab–Israeli Conflict 1948–1996F The Cold War 1945–1991G The United Nations as Peacekeeper 1946–2001

The United Nations as Peacekeeper 1946–2001Principal focus: Students investigate the key features and issues in the history of the United Nations as peacekeeper 1946–2001.

1 Origins and early challenges of the United Nations reasons for the creation of the UN key provisions and articles of the Charter of the UN and the Declaration of Human Rights the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Secretariat and the role of the veto impact of the creation of Israel, Communist China and the Korean War

2 The development of the UN effect of the Cold War on UN activities pursuit of nuclear disarmament impact of Third World countries and changing membership on the UN assessment of the role and impact of the UN as international peacekeeper in any TWO of the following conflicts: Angola,

Cambodia, Congo, Cyprus, Arab-Israeli conflicts 1967 and 1973, Kashmir, Nicaragua, West Papua/Irian Jaya3 Challenges to peace

major challenges facing the international community: racism, refugees, child soldiers, landmines, poverty, genderinequity, war crimes, illiteracy, AIDS

role and effectiveness of the UN and its agencies in dealing with poverty, racism, refugees and AIDS4 The UN since the end of the Cold War

debate over the role and structure of the UN since the end of the Cold War nature of the relationship with major powers and alliances continuing efforts to promote disarmament and prevent nuclear proliferation assessment of the role and impact of the UN as international peacekeeper in any TWO of the following conflicts: the Gulf

War and its aftermath; the former Yugoslavia; Somalia 1993 and Rwanda 1994; East Timor 1999–2001

History Mandatory Stage 4The content is divided into 4 topics with internal options:Topic 1: Investigating History; Topic 2: Societies and Civilisations of the Past; Topic 3: Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoples,Colonisation and Contact History; Topic 4: (Optional Study) Shaping the Modern World

History Mandatory Stage 5Topic 1: Australia to 1914; Topic 2: Australia and World War I; Topic 3: Australia between the Wars; Topic 4: Australia and WorldWar II; Topic 5: Australia in the Vietnam War Era; Topic 6: Changing Rights and Freedoms; Topic 7: People Power andPolitics in the Post-war Period (Australia as a Global Citizen) Australia’s role in the following: United Nations (UNESCO,and UN conventions, agreements); Topic 8: Australia’s social and cultural history in the Post-war Period

Elective History – Thematic Studies - War and Peace, Slavery, Terrorism, Crime and Punishment

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PEACEBUILDINGSource: Global Education website – Peace Buildinghttp://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/554The United Nations recognises four major stages of conflict resolution and supporting peace:

Conflict preventionPreventing and resolving conflict before it results in violence is far less costly, both in humanand financial terms, than responding to it once it has occurred. Action to address theunderlying causes of conflict include strengthening governance, improving access to humanrights, economic and social development, destruction of weapons and developing a culture ofpeace.

Peace makingThe first step to peace if fighting breaks out revolves around diplomatic measures to negotiatea ceasefire and an agreement to which all parties agree, accepting that no gains are to be wonby continuing the conflict. Implementing the peace agreement and rebuilding communicationneeds to happen on official and informal levels to build a foundation for future reconciliation.

Peace keepingPeace agreements are fragile. The presence of groups of neutral soldiers, military observers,civilian police, electoral observers and human rights monitors can encourage hostile groupsnot to return to the use of arms. Peace keepers’ tasks can include establishing and policingbuffer zones, demobilisation and disarmament of military forces, establishing communicationbetween parties, and protecting the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Peace buildingPeace building is a complex and lengthy process requiring the establishment of a climate oftolerance and respect for the truth. It encompasses political, developmental, humanitarian andhuman rights programs and mechanisms. They include the reintegration of soldiers andrefugees, demining and removal of other war debris, emergency relief, the repair of roads andinfrastructure and economic and social rehabilitation.Some of the activities and issues considered in peace building:

Humanitarian relief and developmentAid delivered (food, water, health care and reconstruction of infrastructure) tocommunities that have suffered conflict.

Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of combatantsTransforming ex-combatants into peaceful and productive members of society is a criticalbut challenging task. Removing weapons, returning ex-combatants to their homes andsupporting return to civilian life are all vitally necessary. Refugees and displaced peoplePeople returning home after the conflict may find their property has been destroyed,littered with unexploded ordinance and landmines or occupied by others. Mechanisms areneeded for resettling people and helping them return to a safe and productive life andpreventing future conflict.

Economic developmentAssisting communities to become self-supporting after so much has been destroyed isvital. It can be done through small loans, training, and food for work programs.Rebuilding infrastructure supports these developments through making access to marketsand contact with other communities easier.

WomenArmed conflict affects women and men differently. Women bear the brunt of sexualassault as a tool of war, experience changes in their role as breadwinner and head offamily on their own, and suffer the loss of partners and sons. Their specific needs may beoverlooked, as they are not as obvious as the resettlement needs of ex-combatants.

ChildrenChildren’s lives may have been disrupted severely during the conflict. They may havebeen forced to flee their homes, gone without food, education and health care and evenwitnessed extreme violence or been recruited or conscripted to be active combatants.Rebuilding their lives entails assisting with social rehabilitation, trauma counselling andpeace education.

Reconciliation

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All wars are brutal and particularly where there has been the mass killing of civilians.Developing trust and cooperation within communities of people who have been enemiesis a long and difficult process. It involves balancing the competing demands for justiceand accountability for perpetrators of violence with the need to reconcile differences andmove forward. Reconciliation activities have included public confession, grantingamnesty, community involvement to discuss appropriate punishment or acts ofreconciliation, community building activities and peace education.

Women in Bougainville are trained to run small businesses toassist in the economic recovery after the conflict.http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/564

Human rights and peace buildinghttp://www.peace-justice-conference.info/download/Lutz4.pdfUnlike human rights, there is no codified set of norms that bind conflict resolution practitionerstogether. However, there is an implicit set of principles that frame their practice:

Participation - most effective negotiation and decision- making processes are those in whichthe parties who have direct stakes in the outcome are actively engaged.

Inclusion - include as many stakeholders as possible, even those that might be potentiallydisruptive

Empowerment – to help balance the sides, conflict resolvers may incorporate teaching,training, and coaching into the process to maximise the effectiveness of all of the parties andprovide a stronger basis on which genuine negotiations can proceed.

Cultural sensitivity - most cultures have existing methods for handling conflict Equity - equity, as opposed to equality, is the notion that a mediator should treat all parties

with equal respect, giving each equal time and attention, even though there are differences inpower.

Culture of Peace http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/uk/uk_sommaire.htmAs defined by the United Nations, the Culture of Peace is a set of values, attitudes, modes of behaviourand ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solveproblems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals, groups and nations (UN ResolutionsA/RES/52/13 : Culture of Peace and A/RES/53/243, Declaration and Programme of Action on aCulture of Peace). For peace and non-violence to prevail, we need to foster a culture of peace througheducation by revising the educational curricula to promote qualitative values, attitudes and behavioursof a culture of peace, including peaceful conflict-resolution, dialogue, consensus-building and activenon-violence. Such an educational approach should be geared also to:

promote sustainable economic and social development promote respect for all human rights ensure equality between women and men foster democratic participation advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge

Peacebuilding CommissionThe Charter of the United Nations calls upon the peoples of the world "to unite our strength tomaintain international peace and security", and charges the Security Council with the task of"determining the existence of any threat to the peace and deciding what measures shall be taken".There is ongoing development of processes and programs of conflict prevention and peacekeeping.Preventive diplomacy has expanded to include preventive deployment, preventive disarmament,humanitarian action, and peace-building. Recognising that the United Nations needs to better anticipateand respond to the challenges of peace building, the 2005 World Summit approved the creation of anew Peacebuilding Commission.

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UNITED NATIONS

The United Nation (UN), founded in 1945, is a global organisation. Today its 192 member states, aimto: maintain peace and security (clear landmines); encourage friendly relations among nations(diplomatic meetings); help solve economic (reduce poverty), social (reduce HIV/AIDS): cultural(conserve Indigenous cultures); environmental (reduce global warming) and humanitarian (assistrefugees) problems around the world; as well as promote respect for human rights and basic freedoms.For example the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights aims to eliminate child soldiers andslavery.The large and complex United Nations is divided into these main administrative bodies:

The General Assembly (a parliament whose members represent nations not electorates) The Security Council (responsible for keeping peace and security in the world); The Economic and Social Council (responsible for international economic and social

cooperation and development) The Secretariat (responsible for administration) The International Court of Justice (responsible for international law and justice)

UN peace and security http://www.un.org/en/peace/UN Security Council http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/

Mandate of the Peacebuilding Commission To bring together all relevant actors to marshal resources and to advise on the proposed

integrated strategies for post conflict peacebuilding and recover; To help ensure predictable financing for early recovery activities and sustained financial

investment over the medium to long-term; To develop best practices on issues in collaboration with political, security, humanitarian and

development actors.

United Nations related Organisations and their Treatieshttp://www.asil.org/resource/treaty1.htm

UN in Darfurhttp://www.euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=462285&lng=1Violence impedes UN food relief effort inDarfurIn 2008, 9,000 UN peacekeeping started work inDarfur, Sudan. The region had been mired inbloodshed for four years, leaving 200,000civilians dead and 2.5 million villagershomeless. Darfur attracted world attention viathe media resulting in the world’s largesthumanitarian operation with 14,000 aid workers.These workers were constantly attacked andeight were killed.

