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    <title>Awat News</title>
    <link>http://www.awatnews.com</link>
    <description>Awat is a general-interest newspaper which carries its independence and unbiased principles very seriously. It aims at providing excellent quality news and coverage to the best of its abilities. Awat is a newspaper for all readers alike; however, it specifically targets the youth and their voice, projects, and pursuits.</description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <managingEditor>Banu I. Ali</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>Banu I. Ali</webMaster>
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      <title>Earthquake Hits Van</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:20:22 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/local.7.php</link>
      <author>Arez Taha</author>
      <category>Local News</category>
      <description><![CDATA[A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Kurdish city of Van and its neighboring areas on October 23, 2011 at 13:41 local time. Due to the earthquake’s shallow depth and great intensity, many regions across Eastern Turkey experienced heavy shaking. The earthquake was so powerful, it was felt in the neighboring countries of Iraq, Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and even Israel.
     Erciş, a small town located in the Van province, was hit hardest by the earthquake. Around 45 were killed and 156 injured in this town alone. At least 55 buildings collapsed, most of which were residential, raising fears that the death toll could rise to a significantly higher number.
     Early reports indicate that at least 100 people were killed in the city of Van alone, and about 970 buildings were destroyed. Some citizens of the city criticized the government’s inefficient response to the disaster; with some even refusing the government’s aid. So far, the overall death toll is reported to be 366, along with 1,301 injured and 2,262 buildings and houses destroyed. The number of dead is feared to rise to as many as 1000. Around 40,000 people are potentially homeless due to the large number of destroyed residential buildings.
     The European Union, alongside many countries around the globe expressed their condolences and offered aid to the Turkish government. On Sunday, the Sulaimany Chamber of Commerce also called on the citizens of the city to gather aid for the victims of the earthquake, most of whom are Kurds. All kinds of donations would be appreciated, from clothes to rugs and blankets.
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      <title>Traffic Tragedy</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:22:49 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/local.6.php</link>
      <author>Berzy Majlis</author>
      <category>Local News</category>
      <description><![CDATA[Morning of October 20, 2011 – on the main road of Sulaimany-Dukan – two automobiles crashed. Seven passengers died from the impact, two of which were Lebanese. The crash occurred between a taxicab and a personal car of Kia brand. The Kia was traveling from Sulaimany to Dukan with 5 passengers. Unintentionally, the Kia drifted out of the driver’s control onto the other lane of the road and smashed into the taxicab. Minutes after the incident, the Kia caught on fire and all of the 5 passengers were burned to death. Two died in the taxi and the rest were severely injured.
Based on an NRT channel report, one of the passengers was a woman, and a child also got injured. A Dukan traffic supervisor explained that the cause of the accident was a bump on the road. Generally, the major causes of accidents these days are bad roads, speeding, and drivers’ disobedience and violation of the laws of traffic.
Source: NRT Website
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      <title>The Magician’s Elephant by Kate Dicamillo</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:55:34 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/entertainment.5.php</link>
      <author>Shena Qaradaghi</author>
      <category>Entertainment</category>
      <description><![CDATA[ It is a rare thing to find a book that has been so obviously written for a child audience, and yet is able to draw in even older audiences with its charm and “hidden” messages. The Magician’s Elephant is exactly this sort of book. While the writing and storyline have been designed with young readers in mind, the message and meaning behind the storyline is one that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The author, Kate Dicamillo, has written many other books beside this one, among those the Newberry Medal-winning and movie-adapted The Tale of Desperaux and the Newberry Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie.
     The book introduces us to Peter Augustus Duchene, an orphaned boy living with his guardian, an old soldier by the name of Vilna Lutz. All his life there has been one question he most desired to know the answer to: Is his sister still alive? And if so, how can he find her? When a fortune teller sets up her tent in the market square of his city, Baltese, Peter takes this chance to get answers. Although the answer which the fortune-teller gives him (“The elephant! The elephant will lead you there!”) is odd, it sets off a chain of events so extraordinary none would believe it to be true – except it is.
     The story is beautifully written in a unique style that follows through from beginning to end. Every part of the book is meaningful, and you never feel like skipping certain parts or find some bits pointless. The book has been fantastically tailored, and while the plot may seem nonsensical, it really isn’t, and the whole story pieces together little by little to reveal its grand message. The writing is great; it stays consistent with the story’s style and never feels unnecessarily repetitive. It is easy to understand and never confusing, which is good as the book’s primary audience is children.
     The characters have all been created in the style of the book, and they feel like they fully and wholly belong in this world. Their dialogue and actions is consistent with the story’s style, the plot, and most importantly, themselves. They never feel false or out of place, and stay consistent throughout the story. And this is indeed an amazing feat, seeing as the book has a wide array of colorful characters! From orphan boy Peter to hunchback Bartok Whynn, each character has been given a background and a motive for their actions, and everything is followed up on in a consistent manner.
