Individual+Responsibility


 * INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY**

toc =//Why should conflict prevention begin with individual responsibility?//= There is always a cause to every conflict, and there will always be a way to resolve it; but it’s up to you to come up with it. Every individual has their responsibility because if they cause a problem/conflict, it is up to them to resolve the problem because it’s their responsibility. Whatever actions you take, it’s your own responsibility to take the consequences. If an individual was a bystander watching someone getting bullied, it would be his/her responsibility to stop the bullying if there was no one else there. But, most likely no one would dare to stand up against the bully because they’re scared that they’ll start getting bullied too. Stopping conflicts now will prevent them from getting bigger in the future. For example; according to the article written by [|Damien Cave] in the New York Times in the [|Up Front Magazine], more than 30 students from seven universities say that they want to flee from the country now that they’ve received their degrees. They think that Iraq will not stabilize for at least a decade. This is happening because no one stopped the Americans when they invaded the country in 2003. And since Iraq is already in devastation, they would probably need more educated people to build up the country but all of them are fleeing from the country because of the invasion which doesn’t help build up the country at all. Another one was when the Taliban refused to hand over Bin Laden after 9/11 and the US launched air strikes against Afghanistan in October 2001. According to the authors ([|Barry Bearak] & [|David Rohde]) who wrote this article, the peacekeepers arrive one month later ([|New York Times]). This doesn’t do any help to the country because they only sent the peacekeepers a lot later. To be honest, I don’t think peacekeeping has any effect on any countries because they could just ignore them easily. Both these examples show that even though there was help given to the country in the end, it was too late; because the help didn’t really have an effect to the country, because they went too late. What I’m saying is, if you want to do something; do it. Otherwise it might be too late to have any effect, and you won’t have a chance to help out again.

By: Ya Chun

**WHY SHOULD CONFLICT PREVENTION BEGIN WITH THE INDIVIDUAL?**

=Conflict Prevention: (Always) Up to the Individual=

Intolerance and racial discrimination are the two most contributing factors of conflict. If an individual learns to be more forgiving and understanding of other races, our world will be a better place. Simply, conflict means a disagreement between two parties, but this can turn into something much more. The Jena 6 is a great example of developed conflict, one that has been going on for a long time. It is a conflict between ‘black’ (African-American) and ‘white’. A group of African-Americans were arrested after a school fight in which a white student was beaten, the six were charged with attempted murder and conspiracy. They faced years in prison; the fight had taken place after a black student sat under a tree where only white students sat. The next day three nooses were hanging from a tree. They were tried as adults in front of an all white jury. “ Black residents say race has always been an issue in Jena, which is 85% white and that the charges against the Jena 6 are no exception.” ([|Goodman]). What if the skin colours were switched would the whites’ have been arrested too? Charged with murder? “ Incidents of racial hate crime reported to the police, by bias motivation in 1998 was 4,468. The highest number was reported by African-Americans: 2,901.” ([|Sound Vision]) This alone shows that the Jena 6 is not just a one off event; it is ongoing and getting worse. The Jena 6 fight was not wholly the black or white students fault. It is how we view the adults; our role models. Any type of racial discrimination comes from somewhere; most of that time it is from the people around us. What we see and hear when we our young is built into our subconscious later on. If young children were taught how to forgive more, how to live and let live; then the world we have today would be no more. Forgiving creates the harmony and peace that we all seek, if we teach that, and talk our problems over we can create a world – if anything – we only hear about in fairytales. Beginning that world is up to every individual. For what are we all but human beings? By: Joanna

Why should the conflict pervention begin with the individual?
Before you were born, and even before your parents and grandparents were born, there have always been issues with bullying through every age. Not the just name-calling but also with the race, who comes first, and who someone is. This has been going worldwide and mostly with schools that aren’t international. Have you ever been in a case where you were a witness or you were the person getting bullied? You might have even been the bully. In movies you might see the kind of bullies that beat you up because they want your money. In real life there is more then that. Everyday we get bullied, everyday someone gets hurt through words that you said, and you yourself could have changed those words. There is no forgiveness taking in place also, once if a bully apologizes, the victim might still be thinking revenge. That one individual could still be thinking of ways to hurt the bully back, or to embarrass the bully. Then it never comes to an end, even when they’re older there might still be a grudged held. The other day, I was talking to a young girl about her future. She looked at me and she said. “What does future mean?” In shock I didn’t know how to reply her. Kids now don’t have a clue what their future is, so why not try to change their future before it’s too late.

by Leilei

Bibliography/References: Goodman, Amy. “The Case of the Jena 6” Rush Transcript < http://jena6.vesana.com/articles/media/the-case-of-the-jena-six.html> Sound Vision (Staff Writer) “Racism, Nationalism, Tribalism and the Caste system: What they've done to the world in the last 100 years”  Bearak, Barry and Rohde, David- [|The New York Times Upfront Magazine]**__,__** December 10th, 2007 Cave, Damien - [|The New York Times Upfront Magazine]**__,__** September 17th, 2007

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