BeforeYouRead:10DarfurFacts

1. DarfurisaregioninSudan,Africa,thathadapopulationofapproximately6
millionpeoplepriorto2003.
2. In2003,tworebelgroups,SudanLiberationArmy/Movement(SLA/M)andthe
JusticeandEqualityMovement(JEM)launchedafullscalerebellionagainstthe
Sudanesegovernmentforreasonsofongoingeconomicmarginalizationand
insecurity.
3. TheSudanesegovernmentrespondedtotherebellionwiththeArabmilitia(aka
Janjaweed)withviolentattacksonvillagesthroughoutthecountry.Since
beginningin2003,anestimated400,000peoplehavedieddirectlyorindirectly
fromtheattacks.
4. Agenocideisthedeliberateandsystematicexterminationofanational,racial,
political,orculturalgroup.TheviolenceinDarfurisconsideredagenocide
becauseitisraciallybased.TheArabSudanesedisplacedandmurderedtheBlack
Sudanese.
5. InSeptember2004,USSecretaryofStateColinPowelldeemedtheDarfur
conflictagenocideandcalledittheworsthumanitariancrisisofthe21stcentury.
ThisisthefirsttimetheUShaseverdeclaredgenocideasitwasstilloccurring.
6. In2009,SudanesePresidentOmaralBashir,becamethefirstsittingpresidentto
beindictedbyInternationalCriminalCourtfordirectingacampaignofmass
killing,rape,andpillageagainstciviliansinDarfur.
7. Approximately2.5millionpeoplesurvivedtheattacksbutweredisplacedto
InternallyDisplacedPersonscamps.
8. In2004,theSudanesegovernmentdeniedthatagenocidehadtakenplace.
Soonafter,theSudanesegovernmentexpelled13internationalagenciesfrom
SudanandthreelocalagenciesfromDarfur.
9. ThenumberofaidworkersinDarfurmorethanhalvedbetween2009and2014.
10. Morethanamillionpeoplehavebeendisplacedbythehostilities,fleeingto
otherplacesinSudanoracrossthebordertoChad.
From:https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11factsaboutdarfur


BeforeyouRead:
11BasicFactsaboutTurkishArmenianGenocide
1. DuringWorldWarI,theYoungTurkspoliticalreformmovementmovedto
eliminatetheArmenianpeoplefromtheOttomanEmpire.
2. Ofthe2milliontotalArmenians,1.5millionwerekilled.
3. TheArmenianpeopleweretortured,massacred,andstarved.Themajoritywere
sentintothedeserttodieofthirstandhunger.
4. ManywereforciblyremovedfromArmeniaandAnatoliatoSyria.
5. TheArmenianGenocidetookplacefrom1915to1918,withrenewedinstancesof
brutalityoccurringbetween1920and1923.
6. By1923,theArmenianpopulationhadbeencompletelyeliminatedfromAsia
MinorandhistoricWestArmenia.
7. April24iscommemoratedasthedateofthebeginningoftheArmenian
Genocide.
8. Thegenocidestartedwhen300Armenianleaders,writers,thinkers,and
professionalsinConstantinople(presentdayIstanbul)werecollected,deported,
andkilled.5,000ofthepoorestArmenianswerealsoslaughteredintheirhomes
andthestreets.
9. TheUnitedNationsConventiononthePreventionandPunishmentoftheCrime
ofGenocidewasadoptedin1948,30yearsaftertheArmenianGenocide.
10. MostArmeniansintheUSarechildrenandgrandchildrenofsurvivors.
11. TheYoungTurkgovernmentrestrictedtheuseofphotographyandreporting,but
manyAmericanmissionariesanddiplomaticrepresentativeswitnessedthe
deportationsandbrokethenewsoutsideofthecountry.

From:https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11factsaboutarmeniangenocide


BeforeyouRead:20FactsaboutNorthKorea
1.ThefounderofNorthKorea,firstpresidentKimIlSung,createdthecountry'spolicyofjucheor
"selfreliance,"whichhasessentiallycutoffNorthKoreaeconomicallyanddiplomaticallyfromthe
restoftheworldevenintimesofgreatneedsuchasfamines.

2.KimJongIl,sonofthecountry'sfounder,hasbeensaidbystatemediatohavemanagedamazing
feats:Hescoredaperfect300thefirsttimehewentbowlingandsank11holesinonethefirsttimehe
playedgolf.

3.Between150,000and200,000NorthKoreansliveinprisoncampssurroundedbyelectrified
fencing,accordingtoSouthKoreangovernmentestimatesandHumanRightsWatch.Theworst
campsareforthosewhocommitpoliticalcrimes,andoffenderscanhavetheirentireextendedfamily
imprisonedwiththem.Asmanyas40%ofcampprisonersdiefrommalnutritionwhiledoingmining,
loggingandagriculturalworkwithrudimentarytoolsinharshconditions,accordingtoa2011
AmnestyInternationalreport.