     All in all, it is a great book and one that may be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is guaranteed to leave you with a feeling of satisfaction at the end, and may also give you the incentive to think deeper about yourself. So, if you have young children living with you, a good friend, or you yourself just want a good and meaningful read, The Magician’s Elephant is the perfect choice for a gift or treat.]]></description>
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      <title>The Help by Kathryn Stockett</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:54:52 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/entertainment.6.php</link>
      <author>Prusha Hassan</author>
      <category>Entertainment</category>
      <description><![CDATA[The Help is a fictional novel set in Jackson, Mississippi during the time of the civil rights era. The novel written by Kathryn Stockett has been on the top of the New York Times best selling list for consecutive weeks and has been the center of much praise and criticism. The Help revolves around the lives of three seemingly different women whose lives entangle when they team up to write a scandalous book on the difficulties and joys of being a black maid in the 1960’s.
     The events are told through the eyes of the women as shifting narrators. Aibileen is a wise, black maid whose passion for children and pain from losing her own child is hidden under a blanket of obedience. Minny is also another black maid but very distinct from Aibileen. Minny is known for her exceptional cooking skills and her sharp tongue which both become the cause of much difficulty for her. Skeeter Pheelan is twenty-two year old white girl who understands the sting of prejudice when she is looked down on for being a woman and aspiring writer. This and her love for her old maid Constantine lead her to the decision of writing the controversial book.
     Perhaps my favorite aspect of the book was that it portrayed the good and the ugly of both the black and the white community. Furthermore it did this without making generalizations about either. As you read the stories of all the maids, the author’s message that kindness and cruelty are not confined by race but rather by the person becomes abundantly clear.
     Though the book is based on the civil rights era, the author spans other flaws in American society at the time, such as women’s rights and prejudice even within people of the same race by introducing characters such as Celia. Though the book was a truly entertaining read, I found that the author did not fully delve into the cruelty and the difficulty of a black individual’s life enough. I found myself wanting the themes to be more deeply established. The book does provide readers with a sense of understanding of the time in an entertaining and seamless manner. Though the author presents only the surface of the issues, the novel is very well written and definitely a crowd pleaser.
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      <title>Miss Universe 2011</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:53:20 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/entertainment.7.php</link>
      <author>Shena Qaradaghi</author>
      <category>Entertainment</category>
      <description><![CDATA[
     The world watched as beauty queens from 89 different countries competed against each other for the crown of Miss Universe. The beauty pageant took place in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
     Miss Angola, Leila Lopes, won the judges and crowd over during her final interview when the judges asked what physical characteristic she would change about herself and she replied, “Thank God I’m very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn’t change a thing. I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty. I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life.”
     As a 25-year-old Business student, Leila has already done a lot for her country. "I've worked with various social causes. I work with poor kids; I work in the fight against HIV. I work to protect the elderly and I have to do everything that my country needs," she said. "I think now as Miss Universe I will be able to do much more.”
     The first runner-up, Miss Ukraine, Olesia Stefanko, was asked, “If you could trade lives with anyone in history, who would you choose and why?” She answered by saying she was “very satisfied” with her life. But if she had to choose she would pick Cleopatra because she is a “powerful and strong woman who is very much worthy of respect…and I think a woman can also be a leader like Cleopatra.” Just moments after the pageant however, many Ukrainians were outraged that Olesia Stefanko answered in Russian rather than Ukrainian.
     The second runner up (and also the only contestant who didn’t need a translator, but rather spoke fluent English) was Miss Philippine, Shamcey Supsup. Miss Supsup was asked “Would you change your religious beliefs to marry someone with an opposite view?” She said, “No. Because the first person I love is God, who created me…if that person loves me, he should love my God too.”]]></description>
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      <title>Team News: Rugby World Cup</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:52:44 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/sports.4.php</link>
      <author>Meriwan Zana</author>
      <category>Sports</category>
      <description><![CDATA[ Love it or hate it, rugby is one of the most popular sports around, and this year’s Rugby World Cup has attracted millions of viewers across the globe. It is the seventh World Cup, and is hosted by New Zealand. Twenty countries, divided into four pools (groups), participate in the tournament. Thus far, the 2011 RWC has witnessed astonishing comebacks, huge score-lines, and close matches.
     Each team has one pool game remaining to the knockout stage, with host nation New Zealand as the only certain qualifiers. Rugby powerhouses England, South Africa, Australia, and Ireland are also expected to join New Zealand in the quarter finals, as they all have been quite impressive. The final is to be held on October 23, 2011 in Auckland.]]></description>
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      <title>2011-2012: An Unpredictable Season</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:52:13 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/sports.5.php</link>
      <author>Zheel Shwani</author>
      <category>Sports</category>
      <description><![CDATA[ It’s been a surprising season for football so far. Smaller European teams seem to be part of a “revolution,” especially the English and Spanish teams. At the start of this season’s English Premier League, we could easily see that Manchester City swiftly emerging as one of England’s top teams. In Spain, Valencia, and Betis are doing the same. Udinese and Napoli also shine in Italy.