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ICT UN Action to Counter Terrorism http://www.un.org/terrorism/cttaskforce.shtml Disarmament Commission

http://www.un.org/disarmament/HomePage/DisarmamentCommission/UNDiscom.shtml PeaceKeeping http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/ Electoral Assistance – Human Rights http://www.un.org/Depts/dpa/ead/ Decolonisation http://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/decolonization/ Children and Armed Conflict http://www.un.org/children/conflict/english/ Women, Peace and Security http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/wps/ "Resolution 1325

(2000) holds out a promise to women across the globe that their rights will be protected andthat barriers to their equal participation and full involvement in the maintenance andpromotion of sustainable peace will be removed. We must uphold this promise." (Secretary-General's 2004 report on women, peace and security)

International Day of Peace http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/2009/ The InternationalDay of Peace, observed each year on 21 September, is a global call for ceasefire and non-violence. In 2009 the Secretary-General is calling on governments and citizens to focus onnuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers – 29 Mayhttp://www.un.org/en/events/peacekeepersday/2009/

University for Peacehttp://www.upeace.org/ Mine Action http://www.mineaction.org/

LANDMINES

Through the study of this topic students will be able to develop a commitment to peaceful ways ofresolving conflict within and between communities

Landmines are a contemporary scourge. These ‘devices’ of destruction are left behind long after theconflict is over as they are too dangerous and expensive to remove. The toll on innocent lives isunconscionable and incalculable. “The difficult thing to understand is that any human being coulddesign and put in place something the whole purpose of which is to blow another human apart……..theobscenity is that any government will condone it” (John Alderton, UNICEF).

There are more than 350 identified types of landmines that kill and maim people and turn agriculturalland into a battleground that has frequently led to malnutrition and famine. Once laid, an anti-personnelmine can remain active as long as 50 years and are particularly catastrophic for children whose smallbodies cannot withstand the horrific injuries they inflict. Most countries cannot afford to demine allcivilian areas and at present the effort to clear minefields cannot keep up with the rate at which newmines are laid.

In 1993 the United States General Assembly passed four resolutions on landmines that reflectedgrowing global concern by governments such as Australia and NGOs such as Handicap International(France), Human Rights Watch (United States), Medico International (Germany), Mines AdvisoryGroup (United Kingdom), Physicians for Human Rights (United States) and the Vietnam Veterans ofAmerica Foundation (United States).

Since 1999 Australia has ratified the Ottawa Treaty: Convention on the Prohibition of the Use,Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. This is aninternational treaty and an updated list of countries that have signed or ratified the convention can befound at http://www.minesactioncanada.com

Global perspectivesThe topic Landmines presents a variety of perspective through time, space and place. For example:

The Pentagon declared “Landmines a necessity” despite increasing international calls to banthe manufacture and stockpiling of these devices

“A 6 year old boy was examined at the Hargeisa Hospital in Northern Somalia, after hepicked up an object that looked like ‘the plastic top of a thermos bottle’. The explosion

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blinded him in both eyes, scarred his face, destroyed his right hand, which was subsequentlyamputated at the wrist, and left both knees disabled with presumed shrapnel injuries. He isnow unable to walk. This young boy’s situation is particularly tragic as his father died in thecivil war.” Physicians for Human Rights (1992).

Soeun Rem, 27, stepped on a mine while working with her fatherin their soy beans field in Pailin, Cambodia. She now runs agrocery shop, started through a micro-loan from the AustralianGovernment funded Landmine Survivor Assistance Program.Photo: Somira Sao / Australian Red Crosshttp://www.ausaid.gov.au/human/landmines.cfm

EMPATHY EXERCISES

LANDMINES - OVERVIEWLANDMINES ARE LONG LIVED KILLERS.

They wait silent and lethal for the chance to cause pain, anguish and death year ……………………..after year ……………….

after year …………..LANDMINES ARE NOT NEW!!!

From 1916-1918 the precursors to landmines were artillery shells buried with exposed fuses to block the advance of tanks during WW1.HOW MANY CASUALTIES?

Every 15 minutes, somewhere in the world, a landmine claims another victim. around half of them are children. this is 26,000 people per year

Since 1975 over 1 million people have been killed or maimed by anti-personnel mines Cambodia has more mines that children ---- two mines for every child

WHERE ARE THE MINES? There are 110 million anti-personal mines in over 70 countries. Another 100 million mines have been stockpiled

e.g. China, Russia, USA, Italy, India, Sweden, S. Korea, Japan, Albania Egypt has the most mines - 23 million mines - many left over from WW2.

They have not caused large scale havoc as most are confined to border regions in the desert Between 5 and 10 million more mines are produced each year in

Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, N. Korea, s. Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, USA, Vietnam, FRYugoslavia

WHO GAINS FROM LANDMINES? Costs about AUS$3-$6 to make a mine. Producers of mines earn between $60 to $240 million dollars annually Cost to remove mines can be as high as AUS$1,000-$2000 per mine De-mining is a slow and exacting process. De-miners work on limited stretches of land at a time, inching their way across it on their stomachs, probing the ground at a 30

degree angle with thin metal rods. Each square metre is probed 400 times De-mining is very dangerous. One accident for every 1,000-2,000 mines removed

HOW DOES IT FORCE PEOPLE INTO POVERTY? Landmines disable vast tracks of agricultural land, dislocate transport routes, isolate rural communities and destroy local

economies. Without mines agricultural production could increase by :

88%-200% in Afghanistan, 11% in Bosnia, 135% in Cambodia and 3.6% in Mozambique 54,554 animals were lost due to mines with a minimum cash value of $200 per household in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Cambodia

and Mozambique Cost of delivering goods or relief aid increased from $89 by truck or rail to $2,200 by air. This caused inflation and higher

prices for the poor populationWHAT ARE THE SOCIAL, FINANCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS?

If the victim is the breadwinner, the family’s income is wiped out and the immediate family has to cope psychologically andfinancially

If the victims are children, their whole future –whether they go to school, marry or find work hangs in the balance. Feelings ofisolation and unworthiness caused by inability to contribute to the family are common.

300,000 children are severely disabled because of mines. Natural playfulness, herding and wood gathering activities placesthem at greater risk.

Cambodia has 35,000 mine amputees. Each prosthetic costs around $6000 per amputee in developing countriesGLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

International law. Ottawa Convention 1999 bans production, use, export and stockpiling of mines. Ratified by Australia in1999. USA, Russia and China still refuse to sign the ban. March 2001 ratified by 111 states and signed by 139

HOW CAN YOU BE AN ACTIVE GLOBAL CITIZEN? Let others know about the damage done by landmines, like the late Princess Diana and Paul McCartney one of the famous

Beatles Raise money for programs to clear mines Join groups such as World Vision Projects and Red Cross to reduce the impact of landmines on poor communities

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EMPATHY EXERCISES

Bosnia: children just want to playBen Perks, formerly Officer in Charge for UNICEF in central Bosnia explains “So many children havebeen trapped indoors or underground during the conflict, in damp, airless rooms. As soon as the fightingis over, they are desperate to get out and have a look around. All they want to do is breathe the fresh air-to run and play and live a normal life again. Try telling them they can’t do that!” The Mines AwarenessPrograms have been successful with a Mobile Demonstration Unit that visits schools, exhibitingexplosive devices likely to be found in the area and staging live explosions in the school yards. Childrenare given a telephone number to call if they come across a mine

Cambodia: landmines hurtChen Phorn a 40 year old father was carrying goods for the Cambodian army. He regularly walked alongdirt tracks in the countryside, carrying rations of fish and pork. One day he paused to shift the heavyweight from one shoulder to the other and stepped onto what he thought was dead grass. He said “therewas a loud explosion followed by an excruciating pain that shot up my leg. I fell unconscious”. It was 7hours before he was found and taken to hospital

Angola: child’s curiosity cost her a handA small girl picked up an unusual object lying on the ground near her village in Angola. Within secondsshe learned a cruel lesson. What she picked up was a “butterfly” mine, which exploded at once. She losther hand.

Angola: no more football for PintoTwelve year old Pinto da Cruz’s right leg was shattered when he stepped on a landmine two years ago.The doctor had no choice but to amputate the leg at the hip. Pinto spent 5 painful and lonely months inhospital, visited once a day when his mother brought in food she had prepared in the village. TodayPinto walks with crutches and can not help his mother collect firewood or play football. Angola wasravaged by war for 3 decades and has 10 million landmines

Child soldier killed from a landmineThe use of landmines poses a threat to children and violates the Convention on the Rights of ChildrenAn alarming trend is the increasing use of children as soldiers in more than 30 countries. Newtechnology has made semi-automatic rifles light enough to be used and simple enough to be stripped andreassembled by a child of 10 years, and as cheap as a goat or a bag of corn. Most child soldiers arebetween 15 and 18 years but some are recruited as young as 10 years. Most come from disrupted ordeprived families. Some choose to join, perhaps hoping to get regular meals and wages to assist theirpoor family. Tragically some children are kidnapped or forced to fight against their will. For examplePamela was only 11years old when she was abducted by rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army inNorthern Uganda. Unfortunately she was killed standing on a landmine.Landmine victims suffer in under resourced hospitals where families (if they have any) are forced totravel many kilometres to feed injured relatives. These maimed people also live in countries where thereis no real form of social welfare and where begging has become endemic as a means of survival

Camodia- largest number of amputeesOver 80% of Cambodians live in rural areas where landmines are predominantly located. Their existenceprohibits agricultural development and therefore economic development. More importantly, the humancost of landmines is enormous. Landmines and unexploded ordnance kill or maim around 100 people amonth. Cambodia had the largest number of amputees in the world. One person in 245 is an amputee.

