Thursday, June 12, 2008

Academic Honours - CONGRATULATIONS!

As promised, I am posting the names of the students who achieved academic honours in the English section of this course.

First of all, let me say I was quite impressed with the overall grades. The assessed discussions in particular were very well done. And Essay 2 showed you learned a lot about academic writing and critical thinking.

The "winners" are as follows:

Highest overall grade: Ezgi Sarıbaloğlu (96% A)

I would also like to congratulate the following students for receiving A- : Ezgi Alıç, Hakan Gürsan, Ayşegül Kurtulmuş, Melike Nur Çoğalmış, Burcu Güvey, Koray Ercihan, Elvan Cengiz, Pınar Özgen, Deniz Dalgıç and Merve Çelik.

Best Essay 1: Merve Eraydın (99%)

Best Essay 2: Pınar Özgen (99%)

Most improved Essay 1: Ezgi Sarıbaloğlu

Most improved Essay 2: Deniz Dursun

Best learning journal: Doruk Can Yamaç

Best participation: Melike Nur Çoğalmış and Ayşegül Kurtulmuş (100%)

Best assessed class discussion: Melike Nur Çoğalmış, Ayşegül Kurtulmuş, Funda Karaca and Ezgi Alıç

Blogger of the year: Merve Çelik

Most surprising passes: Burak Dai (71% C) and Yusuf Elik (73% C)

I wish you all the best in your future academic careers and your lives.
Sonja

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Blog discussion #5: Advice to incoming students


We have almost reached the end of a long academic year. I am proud of all the progress you have made and I hope you are too. I guess for many of you, this programme offered a completely different approach to teaching and assessment. At times I am sure you did not feel entirely confident, yet you persisted and pushed yourselves to the end. This is most certainly an achievement (surviving one of my classes is always an achievement!) So here is our last blog discussion this year:
Imagine you are talking to a student who will enter this programme next year. The student asks you: "How can I pass this course?" What advice would you give?

Future students could really benefit from knowing what to expect before they come to university. Please share whatever you think will be helpful from your personal experience of this programme. You should consider both the Economics lectures and our critical thinking/academic skills component. Please note: You should give honest feedback: there will be no penalty for negative comments, nor any reward for positive ones.

This assignment will count towards your PARTICIPATION mark. The discussion is open until the end of the semester.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Blog discussion #4: Global warming


This is a FEEDBACK discussion and will count towards your PARTICIPATION mark. It will also help you prepare for your ASSESSED CLASS DISCUSSION at the end of the semester.

Our next classroom topic is Global warming. We will be watching two films which present different viewpoints on manmade global warming. There will be a lot of new vocabulary and critical discussion questions. We will hold practice discussions with feedback in Week 12; in Week 13 we will hold small group discussions in my office and you will be graded (10% of final mark).

I would like students to take charge of this discussion: ask questions, post links to interesting articles and web sites about global warming, share new vocabulary and so on.

This discussion is open until the end of the semester.

Happy discussing!

Monday, April 7, 2008

NEW: Homework Q&A forum


Missed class? Got a question about an assignment? You can ask your questions here, and your classmates will answer...NOTE: You may use Turkish in this forum.

Just click on the link Homework Question and Answer (Q&A) forum from the list on the right side of the blog to access this posting.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

Today , People should become conscious carrying out social responsibility such as to be interested on how is going to built future of Turkey. If we want to answer the question we had to check up our recent history of policy. ın 2001, Turkey dealt with economical crises which is rate of inflation increase highest steps ,social structure and political stabilization was effected due to economical chaos .Result for that hopeless a lot of people lost their job. Even if IMF had suggested to proper pack of economical policy ,avalaible goverment couldn't cope with huge problems.And another side, politicians the blame on themselves for all wrong decisions.As time passed people couldn't give politicians the impression of being trustworthy.Thus huge political and economical uncertainly has appeared
until term of 2002.

In 2002, when AKP made several promise to people, everybody begin to get their expecation with them.The emergency development plan, had wrapped injury of economical condition in short periot and also goverment had aimed that allowed minister of foreign affairs begin integration to UN. Global Media and nations had been watched that Turkey to give right of minority ,right of woman and they had to take measure rate of Torture crime .But after second selection goverment has been quiet maybe that couldn't have power whıch create common decision for nation due to discussions of regime.In spıte of Turkey have serious problem goverment was obliged to do to solving head scarfe again and then closing down of AKP has been become current issue.when there are global economical crises probability, AKP shouldn't interested be specisific issues.People became the opposite of each other with issues.After that social support and common decision destroyed by wrong policy.

Most important issues are process of agreemement to UN, culturel right of minority ,development of economics, Kurdish matter, increase of unemployment rate. İf goverments provide solutions to these problems people will become hopeful and they will live in afflenced environment safety.Furthermore, absoultly goverment shouldn’t adict a elite class which caused mijority is without effect in policy of national.ıf people think that goverments have been succed to provide common policy to social structer everybody will satisfied to them.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

Turks can be trusted with their own future but there are some problems which have to be solved.

1.The domestic and foreign debt are very high, approximately totally 450 billion $. It is frightening us and sometime makes pessimistic.

2.Current account deficit of Turkey is very big and a sollution must be found to this
problem.

3.Turkey has given a big amount of Money to interest to the foreigners.This is an another important problem.

4. Unemployment rate is very high. When we add ‘population inreasing’ to this problem it is getting bigger.

5. Democrasy has stopped many times for the last fifty years. Some pople are very pessimistic about the future of democracy.They have anxiety about the democracy and don’t clearly know how will they be ruled in the future.A part of the population inclined
Islamic Goverment . Naturally it’s threatining the secular population.

Turkey is very rich with its underground and aboveground resourses.
Also Turkey is a Tourism and agricalture country. In my opinion with a well planned economic applications the debt of Turkey can be reduced in an important amount in next fifteen years.
If The Goverments rule the country well Turkey will be able to solve the problems in 15-20 years. There are everything in our country to solve these problems.; material and a young hardworking population.We have more advantage than the other countries.

As aresult Turks can be trusted with their own future.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Blog discussion #3: Roger and Me


This is a FEEDBACK discussion and will count towards your PARTICIPATION mark.

This blog discussion is devoted to the film "Roger and Me" by Michael Moore.

Please read and respond to my first comment. I will add more questions as the discussion progresses. Please interact as much as possible with your classmates.

To participate, add a comment to this post.

The discussion is open from Friday, 14th March to Friday, 18th April. You may use it to help you prepare to write your Essay 2 draft.

Happy discussing!

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Aid to Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second the most crowded continent after Asia.900 million people live in Africa.It means that %14 of the world
's human population live in Africa.Africa remains the worlds poorest and most underdeveloped continent because of the tropical diseases,the slave trade,geopolitics situtation,tribe fights,bad governments ruling.
people all over the world are sad for this view in Africa.Every year thousand of children die of starvation and also a lot of people kill each other because of tribe fights.However,some developed countries in the world want to exploit the sources of these poor countries.For these reasons African countries haven't developed.
Lastly,developed countries have to help the poor countries in Africa continent.Many aid institutions have been working for Africans people for many years but a certain sollution haven't been found for poverty and starvation in Africa.EREN GÜZEY

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Blog discussion #2: US subprime lending crisis


This is a FEEDBACK assignment and will count towards your Participation mark.

Read the following article carefully before participating in the discussion:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7073131.stm

Then read the blog carefully and answer the most recent question. Respond to and expand on your classmates' answers where appropriate. Ask each other questions about any points that are unclear.

To contribute, add a Comment to this post (click on Comments link at bottom).

This discussion is open from Friday, 7th Mar to Friday, 21st March. I will also participate and provide feedback to help you improve your understanding of this issue.

Happy writing!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Blog discussion #1: Wheat prices and world hunger


This is a FEEDBACK assignment and will count towards your Participation mark.