     Manchester City, living in Manchester United’s shadow for years, seems to have had enough; now they aim to become Manchester’s biggest team. But despite City’s impressive form and playing style, it still seems to be lacking the “magic touch.” We can easily see that final ingredient in other big English teams, but in City not so much. The “magic touch” isn’t really a skill or anything like that, which can be obtained or developed; it is the very spirit of the team. When you watch Chelsea or Manchester United play, the team’s motivation is detectable; but in Manchester City, it is not. Thus it’s not surprising to see that Manchester United is on the right path, as they have won five out of six matches and lead the English Premier League.
     Spain has also seen a shocking start. Valencia surprised the world with a phenomenal display of football against Barcelona. Betis has also won all of its games so far and holds first place. However, Europe’s smaller clubs couldn’t have been much better this season without some assistance. In addition to the mediocre clubs’ improvement, giant teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Arsenal seem to be getting weaker by the season. Barca has three draws in a total of 6 games. Real Madrid has lost once and drawn once.
     Italy has also witnessed surprises. AC Milan and Inter seem to be losing their positions as the biggest clubs in the country with Napoli, Juventus, and Udinese on the rise.]]></description>
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      <title>The Asian Road to the 2014 FIFA World Cup</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:50:53 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/sports.6.php</link>
      <author>Rand K. Kahlid</author>
      <category>Sports</category>
      <description><![CDATA[The FIFA World Cup occurs every 4 years. People from all over the globe wait for this event, where the strongest national teams compete and play each other in mouth-watering fixtures.
     32 teams compete in the FIFA World Cup. Therefore, the number of teams participating in the world cup is limited. Teams have to compete between themselves in order to have a chance at and reach this glorious competition. FIFA distributes teams from all over the world into groups. Each continent’s teams vie between each other. Consequently, teams from Asian countries play against each other as well.
     The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) supervises the world cup qualifiers. The Member Associations (MAs) of Asia is made up of 46 teams. However, there are only 43 Participating Member Associations (PMAs), meaning that three MAs won’t compete. Of Asia’s 46 MAs, Asia has only 4.5 qualification slots in the world cup. In other words, four to five Asian teams can participate in the World Cup. Four Asian teams will participate for sure. The “0.5” stands for the team that will have to play the intercontinental play-off against a South American team in order to reach the 2014 World Cup.
     The qualifiers are divided into 5 rounds or stages. The 16 lowest-ranked PMAs participate in Round One. The 16 teams are paired into eight home-and-away games; only eight teams will make it to Round Two. Iraq was not in the 16 lowest-ranked PMAs, therefore it was seeded from Round One and directly participated in Round Two.
     The eight Round One series winners then join the 22 next, highest-ranked PMAs in Round Two. The 30 teams are paired into 15 home-and-away games; 15 teams will be accepted into Round Two. Iraq played Yemen in Round Two and moved up the ladder to play in Round Three.
     In Round Three, the 15 Round Two series winners will then join the remaining five PMAs that were seeded from Round Two. The 20 teams will be drawn into five round-robin, home-and-away groups of four teams each. The five group winners and five group runner-ups advance to Round Four. Iraq is in Group A with Jordan, China, and Singapore. Iraq has played 2 games thus far, losing one to Jordan and winning the other against Singapore, and is currently tied in second place with China. Round Three fixtures are to be all played by February 29, 2012. If Iraq progresses to Round Four, then it will be on the brink of reaching the world cup for the first time since 1986.
     The five Round Three group winners and five group runner-ups will contest in Round Four, which consists of two round-robins, home-and-away groups of each of the five teams. The two group winners and two group runner-ups qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The third-placed teams of each group will advance to Round Five, where they will play each other in a home-and-away fixture.
     Finally, the winner of Round Five advances to the intercontinental play-off, where it will play the fifth-placed team from South America. The winner out of the two teams will qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.]]></description>
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      <title>"Yes. Because I am the boss here!"</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:49:53 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/editorials.4.php</link>
      <author>Laylan Amir Attar</author>
      <category>Editorials</category>
      <description><![CDATA[Power and authority are two big words which have been abused in many ways in our society. Many simple examples can approve how people are misusing their authority with their provided power even in the simplest sects of life. Power can be the devil and the angel; it is a two-edged sword. On the other hand, authority is the tool of using power, which unfortunately had become corrupted by the wrong people. Why is it becoming so phenomenon, the ease of abusing power?
     After asking people that I know for their opinion about the corruption of power and its abusing through authority, they mostly agreed on it goes to the absence of awareness and the less sense of responsibility toward the society. Some people think that it is the people who tend to encourage each other through their silent, unconscious reaction toward abusing power. Yet, they would react in a different way toward social changes, using the bitter gossip by making rumors.
     I once went to concert where load music, cheering, and dancing were going on. A security guy came towards me and approached me in a very harsh way, asking me to leave the place. Responding to him, I asked who gave him the right to speak the way he did to the guests. He simply replied saying “I am the boss here!” It sounds as if he and many others like him are missing using their power for personal arrogance. This man’s job was to keep security and order in the building, but has he done that?
     The corruption of power through abusing authority seems to be not a new concept. But how is it that it became common nowadays? Is it the feeling of insecurity to search for a power mask? The security guy’s response showed his fears hidden behind his bulky voice. He is only one among many who suffers the same case. But why there is so much insecurity? Is it because the low enforcement of law?
