Nepal quake update....

3/5/15

Death toll now pushing 7,000 



People in more remote areas are still awaiting help....



Nepal's major tourist attractions- before and after-





Death toll now 4,000 and around 10,000 injured.  Some communities are still isolated and cut off (see map below)



The worst quake Nepal has seen for 80 years has left many sleeping outside and in temporary shelters for a 4th night.
A big aftershock hit on Sunday causing further damage and halting aid as the airport again had to be shut.

Meanwhile helicopters have rescued 140 people from Mount Everest.

hospitals have been overwhelmed with the injured....


more facts and figures here

Slow train through Africa-

I managed to have time this weekend to catch up on a great series for you culture people
Griff Rhys Jones- slow train through Africa.

https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/slow-train-through-africa-with-griff-rhys-jones

episode 2 through North Africa is great, he visits Marrakesh then travels through Algeria and into Tunisia, some good references to culture and globalization en route- details here

Canada; where Multiculturalism thrives!?

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/09/2013915111722311111.html
Excellent article about how Canada works as a multicultural nation....

A look at Leicester, UK- can it really teach the world about how multiculturalism should work?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/were-all-in-this-together-how-leicester-became-a-model-of-multiculturalism-even-if-that-was-never-the-plan-8732691.html

This article tells you about Leicester's history and shows how some migrants feel about Leicester and some that can be applied countrywide.

Some more on France for year 13 culture study....

http://www.brygeog.net/uploads/7/9/8/5/7985035/globalfrance.pdf

An article on globalization and French cultural diversity

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/w/wsfh/0642292.0031.020?rgn=main;view=fulltext  A bit old (2003) but makes a point about how some French feel about Globalization

The globalization index.... shows how globalized selected countries are... look for France
.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization_Index


http://www.kameleo.com/wc/JEU-Ch0-MondeFranco.html

Francophone speaking nations- showing France does have global connections through language

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3325285.stm article explaining the deep roots of French secularism.  Further details here

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xfb4ig_france-multicultural-society-under_news  an interesting video clip on multiculturalism in France

check out this site, good theoretical background...

http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/grade3/geograph.html

contains definitions and descriptions on theory relating to cultural diversity.

Impacts of global warming on human cultural diversity article

http://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/c12/E1-04-03-03.pdf

As this is a report there are a lot of different sections, so you do not need to read it all but can pick relevant sections- particularly sections 4 and 5!

Interesting article about diversity and unity among the world's Muslims

http://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-executive-summary/

Some theory from a Sociology Wiki, might be worth a read?

https://globalsociology.pbworks.com/w/page/14711190/Globalizing%20Cultures%3A%20The%20Question%20of%20Cultural%20Diversity 

Mumbai- housing costs....

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2015/apr/23/price-property-mumbai-in-pictures

The world's most innovative cities in pictures

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2015/apr/23/modern-cities-panos-photography-futureofcities-exhibition-in-pictures 

1000+ dead in massive Nepal earthquake....

26th April 2015

The death toll is now at 1900.
Aftershocks (31 of over 4 magnitude and above, including one 6.7 till 9am today)  are still shaking the region and the tremors have been felt in neighbouring Indian cities New Delhi and Kolkata.

The quakes triggered Avalanches on mount Everest killing many sherpas and climbers for the second year in a row. 




At least 5,000 with injuries reported so far and 700 dead in the capital city, Kathmandu, alone. The numbers are expected to rise.
Helicopters have flown in to fly the injured from Everest base camp off the mountain.
Many Nepalese have spent the night out in  the open to afraid to go inside or unable to due to building collapses.

Many roads are still blocked, hampering relief efforts.
People are having to dig out survivors with bare hands and axes as bulldozers cannot get to many affected areas.


This article explain why the earthquakes impacts were so bad....

The magnitude of 7.8 is a high magnitude quake which is very powerful added to this the focus was only 11km under the ground and many of the buildings were poorly constructed so easily collapsed.  However 'luckily' much areas affected found on solid bedrock so didn't shake as much.

poorly built buildings in the capital that have collapsed


The US is sending $1 dollars in aid and a disaster response team to the region.
25th April 2015.

Aid from nearby Sri Lanka has begun to arrive now the airport is open-


India has sent multiple rescue planes carrying medical supplies and a mobile hospital with a 40 strong disaster response team (including rescue dogs)
The UK has sent 8 humanitarian experts.
Pakistan has sent aircraft with a field hospital with beds, docs and specialist equipment to treat the injured. Dog rescue teams with sniffer dogs and emergency supplies (2000 meals, 600 blankets and 200 tents).
Norway has offered $3.9 in aid.
The EU has also promised to send aid, as have France, Israel and Germany

A 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal in the early hours of Saturday causing massive damage and destruction..