Read the article entitled "Fresh records for price of wheat" on the BBC news site at this URL:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7264239.stm (There are also several links to related articles to help you understand the issue better).

"Discuss" the following question:

Thinking back on the research you did on aid to Africa, what will the likely consequences of increasing wheat prices be on poor people around the world? What can/should governments and other organisations do to help?

You should respond to other classmates' points, agreeing and disagreeing and expanding the argument where appropriate.

To contribute, add a Comment to this post.

This discussion is open from Friday, 29th February to Friday, 14th March. Please contribute several times to develop the thread. I will participate as well and provide feedback at the end.

Happy arguing!

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

I think Turkish people cannot be trusted with their own future in some ways, but after maturity and education improved in country they absolutely could do. Despite the fact of high improvement in a lot of ways in Turkey after Ataturk founded the republic, nowadays the democratic and economic system seems unstable because they become to be controlled by ruling elite’s remote controller. The thing there is how mature Turkish citizens are to be able to trusted with their own future because of the chaotic impression in country. Because Turkey is a culturally mixed country, there are always problems with democracy. If full democracy is able to be applicated, everything will turn upside down because people understand that they can do everything within a democracy. But actually they can't. In Turkey, the people we mark as "ruling elite" are the politicians I think, and they need a different power sayng what to do like army. I think the reason why Turkish Army is very included in Turkish politics is "ruling elite" s wrong decisions. Therefore, I think that Turkish people will be trusted for their own future definitely when they are educated and mature enough.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Aid to Africa

Africa is the second largest continent and second most populous continent in the world. But although these situations of its, it is the most poorest continent in the world. There is a lot of colonization in there. All countries in Africa, are exploited from the other countries which have big powers in the world. The countries which have heavy power, use Africans’ sources and not allow the native to improve themselves. They forced the ethnic groups and convicted them to the starvation. So in Africa, the poor life caused the starvation and the starvation caused diseases and the disease caused curtains. But nobody aborted these events and they didn’t prevent its spread. So the death is fatal in Africa.
Gradually, it cause a pain in the people heart which have qualm and which have humans and religons belief. The people all over the world started to prevent the poverty and hunger in Africa for improving their life like other humans.They do everything, for example they instituted companies and started to collect money, clothes, foods, medicines… The singers, soccers, sporty etc. ordered an aid concert, matches, galleries… and used the money which were picked up from these organizations for Africans.But none of them is enough for them they need more helping hands. The helping hands don’t behove with clothes, foods, medicine by all means, It might be, setting up new factories, firms like other employing systems. But first off all the only important thing is to threat the disease, and to prevent the new disease. After that, When you aborted the human dying, you can solve all of the problem which cause poverty and hunger by politic way, institutional way or personal way.
As a result we must be aware of the humans’ lives who suffering from poverty and hunger. We must do something for them because we might be instead of them and we might suffer from same problems.If we don't want to be see alo of death in Africa we must move!

Monday, January 21, 2008

Aid to Africa?

When there are so many people who need aid, stopping the sending emergency needs sounds me absurd. Because, there are a lot of people who suffered from catastrophe like flooding, drought, fatal diseases such as aids and they don’t have enough power to work to win their daily bread. Sending might not be long-term solution but it helps to keep people alive. Of course, by the time Africans have to be encouraged to find for themselves. Qualified grains and soils have to be given to them. State of the art materials of farming even have to given them to be growth more nutrients. Farmers should be also teached about how to tilled the soil, how products are maintained from flooding and erosion. Instead of stopping aid, behaviors of nepotism and collusion in governance must be eliminated. Because the government prevents to develop, it even makes most situations worse as rising numbers of death from lack of care. Therefore, aid shouldn’t be stopped. At the same time, some materials should be given to Africans and seen problems in government should be collapsed.

Is poverty neccessary?

Poverty is neccessary because in this global world people are considered according to their clasess if there were not social classes then the country governed by communism.Because the definition is the communism is a structure which block the classification of society.In the communism system there is no poverty because all the citizens of the country work for their country but any country can not success this system.For example,China was governed by communism and during that time China was very ordinary country but now China accept the new economic system and They are the one of the biggest economy in the world.Especially,Rich people can't accept to this system because they want to difference of people.May be poor people want to this system and they think poverty isn't neccesary everbody must be equal but as ı said that China and also Russia had this system.In result both of them change their system.Poverty is the obstacle of life but it is the neccessity of economic system
İn my opinion Turks can not be trusted with their own future because if we want to trust our future government should improve our education system ,economy and the other big problem is that government’ islamic policy . In my opinion, this government must take measures these problem otherwise Turks can not be trusted with their own future.

I think education is the most important thing for development because education has an immense impact on the human society. One can safely assume that a person is not in the proper sense till he is educated. It trains the human mind to think and take the right decision. It’s my firm belief that education is the most important factor for development.

The second important point is that economy. In recent years inflation rate has increases day by day and this situation is very dangerous for Turkısh people because high inflation rate means unemployment.People should work in order to earn Money and meet their needs otherwise they can not survive.Government should taken measures in order to high inflation.

The third important point is that people who live in Turkey should be aware of democratic rights.Unfortunately Almost everybody submit islamic policy this is a big mistake because democracy means independence. I agree with kinzer’ thought he said that ‘In turkey it is not hard to find thoughtful,worldly people who believe their country is not ready for full democracy’

İf the new government can solve these three problem Turks can be trusted with their own future.

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

Turks can't be trusted with their future if the ruling elite continue not to trust the citizens. The lack of confidence is because of the low education level of the country and the ruling elite, trying to use this as an advantage to exploit people. Turkey isn't in need of ruling elite that doesn't have a faith in even its citizens and can't see the respect that they feel for both their country and their revolutionary leader Ataturk, whom they owe their current secular system. Just like Kinzer stated, the elite's manner causes Turkey to be in a "national dilemma" that blocks the country to develop. That's why it became a country that has come to a stand still, although it has resources to be one of the advanced domains in the world. The elite disdain Turkey's decisions so much that it automatically affects Turks belief in them. But this shouldn't be like that, Turkey made a great progress, denied imperialism and accepted the rules of a new democratic system years ago. This might be a lead that Turkey will be ready for true democracy if the ruling elite take action and make the public conscious of their future. To conclude, Turkey's future is in Turk's hands. I believe that the Turk's trust with their own future is not possible until the elite do something in favor of the citizens.

Can Turks Be Trusted With Their Own Future?

In my opinion, we can trust our own future because, in the past we had a very bad economy but now our economy is developing. For example our money, Lira come into value. Ten years later it had a very bad value over against Dolar and other money unit.
Kinzer said in his text:"As a result of geography and because of their Ottoman past, Turks occupy a singular position in the Islamic consciounsness." Turkey has a very important geographical and political place. Turkey is a bridge which connect Europe and Asia for that western powers cannot declare of Turkey. Turkey has a very political position because there are very big oil reserves in Turkey's neighbour. In this century, Oil is very important for people. Oil is getting over Turkey and access the western country.
If Turkey use this advantage for Turkey's economy, it will be very powerfull in the future.

Is Poverty Necessary or Not?

I think poverty is necessary. Of course poverty is a bad thing and nobody wants to be poor. There are people who get high salaries and some others who get low salaries. The people who get high salaries are rich people but others who get low salaries are poor people. Although poverty is a bad thing in some cases it is necessary because when every body is rich the low salaries and bad jobs will not be preferred. When nobody prefers to work with low salary, big companies will not find workers for bad jobs.

On the other hand, there is no such a world which does not include any poor people. There are always poor people and they are necessary. For instance, if there is no poor people in the world, who will clean the corridors or toilets in our school. No rich people accept to clean streets.

If there were no poor people all salaries would be high salaries because rich people will never work with low salary. If all salaries were high, the cost of everything would be higher. When the costs were higher, the prices would be higher. This will cause every body to get poor. For this reason, poverty is necessary.