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      <title>Words that can Portray Reality the Way you Imagine It</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:49:01 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/editorials.5.php</link>
      <author>Lawan K. Saeed</author>
      <category>Editorials</category>
      <description><![CDATA[If you are into reading books, you will certainly be called a “nerd” among the new generations in Kurdistan. The mentality of the people in the area has been changed by the domination of the western ideas which caused the fade out of the cultural heritage. The abandonment of literature in our age has become a phenomenon. Reading books is becoming a rare hobby. The technological atmosphere that we live in grabs us to the side where Facebook and YouTube seem to be more interesting than reading novels that can teach us a lot about life and understanding it. Are people misled by the word “FUN” and get addicted to being procrastinators instead of looking for the meanings and the answers for certain things in life?
     The number of readers is remarkably decreasing every day as well as the number of the books that are being published; this can greatly affect the cultural level of the new generations. People are willing to spend more money on iPods and such things instead of buying books that can help them to find themselves in life. As a result, writers are inclined to publish less copies of their work because they know that they will not be sold. A good example to mention is Sherko Bekas. He recently published a piece, Esta Kchek Nishtimanma, which amazingly portrayed the last twenty years of life in Kurdistan. It is a great mixture of politics, romance, love, hatred, religion, and atheism. Only one thousand copies were published, which is quite low compared to the Kurdish population in the area.
     The main problem in our society is the lack of encouragement to read. There isn't enough awareness of the importance of books as well as enjoying the quest of finding the meaning of different things in life depending on the reader’s and the writer’s perspective. However, there are still people who try to fight laziness and overcome this obstacle. The “Cultural Café” that is found in Sulaimany, Shorsh area aims at restoring the pride of creating young, cautious readers in the new generation who can literally “think.” Most writers, poets, and thinkers gather in that café and talk to the people, which can be promising for creating a sense of reviving the cultural interests.
     Personally, I used to be a fan of Video Games, but a Mermaid changed me into a better person by getting me to love reading books and using my imagination. She once said, “Only novels and fictions can enrich your imagination. Plus, they have a special way of telling a love story.” The first novel that she read was Bakhtyar Ali’s, The World’s Last Pomegranate. I did the same and started with that novel. There should be a reason that makes you think about reading. People tend to ignore those reasons which push them to read. Yet, your lifestyle could be changed into a better one once you start thinking about looking for the hidden meanings. In the end, reading is a permanent way of feeding your thoughts and it helps to have flexibility in life. Every single word you read would be turned into a Déjà vu someday then you will realize that you actually learned something.
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      <title>Has Desensitization Become Media’s Path in Kurdistan?</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:48:28 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/editorials.6.php</link>
      <author>Heja Abdulla</author>
      <category>Editorials</category>
      <description><![CDATA[ His hands are tied behind his back, his neck is in a noose, and his body is dangling lifelessly. A young boy’s murder shown in all its unethical glory: this was the image broadcasted on Kurdish media. Controversial reporting, it seems has become the norm in Kurdistan; whoever can bring readers, viewers, listeners, for the most horrific tale wins the most sought after title of the “best news channel.”
     There are in essence two things disturbing about this quest for this title. First, the reporters and media outlets have no ethical boundaries on what is acceptable to be shown and what is not. Second, the viewers after decades of violent abuse under successive Iraqi governments find these images normal. At the most, they will shrug their shoulders, express sympathy for the victim and family, and then life goes on. When did this desensitization begin?
     The images of brutality have been engraved in every Kurdish mind, like the images of the Anfal campaign which are seen worldwide and the iconic image of the father holding his child in Halabja can never be forgotten. Kurdish society has grown up in violence. Many of the Kurdish media outlets continue to show the brutal footages of the Anfal campaigns and the Halabja gas attacks to remind the younger generations of the plight of their forefathers. However, the continuous showings of these images desensitize the viewers’ view to the footage. It is no longer shocking. It becomes normal thing to view.
     The fall of Saddam after the US led invasion saw a torrent of CDs and images flood the region which showed the atrocities Saddam Hussein had perpetrated against Kurds and his own people. The influx of the CDs was mainly distributed among the young; the more the CDs were viewed the less appalling they became. Some people at the time gathered socially to watch it and were unresponsive to the violent footage they were witnessing. What is concerning is not only that the youth desensitized, but many children re-enact the violent scenes from the real life footage. It is a game to them and no longer real life abuses of human rights.
     It is the media’s duty to report ethically. Violent images should not be the norm on television nor should they be played continuously. Reporting should be about bringing worthy news backed by appropriate evidence and images to the recipient and not about stirring controversy and lessening the worth of the way someone’s life has been taken. We have simply become immune to the brutality. Violence in whatever form should be repelled, but if one becomes desensitized to it at the most they will just shrug their shoulders and the victim becomes another statistic and nothing more. That is not the path the media should be encouraging.]]></description>
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      <title>Isolation</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:46:54 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/editorials.7.php</link>
      <author>Meer Ako Ali</author>
      <category>Editorials</category>
      <description><![CDATA[No one wishes to live in complete solitude. Even our deepest dreams of reflection, relaxation, and retirement are usually accompanied by a partner or some kind of distraction.