Gender: “Like many Afghan men, Shimjan’s husband did not see the need for his wife to have aprosthesis fitted. “He said that as I stayed in the home I didn’t need one” NI Sept. 1997

ICT AusAID http://www.ausaid.gov.au/landmines Oxfam , Red Cross, World Vision, Human Rights Watch, Landmine Survivors Network, MineWeb,

United Nations De-mining Database, CARE, Save the Children Fund, New Internationalist, UNICEF Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade http://www.dfat.gov.au/landmines/demining.html International Campaign to ban Landmines http://www.icbl.org United Nations http://www.ncrb.unac.org/landmines/UNinfo.html E- Mine UN electronic Mine Information Network http://www.mineaction.org/ Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining http://www.gichd.org/ Mine Ban Convention http://www.apminebanconvention.org/ UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/emerg/index_landmines.html Care Australia http://www.careaustralia.org.au/Page.aspx?pid=194 World Vision Australia http://www.worldvision.com.au/Home.aspx Australian Red Cross http://www.redcross.org.au/default.asp

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CITIZENSHIP

International progress towards a mine-free world http://www.ausaid.gov.au/human/landmines.cfm Since 1997, 156 countries—more than three-quarters of the world’s states—have joined the

Mine Ban Convention The number of states reporting that they use landmines has dropped from 15 in 1999 to two in

2008 Since 1999, at least 1,100km² of mined areas and a further 2,100km² of battle areas, an area

twice the size of London, have been cleared in more than 90 states and other areas. Operationshave resulted in the destruction of more than 2.2 million emplaced antipersonnel mines,250,000 antivehicle mines, and 17 million explosive remnants of war

86 States Parties have completed the destruction of their stockpiles, and four more are in theprocess. Together, they have destroyed about 44 million antipersonnel mines

While the international community has achieved much, as of August 2009, more than 70 countrieswere still believed to be mine-affected, and more than 5,000 mine and explosive remnants of warcasualties are still being recorded every year

Portfolio of Mine Action Projects 2010The 2010 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects, prepared by UNMAS, UNDP and UNICEF in closecoordination with field programmes, was launched in Cartagena, Colombia, during the CartagenaSummit on a Mine-Free World. US$589 million is required to address the impact of landmines andexplosive remnants of war in 27 countries, territories or missions.

Follow the mine fields in Afghanistanhttp://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/11/18/opinion/1247465742545/the-minefields-of-afghanistan.html

United Nations Mine Action Service - Report 2008http://www.mineaction.org/downloads/1/AnnualReport08.pdf

World Vision Australia www.worldvision.org.au

GLOBAL EDUCATION DVD ON LANDMINES DUE OUT IN 2010

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UNITED NATIONS AND CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT - HUMAN RIGHTShttp://www.un.org/children/conflict/english/index.html

http://www.un.org/children/conflict/english/conflicts.html

‘In his eight report to the Security Council on children and armed conflict (A/62/609-S/2007/757), theSecretary-General documents grave violations against children in 20 situations of concern:Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Georgia, Haiti, Iraq, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nepal, Occupied PalestinianTerritory/Israel, the Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand and Uganda. Furthermore, thereport explicitly cites 56 parties, both State and non-State actors, for committing grave violationsagainst children.

Although progress has been made through action plans to release child soldiers in a number ofsituations of concern, such as in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo and Uganda children are still suffering in too many places worldwideToday, in 20 situations of concern around the globe, children are being brutalized and callously used toadvance the agendas of adults. It has been estimated that over 2 million children have been killed inarmed conflicts; another 6 million have been rendered permanently disabled; and, more than 250,000children continue to be exploited as child soldiers. Increasingly, children and women are the primarycasualties of war.

The fatalities of civilians are disproportionately higher than ever before in the history of warfare.Thousands of girls are being subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence and exploitation. Forexample, in the DRC, 60% of the recorded cases involved victims between the age of 11 and 17. Boysand girls are being abducted from their homes on an unprecedented scale.

The Secretary-General's report raises serious concerns about a series of cross-cutting issues such as theincreasing cases of recruitment or re-recruitment of children across borders and in refugee or internallydisplaced camps due to lack of security around the camps. The very places that should be the safehavens for children -- their schools and hospitals -- are increasingly becoming the prime targets ofattack by armed parties. Systematic and deliberate attacks on schoolchildren, teachers and schoolbuildings have escalated in certain countries warranting the attention of the international community.

In many situations parties to conflict systematically deny humanitarian agencies access to territoriesunder their control, with devastating consequences for civilian populations and especially children.Increasingly, children are being detained for alleged association with armed groups in violation ofinternational standards.

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In addition, the scourge of landmines claims the lives and well-being of an estimated 8,000 to 10,000children each year. The use of indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions during attacks in areasof civilian concentration has a severe impact on civilians, particularly children, even long after theconflict ended.

There are indications also that the trafficking of children in and from conflict zones is becoming agrowing transnational trend, linked to elaborate international criminal networks. Such networks oftenfuel conflicts by facilitating the conversion of natural resources such as diamonds and timber into thevery means and tools of war that have led to the increase in victimization and participation of childrenin conflict.

The widespread and easy availability of illicit small arms and light weapons in conflict and troubledareas continues to represent a major factor in enabling the recruitment and use of child soldiers. Theseweapons are increasingly cheap and simple to operate and carry, therefore easily placed in the hands ofchildren who can be quickly trained to use them.’

Rights of the childThe Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on theinvolvement of children in armed conflict, adopted by the UN General Assemblyin May 2000, “prohibits governments and armed groups from using children underthe age of 18 in hostilities; bans all compulsory recruitment of under 18s; andraises the minimum age and requires strict safeguards for voluntary recruitment.’

Article 4 of The Optional Protocol also provides: "armed groups that are distinctfrom the armed forces of a State should not, under any circumstances, recruit oruse in hostilities persons under the age of 18 years." It requires States Parties totake "all feasible measures to prevent such recruitment and use, including theadoption of legal measures necessary to prohibit and criminalise such practices."

Child soldiers are cheap and expendable. They receive little or no training before being thrust into thefront line and often given the symbolic key to paradise promised them as martyrs. Their immaturitymay lead them to take excessive risks according to one armed group commander in the DemocraticRepublic of Congo, "[children] make good fighters because they’re young and want to show off. Theythink its all a game, so they’re fearless’.

FACT AND FIGURES 120,000 children under 18 years of age are currently

participating in armed conflicts across Africa, some only 7 or8 years of age

Myanmar has one of the highest numbers of child soldiers inthe world. Some children, often under 15 years of age, areattracted by the prestige and power of the military, but manyothers have been forced to join. Orphans and street childrenare particularly vulnerable. Through economic circumstanceand tribal ties, children have also joined ethnic minorityarmed groups pitted against the Burmese military.

In Angola, 3,000 children were reported to be fighting with UNITA, many forcibly recruitedor abducted (some from neighbouring Namibia); girls as young as 13 years forced to serve asporters and concubines

The conflict in Sudan has long been recognised as one of the worst child soldier problems inthe world. Thousands of children as young as 12 years have been forcibly recruited intogovernment-aligned and separatist groups in the south of the country. The Sudan Governmenthas also provided support and protection to the Lords Resistance Army, responsible for theabduction, brutal treatment and sexual slavery of approximately 10,000 children from northernUganda since 1987.

In Algeria and Egypt, Islamist opposition groups have been reported to recruit children below15 years. Kurdish armed groups in northern Iraq, Iran and Turkey have used child soldiers asyoung as ten.

Children are used as soldiers in Uganda, Sudan, Lebanon, Chechnya and Afghanistan.

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The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the past mobilised special battalions ofteenage girls and boys, some as young as ten years old. In October 1999, 49 children,including 32 girls aged between 11 and 15 years of age were among 140 LTTE killed in abattle with the security forces at Ampakamam in the north

In Colombia up to 50 per cent of some paramilitary units have been under 18 years. In Peru, the leftist Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) movement was believed to have forcibly

recruited several thousand children from indigenous communities The use of child soldiers is not confined to the developing world or countries wracked by

armed conflict. In no less than 13 of the 19 NATO members, national legislation permits therecruitment of under-18s into military forces. Of the five permanent members of the UNSecurity Council, only Russian legislation does not permit recruitment below age 18.

Alone among European States, the United Kingdom routinely sends 17-year-olds into combateven though they are not allowed under domestic legislation to drink, vote in elections, oreven join the police force

The United States has acknowledged that 17-year-old soldiers served in US operations in theGulf War, Somalia and Bosnia. In June 1999, the Pentagon reported that less than 100, 17-year-olds were serving in combat units at that time, primarily in the Balkans region.

Empathy exercises: testimonies from child soldiers Cambodia "I joined because my parents lacked food and I had no school.......I was worried

about mines but what can we do its an order (to go to the front line). Once somebody steppedon a mine in front of me he was wounded and died..... I was with the radio at the time, about60 metres away. I was sitting in my hammock and saw him die.... I see young children in everyunit..... I’m sure Ill be a soldier for at least a couple of more years. If I stop being a soldier Iwont have a job to do because I don’t have any skills. I don’t know what I'll do..."