Aid To Africa

Aid to Africa can not solve the problems. But stopping aids are not the solutions. Because the have giant problems that they can not solve by themselves. AIDS, starving, epidemic illnesses, criminals… Millions of people are dying everyday because of those problems. The reason is simple: They have nothing. The best ways to help them are solving starving problem and education. Educated Africans will help Africa so much. Actually only Africans can help themselves. Because only they know what is real and what is not real. They need to do cooperation with people who really care themselves. After solving hunger and education problem with the help of those people they will solve unemployment problem. Inequality problem must be solved. Some Africans are very rich and sell diamonds, gold etc. But they are less than %1. All the Africans need to produce. When they will start to produce, they will start to gain (Like Tito’s system) and Western countries don’t help every country in Africa. Some of them like Ethiopia and Dr. Congo are not gained any help. It causes troubles too. To solve the problem Africa need to be a country. All the Africa need to unite and solve their problems by themselves with the help of sensitive people.

Aid to Africa

In this global world,the country's improve their economy.However there is a continential which its citizens suffer from poverty.The reason for this poverty is economic portrait.There isn't economic system is in Africa.They don't produce their products.For example;Many countries in the Continental of Africa don't have electric system.This portrait is very dramatic for develop countries.There are possibilites to produce their own electric but they don't have a money power.How can they get rid of this matter?

It's easily said that aids are vitally important for their future.These aids should be save to long term.Some voluntary corporations only helps to economic system of Africa.In addition to this,the corporations should consider to health topic.%32 of the population suffer from Aids and %22 of the population is suffer from tuberculous.These statistics show that;The people of Africa suffer from illnessess.Then Africa needs help to health services.

Outcome from this is;Aid don't destroy the poverty but Africa needs aid.

Can Turks be trusted Their own future?

Turkish history has a permanent .Scrutunizing on the Turkish history from different perspectives we can see that the history of Turkey didn't have a democracy and also their act and thinking were limited.Starting from the Ottoman era Turkey has determine their faith and they trust their own future.But this system get worse to day by day.The result of this decline Turkey found itself in the war.According to the Kinzer;By ''istiklal''Turkey own their freedom and they also break their fear.Turkey decide his destiny with one great leader,who was ATATURK.Turkey gain the freedom.And this system continues 85 years from the establishment.Nowadays Turkey's trust with their own future is related with economic,political and social aspects.Nowadays,Turkey improve its economical values such as %70 foreign companies invest their money to Turkey.On the other hand,The system which created by Ataturk is in danger in nowadays.There is a religious point of views of people control the government and its led to a controversial issue.Some people may claim that who wearing a headscarf should enter the university but the other people's think headscarf is a symbol of political aspects.These arguments causes influence Turkey's future negatively

Can Turks Be Trusted In Their Own Future?

Turks can trust their future if they will slip out from ruling elites. It will be possible with democracy and education. Because people will think both individual and social and people need to forget Ottoman time, they need to remember and trust Republican time. Because those people’s grand’s did magnificent things and their situation was awful. They were living a country without technology, roads, arts and industry. Their life-span was too short. But now they are luckier. They are more educated, hopeful and they live in better situation. That’s why they can do too. In the text Kinzer mentioned about dilemma between Western and Eastern civilizations. It is a disadvantage for Turks now. But if they change it into a advantage they will gain power and confidence. It will help them to trust their future. Past must known but they need to think about their future more than their pasts. To reach the conclusion they need to trust themselves more than their future. Because they are the future. They need to do everything democratically and work hard again.

Aid To Africa?

World Wide Economy System shows Africa that it is the poorest continent in the world.The reason why Africa is in a serious trouble about hunger is the uncontroled population,weak governments and the lack of sources.To negative these reasons some organizations which include different nations helped Africa for years.Do these aids help Africa to end the poverty?Actually not!According to the Royal African Society States,if aid could help Africa become more affluent,it would already have done so by now.The population of Africa is growing day by day and it increase the hunger problem.The volunteered companies try to solve this problem but how about the educational,political and social negations in Africa?Being accustomed to be kept afloat by other countries made African public lazy on working and thinking about their future.The aids which were given to them didn't develop this country.Africa needs radical cahangings to end the poverty.The two faced policy strategies can't help them to improve.So;the diseases of HIV virus which suffers %30 of Africans,the uncontroled population growth,the weak environmental conditions should be solved immediately to end the poverty deeply.After this process the main social activities like education have to improved by qualified government.As a consequence;stopping all the aids can't help ending the poverty.The main solution can be to give limited aids to make this huge continent to develop itself with their own power.

Aid to Africa

Generally all Africa countries try to live in poor life-standards. These countries citizens need goods like water and a piece of bread. And they need some free services too for maintain their life. According to Unesco, Africans try to live with less than 1$ a day so they live at under hunger limited. Hence, they are face to face with to much disease. United Nations have been sending food and aid packages since 1980s. But this packages limited. Today lots baby start to live as a death. In contrast to this, many European or American complain their hospitals or life standards. We don't see them. In other words, we are blind toward them. However we solve this problem easily. We make our people conscious of this and we'll create  a fund for these people.In conclusion, Every person aid each other. In this way, we'll be more happier than today. 

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

Turks have been trusted with their future for a long time. "Türk evladı ecdadını tanıdıkça daha büyük işler yapmak için kendinde kuvvet bulacaktır."(ATATURK) is the best example of this view. Meaning of this quote is Turkish youth take their power from old generation who turned to impossible to possible.In the text, Kinzer argues that clash between what the entrenched elite wants and what more and more Turks want, is the central fact of life in modern Turkey. But it must not forget that ruling elites and Turks generally have same approach. It doesn't called as clash between two ideas. For instance, after the great depression, all pre-development countries were affected this economic variation so Turkey too. Citizens couldn't found bread, salt, sugar or anything but they never accused the ruling elites. At that time, Bülent Ecevit was a little child but he was elected into the Turkish parliament after 24 years and he solved lots of problem of citizens as ruling elite.To sum up, ruling elites and citizens are different parts of the same body. And this co-working show us to Turks can be trusted with their future.

Can Turks Be Trusted In Their Own Future?

In Turkey;it is tried to show public that it should be trusted to our own future by the ruling elite. However; it is hard to trust without any democratical administration. After 1923; the year of establishing Turkey Republic, this democratical administration process has started by getting the power from the public for government. In contrast with the Ottoman Empire's politics, after the Republic the westernization started and Turkish citizens' future partly guaranteed. This constructive process disconfit the ruling elites about their power and they initiate a policy which is based on getting back the power from Turkish public. In conclusion; according to Stephan Kinzer there is a developing process in Turkey. This makes Turkish people know about their future more than past. The evolution on democracy shouldn't be hindered by the ruling elite and the government should take the power from public in legal ways without any undemocratical policies.

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

At the moment Turks cannot be trusted with their future. There is a huge difference between the lower class and upper class. The people living in Istanbul live in higher live standards while the people in Diyarbakir are trying to wondering if they will get food the next day. The distribution of wealth and income is very uneven in Turkey. Therefore the people in the poorer parts of Turkey don’t get proper education. The facts and figures show that the literacy has increased and that more people are getting education but the truth is the education they are getting is not objective. The education they get is Islamic. Islam is a religion which holds back people from evolving and modernizing. There is almost no one who gets objective education, which can increase awareness and teach them how to analyze situations intellectually. Unless they get this kind of education, their minds will be subjective and they won’t be able to make proper decisions. Turkish people have gone through a lot, so they often become very confused and they can easily be manipulated. Therefore, unless everyone gets proper education without any Islamic studies and is aware of all the facts, they cannot be trusted with their future.