     When left undistracted and unoccupied for long periods of time, the human brain gets corroded and enslaved by solitude so that the flow of ideas constricts and every single thought gets repeated again and again until no real sense can be made. Most of us have witnessed the mental depression Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) experienced when he was stranded alone on an uninhabited island in the movie Cast Away.
     Speaking of islands, in the famous words of John Donne, “no man is an island entire of itself.” No man is self-sufficient; therefore, human beings can only thrive when they rely on each other in a community. When an individual gets separated from the whole, we are all the worse for it.
     This principle remains true even when applied to large communities and countries. Parallelly, no country is an island entire of itself (that is, of course, in the allegorical sense; in the geographical sense, Australia is an island).
     When nations or communities isolate themselves or get isolated from the rest of the world, all inhumane practices are given a chance to surface. Different groups of people are not given the chance to keep each other in check by pointing out each other’s unethical practices if they are distanced. Also, different groups of people breed hubris, hate, and prejudice for each other. Lord of the Flies by William Golding builds on this idea.
     Golding presents an allegory of human nature and society by setting a group of English school boys on a deserted island. The boys, left without adult supervision, strive to develop their own society and to set their own hierarchy of power; but all the while they disagree and tussle until they descend into complete savagery and violence.
     Some people argue that Golding's book brings "corrosive knowledge" since the social group he directs, school boys, is usually viewed as incapable of violence; however, Golding himself believed that his literature is exposing the truth. His purpose for writing The Lord of the Flies was to question the relationship between human nature and civilization and to prove that certain human instincts have to be contained in an ordered regime, a regime that is formed by the active engagement of different human beings from different paths of life, not a regime that is formed by isolation.
     Donald B. Watt, a psychiatrist from Pennsylvania, USA who was aware of the deadly consequences of isolation, observed that countries post World War I started isolating themselves as they got busier with internal policies. He realized the importance of active engagement because he had served in Iraq for three years in the 1910’s and had travelled to Iran and India. Because of his extensive knowledge of and appreciation for international living, in 1923 he started something new, a movement which we rarely accredit him for: student exchange programs.
     In the summer of 1923, he organized a camp in Switzerland for equal numbers of American students, French speaking students, and German speaking students. The results of this first endeavor were not satisfactory since the different groups of students had difficulty understanding each other. For the next year, Watt sent two ten-member groups of American high school students to Germany and placed each student in a German house. The results were much more pleasing; the guests interacted with their hosts and participated in outdoor activities together.
     Donald Watt’s program later became known as The Experiment in International Living and is now supervised by World Learning (a graduate school also founded by Watt) which is based in Brattleboro, Vermont in the US. World Learning currently has programs and offices in 70 countries around the world (including Iraq) with over 100,000 alumni.
     What Donald Watt learned from his experiments is that people “learn to live together by living together.” Breaking down political and ethnical barriers and increasing the understanding between countries and nations makes the world a better place since most of the human conflicts root from doubt, jealousy, suspicion, and misperception.
     In a letter to Donald Watt, a Swiss girl who participated in the 1967 exchange program to the US wrote: “I see better and better that all the men on the earth are more similar than we often think. And I believe to become more conscious of that fact is the best contribution to world peace.”
     Human beings are really more similar than we usually tend to think they are. Regardless of faith, skin color, political affiliation, background, lineage, and age, there is a thread that runs through all human beings and makes it possible for us to relate easily to each other. But when we distance ourselves from each other, we begin to forget about that common thread and stop appreciating our similarities.
     Recently, I received a scholarship opportunity to go study at the American University of Beirut from an organization that recruits students from around the Middle East and North Africa. I gained new friends from all over the world, friends with different nationalities, beliefs, religions, and preferences. But we all seem to share some common ground.
     This struck me the other day when I was sitting with my Yemeni friend in a department store waiting on our Tunisian friends to arrive. He and I come from completely different countries and have completely different backgrounds, but we are still able to communicate well with each other, hang out, and even joke around with each other. To be honest, a month ago, I never thought someone from Yemen would laugh at the same jokes I laugh at. And I would have never thought of Yemenis as intelligible friends if I had not met one.
     This is why, as Earl Blumenauer pointed out, “progress can best be made through engagement instead of isolation.” “Isolation is the sum total of wretchedness to a man,” Thomas Carlyle stated.
     Consequently, isolation is not unhealthy to only 90’s pop singers; it is also detrimental to people groups and countries, including Iraq. The US troops have not yet been pulled out of Iraq while religious fundamentalists and political conservatives talk of isolating Iraq from international affairs. Iraq is certainly not an island entire of itself (that is in the allegorical and the geographical sense).]]></description>
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      <title>Vision for Future</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:45:44 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/community.1.php</link>
      <author>Amed L. Omer</author>
      <category>Community</category>
      <description><![CDATA[ In Sulaimany, Kurdish grass root initiatives are increasing by day: a sign of public awareness and steady progress. Passionate teens of the new generation are slowly but surely re-defining the Kurdish Public Intellectual. Vision is one of those initiatives.