(Information supplied by Human Rights Watch, 1999) Myanmar "Sometimes I fell asleep when I was on guard duty, I was beaten by my corporal.

He beat me like a dog, like I was an animal, not a human being. There were two or threesuicides during that time, of boys who had been hospitalised and finally shot themselves."

(Children in Armed Conflict: A Horrifying Image from Asia, by Chitralekha Massey)

Impact of soldiering on childrenThe full psychological impact of armed conflict on children, especially for those who havewitnessed or committed atrocities is only beginning to be understood. According to one 14-year-old girl abducted by the Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone in January 1999, "I’ve seenpeople get their hands cut off, a ten-year-old girl raped and then die, and so many men and womenburned alive . . . So many times I just cried inside my heart because I didn’t dare cry out loud."From Algeria, one report cites boys who appeared to be around the age of 12 decapitating a 15-year-old girl and then playing 'catch' with her head. Other impacts on children are that they: lose their childhood and opportunities for education risk physical injury, psychological trauma and even death collapse under heavy loads suffer malnutrition, respiratory and skin infections suffer drug and alcohol abuse (often used to recruit children) sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, and unwanted pregnancies risk auditory and visual problems as well as injuries from landmines are treated brutally and punishments for mistakes or desertion are severe

ICTFocus Magazines AusAIDhttp://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/focus/autumn03/focus_autumn_03_14.pdfhttp://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/focus/may04/focus_may04_12.pdfConvention on the Rights of the Childhttp://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/archives/secondary/casestud/child-rights-1.htmlAmnesty International http://www.amnestyusa.org/children/child-soldiers/page.do?id=1051047Coalition to Stop the use of Child Soldiers http://www.child-soldiers.org/childsoldiers/child-soldiersAmnesty International video child soldiers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibW0lICnO3kChild soldiers cry video - Liberia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7PbhCmBoFY&feature=fvw

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AUSTRALIA’S DEFENCE LINKS

The Australian Department of Defence (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for defendingAustralia’s territory and contributes to maintaining peace and resolving conflicts around the world (e.g.Iraq, Afghanistan) especially in the Asia-Pacific Region (e.g. East Timor, the Solomon Islands).

Tri-serviceTo enable Australians to live in one of the most secure countries in the world the Australiangovernment established the following three services during the 20th century:

Royal Australian Navy (RAN) provides maritime forces that operate ships, guided missiledestroyers, patrol boats and submarines. It is responsible for intercepting illegal fishing boatsand asylum seekers referred to as ‘boat people’.

Australian Army provides land operations that include surveillance and special recovery. Ithelps with natural disasters in Australia (cyclones) and overseas (tsunami), protects civiliansin conflict zones (Afghanistan) and deactivates landmines (Cambodia)

Australian Air Force (RAAF) plays a role in surveillance and intelligence gathering. Itresponds to disasters by transporting aid, personnel and medical supplies and evacuatesAustralian citizens in emergencies. It’s annual air show highlights the F/A-18 Hornet fightersand F-111 bombers

By 1976 the importance of joint warfare led to the Navy, Army and Air Force services combiningunder a single headquarter or tri-service, called the Australian Department of Defence (ADF)The Australian Department of Defence (ADF) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade(DFAT) are responsible for the protection of Australia and our national interests. In 2009 the ADFemployed 51,500 full-time active personnel and 19,500 reservists. This includes 10,000 womencurrently serving in Navy (18%), Army (12%) and Air Force (17%). Australia has a small defenceforce compared to the global 17,442,000 active troops. Also the amount and percentage of militaryexpenditure per GDP is smaller than most countries as the Australian budget allocates a largerpercentage to education and health. The government aims to increase defence expenditure by 3% eachyear until 2016 to fund potential terrorist attacks, new destroyers, fighter planes and provide assistanceafter natural disastersTo help defend and protect Australia the Australian Defence Force established: Reserve Forces served in China during the Boxer Rebellion, in South Africa during the Boer War

and in both World Wars. They assist after disasters and provide security at major events. Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) is trained for unconventional warfare and counter-

terrorism. They are involved in Timor-Leste, Afghanistan and Iraq and provided security for theCommonwealth Games (2006) and Rugby World Cup (2003)

Tactical Assault Group (TAG) is trained to conduct counter terrorism activities including therecovery of hostages

Incident Response Regiment (IRR) responds to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear andexplosive incidents

Royal Australian Medical Corps (RAAMC) and the Nursing Corps (RAANC) cares, treats andevacuates sick and wounded soldiers and civilians

Other roles include construction workers, engineers, surveillance and administrative officers.The ADF is supported by government bodies such as: Australian Federal Police - people smugglingand terrorism; Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) - military training; Australian SecurityIntelligence (ASIO) - gathering information about people and activities; Australian Customs Service,Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs- border security; and Australian Government’s Aid Agency (AusAID) - humanitarian relief to peopleaffected by conflict

Non government organisations: citizenshipNon-government organisations (NGO) play an important role in Australia’s defence such as the:Returned Services League (RSL) provides welfare to war veterans: Legacy provides financial assistanceto widows and children whose spouses died in conflict; Australian Defence Association (ADA) presentsinformation to parliament on defence and security issues; Amnesty International fights against humanrights abuses when interrogating war criminals; and the Red Cross and Salvation Army assists withpeople affected by conflict

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Defence: world overview 2009China has the largest number of active troops and South Korea the largest number of reserve troops

Activetroops

(thousands)

Reservetroops

(thousands

Defencebudget

($billion)

TanksAircraftCarriers

Cruiser Destroyer Frigate CorvetteNuclear

SubmarineSubmarine

FighterAircraft

Nuclearweapon

17,442 44,925 1,200.00 86,681 24 28 204 319 335 134 259 17,489 26,291

Military expenditure percent of GDPDeveloping countries, especially Middle Eastern countries with emerging markets due to their oilwealth, and countries in conflict zones appear to spend the most as a percentage of their GDP tomodernise their military

Rank Country Military expenditures as % of GDP

1 North Korea 22.90

2 Georgia 15.90

5 Saudi Arabia 10.00

6 Iraq 8.60

7 Jordan 8.60

8 Israel 7.30

9 Yemen 6.60

14 Australia 1.90

Australian Budget 2008-2009 http://au.pfinance.yahoo.com/budget/index.html

The Australian Army says its new tanks are performing well in their first exercise. (Department ofDefence) http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/11/2030140.htm

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Understanding1. Describe Australia’s main defence forces2. Explain the roles of government and non-government organisations in relation to defence

links3. Determine the number of active troops in Australia, Russia, USA, India, China, France and

Brazil. Discuss the reasons for the build up of troops in the Asian region.4. Research two countries and discuss why their military expenditure is high5. Calculate the proportion of money spent on defence compared to health, education and social

services. Imagine you were in charge of the defence budget. Explain how you would allocatethe money to ensure a secure Australia.

6. Discuss the problems faced by the Australian government trying to protect a vast coastline of36 735 kilometres

7. Using a blank map of the world draw in the main defence links. List the countries Australiashould have closer links. Give reasons for your selection

8. Discuss the impact on people if a country spends more on its military as a percentage of itsGDP and less on infrastructure, education and health.

9. Choose two of the following defence non-government organisations: Australian Peacekeeperand Peacemaker Veterans Association; Australian Red Cross; Legacy; Australian DefenceAssociation; Amnesty International; Returned Services League; Peace Organisation Australia.Explain the aims of the organisation. Discuss the importance of the organisation in relation toAustralia’s defence links. Explain how the organisation addresses social justice and equity

ICTAustralian Army http://www.defence.gov.au/Army/Royal Australian Air Force http://www.airforce.gov.au/Australian Navy http://www.navy.gov.au/Australian Government Department of Defence http://www.defence.gov.au/Returned Services League of Australia http://www.rsl.org.au/Legacy http://www.legacy.com.au/pages/about_us.phpWomen in the armed forces http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/fad/women_armed.htmWomen’s Auxiliary Air Force http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Auxiliary_Air_Force

AUSTRALIA’S DEFENCE AGREEMENTS

Australia’s major defence agreements show a process of change from the United Kingdom in 1899, tothe US during the Cold War (1945-1991), towards countries in the Asia-Pacific Region in the late 20th

century. Over the century Australia’s defence forces contributed to the North Atlantic TreatyOrganisation (NATO) led Yugoslavia and Kosovo Forces and the United Nations Missions inAfghanistan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Australian’s served in international peacekeeping and humanitarianprojects in Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Cambodia, Indonesia, Iran, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia andZimbabwe.

Australia’s diverse defence policyEven though defeating terrorism and countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destructionremains high on the Australia’s defence policy, its main objectives are to.

protect and defend Australia’s land and marine territories keep Australia and Australian people safe from attack or the threat of attack, and from

economic and political coersion work and support strategic stability and peace in the Asia-Pacific region support the international community to uphold global security organisations such as the

United NationsThese objectives form the basis of Australia’s bilateral (joint military activities with the USA, Canada,Singapore, New Zealand, Britain and PNG), multilateral (United Nations); and regional (ANZUS)defence agreements

Defence agreements with Asia-Pacific countriesAustralia has an obligation to our Asia-Pacific neighbours to assist in maintaining peace under thefollowing agreements:

ANZUS Treaty between Australia, New Zealand and the USA (1952) promotes regionalsecurity through peaceful means

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Closer Defence Relations (CDR) informal agreement with New Zealand (1990a) emphasisesintelligence sharing and joint exercises.