Can Turks be trusted with their own future

İstiklal mean is indepence in the dictionary. It has special means for turks because Turkey history is geared to it.it wants to break away from its autocratic heritage and itspositions outside the world’s political mainstream. However ; this is not possible because istiklal told about our struggle for rebublic. So Turks should be trusted on their own future and elite must continue to make all important decisions for becaming developed democratic a country.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk endeavoured a shattered and bewildered nation into one obsesed with progress. Turks didnt ready radical change but against the will he formed diverse sweeping change in such ashort time. According Kinzer Otoman empire didn ot want to fall in step westernization process. Turks had been under administration by otoman empire. Ataturk decide most important desicions for societybecause the nation that faced Atatürk when he took power was not only in ruins but truly primitive. Ther are lots of illiterate people. He is not alone for republic, some groups have accrued to study democracy. They lend countdown to him. Consequently , democracy denominates different ideas and innovative solutions. If we wants freedom and confort . we should make an advance that the rulling elite make all desicions which is strict control for society.
İn brief; especially young people must be trusted own their future . Atatürk bequeated to us the conviction that turkish reformers should seize state power. With True democracy , Turkey republic is getting more beter and improved day by day .

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

Turks can not be trusted with their own future because they can not make important decisions about their future. There have been lots of changes in Turkey till today. People have become more educated and sophisticated than past and they also have to elect or decide who will be presidents or legislators. They are living in democratic Turkey. People are completely free and they have lots of rights to live independently because of the democracy. Moreover, the powerful military council should step back from politics because the democracy might be used as against the secular Turkey. In order to prevent this, powerful military council should protect the democracy when people try to do this. On the other hand, Turks can not make all important decisions about their country though Turkey has a democratic system. They are not enough mature to make decision and also they are still operated by the politicians. For example, when the ruling make all decisions, the people who live in Turkey can have difficulty in adopting these kind of decisions about themselves because they can not ensure its truth even if legislators was elected by Turks. In other words being made decisions are not their opinions. In conclusion, Turks can not be trusted with their own future because their future depends on the ruling elites which make all significant decisions instead of Turks.

- can Turks be trusted with their own future? -

Turks can be trusted with their own future because in the past, they didn't have freedom, democracy .. but now we are freedom. Even if there have been made plenty of mistakes, if Turkey has still been existing without any problem, we owes this situation to the combination, independence, nationalizm in the country, which comes from the past and this combination, independence, nationalizim, our flag, will be keep Turkey in the future too...

Against all odds like ruling elite system according to Kinzer this is national dilemma, ı think Turks needs to be trusted with their own future because if a country doesn't trust for their kids and young people and this mistrustness of people can cause some negative consequences on the teenages and kids.

- aid to AFRİCA -

Africa is the world's poorest and underdeveloped although it has plenty of natural resources and has kinds of different climates. A country who has these kinds of sources and opportunities need to be in a different situation, not like that because these natural sources can evaluated and also with the help of this it can be taken the attention of the tourists to the country. Thus Africa gain money and the government can evaluate and use this money for the help of the Africas’ needs and maybe the african people can be rescue from poverty. Unfortunately they cannot use these resources because they have been exploited by other countries for many decades and also there are some disagreements inside the country and related with this situation Africa is become dependent to the other countries help and this situation of the Africa cannot be ignored.
We need to help this country whatever its situation wil be. We have to make people well educated and healthy in Africa. May be we can built schools and hospitals in there and by agreements with some international help organizations we can supply the doctors and teachers they need. This may take a long time but it is the right and certain way to end poverty because if the people know their rights, have a job and good health services poverty will end. .
Consequently, but only help them cannot be the sustainable solution for Africa because in the course of time the countries may take the supports and helps from Africa or they want to evaluate the money in different ways. The solution that needs to be done is to be provided the entirety of the society by government and also The government should have to start thinking the society not themselves and the political expediencies.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Can Turks be trusted with their future?

Every Turk wants to make decision for their future. However, they cannot actualize things which they want everytime. Because there are goverment which has apparent decision and rules. If leader was a like Atatürk, our own future would be safer. Since as we know, after republic was established, we developed and made progress. In addition, there are plenty of complicated elements undisclosed among some political and other environments. I think that there is a relationship between the old and new system of governmental administration in Turkey. Practically, If Turkish folks are alright with the administration form of their governors’ policy there will not much chaos in the society. In addition, There are still some radical traces that come from the back.When it comes to making important decisions which will play an important role in Turkey’s future and its people, it ought to be made by a decision regarding Turkey thoroughly in every possible way. Turkey is a country that can stand on its feet.
And the ruling elite should not continue to make their important decisions. Someday, somehow, Turks will start to understand that things which do not seem as a proper work should be disposed as soon and severely as posibble. I think that that is the way of life style for Turks in their own country remaining insensitive to the events ocurring in Turkey.I hope that sooner or later , Turks will get a better, comfortable and organized and wealthy life when they understand their background much better and put into practice their plans.
In Kinzer's text, he says that, "If Turkey can entice Muslim countries toward democracy, it wiil reshape the entire world" I think that, it is true. If Turkey can make decision carefully, it always make progress. Because Turkey has young people who mark out for a brilliant future.
In conclusion, in my point of view, Turkey ,in any way, I do not see and predict how, will keep continue its existence powerfully in a global world even though there are still some conflicts all over the world. Hopefully there will be considerable active steps taken to get a better view of peace power across the world. Therefore they can be trusted their own future.

AİD TO AFRİCA

More than half amount population of Africa is in becoming hunger’s limit of time. People need to fppd aid in states worst affected by hunger. Africa consist of 33 cities. Mack auction of cities are Sudan, Niger, Dr Congo, Malı, Angolo, Ethiopıa, Somalıa. Early bargain has more than three millions of hungry people. African’s face to face the product of a series of interrelated factors. It is vast continent and no one factor can be applied to any particular country. It need urgent food aid , but the causes are often complex and varied.. these critial issues are political instability in rural, wars and political conflict, natural disaters and epidemic, unchecked population growth.
Firstly a leading cause of hunger in Africa is political instability in underinvesment in rural. Poor governance is a major problem in many African countiries,which has backfiring long term food back up. Non governmental organisations , aid agencies and charities are often adduce time and time again before crises erupt. But local government cannot take on this problem and getting much larger quantities of food aid to hungry people.
Another important cause of hunger in Africa is wars and political conflict. These problem lead to refugess and instability. African’s continent hadf suffered from 186 coups and 26 major wars in the past 50years.As a result of this that there are more than 16 millions refugess and displaced persons in Africa. It is important to product the food however formers need stability and certainty that is most important than it .
Third reason of hunger in Africa is natural diseasters and epidemic.Serious food crises occur when people cannot get enough nutritious food to eat Famine has maked one’s apperance so food prices are lifted,distressing systems of health cawing froquent death from malnutrition and disease.Also there is epidemic in Africa. Over %30 of sexually active adults are Hıv positive. Food productions can fal lup when a family member becames infected
Finally,parent of hunger in Africa is unchecked population has growth.
Africa’s population has grown faster than any region over the past 30 years .Although a lot of people death from the Aids pademic. Some parts of Africa is fruitful but it has had severe conseqvences Also it has forced farming families to subdivide their land time and again,leading to tiny plots or families moving onto unsuitable overworked land.Lands are not enough for hungery people.Nutrient mining are removed over the harvest period ,and lasr through leaching,erosien or other means
In conclusion: Natural disasters,confict,political instability economic failure or epidemics trigger famine.Without a shodow of doubt Africa needs some aids, however ; while these aid came from Africa some issues can show up.

aid to africa?

