In addition to your draft assignment that you post below, please post two questions/issues/themes that you want feedback on. Do your pictures make sense with the text? Does your data support your conclusions? Are you using the concept correctly? Does a certain paragraph ‘make sense’?

Prompt 1

Climate change is an issue facing the entire planet, although it has different impacts in different places. In future weeks you will have the option of writing about the environmental impacts of climate change, but for this week, consider the political aspects of negotiating an international climate treaty. How do the states n your region approach climate change? What are the political motivations for joining an international agreement and what is the opposition (opposition does exist outside the U.S. Put this in the context of the issues surrounding transboundary agreements and state sovereignty. What are the arguments for and against joining an international climate agreement?

Prompt 2

Nationalist movements are present throughout the world as the tension between national identities and state boundaries often conflict. What are some examples in your region of minority groups that exist within dominant state culture that reflect different national identity? How do the groups get along, or not? Keep in mind that it is not a given that a national group that does not identify with the dominant culture has tension. If there isn’t any real tension between groups, why not (consider histories, laws, etc.)? Any tensions might be manifest as political instability, repression of minorities, insurrection or rebellion, or more. If there are tensions, explain the causes and keep in mind the role of power and history.

Prompt 3

International migration exists throughout the planet, even if we normally only hear about it in places like the U.S. or Europe. What are migration streams in your region? Are people migrating between countries? Leaving? Entering? Why? It’s likely that there are several migration streams. What are push and pull factors for various patterns of migration you see in your region? What are the responses by individual countries to these migration flows, whether people are coming or going?