The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) (1971) between the United Kingdom,Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore, involves consulting each other if there is athreat to attack Malaysia or Singapore.

ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) fosters dialogue on political and security issues of commonconcern

Under the 1989 Joint Declaration of Principles (JDP), Australia agreed to commit forces to resistexternal aggression against Papua New Guinea. The Australia-Indonesia Security Agreement (2007)focuses on reducing international terrorism and transnational crime and the JANZUS Agreementbetween Japan-Australia – New Zealand – United States (2007) aims to develop closer security tieswith Japan. Australia participates in joint exercises with South East Asian countries, deploys warshipsand aircraft to patrol Pacific waters and is responsible for the defence of Nauru.

Nuclear and landmine agreementsThe atomic bombing of Hiroshima in Japan brings fear into people’s minds that this type of defencestrategy should occur again. Yet over 2,000 nuclear tests have been conducted since 1945. North Koreaparticipated in ballistic missile tests in 2006 and the International Atomic Energy Agency was unableto verify whether Iran’s nuclear activities were exclusively peaceful in 2008. Australia participates inthe UN Disarmament Commission and signed the UN Treaty on the Non-proliferation of NuclearWeapons (NPT) which provides global nuclear safeguards and is part of the South Pacific NuclearWeapon Free Zone.Approximately 15,000 to 20,000 people die or receive injuries from landmines or unexplodedordnances each year. Those who survive often require amputations. Australia signed the 1997 OttawaConvention to prohibit the use, stockpiling and production of mines, and is involved in landmineclearance programs in Cambodia. The treaty is supported by NGOs (Human Rights Watch and Savethe Children) and Australian government aid (AusAID) assists the Cambodian National VolleyballLeague for the Disabled. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) assisted the Cambodian governmentto clear landmines, contributing to reduced deaths and accidents

Landmines: explosive devices found on or just below the surface of the ground in over eighty countries.Geographic information system (GIS): set of computer programs designed to deal with databases able to collect, store,retrieve, manipulate, analyse and display mapped data

Geofacts: In Cambodia 6,422 villages are contaminated with land mines and 5.1 million peopleconsidered at risk

Australia’s changing defence links

Year Australia’s defence force operations1899-1902 Boer War South Africa1914-18 World War 1. 300 000 Australians and 60 000 killed

Eqypt, Turkey, France. Belgium. Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Greece. ANZAC legend is born1939-45 World War 11. 1 million enlisted

Greece, France, Italy, North Africa, France, Syria, PNG, Indonesia, Malaysia1950-53 Korean War. 17 000 Australians participated as part of the UN force1962-72 Vietnam War 50 000 Australians1990-91 Gulf War 1 872 Australians participated as part of the UN force1992 Somalia. Australians participated as part of the UN peacekeeping force1999 East Timor. Australian forces led the UN peacekeeping forceLate 1990s Australia deployed police, troops and naval vessels to the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Papua New

Guinea, Fiji and Nauru. The largest deployments were the Regional Assistance Mission toSolomon Islands (RAMSI) and the Enhanced Co-operation Program (ECP) to Papua New Guinea

2001 Australian military forces committed to coalition military operations against the Talibangovernment of Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

2003 Iraq. 2000 Australians to the Middle East and Iraq looking for weapons of mass destruction2008-9 Troops to be eventually taken out of Iraq. 1025 Australians serving in Afghanistan as part of the

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation-led (NATO) International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).Australian Federal Police operations and Australian Secret Intelligence Service station inAfghanistan.

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Poster distributed free to schoolshttp://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/cache/offonce/pid/561#AusAID.

Understanding1. What are Australia’s three

main types of defenceagreements?

2. List six Australian defenceagreements and describe thepurpose of each agreement

3. Discuss the importance ofAustralia’s defence agreementswith countries in the Asia-Pacific region

4. Brainstorm the main defence problems facing Australia today. Use news reports and theInternet to make a more complete list. Compare the lists. Why might they differ? Explain whysome places receive little media attention

5. Discuss how the impacts of war continue after conflicts cease.6. Discuss the advantages of defence agreements to an isolated island with a small population

such as Australia7. Explain how GIS technology assisted the clearing of landmines and reduced deaths and

accidents http://www.esri.com/news/arcwatch/0708/feature.html8. Research the response of NGOs’ such as the Oxfam, Red Cross, CARE Australia, Human

Rights Watch and Save the Children, to the Ottawa Agreement.ICTRefer to the interactive conflict map. Where did the wars in the 20th century take place? Whichones involved Australia? http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/peace/conflictmap/index.htmlTake on the mission to disarm the world of nuclear weapons! - The Proliferation of NuclearWeapons- the Peace Dove Game. Summarise your findingshttp://nobelprize.org/educational_games/peace/nuclear_weapons/index.htmlView AusAID landmine program slides. What are landmines? Where do they occur? What are theimpacts on the population? How has the world and Australia responded?http://www.ausaid.gov.au/closeup/slideshow/index.htmlExplain how Australia’s mine action strategy 2005-2010 aims to address social injusticehttp://www.ausaid.gov.au//publications/pdf/mine_strategy.pdfExplain the Joint Declaration between Australia and PNG and its advantage to both countrieshttp://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/png/jdpgr_aust_png.htmlHow can the ASEAN Regional Forum contribute to regional stability?http://www.aseanregionalforum.org/What is the role of the Australian Department of Defence? http://www.defence.gov.au/What is the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation? http://www.nato.int/ What are the advantages ofthe agreement to Australia?Discuss the importance of Australia’s Defence Policy http://www.australia.gov.au/Defence_PolicySummarise in one paragraph - Stepping out! Recovering from landmineshttp://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/cache/offonce/pid/2867;jsessionid=407857748CF72E4D8464C478667092B1Explain how Australia’s Integrated Mine Action in Cambodia improved the lives of peoplehttp://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/cache/offonce/pid/2880;jsessionid=34F257643DE3B62A3311D0A3E854C25BThe Australian Treaties Library: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintain theAustralian Treaties Library website http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/Geoscience Australia maintains a database of nuclear explosions with the location, time and size ofexplosions around the world since 1945. You can query this database by filling in the form athttp://www.ga.gov.au/oracle/nukexp_form.jsp

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FROM FRONT LINE – TO PEACE BUILDING

In 2009 the Australian Defence Force (ADF) had 3,800 members deployed to eleven overseasoperations and 500 personnel involved in domestic operations ranging from protecting Australia’sborders and patrolling Australian waters to providing assistance to indigenous communities in theNorthern Territory. Australia’s frontline defence operations assisted UN peacekeeping andhumanitarian projects in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia andZimbabwe, Indonesia, Bougainville, Cambodia and the Solomon Islands. The also contributed to:

rebuilding Iraq – assisted the training of 33,000 Iraqi soldiers bringing security and peace to Timor-Leste supporting the tsunami disaster relief in Indonesia and providing health care to those affected

by the Pakistan earthquake

Timor-Leste - crises and peaceTimor, one of our closest neighbours to the north, was colonised by the Dutch and Portuguese overthree centuries ago. Following disagreements the country was divided into Dutch-controlled west andPortuguese east. After World War 11 West Timor declared its independence and in 1949 became partof the Republic of Indonesia. The Portuguese neglected East Timor resulting in widespread poverty,lack of infrastructure and poor governance. In 1975 Indonesia invaded East Timor resulting in thedeaths of 60,000 people. Under Indonesian occupation the people suffered human rights abuses andnon-Timorese had preferential treatment in health and social services.Pressure from the global community in 1999 resulted in the Indonesian government allowing the EastTimorese to vote. People chose independence, but celebrations were brief as violence and massacresspread across the country. Thousands became refugees in desperate need for food, shelter andprotection. Global pressure led to the Indonesian government allowing the UN peace keeping force intoEast Timor to restore law and order. Australia’s defence forces assisted the UN Mission in Support ofEast Timor (UNMISET) by providing 5000 Australian troops. Also AusAID and NGOs such as CAREAustralia and World Vision, assisted in its restoration. In 2002 the people change the name of theircountry to Timor-Leste

Peace building linksWhatever the advantages or disadvantages of our defence links preventing and resolving conflict beforeit results in violence is less costly, both in human and financial terms. Australia recently supported theAceh, Bougainville and the Solomon Islands Peace Agreements. Australia is part of the 63 UnitedNations peacekeeping operations around the world. Peacekeepers tasks vary depending on differentconflicts but generally include policing buffer zones, demobilisation and disarmament of militaryforces, establishing communication between parties, and protecting the delivery of humanitarianassistance. Peace building is a lengthy process requiring the reintegration of soldiers and refugees,demining and removal of war debris, emergency relief, the repair of roads and infrastructure, andeconomic and social rehabilitation. The Australian government’s peace-building initiative aims to avertconflict where possible and addresses the causes of conflict such as social injustice and inequity

Future defence linksGlobal factors (such as terrorism, pandemic diseases, resource depletion and impacts of climatechange) and regional factors (such as failed states and poverty) may affect Australia’s future securitylinks. These threats may be compounded by the rise of new military powers and new technologies. Theglobal power relationships are shifting. The military build up around the Indian and Pacific Ocean andChina and India’s ambitions for nuclear submarines and long-range strike capabilities concernAustralians.