I think that aid is basically essential for Africa in order to abet Africa for developing itself by providing adequate living standard for people and reducing the level of hunger and poverty.
Aid is more given to Africa in order to keep people alive by providing enough food and health service. It is a need for supplying basic needs to Africa. Moreover, aid helps many children manage to escape from the violent streets and HIV and Aids after British aid to Africa. Thus, this kind of limited aid is really essential for Africa in order to help it for enhancing its development process. If we think that true development can happen in the long term and the basic requirements for development are education and health, this limited aid to Africa can really useful for this development process. However, I read articles about the aid to Africa through my reading of Web Quest and some of them reveal that “aid should be doubled”. At this point, I don’t believe that the aid to Africa should be doubled, because by this way I think that Africa would become more dependent on other countries and more like colonial or servile. Furthermore, the doubled aid could make the gap between the countries more deeper and cause unequal relationship between Africa and other nations. Also I want to add that aid is not only solution for Africa in order to make it one of the developed countries, because if it was, Africa would complete its development process.

Throughout the Web Quest, one article emphasizes that the cash only helps people to survive and it can not help Africa to develop in economic means, if we consider the today’s Africa such as factories without fuel supply, goods in wrong place, and lack of roads in order to trade within the countries. Thus, aid can only make people survive and have education in order to prepare and raise them for being the ones who would be brave enough to alter the destiny of Africa and make their country have the prosperous and full independence in the future.
In conclusion I believe that limited aid is actually necessary for Africa in order to develop itself and reduce the level of poverty.
İn my opinion Turks can not be trusted with their own future because if we want to trust our future we should improve our education system and economy. In my opinion, this government must take measures these two problem otherwise Turks can not be trusted with their own future.

In my opinion education is the most important thing for development because education is the vision for one's eyes to see the world. Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imprt?ing of knowledge, positive judgment and well-developed wisdom.Education has as one of its fundamental aspects the imparting of culture from generation to generation .

The second important point is that economy. In recent years inflation rate has increases day by day and this situation is very dangerous for Turkısh people because high inflation rate means unemployment.People should work in order to earn Money and meet their needs otherwise they can not survive.,

Therefore we can conclude that;Government should taken measures in order to high inflation and education problem.If the new government can solve these two problem Turks can be trusted with their own future.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Aid to Africa?

I think,stopping aid to Africa is not a humanistic decision but in the same time we can not say that aid is not permanent solution. All the world know the problems of famine and poverty in Africa have reached epidemic proportions. Many countries have helped the continent to supply basic needs of African people but till to now , it is not said to reducestarvation ,water shortage and epidemics. Millions of people are stil dying because of primitive causes like malnutrition and remediable disases. In this case, Western countries can not stop helping to Africa because assistance have a vital importance to keep these people alive.
However, it is obvious that the problems in Africa are not solved by only sending medicine and food aid. Western governments must get to the root of the matter. The reasons of poverty and famine are weak administrations, difficulty of market access and to not be made sufficent investments in agrilculture. Enhancing productivity and abolish trade barries in Africa will be important steps to eradicate poverty and starvation . Also, education is an important tool to prevent the spread of HIV and provide the growth in Africa.
Furthermore, this continent is struggling with civil wars and conflicts besides poverty and malnutrition but developed countries just observe this desperate situation passively. These countries regard assistance as a part of their state politics. For instance, big part of food aid in Africa serve missionary work. If we think Africa had efficient agrilcultural areas and rich mine sources in the past , present situation of Africa is so ironic. Colinial policies that were carried out by the West lead the poverty of Africa. Therefore, these actions must be a charge or apology . not only aid. Hence, African people need radical solutions to exist in the world so other societies should help them for this purpose. Because we do not ignore people who share the same world with us.

Aid to Africa?

Stopping all aid to Africa will not help end poverty because it is not adequate for all people,it is not solution.So,how could Africa end of the poverty?

There are variable problems with sending aid to Africa.Food aid and diseases are the most important issue for Africa.Firstly,Western countries provide them to food aid because Africa does not supply enough food for itself,they can’t do farming business in terms of.I think; Africa has good resources but they don’t use it because of their bad policy.They are depend on other countries policies.When war and political conflict will be ended,African farmers will be able to feed their socities and they will provide urgent food which African had need to. Thereby,the food problem will be removed.

Secondly,other factors have drastic role over the food aid.For instance;diseases;HIV/AIDS.It’s the most important problem of underdeveloped countries.Africa does not have resources to keep people from diseases.HIV epidemic is the main reason of the scarcity of food. For example, many African women incures the HIV epidemic and farming labour force is rely on womens’ working. So,it influences the working force negatively by way.

Consequently,if African government decrease the percentage of diseases death,it will help to improve the conditions of the poor Furthermore the solution ,the government has to encourage Africans to being a sufficent people. They should provide education and trade possibility.

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

Turks can be trusted with their own future because past experiences instruct like a mirror for their own future .If we compare the past and now for Turkey,we can see the lots of things had changed.Population had increased,peoples’ remarks had changed…Now Turkey is divided up some parts within itself.Such as elite.. At the present day some of people still thinking that elite should continue to make all important decisions.But the most important issue is why elite? How they can make right decisions ?

All people have equal rights,they are capable of making right decisions. Elite role on making decisions,they defend democracy in Turkey.While the last elections,people didn’t provide them healthy competition with other nations.They wanted to increase their quality,but they didn’t.Because of the political policy.It has changed many people’s life.,.On the other hand,Turkey is democratic country.All nations were acquaintanced Turks with Atatürk.While the past,Turkey is following the Ataturk because he is the leader of us;his aim is destroying the differences between peoples’ and supplying more democratic conditions for us. According to the Kinzer's text,if Turks supply more democratic conditions,secularism would be done,so Turkey will more close for its dreams.The new Turkish republic was established by Atatürk in the hostile climate.We have to consider to make this nation standing on a prosperous and free land.

Consequently,I agree the think of Turks should trust with their own future.If we want to modern Turkey,we have to abrogate the social inequalities between people.It will help to increase the power of our nation.

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

Turks can be trusted with their own future because first of all , it is a neccessity of real democracy understanding. Also, ı believe that Turkish people have capacity to take all important decisions about policies of their country. In a few years after the foundation of Turkish Republic , many important decisions and vital reforms were made for Turkish nation without consulting to them because of owing to circumstances.Elite had to carry out radical reforms in every field of governance and social issues without spending much time. Additionaly,this nation were governed by a particular person and group for years and suddenly they faced a new system..Therefore it must be so hard being adapted to new living style and having a voice in the management.Then ,Turkey has shown considerable improvements in every field. As Kinzer mentioned, universities and public hospitals have been founded , enterprenuership has been encourged and the most important one is that people are educated .The democracy understanding started to entrench in Turkey. İn this point, I believe
Turkish nation have reached enough maturity because they are more educated, self-confident and ability after investments which have been made for public and Turkey so Turks deserve to be trusted with their own future. On the other hand, we can not say each part of country developed in same level . Especially, in eastern provinces of country, sufficent investment and education services were not provided as much as other parts of country because the ruling elit protected self-interest and forgot social benefit.This situation strenghten “fragile creation “ in this country. So it must be given an opportunity to Turkish nation to determine their own future anymore. I believe it can not be a modern and developed country if a state sweep aside social benefit and rights and opinion its citizen. Thus , if we want to accomplish our democratic process, our government have to trust us and listen our voice in management, not ruling elite.

Can Turks Be Trusted With Their Own Future?

Turks are not yet mature enough to make their future. I assure that it could be true in the past. However this situation starts to change a little bit because new generation is aware of what is going on in Turkey’s politics. Likewise new generation try to change this fate which people do not interrogate the policies. For example when people see something is wrong for them, they protest to show their reaction. It can be said that this is result of education because education rate has been increasing.

Awareness of Turkish people is increasing. According the reaction of people about politics, people want to show their opinions. For example PKK have killed lots of soldier and Turkey’s public make constraints to start the fight against the PKK. Moreover, the public of Turkey has shown their reaction about ladies wearing headscarves in the schools and public instutions. However, millitary think that the goverment of Turkey are not sufficient about politics and Turks do not yet enough mature to make their own future because millitary claims that people still do not know about the rest of the world.