     This is what Razhan K. Ali, the founder of Vision, had to share with Awat Newspaper in an interview.
     Why Does Vision Exist?
While walking through an ordinary place like the bazaar, where you can see a lot of different people, or a normal public school, where you can see the new generation of Kurdistan, you can quickly point out the “inefficiencies” we have in our society: a lack of both good education and social awareness.
     Seeing these blatant “inefficiencies” become an obstruction in our society’s road to progress, some of my classmates and I wanted to do something about it. So, that’s where we got the idea to start Vision. Our main goal is to attain a brighter future by improving education and raising social awareness about the communal needs in our community, country, and the world around us.
     Who is Vision comprised of?
Vision is comprised of a group of students from several different High Schools including Shahid Jabar, Salahadin, and The Classical School of the Medes. Vision now has around 35 members and supporters from peoples of different professions and of different ages. Our supporters include American teachers from The Classical School of the Medes, a variety of organizations from the US, the Holland Center for Human Development (a local NGO), and the Ministry of Culture and Art in Sulaimany.
     What projects are you working on and what do you aim at getting accomplished?
We are currently working on seven different projects that will hopefully result in positive changes. One of our projects consists of translating books; we translate good educational English books into Kurdish for the Ministry of Education. The book we are translating right now is called “How to be an Effective Teacher."
     Another related project is our magazine. Vision publishes a monthly English-Kurdish educational magazine with the help of Smora Publishing House.
     Additionally, we are working with an American organization called NewView to run the NewView project. In this project, Iraqi and American teenagers engage in exchanging emails; each email covers a certain topic, thus forming a bridge of understanding between two very different cultures. NewView is also working on including more countries in this project to further enrich the experience.
     Our last project is the library project. We are currently working with many American donors to form the biggest and most useful English Library in Iraq. It will take time and a lot of effort, but we are very excited about it.
     Our projects all seem to work on a small scale but they are all aimed at our large-scale goal: attaining a brighter future. We are only working in Sulaimany right now, but we already have people who have offered and want to extend our projects into Erbil. Furthermore, we have also been asked to allow our projects to move south. We are expanding Vision in to all the corners of Iraq, but of course, it will take time.
     How can we assist Vision with its projects?
Our library project will need a large amount of donations. The more donations we get, the more books we can get shipped to Sulaimany. You can help invest in the future of this country by donating money to our library. If you can’t do that, you can always go on Goodsearch.com and support our cause at “Servant Group Vision Library” by the simple searches you do. Each search will give us one penny. The more searches that are done in the name of our cause, the more books we can get shipped here. It’s the easiest way to help us. We would really appreciate your support!
     Contact information: 
    futuresvision.org 
    futuresvision.email@gmail.com]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>The One-Shot project</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:43:48 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/community.2.php</link>
      <author>Amed L. Omer</author>
      <category>Community</category>
      <description><![CDATA[Since the liberation of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in ‘91, international NGO’s of every kind have inhabited Kurdistan to promote peace and stability. Among other positive attributes, these organizations have played pivotal roles as middlemen between the Kurdish people and the international community in addition to teaching and sponsoring various vocational activities.
     Recently, MRDS, an American registered organization, has launched a project named the ONE-SHOT project. In an exclusive interview, Heber Vega, the founder of the ONE-SHOT project, shared with Awat Newspaper the facts behind this NGO.
     What is a brief description as to why ONE-SHOT exists?
The ONE-SHOT Project exists to create new visual-communicators who will be able to show the beauty and challenges that their culture consists of through photography and hence multimedia. ONE-SHOT is based on peacemaking values, and will help to create a force of new artists who advocate for peace among the different people groups of this nation. ONE-SHOT focuses on working with youth who lack vocational training opportunities due to their circumstances.
     How does your organization’s project benefit the Kurdistan Region on both a large scale and small scale?
In the short term, youth who don't have access to vocational training will be provided with basic photography and storytelling skills, which will allow them see their culture in a more profound perspective, and give them the ability to share their own stories.
     In the long run, youth who are talented in the areas of photography and storytelling will receive the training they need to become professional photographers. They will possess the skills they need to tell the stories of Kurdistan, and be part of the ongoing development of the Region.
     Students who go through a ONE-SHOT workshop will learn peacemaking values, which once put into practice, will help unite the many divisions that are negatively impacting Iraq today.
     Who are the people that are involved with this project?
Heber Vega is The ONE-SHOT Project founder and Director of Operations. Heber and his family moved to Kurdistan from Chile and have lived here for the last 7 years working with different NGOs. Heber has developed both a love for Kurds and a deep appreciation for their potential.
     Additionally, we are working with an American organization called NewView to run the NewView project. In this project, Iraqi and American teenagers engage in exchanging emails; each email covers a certain topic, thus forming a bridge of understanding between two very different cultures. NewView is also working on including more countries in this project to further enrich the experience.
     Belen Leon is the project Financial Manager (and co-creator of The ONE-SHOT Project). Belen handles all aspects of donations related to the project.