The epicentre of the earthquake was in Gorkha between the capital Kathmandu and Pokhara


Historic, World heritage status listed landmarks have been damaged beyond repair.




The Dharahara tower before and after the quake....

Eyewitnesses have been describing the tragedy that unfolded...





So how bad is it looking?.......

The runway was closed for a while but has reopened now.
Some roads are still closed and blocked.
Many buildings have collapsed, trapping many inside....
Over 1000 are all ready confirmed dead and many more could be found...

Calbuca volcano erupts in Chile

The volcano is located here....



Officials and experts in Chile are warning the volcano may erupt again



There was no warning it would blow.....

People of the town of Ensenada have been ordered to evacuate amid the eruption and fears it may blow again








Towns nearby have been covered in ash and dust

The eruption has also disrupted flights...

uncontacted tribe in Indonesia

An uncontacted tribe in Indonesia thought to attack any outsiders...

Meet the Korowai

Meet the Korowai tribe of western Papua, Indonesia. They were only contacted by the 'west' in 1974, it is thought they are cannibals

Hunters Of The South Seas: The Bajau

Hunters Of The South Seas: The Bajau

This sunday (19/4/15) there is a documentary on about the Bajau people- watch it!!!!

Another sunken migrant ship....

Another migrant ship sinks en route from Libya to European land, this is horrific- so many lost innocent lives....

Rhino horn- more valuable than gold-

Poaching in South Africa is increasing- many impoversished Mozambicans see it as their only way to make money

Cuba- opening up?

Cuba and the US have seen a thaw in strained relations recently, what impact will it have on Cuban culture?

ISIS; a sledgehammer to civilisation

ISIS are destroying countless historical artefacts across the area they now control across Iraq and Syria.




ISIS have destroyed priceless historical artefacts and statues.

Watch the video that shows what is happening, about half way down the page.

Life above Canada's oil bed- tar sands

Life above the Canadian tar sands


A look at threats to the people of the Alberta tar sands way of life- the main one being the oil industry.

Extreme cities...

The Guardian has a series called this and has articles about the world's extreme urban places....

The poorest here


The most private here


more about Singapore here



The riskiest cities here 

Which is the world's greenest city?

See the article here.....
 http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/apr/02/where-is-the-worlds-greenest-city-ecofriendly

Bristol is Europe's green city 2015, Copenhagen comes out well in the poll also .

Last Brits standing...

A great programme to update your knowledge on retirement migration from the UK to Spain, year 12.
It's called last Brits standing and highlights many of the issues for both the host (Spain) and the source (UK) of the mass retirement migration between the 2 nations.

Watch key clips here

A nation divided?

This week I watched the documentary 'a nation divided' all about France and how its citizens feel. It was on BBC3, Check out full programme here on iplayer.

Watch clips here

The programme raised many issues about diversity in France. Now we all know France is a secular country and works on a process of 'assimilation' where difference is not wanted and often frowned upon.  In France the idea is, everyone is equal- so in public facilities religion is not present in any form.  Religion and the state and its processes are separate.

In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack earlier this year, questions have been raised about whether everyone in France is equal after all and whether indeed, the entire population are equal.

In France free speech is seen as part of their culture, people have the right to say what they want, but in an interesting paradox they cannot where what they want and some feel they cannot therefore be 'them' and in a country where freedom is everything- does this work?

There are groups in France like generation ID who feel that everyone who is not 'ethnically French' should be removed from the country, even if they were born in the country, they say the problems of identity are borne out of immigration- that if no immigration had taken place- everyone would be'French' and therefore no problem.

In the programme a Muslim French born teenage girl says she would have more freedom in terms of dress in Saudi Arabia (where women have to be chaperoned in public by a male family member at all times) because in France she isn't allowed to wear the full veil as it is illegal, she is French as she has French blood in here but she says that she is so often told she isn't French that she doesn't feel French, no wonder everyone is confused.

Some of the members of generation ID are concerned about globalization impacting on their French culture and putting it at risk, the French far right are gaining in popularity under Marine Le Pen, increasingly some sections of French society are becoming divided,

Watch the programme year 13 it will form some of case study/ example for the unit 4 pre-release.