On the other hand there are some other examples. There are a lot of Turks who have been indebted because of their credit cards. The president of Ankara Chamber of Commerce, Sinan Aygün claims that the interest rates for credit card depths are too high. I agree with him. When you put your money to a bank, the interest rate is 18-20 % per year but the interest rate for credit card depths is over 60 % per year. The difference is very big. Nobody protests because of high interest rates at banks. Everything is under the control of banking elites.

In conclusion, Turks are under the elite and military control. I assure that people can manage their future. As Kinzer said “If they can find a way to break free, Turkey will astonish the world by becoming the most audaciously successful nation of the twenty-first century”. Thus ruling elite should give a chance to people for their own future. However Turks should be aware of the politics.

Aid to Africa?

Africa has been aided for years by Western nations, corporations or some independent organizations. It needed help and now still need help but of course not for all states. Some states which are already well run did not and do not need help. Also aid to them can be worse for them for their trade or their production. Because if they are aided, their markets fill with food of aid and their products sell lower price. So they would not have enough money for living.
Africa is a poor country at all sides like especially agriculture and breeding. Almost all their people are uneducated and face to lots of problems about health and life, it had crisis. Africa is helped giving money or aid but it is not true way to develop it. It cannot be helped for every time so it has to be helped growing, it has to be found ways to improve it or helping to improve itself. It was written in BBC News that nearly a trillion dollars of aid since independence in the 1960s, much of Africa is worse off now than it was then. In addition it was added in the news that Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda were already receiving around 50% of their budgets from aid. So aid is not a shortcut to development. Only Africans themselves can change to Africa. But some aid should continue because there are states that need really help aid and still live in real poverty with disasters like drought, famine by unhealthy. Moreover I think one of the most important and necessary aid to Africa is about education and then another is about health. If aid is given being people educated, they help to Africa for development against poverty. Also health aid should be raised for states that have diseases like Aids, HIV. In conclusion, some regions of Africa need aid so aid to there should not stop. But, because of other regions in development do not need help, all aid to there should stop. If it does, stopping all aid to there actually help end poverty.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Can Turks Be Trusted With Their Own Future?

When the Sultans were dominating to Turks, Turks did not have any rights to decide. Every decision was decided by the Sultans and his men like vizier. And in that time, people were only working for living, they did not think that education was important or they should be educated. Actually, in that time people did not need to be educated. Lots of years of Turks’ life were lived in monarchy. But the Ottoman Empire had changed in time. It was affected from other states which of west or east and it had very important changes. People had rights in time like having a congress and thinking about their future in some situations. They started to take roles for decisions with their own future. After those years, Ataturk has taken power. He believed that Turks should live in democracy. Like Kinzer mentioned, Ataturk was very important person who provided that Turks are independent. He has found the republic. And then Turks really began to rely on themselves. They realized that they can control to their own future and can make important decisions. Turks has had the power that can drive their life and they go on so. Kinzer told that leaders, who fancy themselves Ataturk’s heirs, oppose change and they believe Turks are not yet mature enough to make important decisions. Maybe it can be true but not at all points. The nation still has illiterate people, but most of Turks are educated and they can decide to their own future. They also have lots of rights that help them to be free. So, the ruling elite should not make all important decisions. Turks can be trusted with their own future, they continue to develop and improve themselves at all sides like being modern or living in more democratic nation.

Can turks be trusted with their own future?

I think if the military class that Kinzer indicates in the text as ‘’ruling elite’’ in Turkey, trusts Turks’ knowledge and ambition and believes in that they can be mature enough to participate in political life and make vital decisions for the future of Turkey, turks can have the courage in order to contribute to society by feeling content being a real member of this nation.

I believe that that the ruling elite does not want to give an opportunity to Turks for participating in political life and making significant decisions for Turkey’s future, because the ruling elite sees Turks immature and illiterate and thus for this reason the ruling elite hesitates for giving Turks right to be in political life in order to impede possible internal and external threats that might be not obstructed by immature Turks. The main reason for the ignoring of Turks is the fear of giving control to Turks to govern, because the ruling elite underlines that Turks don’t have the ability of protecting real democracy but in this condition, As Kinzer regards in his text ‘’true democracy’’never becomes real according to the effort of the ruling elite in order to alienate Turks.At this point it is quite possible to realize that the ruling elite is the one who decelerates the alterations for forming the “true democracy”(Kinzer) reluctantly.

I believe that if the ruling elite could understand the abilty of Turks and trust to them, nowadays Turks would have the courage in order to make vital decisions. However, now as if they feel the mistrust and disbelief of ruling elite, they even do not care about the future of Turkey and they become even more apolitical members.

Therefore, the first thing that the ruling elite should do in order to provide Turks’ power and dynamism is to trust and give opportunity to Turks for encouraging them.Otherwise, how can limited and non self-governıng communities feel the soul of democracy?

Aid to Africa

Food aid should be continue to sent to Africa in nowadays’s circumstances despite it is not a fundamental solution.
There are many disadvantages of food aid. One of them is the inequality of aid’s distribution. Some countries do not have any effective governments to reach aid. For example, while Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo could not have aid, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda have already been receiving around 50% of their budgets from aid despite they do not need as much as the others. Furthermore, it should be considered that aid creates a dependence on having prepared needs for Africans and sending aid continual does not give a chance them to be encouraged to produce new products. Thus, they have been getting a habit of waiting help without working. When they lose their self-confidence, it is a good state for Western aid donors to set their majority in Africa.
On the other hand, despite all disadvantages of food aid, most of Africans need them to alive. For stopping bigger troubles and mortality that comes from hunger, diseases-HIV/AIDS-, food aid should be continued to sent for a while and in this while the projects should be started to apply like investing in agricultural projects in Africa, giving education to let them to have conscious about lots of things to develop themselves.
As a conclusion, food aid is not a fundamental solution to end poverty in Africa but it should be continued for a while that people have higher life conditions than now with bringing into force projects.

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

It is difficult to make a generalization for the mature of all Turks to be trusted on their own future because of the unequal conditions they have but it does not mean that the ruling elite should continue to make all important decisions.
When the Republic was established, Atatürk realized many revolutions in such a short time and the most important one was democracy because Turks had been administered by an absolute power(sultan) in the Ottoman Empire. So, they were in a habit of being controlled by someone with certain rules.It was hard to adapt to democracy. In the adapting process, some groups have wanted to use democracy for their own profits and someone have supposed themselves as the heritages of Atatürk on deciding all important decisions alone as Stephen Kinzer mentioned on the text of ‘Dreaming In Turkish’ (pg.10). As a result, if we want to improve as a whole, it is a condition that the repressive and asocial insights should be turned into true democratic principles.Because the development could be realized in a atmosphere where all different ideas can be argued with an indulgence. A true democracy can be applied with people who think freely without a pressure of a powerful group. When, the ruling elite make all decisions, politic steps reflects the ideas of a definite group and people feel themselves under a strict control then, the chaos can not be prevented and the republic can be in a danger of divisible.
In conclusion, Turks should be trusted on their own future to develop to be more mature for being conscious citizens of our Republic.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Aid to Africa

Aid to Africa is a chance to improve Africans’ life standards or to stop their suffering from starving, illnesses and etc. In spite of all these efforts, it is still an unresolved problem in Africa. This kind of help has kept people alive but totaly it does not give them enough rights, and dignity to survive as normal human beings. Even if it seems like the only way to eradicate hunger and poverty in Africa, there are lots of things to be done for the future of Africans more than aid to Africa.

The wrong political implementations to raise Africans’ welfare have not deepened their problems. As it seems, there are a lot of health problems, shelter problems or so on. Every year 3 million babies are born dead. More die because of illnesses or starvation. Adults also die because of HIV/AIDS. It is result of lack of hospital or medical treatment. Moreover there are lots of people who can not go to school.