     Amed Latif is the Logistics Manager. Amed is a Kurd who formerly lived in America and has now been living in Iraq for many years. He is one of those brilliant minds behind a new generation of Kurds who invest their lives in helping out with social projects that pave the way for positive changes for his people. Amed gives advice on local issues and recruits local volunteers.
     Erin Wilson is the Communications Manager. Erin is a Canadian photographer who has experience working in museums, along with using photographs and cultural objects to communicate information to a wide range of people.
     Aside from the people previously mentioned, we have a number of local volunteers like Julie Adnan, one of Kurdistan’s famous international photographers. Zhila Muhammad and Nawras Mahmood, two other volunteers, are brilliant students from Sulaimany University. Angelica Diaz, from Colombia, also helps with the project by sharing her knowledge on cinematography and multimedia.
     What are the resources or needs you require and/or you don't have available currently to you?
While the resources needed to start the project have already been provided through fundraisers, and have come from different areas around the world, there are still four main ongoing needs:
     Gear and supplies: point-&-shoot and DSLR cameras, batteries and memory cards.
     Local expertise: local Kurdish photographers who can teach and mentor students.
     Gallery space: spaces where the student's photography can be exhibited. Prints: Prints to show the work of these children in different local galleries.
     Contact Information
www.theoneshotproject.com
contact@theoneshotproject.com
 ]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Suicides in Kurdistan</title>
      <pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:42:35 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/local.4.php</link>
      <author>Arez Taha</author>
      <category>Local News</category>
      <description><![CDATA[On October 11th, two women committed suicide in the city of Erbil (Hewler); one by hanging herself, and the other by overdosing on pills. Investigation is still ongoing.
     The rate of suicide in Kurdistan is increasing, especially among the young. Abdul KhaliqTalaat, Erbil’s police chief, warned that suicide among adolescentshas risen to an alarming level; and that the government needs to address this issue immediately. He also cited the young generation’s excessive exposure to Turkish soap operas as the main reason for the influx in the number of suicides in Kurdistan.
     Honor killings also occur at adisturbing rate in Kurdistan. It has been estimated that at least 25 women have fallen victims of honor killings in the past month alone. Quite a few of the reported suicide cases turn out to actually be“honor killings” disguised as suicides so that the perpetrators would avoid prosecution. “Honor killing” victims are usually either forced to commit suicide or are killed by relatives as retribution for “ruining” the family’s honor. While some cases are investigated by the authorities, many others occur without ever being reported; especially in the villages and rural areas.
 ]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>A Green Kurdistan</title>
      <pubDate>Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:41:13 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/local.5.php</link>
      <author>Arez Taha</author>
      <category>Local News</category>
      <description><![CDATA[On October 16th, the Green Kurdistan Association (GKA)held its 19th anniversaryat the Arts Chamber Hall, during which the causes of environmental issues were discussed.The president of the association revealed that according to a survey most citizens know about the issues facing ournatural environment, they just don’t know what to do.
     Niaz Mohammad, president of the GKA, told Hawlati website that each year the organization celebrates its founding anniversary in a unique way and that this year they will have several activities, including the distribution of a movie called Home which talks about humans’ harmful actions against the environment. Several different posters on being environment friendly will also be distributed.
     Niaz also explained that their products would be distributed over all the schools in Kurdistan and that they would have an active role in greening Kurdistan.
     Niaz said that “last year [they] released a survey across Kurdistan for the purpose of knowing people’s awareness of the natural environment. [They] found out that most citizens learn about the word “environment” for the first time anywhere from the age of 10 to 19. Citizens also know about the biggest challenges facing the natural environment, they just don’t know how to react”.
     During the founding anniversary, copies of the movie and several posters were handed out to the attendees. Several medals were also given to people who had helped create the association.
     The Green Kurdistan Association was founded in 1992 and has seven offices across Kurdistan. It has about a thousand members all with the purpose of protecting the natural environment with its land, air, water resources, and wild animals.]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Do You Believe in Love From First Sight, or Should I Walk by Again?</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:40:01 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/features.4.php</link>
      <author>Amir Muhsin</author>
      <category>Features</category>
      <description><![CDATA[While love is universal, the way people meet, start, and develop relationships isn’t. People have different ways of falling in love or what I personally like to call “standing in love.”
     “Love from first sight” is one of the popular love terms used especially by teenagers and even some young adults.
     Psychiatrists definition for love from first sight is “the quick emotions that someone has and determine with the average time of 8 seconds when s/he sees a person for the first time and they become attracted to each other’s smile, face, body, voice, or any other feature, these emotions make that someone feel like s/he is in love.”
     That kind of feeling can’t be considered as love in most cases; it is a mixed emotion or a temporary feeling. It can be called “crush” or “like” but it’s not Love.
     Sometimes, we come across a certain someone that we haven’t met before and we have a strange feeling towards her/him; it’s like we know them. There are different explanations to these situations but mine is that we know them from a previous life; maybe we were friends with them or loved them or maybe even we were siblings! So when we meet and talk with them we feel like we have known each other our whole lives.