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New Years Day on the frontline 20092009 Global operations http://www.defence.gov.au/ (page 1)

1. Operation Resolute responsible for activities within Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Itdeals with unauthorised arrivals, illegal fishing, smuggling, and protects Australia's gas and oilinfrastructure.

2. Operation Catalyst contributes to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq.3. Operation Astute assists in restoring of peace and stability in Timor-Leste4. Operation Slipper prevents acts of terrorism around the world.5. Operation Anode is the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). It

aims to restore law and order and improve economic governance6. Operation Outreach supports the Northern Territory Emergency Response Task Force. It assists police

and civilian health teams. The unit has a high proportion of Aboriginal soldiers as it relies on localknowledge

7. Operation Mazurka in the Sinai assists the peace process by monitoring the border and preparing dailyoperational briefings

8. Operation Paladin contributes to the UN Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) with Israel, Syria,Lebanon and Jordan. It supervises the agreed truce agreement at the conclusion of the first Arab/IsraeliWar.

9. Operation Azure is the deployment of personnel to the peacekeeping United Nations Mission in Sudan(UNMIS).

10. Operation Tower supports the on-going UN mission to Timor-Leste and supports the Timorese DefenceForce under the regional Defence Cooperation Program.

11. Op Hedgerow Darfur deters the resurgence of violence in Darfur, by stabilising the region and providingsupport for an effective peace process.

Timor-Leste: Feuding mobs armed with machetes and otherhand weapons give chase to rivals in the capital city, Dili in2006.Conflict is a humanitarian disaster and holds back developmentFocus Magazine May 2007http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/focus/may07/focus_may07.pdfpage 4

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Economic, cultural and political advantages and disadvantages of Australia’s defence links

Arguments in favour of defence links Arguments against defence linksEconomic Jobs in the ADF develops skills and provides

employmentHigh cost to maintain the ADFLess spent on education, health andinfrastructureInjuries – increased health costs

Cultural Protects Australians democratic way of lifeDefends vulnerable indigenous and poorcommunities unable to defend themselvesDefends social justice and supports equity byparticipating in UN peacekeeping activitiesaccompanied by aid (health, education) andreconstruction of infrastructure (roads, buildings)e.g. Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands, Afghanistanand IraqDevelops a national identity- ANZACs

Lack of cultural understanding s e.g. Armysearching women in Iraq led to culturaltensionsEmotional distress - deaths and injuries

Political Maintains stability in the Asia-Pacific RegionProtects Australia against transnational crimeand terrorist attacks such as USA (2001),London (2005), Madrid (2004) and Bali (2002,2005), India (2008)Agreements support peaceful resolution ratherthan conflictAgreements aimed to reduce nuclear, chemical,biological and landmine warfare

Involved in too many conflicts means lessability to respond to emergencies and threatswithin AustraliaFighting the war on terrorism increases thelikelihood of terrorist attacks in Australia byextremist groups

Defence Economic Trends Asia-Pacific 2007http://www.defence.gov.au/dio/documents/2007_DET.pdf page 30

Understanding1. List Australia’s peacekeeping links2. Explain the role of Australia’s defence forces in supporting peacekeeping agreements3. List Australia’s front line links. Where are Australia’s troops based in the Asia-Pacific region?

Write a short description of a country where Australian troops are at the front line. Listreasons for the conflict or tension and who is involved. Discuss whether the response mightlead to peace and other methods which could be used to stop the conflict

22

4. Calculate the changes to defence expenditure in Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan from1997 to 2007. Explain why China increased its defence budget. Discuss whether Australiashould respond by increasing the defence budget or strengthening defence agreements withChina.

5. Use an Atlas and locate all the countries summarised in the text that are linked to Australia indefence and peace

6. Create a mind map of countries involved in conflict in the Asia-Pacific region over the last 20years. In groups present your recommendations for building peace. Imagine the class is on theUnited Nations Security Council. What recommendations would you make for assisting thenegotiation of peace in one of these conflicts?

7. Use the Internet to write a short report on the current situation in Timor-Leste. Include a map,the Australian government department links, Australian NGOs links, progress made, andproblems that still remain

8. Analyse the advantages and disadvantages of defence links to Australia9. In 2008 27 million children in conflict-affected areas did not attend school, 25 million people

were displaced from their homes and tens of thousands of women brutalised by sexualviolence. Discuss social justice issues surrounding conflict.

10. International Day of Peace is an example of active global citizenship. Design a posterpromoting peace to be displayed in the school room

11. Investigate situations where women have played or are playing major roles in bringing peaceto their country or community. (http://www.1000peacewomen.org/ is a helpful start)

12. Explain how Australia helps bring stability to our neighbourhood, not only to prevent violenceand potential humanitarian disasters but also to prevent failed states from becoming havens fortransnational crime or terrorists.

ICTGlobal Education peace keeping – activities, resources, case studieshttp://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/554United Nations peace site for student -activitieshttp://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/briefing/peacekeeping/The Red Cross Movement http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/peace/redcross/index.htmlAmong the Red Cross's tasks are to visit prisoners of war (POWs) who are protected by theGeneva Conventions, and provide them with assistance. Play the Prisoners of War GameWhat is the purpose of the Hiroshima Peace website? http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/top_e.htmlWhat is the Nobel Peace Prize? Explain how people can make a differencehttp://nobelprize.org/educational_games/peace/Explain what is meant by a future defence plan that is working towards a stronger, more versatileNavy, a larger hardened, and networked Army, and the next generation Air Forcehttp://www.defence.gov.au/budget/07-08/pbs/working_to_a_plan.pdfWhat is the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program (AACAP)? What is the purpose ofthe program? Draw a map of Australia locating the programs delivered by AACAP.http://www.defence.gov.au/publications/070416_AACAP.pdfWhat is meant by peace is in our hands? http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/Extension: Research the Australia and the United States Treaty on Defence Trade Cooperation2007 and its advantages to Australiahttp://www.defence.gov.au/publications/DefenceTradeCooperation_Treaty.pdfWhat is Australia’s Defence Capability Plan 2006-2016http://www.defence.gov.au/dmo/id/dcp/dcp.cfmAustralia Defence Annual Report http://www.defence.gov.au/budget/07-08/dar/index.htmAustralia’s Defence Intelligence Organisation http://www.defence.gov.au/dio/

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GLOBAL LINKS: THE WAR ON TERRORISM

Terrorism is the intentional use of, or the threat of the use of, violence against civilians or civiliantargets in order to achieve political ends. Terrorism is not new but media coverage has made peoplefear random terrorist attacks that endangers innocent lives. To reduce the horror, Australia strives tobring international terrorists to justice, undermine the political credibility of terrorist networks andencourages responsible citizens to notify the government of suspected activities

Australia’s response to 9/11On 11 September 2001 (9/11) Afghanistan’s al-Qaeda terrorists, hijacked two passenger planes to flyinto New Yorks’ World Trade Center. Another plane flew into the US defence headquarters inWashington, and a fourth plane crashed in fields in Pennsylvania after passengers overpowered thehijackers. This horrendous attack sparked a ‘war on terrorism’ when United States attackedAfghanistan in 2002, resulting in the overthrow of the Taliban regime. The Australian Defence Force(ADF) responded with Operation Slipper and Operation Palate, and supported the United NationsAssistance Mission in Afghanistan.Following 9/11 the United States saw Iraq as a potential terrorist threat as it feared it possessedweapons of mass destruction and posed a serious threat to the security of the United States and itsallies. As a result, in 2003 the United States led the Coalition of the Willing (United Kingdom,Australia, Poland and Denmark) to invade Iraq, leading to its defeat and the execution of SaddamHussein.After the war ADF’s Operation Catalyst contributed to the reconstruction of Iraq. AusAID and NGOs(e.g. UNICEF, CARE Australia) committed millions of dollars towards humanitarian assistance andrehabilitation. Australia provided $150 million to Afghanistan under a bilateral aid agreement, andsurgical, obstetric and paediatric hospital services in fifty health clinics and shelter to refugees

Australia’s response to Indonesian terrorist attacksTerrorist attacks in Indonesia at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta (2004) and Bali (2002, 2005), wasattributed to the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jemaah Islamiyah Islamist terrorist group. In response theAustralian Government provided $100 million to Indonesia for counter-terrorism actions to strengthenairports, immigration and customs services.Australia in response signed anti-terrorism agreements and participated in forums such as:

Bilateral agreements: Thirteen counter-terrorism memorandum of understandings withIndonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Brunei, Fiji, Papua New Guinea,East Timor, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey.

Multilateral forums: United Nations, ASEAN and APEC Regional forums: Bali Regional Ministerial Meeting on Counter-Terrorism (2004) and the

Sub-Regional Ministerial Meeting on Counter-Terrorism (2007)In 2008 Australia hosted the Trilateral Counterterrorism Consultations (Australia, Japan, and theUnited States) to promote security, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

Counter-Terrorism agreementsCounter-terrorism refers to the strategies governments, militaries, police departments and corporationsadopt in response to terrorist threats and/or acts. Australian anti-terrorist organisations include theAustralian Police and the Australian Protective Service. Australia’s Anti-Terrorism Act (2005) allowspolice to detain suspects up to two weeks without charge, and to electronically track suspects for ayear. The ADF is only called upon to resolve a domestic terrorist incident when police and emergencyservices are unable to cope. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade supportsinternational counter-terrorism initiatives, monitors and responds to international terrorism; promotesactivities to counter chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear terrorism; engages in interfaithactivities; administers laws to freeze terrorists’ assets; advises Australian residents about terroristthreats when travelling overseas; and secures Australia’s passport system and embassies

Terrorism: is difficult to define but generally it is the intentional use of, or the threat of the use of, violence against civilians orcivilian targets in order to achieve political ends.Counter-terrorism: refers to the practices, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments andcorporations adopt in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.