What is the reason for Africa is still a poor continent although many other countries all over the world are developed? There can be lots of answer. For instance in the past, Africa was a colony of Western countries. Likewise, their geography is not as suitable as Middle East or the West. In spite of all these unlucky events, their population also has been growing. "Between 1975 and 2005, the population more than doubled, rising from 335 to 751 million, and is currently growing at a rate of 2.2% a year". Africa is a huge continent so it is impossible to reach all of the people who live under standards of human rights. Thus, as the director of the Royal African Society says that aid to Africa does not solve all the problems. On the contrary, Niger’s president said that “aid agencies of exaggerating his country's food crisis for their own gain, Western media reacted with shock”.

It is obvious that Afraica does not participate in the world economy. Beside it, Africans live under the world standards. In conclusion, as we can see aid is not the basic sufficient factor to reach Africans wellfare. Until a permanent way is found to eradicate hunger and poverty, aid should continue. Otherwise, it will go worse every other day instead of peace in Africa which is one of the main goals.

Aid to Africa?

Stopping all aid to Africa certainly results in a worse situation for Africa then now; because people who try to survive in Africa seriously need those aids. According to statistics, more than half of Africa is now in need of food and almost 200 million people die of malnutrition. Level income differs between countries of Africa and north side of the continent is better than others. In Ethiopia, level in come per capita per year is not even 100$ in a year. It is only 90$ and people who live there are cureless. In this case, can stopping all aid help them? Absolutely not. If cause of poverty for Africa is considered, it is not hard to realize that people are innocent; problem is general government structure which needs radical solutions. People are not talented enough to cope with poverty and only hope for them is aid which comes from other governments. Solution of problem is depended on governmental reform and so it is not a solution to stop aid.
On the other hand, aid slightly decreases the number of people who die because of famine and some incurable diseases which are caused by HIV virus. According to statistics %30 of people suffer from HIV virus and this is a significant problem for citizens’ health condition. Aids to Africa contribute to this problem at least to some extent. Africa is in need of radical changes in government and economic policies; because it is known that Africa has valuable resources such as oil and diamond; but unfortunately it can not get benefit of those valuable resources because of bad policies.
Finally, I want to mention about general solutions instead of stopping aid. It is of course to give them opportunities to work and earn money to survive with the help of a well-structured government and giving them incentive to work and earn money. Additionally, it is a necessity to limit aid and supply basic needs not to make them lazy and addicted to aid. As a consequence, Africa has a chance to develop with the help of aids and life opportunities; so stopping aid brings them damage instead of help.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Can Turks be trusted wıth their own future?

Now Turks have a voice in the management because there is democracy in the Turkey anyway.Turks can look backwards and they can see their wrong in the past therefore can make right desicions for their future. Altough there are many people who want to administer the government with the İslamic laws,it is a secular country.Turkey has some problems about democracy ,ı think, yes turkey is a democratic country but not really, and it sometimes causes some problems in Turkey.Because in the Turkey many people are devout,and many women wear kerchief, at the same time in Turkey the women who wear the kerchief for their blief, can not to be a government officer, that situation shows us the democracy has some problems.Also Kinzer said that "In turkey it is not hard to find thoughtful,worldly people who believe their country is not ready for full democracy."As a result,I think democracy is a condition for being a developed country.When Turkey can to be a really democratic country then Turks can be trusted with their own future.

Aid to Africa

The people who live in Africa are living in bad situations.First, they need to have the basic services in order to live in the standard conditions.Africa is a undeveloped country.There is a huge starvation, also lack of education,lack of natural resources like water, and there is also one big problem , health. if a communicable disease appear in there the situation means that many people will die because of the disease, because there are unsufficient health services.Every year more than 1 million babies die in Africa and millions of women die because of pregnancy.Also majority of children do not go to school.But the most important problems are poverty and one of the results of poverty, hunger.There is a food dearth because they cannot get the nutritious food from nature, because there is not sufficient cultivable land.The neighbouring countries sell the food at the lowest coast.It is a minor solution for the hunger. I think the situation is awfully bad. The people are who have lost everything in the Africa.Actually some countries aid to Africa ,for instance, The Western's countries aid them, about water,food, medicament.Also the British aid,hundreds of children are in the primary school.However the aid's are not a solution for the Africa's situation.As a result. Africa needs a radical and permanent solution in order to devlope. Also the developed countries should carry on the aid to Africa.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Can Turks Be Trusted With Their Own Future?

Turks can be trusted with their own future because numbers of educated Turks increase day by day, especially the young have different, creative ideas with using their intelligence and immature part of society should be allowed to experience democracy and make their due decisions because they will learn testing themselves and democracy has to be embraced fully as Kinzer said. Immature part of society may adapt this fully democratic order hardly. However, as time goes on, with testing themselves bias will be collapsed, a thumping majority of society will be aware of how much power they have, their self-confidence will increase and they will decide more consciously. If you want one to learn swimming, you will throw overbroad, of course without leaving that one alone. This example is like what ruling elite has to do to save society from their inexperience. Ruling elite's thoughts about being democratic and to tend to have a dogmatic system also create dilemma according to Kinzer. Because of this dilemma, speed of developing decreases evidently. In conclusion, Turks, especially its young can decide what is better for their country and what to do.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Is Poverty Necessary?

Marshall pointed to important issue and I agree with him. He said, “Without large proportion of poverty there could be no riches.” If there were equal standards, people wouldn’t feel needs to earn more and more money. Because all people would have same statues and their all rights would be protected without exception. However, there isn’t equality and the rich don’t want to be taken advantages of richness so they always work due to not being poor and they try to keep control of their fortune. At the same time, the poor expect to have better statues to be more powerful so they are ambitious to get better standards. In conclusion, competition between richness and poverty have always occurred because of the rich’s feelings about being always rich, being afraid of poverty and the poor’s demands about having better conditions. This shows us poverty is necessary to want to be rich.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Aid to Africa

Africa is now in need of a minimum standard of living. Its people need basic goods and services so as to go on living and improve African lives. Africa is a continent that has extreme starvation and is underdeveloped. It has lots of problems. For example, Africa lacks basic levels of education, Health, Water, and Economic Empowerment. It also suffers from natural disasters, and exploitation. According to the BBC, three million babies die every day in the first week of their life, while 3 million are born dead. Also more than “100 million children do not go to school.” The UN says that “In Botswana 39% of the population is HIV positive, and life expectancy has dropped to 39 years,” and according to the UN Population Fund, “a woman dies every 60 seconds due to pregnancy related causes, equal to 60 deaths per hour or more than 500,000 every year.” But I think poverty and hunger is very important than other needs since the number of hungry people is growing by 5 million year. The reasons why Africa is in need of such basic resources are complicated. Some of the important reasons are the slave trade, and an exploitative capitalist system, as well as poor governance within African countries. However, according to Jared Diamond, the main reason has been geographical luck since the beginning of human history. For example, Asia has been lucky in that it was a fertile continent, and therefore developed agricultural and stockbreeding techniques early in its history. Because of it strong relationship with Asia, Europe was able to learn such techniques, which Africa was not. Arguably however, it is the capitalist system that has caused Africa’s problems. Just as the slave trade enslaved people hundreds of years ago, the capitalist system continues to enslave Africans today! Nowadays, when we look at the world economy, we realize Africa cannot participate in economic life. Now, Africa is in such a bad situation and alone. Africa has been exploited since the beginning of human history and it must be saved from this situation. This is humanity’s debt to Africans. Hence, aid to Africa has to be given immediately so that millions of people are not in a difficult situation. All nationalities, states, and people as human beings together have a moral obligation to provide this aid plan. However, aid is not the solution for Africa. Africa needs to find a permanent solution to develop and progress by itself. However, until Africa finds its own solutions aid should continue to be paid and must never be stopped.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