     Love from first sight is fiction. It is characterized by the non-self-awareness. Even when you search and read about it, you’ll notice that this term is mostly used in songs, movies, and literature. It is used to add some spices and some romance to a story or a song. Therefore, most marriages that result from that kind of feelings will have lots of problems and end because they were the outcome of a (shallow) decisions.
     So instead of calling it “love from first sight,” we can create a new term which is “like from first sight” that can be developed into a real friendship or maybe even a love relationship.
     True love can’t be felt based on a simple look; it is not the feeling that you have when you see that handsome guy who plays basketball at the gym or the girl with the beautiful smile that goes to your school. True love can be felt when the other person gives you full satisfaction, when s/he supports your life goals and your passion. It is love when you meet the kind of person that can keep up with you romantically and mentally, that you can accept both of his/her good and bad sides.
 ]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>Which Football Club are you a Fan of?</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:38:34 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/features.5.php</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.awatnews.com/features.5.php</guid>
      <author>Rahel Rizgar</author>
      <category>Features</category>
      <description><![CDATA[Football has a great influence on people and it is certainly the most popular sport that has ever been known. Annually, there are many leagues, championships, and friendly games concerning this sport. Here, I am going to talk about the effect of this sport on people’s lives.
     There is a situation called “fever pitch” in which the fans get very excited and thrilled about the games and matches. In our society, the most common question when people meet for the first time is “which football club do you support?”
     Kurdistan has huge football club fans, especially fans of the Europeans from Spain to England and all the way to Italy and Germany. The interesting part is the night of the matches and how people react to the results. For example, one of the most popular matches is between Real Madrid and Barcelona as there is a rivalry between those two which goes back to so many years ago. The same contention is seen among the fans of these two major clubs. What happens before the game is that the fans of both sides threaten each other in humorous and mocking ways till the match starts.
     Many people watch the match broadcasted on TV at home or in a cafeteria or at a friend’s house. On the day after, the whole story starts all over again as each fan discusses the game from his point of view and tries to praise and defend his side; sometimes this leads to brawls. Every time things get a little bit crazy because a proud ego is observed from the supporters of the winner team and the fans of the loser team go mad and they appear very unsatisfied about the result and try to blame it on the referee or claim that the other team has cheated or that their star player was injured.
     This whole situation does not only affect people but also affects the radios and TV channels as every night there are the sports news talking about last night’s match and hours of talk shows are dedicated to discussing football matches.
     I just wanted to show football’s popularity with many people; but after all, it is just a game. It was invented to entertain, Life holds so much more than games.]]></description>
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      <title>A Road Trip in Kurdistan</title>
      <pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:35:39 +0300</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.awatnews.com/features.6.php</link>
      <author>Johanna Rivera</author>
      <category>Features</category>
      <description><![CDATA[ In the beginning of September, I went on a road trip with two of my Iraqi friends. We started our adventure in Erbil, driving north into Duhok. We were planning to camp somewhere, past the ancient city of Amedi, which sits beautifully on a hill, one hour past Duhok.
     You can notice while you drive between the cities, the tens of checkpoints that made the drive longer than it supposed to be. We made it into Duhok around noon, prayer time, but also lunch time. We stopped at a restaurant, and I was happy to get off the car and be in a cooler place. As we ordered, in the midst of lunchtime, I noticed a conversation between a waiter and a man; the man seemed to be asking for a prayer rug, which is available everywhere. The man got his rug and went to a corner to pray. It is one of those scenes that do not cease to amaze me, reminding me that Islam permeates all aspects of daily life. It’s something very normal and I am used to it now, but it’s one of those things that could impress one who is not familiar with this culture.
     We drove through a small dam, just on top of the city. It was a small, man-made dam, to collect water. It was in the middle of a beautiful landscape, and to me, it fitted perfectly as if meant to be there. We continued our journey, passing Amedi and into another city called Deralok. Meanwhile I noticed my two friends that just met today, talking about politics, religion and about life in Iraq. I was sitting in the back, listening and smiling. These were two people that generally wouldn’t come together spontaneously. Arabs and Kurds are not naturally attracted to each other due to historical reasons, only when people think beyond history and realize that what happened was a result of people in power doing things that did not necessarily represent the will of all, only then they can start reaching to each other. I was glad that they were talking and making jokes; I knew both of them had been through a lot, The Kurds and the Arabs.
     We passed another checkpoint where a soldier asked for our ID’s. He came and asked where I am from, and he was smiling and exclaiming that my name is Kurdish. My name also exists in Kurdish but it is spelled differently: Jwana ≠ Johanna. He thought I am originally Kurdish. People often say that I have Kurdish features, and many times people talk to me in Kurdish only to realize that I have no clue of what they are saying. He returned our ID’s and exclaimed: “Welcome Mister Johanna!”
     So after a long day on the car, looking for the perfect spot for the camping, we finally arrived to a beautiful and quiet place by the river. It almost felt like we arrived to the end of the world, away from people, from the city, just nature and beauty in front of us. We sat and enjoyed the soothing sound of the river, enjoying the moment we have and overlooking the moon sometimes wanting to hide from us behind the clouds. It was such a memorable night.]]></description>
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