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Geofacts: High casualty terrorist bombings (HCTB); that is, bombings that result in 15 or more deathshave killed more than 14,390 people since 9/11; over two-thirds of the killings have taken place in Iraq.

Map of worst terrorist attacks worldwide: 100 or more fatalitieshttp://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/images/jun06/Terrorism_Jun06_graph3.jpghttp://www.johnstonsarchive.net/terrorism/globalterrorism1.html

The 9/11 attacks were number 34; numbers 35-59 are post-9/11 strikes. The deadliest strikes were numbers 34, 58, 5, 44, 10, and20. Strikes in Iraq since the U.S. invasion in 2003 are numbers 37, 38, 41, 43, 45-47, 50-55, 57, 58.Figures

1. 13 Dec 1921: bombing of Bolgard palace in Bessarabia (modern Moldova) (100)2. 16 Apr 1925: bombing of cathedral in Sophia, Bulgaria (160)3. 18 May 1973: mid-air bombing of Aeroflot airliner, Siberia (100)4. 4 Dec 1977: crash of hijacked Malaysian airliner near Malaysia (100)5. 20 Aug 1978: arson of theatre in Abadan, Iran (477)6. 20 Nov-5 Dec 1979: hostage taking at Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (includes 87 terrorists killed) (240)7. 23 Sep 1983: crash of Gulf Air flight following mid-air bombing over the UAE (112)8. 23 Oct 1983: truck bombings of U.S. Marine and French barracks, Beirut, Lebanon (301)9. 14 May 1985: armed attack on crowds in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka (150)10. 23 Jun 1985: mid-air bombing of Air India flight off Ireland, and attempted bombing of second flight in Canada (331)11. 18 Apr 1987: roadway ambush near Alut Oya, Sri Lanka (127)12. 21 Apr 1987: bombing of bus depot in Columbo, Sri Lanka (106)13. 29 Nov 1987: mid-air bombing of Korean Air flight near Burma (115)14. 21 Dec 1988: mid-air bombing of Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland (270)15. 19 Sep 1989: mid-air bombing of French UTA flight near Bilma, Niger (171)16. 27 Nov 1989: mid-air bombing of Avianca flight in Bogota, Columbia (110)17. 3 Aug 1990: armed attack at two mosques in Kathankudy, Sri Lanka (140)18. 13 Aug 1990: armed attack at mosque in Eravur, Sri Lanka (122)19. 2 Oct 1990: crash of hijacked PRC airliner in Guangzhou, PRC (132)20. 12 Mar 1993: 15 bombings in Bombay, India (317)21. 22 Sep 1993: crash of airliner struck by missile in Sukhumi, Georgia (106)22. 19 Apr 1995: truck bombing of federal building, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA (169)23. 14-19 June 1996: hostage taking in Budennovsk, Russia, and two failed rescue attempts (143)24. 23 Nov 1996: crash of hijacked Ethiopian Air flight off Comoros (127)25. 29 Aug 1997: attacks at Sidi Moussa and Hais Rais, Algeria (238)26. 22 Sep 1997: attack at Ben Talha, Algeria (277)27. 30 Dec 1997: attack at Ami Moussa, Algeria (272)28. 4 Jan 1998: attacks at Had Chekala, Remka, and Ain Tarik, Algeria (172)29. 11 Jan 1998: attack on movie theatre and mosque at Sidi Hamed, Algeria (103)30. 8 Aug 1998: truck bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Saalam, Tanzania (303)31. 13 Sep 1999: bombing of apartment building in Moscow, Russia (130)32. 31 Oct 1999: intentional crash of Egypt Air flight off Massachusetts, USA, by pilot (217)33. 10 Aug 2001: attack on train south of Luanda, Angola (152)34. 11 Sep 2001: crashing of hijacked planes into World Trade Center, New York City, New York, Pentagon in

Alexandria, Virginia, and site in Pennsylvania, USA (2,993)35. 12 Oct 2002: car bombing outside nightclub in Kuta, Indonesia (202)

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36. 26 Oct 2002: hostage taking and attempted rescue in theater in Moscow, Russia (includes 41 terrorists killed) (170)37. 29 Aug 2003: car bombing outside mosque in Najaf, Iraq (125)38. 1 Feb 2004: two suicide bombings of political party offices in Irbil, Iraq (109)39. 21 Feb 2004: armed attack and arson at refugee camp, Uganda (239)40. 27 Feb 2004: bombing and fire on ferry near Manila, Philippines (118)41. 2 Mar 2004: multiple suicide bombings at shrines in Kadhimiya and Karbala, Iraq (188)42. 11 Mar 2004: bombings of four trains in Madrid, Spain (191)43. 24 Jun 2004: multiple bombings and armed attacks in several cities in Iraq (103)44. 1-3 Sep 2004: hostage taking at school in Beslan, Russia (includes 30 terrorists killed) (366)45. 28 Feb 2005: car bombing outside medical clinic in Hilla, Iraq (135)46. 14 Sep 2005: multiple suicide bombings and shooting attacks in Baghdad, Iraq (182)47. 5 Jan 2006: bombings in Karbala, Ramadi, and Baghdad, Iraq (124)48. 11 Jul 2006: bombings on commuter trains in Mumbai, India (200)49. 16 Oct 2006: truck bombing of military convoy near Habarana, Sri Lanka (103)50. 23 Nov 2006: car bombings in Baghdad, Iraq (202)51. 22 Jan 2007: bombings in Baghdad area, Iraq (101)52. 3 Feb 2007: truck bombing in market place in Baghdad, Iraq (137)53. 6 Mar 2007: bombings and other attacks on pilgrims, Hilla, Iraq (137)54. 27 Mar 2007: truck bombings in Tal Afar, Iraq (152)55. 18 Apr 2007: bombings in Baghdad, Iraq (193)56. 3-10 Jul 2007: hostage taking and storming of mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan (102)57. 7 Jul 2007: bombings in Baghdad and Armili, Iraq (182)58. 14 Aug 2007:truck bombings in Al-Qataniyah and Al-Adnaniyah, Iraq (520)59. 18 Oct 2007: bombing of motorcade in Karachi, Pakistan (137)60. 17 Feb 2008: bombing at dogfighting festival in Kandahar, Afghanistan (105)61. 26-29 Nov 2008: gun and grenade attacks and hostage takings in Mumbai, India (174)

Understanding1. Define terrorism and counter terrorism2. Explain why terrorism is a global link3. List groups involved in terrorist activities4. Describe the events that led to the US-led coalition invasion of Iraq in 20035. Explain the role of Australian government organisations (e.g. AusAID, DFAT, ADF, customs,

police) in response to terrorism6. Discuss the treaties and agreements relevant to terrorism7. How many terrorist attacks occurred after 9/11? Where were the deadliest terrorist strikes

located? List the terrorist strikes in the Asia-Pacific region. Explain the impact of terroristattacks on infrastructure and people’s lives.

8. List the three terrorist activities that involved the largest number of deaths. Research terroristattacks in three different countries that involved Australia or Australians. Where did ithappen? Who did it? Why did they do it? What was Australia’s response?

9. Terrorism generally involves violence, imparts fear to the country and its people, and thegroup often use a disguise. Explain what this means using recent terrorist attacks

10. Discuss the social justice issues involved in counter-terrorism agreements11. Explain the impact of terrorism on Australia’s tourist links (e.g. Bali)12. Research the political, cultural and economic issues surrounding terrorist attacks13. In the USA the fourth plane hijacked by the terrorists failed to reach its target. Imagine you

were on the flight. Write a brief story describing your actions on the plane14. Explain the phrase ‘be aware but not alarmed’ICTUN Mission in Afghanistan http://www.unama-afg.org/. Draw a map of Afghanistan with latitude,longitude, scale, main cities, rivers and landforms. What is the Mission? What are its successes?What are the problems? How has Australia contributed to the Mission? Explain how AusAID andNGO’s have made a difference to the lives of AfghansAusAID in Afghanistan http://www.globalcollab.org/Nautilus/australia/afghanistan/aidhttp://www.ausaid.gov.au/media/release.cfm?BC=Media&ID=6903_8560_1281_1656_7721Discuss how AusAID contributed to improved quality of live for the Iraqi peoplehttp://www.ausaid.gov.au/hottopics/topic.cfm?Id=8614_8794_4510_8987_445Explain Australia’s part in the war in Afghanistan – Operation Slipperhttp://www.defence.gov.au/opex/global/opslipper/index.htmWhat is Australia’s part in the International Security Assistance Force?http://www.nato.int/ISAF/index.htmlWhat is a terrorist act? What offences apply to terrorist organisations?http://www.ag.gov.au/agd/WWW/NationalSecurity.nsf/Page/Information_for_Individuals_Information_on_counter-terrorism_laws_in_Australia_Information_on_counter-terrorism_laws_in_Australia