In Turkish politics the ruling elite have traditionally struggled to trust Turkish people with their own future. However, Turkish people should be given equal access to control the future of their country. In other words, it can only be successful if it has a government who gets their power from the public. I think that this can be accomplished only by a democratic process. Stephen Kinzer has argued that there has been, in Turkey, a gradual process at democratization from the theocratic style of the Ottoman Empire. This happened largely in the period after the establishment of the Turkey Republic in 1923. Ottoman Empire did not want to westernize but the westernization process did start with the Republic progression. The Public then wanted to participate in the administration or government. Therefore, the government started to get its power largely from the public. In spite of this, the ruling elite protected their own power. Hence, coups (military blow or stroke) can be evaluated as evidence that the government was reluctant to give control to the people. Turks have been trying to administer as an independent country, thus the ruling elite’s effects started decreasing. I think the ruling elite shouldn’t continue to make all important decisions since a specific set of people’s decisions are not good for the public’s future. The general population should be encouraged to have different ideas from each idea. In conclusion, if governments or states who get power only from the public continue to be in Turkey, Turks will be better than past and know about their own future. Ruling elite need to give power and the people need to take power. It should happen, immediately.

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

Although Turkey advanced in high standards in any ways in the generations that have passed since Atatürk built a new and much more developed nation on the debris of the Ottoman Empire, nowadays the system seems inconsistent in Turkey since democracy has almost become the tyranny of the majority and the ruling elite. In other words, it seems that the major principle of democracy which is “majority rule” became like “majority dictatorship” since many times the rights, ideas and initiatives of the minority are ignored by the ruling elite. Obviously there have been made many changes in economic, political and social means in Turkey in order to accomplish the standards of the West. Even though Turkish people were not used to a democratic system, the system has fit in the course of time. However, in the last decade the ideology also changed and the future of Turkey became more imperceptible because there are still some people who sympathize to monarchy and prefer to be managed by authorities without questioning. Today, in Turkey all decisions are made by the “ruling elite” who were elected by the majority of the public and those represent all 80 million people in domestic and international assemblies. The “ruling elite” is satisfied with the aspect of the majority and gratified that a large group of people support them and so refuses to embrace with the educated, self-confident and intellectual populace of Turkey. Therefore, it means, how much mature or immature the Turkish people are, the “ruling elite” also that mature or immature. In this case the democracy works. Some Turkish people are aware of this warped formation. According to Kinzer, those people do not think that Turkey is ready for complete democracy. The divergence of opinion is a result of pluralistic society of Turkey. Moreover, today, the ones who are not used to democratic system or do not want to administer according to democratic rules on account of their beliefs and traditions constitute the majority. They are not even aware of that they are also a part of democracy today and being utilized according to the benefits of the ruling elite. Therefore, it seems a bit fearful for Turkey’s future since besides it is a “fragile creation” as Kinzer says, the public is not ready for true democracy because a large group of people are not mature enough to realize that the “ruling elite” continues to make all important decisions by not applying all principles of democracy; so that it is rather early to say that Turks can be trusted with their future.

Aid to Africa?

Despite all the efforts in the past, extreme poverty and hunger in Africa still remained unresolved towards world peace and equality. Therefore, there is no doubt that any assistance to Africa would be a necessary step in order to eradicate poverty and hunger and provide all needed services for people to have a better and qualified life. Aid seems like a solution for Africa’s future but what is definitely required for developing the life standards and eliminating the poverty is more than supplying aid. As the director of the Royal African Society states, if aid could help Africa become more affluent, it would already have done so by now. On the other hand, people who subsist on less than 1$ in a day are not necessarily in need of cash. Therefore, although aid is recognized as a compulsory life support, it is insufficient for the eradication of poverty and hunger and providing prosperous lives for those who struggle to survive in economic, social and cultural means.

The obvious cause of poverty to remain unresolved is that millions of people have no access to clean food and water, medical and education services and are lack of adequate shelter. Especially basic education and high literacy rate are advantages to developing countries in various ways such as the development of the region and the improvement of technology. Moreover, a lot of children are under violent authorities, many of the people suffer from diseases as HIV/AIDS and also rapid population growth in poor regions lead to a depletion of natural resources as a result of extreme poverty. On account of all these reasons, rather than cash supply, providing basic needs for poor people to survive would be more beneficial. Furthermore, it will also prevent people use that cash help unconsciously. By being deeply concerned of the upsetting facts of Africa and taking all these reasons into consideration, it can be concluded that in order to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger in Africa, rather than only helping people by giving cash, the necessary actions must be taken.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Aid to Africa?

I think that the aid to Africa is actually necessary for helping Africa in order to develop itself and diminish the level of poverty and hunger in country. Aid is the charity that aims to enhance the life standard in Africa and supply basic needs to Africa in order to hamper poverty and hunger. Therefore this kind of aid keeps people who are struggling to survive alive and helps to maintain their dignity as human beings. Moreover aid is determined as a life support system that not merely supplies food for hunger but at the same time leads so many children to have education and access well health conditions. For example, hundreds of children manage to escape from the violent streets and HIV and Aids after British aid to Africa. Thus, this limited aid that is included with education and health might be required for Africa in order to complete its development process, because as we think that the development is a long-term process, the first basic requirements for development or gaining prosperous in social, economic and political means, are education and health support.

On the other hand I believe that this kind of aid should be kept limited and it should not be doubled, because by this way Africa can not prevent itself to be depended on the other countries that apply aid and Africa might turns out to be slavery-like and suffers from the colonialism. Moreover the aid is not the only solution for Africa in order to complete its development process. One of the articles that I have read though Web Quest underlines that if aid could make Africa prosperous, it would have done so by now. Moreover, if we examine the today's Africa such as wells in wrong place, factories without a fuel supply, roads that were not maintained, we can realize that cash only helps people survive and be alive. Till there is an unequal relationship between Africa and other countries and a barrier in trade that impedes Africa to sell its goods, aid can not help Africa in order to develop itself in economic and political means. However, I think that aid is only necessary for Africa in order to make people survive, diminish the level of poverty and make people experience the basic structure of education and health support.

Can Turks be trusted with their own future?

I think that the ruling elite should give a chance to Turks in order to express themselves, think independently and participate in a political system and this class should not make all the vital decisions for determining the future of Turkey. One of the aims that Turkey is determined to achieve is to complete its path through being a member of the European Union by maintaining fully the principles of democracy within its structure. According to the Kinzer's text, the author highlights that Turks should maintain the "true democracy"(Kinzer) for removing obligations that hamper Turkey in making its dreams come true. Furthermore, Kinzer evokes that in this kind of political system that Turks are dreaming of and in the governments that are embodied with full of principles of democracy, the attitude of the ruling elite that abuses absolute power can not be seen or experienced and thus it must be entirely altered. Throughout the traces of the new Turkish republic that was established by Atatürk and his friends in the hostile climate, our duty is to review today's political system and our objective is to take into consideration of making this nation standing on a prosperous and free land. In my opinion, our first step should be making the ruling elite trust Turks just like Atatürk did and remember the Turkish zeal and ambition in order to come true their dreams by allowing them to participate in deciding for the future of Turkey.

Moreover I believe that the ruling elite not merely seems as considering the ignorance of Turks to hamper their participation in the political life but at the same time it is afraid of losing control all over the populace, because I suppose that the one who has the dominance and holds the power in its hands never tries to give up its control and power. It is human nature. Therefore, the ruling elite asserts the ignorance and immature attitude of Turks in order to accomplish to be the only chair in making decisions for the future of Turkey without giving opportunity for Turks contributing to politics. Consequently, if the true development is wanted in political, social and economic means, the ruling elite should give up to put Turks into the immature status and should not continue making all decisions for Turks and it has to try to realize Turks' ability and ambition in order to develop this nation with the "true democracy"(Kinzer).