4.Onlymilitaryandgovernmentofficialscanownmotorvehicles.

5.NorthKoreansmustabidebyoneof28approvedhaircuts.Unmarriedwomenmusthaveshort
hair,butmarriedwomanhavemanymoreoptions.Thehairofyoungmenshouldbelessthan2
incheslong,oldermencangoaslongas2,accordingtoaTaiwanesewebsiteWantChinaTimes.

6.Alllegaltelevisionsaretunedtostatecontrolleddomesticprogramming.TheInternetdoesnot
existotherthanacloseddomesticnetwork.Cellular3Gaccessisallowedtoforeignervisitors.Few
NorthKoreansknowanythingaboutworldeventsapartfromhowtheyaredescribedbyNorthKorean
propaganda.

7.NorthKorea'smissileprogramwasfirstdevelopedwithhelpfromthethenSovietUnioninthe
1970s.ItsTaepodong2missilehasanestimatedrangeofmorethan4,100milesbuthasyettobe
testfired.OthermediumrangemissilesarecapableofbeingfiredoverJapan.

8.TheborderbetweenNorthKoreaandSouthKoreaisoneofthemostmilitarizedintheworld,
accordingtotheStateDepartment.Pyongyanghasabout1.2millionmilitarypersonnelcompared
with680,000troopsinSouthKorea,where28,000U.S.troopsarealsostationed.Nearly6million
NorthKoreansarereservistsintheworker/peasantguard,compulsorytotheageof60.

9.TheWorldFoodProgrammeestimatesthat6millionofNorthKorea's25millionpeopleareinneed
offoodaidandonethirdofchildrenarechronicallymalnourishedorstunted.Analysisofescapees
fromNorthKoreashowsthatthosebornaftertheKoreanWarinthelate1950swereonaverageabout
2inchesshorterthanSouthKoreans.MostNorthKoreanssubsistoncornandkimchi,apickled
cabbage.

10.In1978,NorthKoreanagentskidnappedSouthKoreanfilmdirectorShinSangOkandhiswife,
actressChoeEunHui,tocreateafilmindustryinNorthKorea.ThecoupleescapedtotheWesteight
yearslater,afterhavingmadedozensoffilms.

11.TheelderbrothertocurrentleaderKimJongUn,KimJongNam,waspassedovertobecomethe
heirapparentleaderafterbeingarrestedinTokyoin2001fortravelingtoDisneylandonaforged
passport.

12.Asmanyas2millionpeoplediedasaresultoffamineinthe1990scausedbyerraticgovernment
farmingpoliciesandflooding,accordingtotheUnitedNations.AsiaPressreportedthatarecent
returnoffamineinthefarmingprovincesofNorthandSouthHwanghaehasforcedsometoresortto
cannibalism.

13.NorthKoreaspentaboutonethirdofitsnationalincomeonthemilitary,accordingtoa2011
reportfromtheSouthKoreangovernment.

14.AnnualGDPpercapitaisabout$1,800,whichranks197thintheworld,accordingtotheCIA
WorldFactbook.TheGDPis18timeshigherinSouthKorea.

15.Electricpowerlargelyshutsdownatnight,andthehomesthathaveelectricityoftenreceiveonlya
fewhoursperday.

16.Schoolchildrenprovidetheirowndesksandchairs,andmoneytopayforheat.Somestudentsare
forcedtoproducegoodsforthegovernment.Someparentskeeptheirchildrenhomebybribing
teacherstokeepquiet.

17.NorthKorea'sregimegetsmuchofitsincomebyexportingtoJapanandelsewherecounterfeit
pharmaceuticals,suchasViagra,narcoticssuchasmethamphetamine,counterfeitcigarettesandfake
$100U.S.bills,andbysellingsmallarmsandmissilepartstoterrorgroupsandroguenations.

18.Nearlyallpropertybelongstothestate.Amodernindependentjudicialsystemdoesnotexist.
Religiousfreedomdoesnotexist.

19.ForeigninvestmentinNorthKoreareached$1.4billionin2010,accordingtotheUnitedNations
ConferenceonTradeandDevelopment.EuropeanandChinesecompanieshaveopenedcasinosfor
touristsandinvestedinminesforcopper,nickel,zinc,ironandgold.Mineralreservesareestimated
tobeworth$6trillion,saysSouthKoreanstateminingcompanyKoreaResources.

20.NorthKoreahasanetworkofinformantswhomonitorandreporttotheauthoritiesfellowcitizens
theysuspectofcriminalorsubversivebehavior.UnauthorizedaccesstononstateradioorTV
broadcastsisseverelypunished.

From:http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/04/13/northkoreafactoids/2078831/