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REGIONAL DEFENCE LINKS: HELPING A FRIEND – SOLOMON ISLANDS

The Solomon Islands is a sprawling archipelago of nearly one thousand islands to the north-east ofAustralian. The capital is Honiara located on the island of Guadalcanal. The Solomon Island isclassified by the World Bank as a fragile state or a low-income country under stress (LICUS). It is oneof one of the 49 Least Developed Countries in the world with income per capita of $2,031 per year.With weak security, poverty and a corrupt government the Australian Defence Force acknowledgesthat neglecting the Solomon Islands could endanger regional stability

Solomon Islands ‘Tensions’Violent conflict in the Solomon Islands, referred to as ‘the tensions’, began in Honiara in 1998 whenmilitant Guadalcanal youths attacked Malaita islanders who had migrated, from a neighbouring island.Their actions were prompted by the failure of successive government’s to address poverty, the killingon indigenous Guadalcanla residents, and migrants from other provinces owning land on Guadalcanal.The tensions resulted in 25 000 Malaitans fleeing Guadalcanal and 11 000 Guadalcanal people fleeingHoniara for the safer Guadalcanal interior.In 2000 violence escalated when the Malaita Eagle Force (MEF) took control of Honiara. TheAustralian and New Zealand governments failed to negotiate a ceasefire between Guadalcanal andMalaita militant groups. Further negotiations resulted in the signing of the Townsville PeaceAgreement (TPA) and the establishment of the International Peace Monitoring Team (IPMT),comprising of 50 police and civilians from Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island countries.Weapons were collected and reconciliation ceremonies facilitated. As militant leaders had hidden theirguns, rampart lawlessness, extortion, theft and beatings, soon became commonplace.

RAMSI – Helpem FrenIn 2003 a multinational force between fifteen Pacific nations, called the Regional Assistance Mission toSolomon Islands (RAMSI), arrived in the Solomon Islands to assist the government restore order. Thecontingent led by 2,200 Australian police and troops arrived under Operation Helpem Fren whichaimed to:

strengthen law and justice improve economic management maintain access to basic services (especially health) support peace building and community and civil society development

Australian governments and NGOsAustralia’s contribution to RAMSI is a whole of government approach involving the Federal Police,Treasury, Department of Finance and Administration, Customs Service and AusAID. The AustralianGovernment’s Cooperation Agreement supports twenty Australian NGOs who promote peace, reducepoverty and involve the community in the peace decision process, especially women. These NGOsundertake activities such as agriculture, disaster management, education, governance, health, water andsanitation. They work in partnership with the Solomon Islands government, local communities andsupport AusAID’s Solomon Islands Community Sector Strategy (2007-2011).By 2009 RAMSI had restored law and order, economic growth was 6.1%, the government’s revenuehad tripled, 332 new police officers had graduated, over two thousand public servants received training,and tourist boats had started visiting the islands

Preventing future tensionsPoverty, crime and government corruption continue to undermine stability in the Solomon Islands. In2006 Prime Minister Snyder Rini used bribes from Chinese businessmen to buy the votes of membersof Parliament. This led to mass rioting in Honiara and most of Chinatown was destroyed. Australian,New Zealand and Fijian troops were dispatched to quell the unrest. Rini eventually resigned. TheSolomon Islands future is unpredictable as unsustainable logging and fishing practices are anticipatedto increase poverty, resulting in further tensions

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Solomon Islands Human Development Index (HDI)The HDI for Solomon Islands is 0.602, which ranks the country129th out of 177 countries

Solomon Islands Human Development Index 2009 (rank, country and index)

HDI value(total of the fourcolumns)

1. Life expectancy atbirth (years)

2. Adult literacy rate(% ages 15 and older)

3. Combined primary, secondaryand tertiary gross enrolment ratio(%)

4. GDP per capita

1. Iceland (0.968) 1. Japan (82.3) 1. Georgia (100.0) 1. Australia (113.0) 1. Luxembourg (60,228)

127. EquatorialGuinea (0.642)

127. Lao People'sDemocratic Republic(63.2)

92. Swaziland (79.6) 149. Gambia (50.1)139. Lao People'sDemocratic Republic(2,039)

128. India (0.619) 128. Bangladesh (63.1) 93. Nicaragua (76.7) 150. Myanmar (49.5) 140. Zimbabwe (2,038)

129. SolomonIslands (0.602)

129. Solomon Islands(63.0)

94. Solomon Islands(76.6)

151. Solomon Islands (47.6)141. Solomon Islands(2,031)

131. Cambodia(0.598)

131. Nepal (62.6) 96. Tunisia (74.3) 153. Mauritania (45.6) 143. Kyrgyzstan (1,927)

Solomon Island headlines - RAMI makes a difference:http://www.ramsi.org/files/ramsi_brief_final_v2.pdf page 12

RAMSI’s Participating Police Force http://www.ramsi.org/files/ramsi_brief_final_v2.pdf page 28

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RAMI Military http://www.ramsi.org/files/ramsi_brief_final_v2.pdf page 34

Understanding1. List the tensions that led to numerous conflicts in the Solomon Islands2. Identify the Australian assistance mission to the Solomon Islands and its main components3. Explain the advantages of the defence and aid links between Australia and the Solomon

Islands, to both countries4. List the four man indicators that make up the Solomon Islands human development index and

rank in world. Explain why poverty can be a source of conflict. Suggest strategies AusAIDand NGOs could use to improve the lives of these people. If you lived in the Solomon Islanddescribe your life

5. Read the headlines and the notes in the text and discuss how RAMSI has made a difference topeople living in the Solomon Islands

6. Discuss how the roles of AusAID and NGOs assisted the peace process by improving socialjustice and equity

7. Divide the class into groups. Imagine your group works for a television station and has thetask to determine the success of the RAMSI operation and its value to Australia. Present yourfindings to the class

ICTRAMSI http://www.ramsi.org/Twenty Australian NGOs work in the Solomon Islands. Research one NGO and discuss theadvantages of the link to both the Solomon Islands and Australia http://www.acfid.asn.au/what-we-do/countries-regions/png-pacific-solomon-islands/solomon-islandsList the fifteen RAMSI countries that work for stability, security and prosperity in the SolomonIslands http://www.ramsi.org/node/8Discuss how AusAID has contributed to the peace processhttp://www.ausaid.gov.au/country/country.cfm?CountryID=16. List the aid programs andagreementsList the achievements of RAMSI http://www.ausaid.gov.au/country/solomons/progress.cfmDiscuss Australia’s trade links with the Solomon Islands. How can these links contribute toreducing poverty and as a consequence reducing tensions http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/solo.pdf

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Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans Associationhttp://www.peacekeepers.asn.au/Critically analyse the website by completing the scaffold

What is the name and URL?What was the time and date you accessed the site?Who wrote the site?What date was the site last updated?Is the information up to date? (statistics and newsrecent)Is the information correct? How would you checkthis answer?Does the site give different opinions orperspectives or is it biased? Give one exampleIs the site easy to use?Does the site have graphs, maps and statistics?Does the site allow you to express your ownopinions? e.g. email, blogsIs the website ethical?

How can an engineer contribute to peace in Afghanistan after years of conflict? Cultural understanding is important if you are a soldier.

What are some of the cultural differences betweenAustralians and Iraqis? If you were offered a sheep’s headas a sign of respect when visiting Iraq how would yourespond?

How can Australian’s Custom Service help with ourdefence?

The defence force is also involved in humanitarian work.Research the ADF and its response to two disasters in theAsia-Pacific region in the last five years.

Brainstorm places around the world where there is current conflict. Use the news reports andthe Internet to make a more complete list of places where there is conflict. Use this link tostart http://ci.columbia.edu/ci/tools/0811_tools.html

Discuss How do the two lists compare? Why might they differ? Why would some places receive little media attention?

Research in small groups, a current conflict. Write a short description of the country listing thereasons for the conflict and who is involved. Describe the international mechanismsaddressing the conflict. As a group discuss whether the response might lead to peace. Suggestother methods which could be used to stop the conflict and build peace. Imagine the class ison the United Nations Security Council. What recommendations would you make for assistingthe negotiation of peace in one of these conflicts?

Write a report on the effectiveness of international responses to current conflicts with arecommendation for improvement.

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Resources: democracy and good governance

http://www.unicef.org.au/

This site brings together a wide range of resources for learning about civics and citizenship.You will find materials for schools and for formal post secondary studyMaterial is drawn from ABC TV and Radio, as well as a number of online productions createdin collaboration with other organisations. http://www.abc.net.au/civics/

One World – Many DemocraciesA collection of collaborative international internet projects for the schoolssector.

Global Citizenshttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/globalcitizens/defaultie4.htmExploring ideas of community, nation and citizenship through a balloonjourneyFor Middle Primary to Middle Secondary students.

Democracyhttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/demos/default.htmWhat does it mean to vote? What are the characteristics of democracies?For Secondary students.

Who Are We?http://www.abc.net.au/civics/whoarewe/default.htmWhat is our civic identity? How do we define ourselves and others in our

societies? For Lower Primary to Middle Secondary students

Discovering Democracy – Professional DevelopmentCurriculum-based projects and features designed to assist teachers using theDiscovering Democracy materials.

http://www.abc.net.au/civics/democracy/default.htm

UPDATED JANUARY 2010