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This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)

by Maggie Ervin

The city of Iguala in Guerrero state, Mexico

Iguala's Flag Museum. The green of the Mexican flag represents liberty, the red union, and the white peace, which feels elusive these days. In addition to recent grisly events, Edgar added that, "If the students are found dead, there's gonna be a bloodbath here."

Mexico's second largest flag lies on the edge of town. Although President Peña Nieto tried to ignore the violence in the country, his focus on "moving Mexico" forward and his claims of security came crashing down with news of the massacre and disappearances. This added to recent revelations that (in his home state) 22 civilians were killed point blank by army members after having surrendered, an event which the army had tried to cover up.

Mexican Independence from Spain was declared here 193 years ago. The declaration contains three main points, the third of which is the "union of all social classes." Unfortunately, though, the divide between haves and have-nots in Mexico is still alarming. Almost half the population is officially considered poor. The 43 missing students all came from humble, rural families and were studying to become schoolteachers in their communities.

The city's police chief is on the run as well. Soon after the massacre and the subsequent arrests of officers, the local police department was closed. It was later reopened with federal police in charge. Mexico's federal police, however, have a Since 2008, over 1.2 billion US taxpayer dollars have been directed to Mexico through the dubious human rights record, and enjoy widespread impunity for violations. The National Human Rights Commission received 146 complaints of human rights violations by federal police in 2006. By 2012, that number had jumped to 802. Merida Initiative. Beyond massive military equipment, these funds have supported "security services," used in part to train and increase these police forces .

There is now a heavy federal police presence in Iguala. "But there's talk that they've started to extort just like the local police did," said one of my communicative taxi drivers.

A tombstone in the main cemetery of Iguala decorated with the cempasúchil flowers.

A truck in Iguala. The US government has been largely silent about the 43 disappeared students. The White House called it "worrisome" last week, and the State Department only issued a brief statement soon after the incident. demand that the Read our recent Action Alert and take action to US government take a more forceful and vigorous stance.

In the city's main church, this image had special resonance, as "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, advocate of difficult and desperate causes."

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Life and Death, Hope and Fear: a visit to Iguala

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This post is also available in: Español (Spanish) by Maggie Ervin The city of Iguala in Guerrero state, Mexico Iguala's Flag Museum. The green of the Mexican flag represents liberty, the red union, and the white peace, which feels elusive these days.

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Iguala, city, north-central Guerrero estado (state), south-central Mexico. It was settled in 1750 and was named in honour of Agustín de Iturbide's Iguala Plan, proclaiming Mexico an independent monarchy (February 24, 1821). Iguala lies along the Cocula River and is an important regional commerce

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What's it like to live in Tucson, AZ?

Tucson is an example of how a place can be constantly transforming without losing sight of its roots. A sprawling metro area in southern Arizona, Tucson started small and expanded into the empty space around it, drawing new residents with its low cost of living and its nationally recognized university. Yet there are still visible reminders of the region's rich history, from a statue of Father Kino, founder of a nearby Spanish mission, to Sentinel Peak (known as A Mountain), the site of the Native American village from which Tucson derives its name.

Although more than a million people live in the Tucson metro area, everyone seems to know - or know of - everyone else. People from all walks of life can be found here, and their cultures have left an impression on Tucson. Thanks to the large Latino community, holidays like Dia de los Muertos are observed here, which you may not see in other parts of the country.

But perhaps the best part of Tucson is its scenery. The metro area is ringed by mountain ranges that emphasize the great desert skies and sunsets that continuously impress even the most seasoned residents.

Rankings

U.S. News analyzed 125 metro areas in the United States to find the best places to live based on quality of life and the job market in each metro area, as well as the value of living there and people's desire to live there.
Tucson, Arizona is ranked:
#76 in Best Places to Live

#57 in Best Places to Retire

What's the cost of living in Tucson, AZ?

The median sale price for a home in Tucson is slightly below the national median. New housing developments continue to spring up in more suburban areas, which helps keep housing costs down. Daily expenses, such as groceries and transportation, are lower than what residents of other major metro areas pay. However, Tucson residents tend to earn less than the average American.

Value Index

Index Score: 6.2 /10
How we calculate this. Tucson offers a lower value than similarly sized metro areas when you compare housing costs to median household income.

Housing Costs 2018

Tucson
$203,458

USA
$227,025

Housing Costs Over Time

Data sourced from Zillow median home sale price data series. Additional data provided by the Austin Board of Realtors, Houston Association of Realtors, Intermountain MLS, Omaha Area Board of Realtors, San Antonio Board of Realtors, and the Salt Lake Board of Realtors.

What's the weather like in Tucson, AZ?

There are those who say a dry heat is better than humid heat; if you move to Tucson, you will have a chance to decide for yourself. The summer can be punishing, with highs in the triple digits and monsoonal rain storms sweeping through the region. A boon to those who would move here are the mild winters.

Seasonal Temperature (Avgs)

Monthly High and Low Temperatures (°F)

Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center.

What's the best way to get around Tucson, AZ?

There are a lot of ways to get around Tucson, but given the way the metro area is spread out, the fastest and most convenient form of transportation is by car. Sun Tran is Tucson's bus system and covers the city proper with a vast grid. New to Tucson is the Sun Link trolley system, which runs from the University of Arizona to downtown. Many people bike or walk around Tucson proper, either to save money or for exercise.

Tucson also has Greyhound bus and Amtrak train service, while Tucson International Airport, or TIA, connects the city to the rest of the world. TIA handles an more than 3 million passengers annually. The Arizona Shuttle transports Tucson residents to the airport as well as to other cities in the state, such as Phoenix and Flagstaff.

Commuting in Tucson, AZ

Means of Transportation

Average Commute Time

24.5 minutes

1.9 minutes less than national average

Average Commute Times by Zip Code

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Who lives in Tucson, AZ?

Tucson's population runs the spectrum from young to old, with people moving here not just from around the country, but around the world. The population feels younger thanks to the large number of students attending The University of Arizona. But the region's popularity as a retirement destination brings the average age up to 38. Tucson is also home to a large number of military members and their families, as Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is located here.

Tucson is a melting pot of cultures, with Hispanic communities lending their way of life and traditions to the metro area. A variety of places to worship, including churches and synagogues, can be found in the city. You will also find Native Americans practicing their beliefs here, with thousands living in Tucson and Native American reservations nearby.

Marital Status Breakdown
More single people in Tucson than
national average

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

What is there to do in Tucson, AZ?

There is much to do in Tucson. Outdoor activities range from hiking to golf to ballgames. For those more interested in indoor activities, there are malls, movie theaters and art galleries, and Tucson's dining scene is flush with authentic Mexican eateries. Hot spots in the nightclub scene include 4th Avenue and Congress Street, particularly on the weekends.

The appeal of the Tucson metro area is not limited to the city proper. North of Tucson is Mount Lemmon, where residents often ski in the winter. To the east and west are the two halves of Saguaro National Park, where hiking trails are abundant. South of central Tucson on Native American land, there are casinos for those who enjoy gambling.

Find out more about what there is to see and do in Tucson, AZ

Best Places to Live

Best Places to Retire

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Tucson is one of the Best Places to Live in America.

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Tucson is an example of how a place can be constantly transforming without losing sight of its roots. A sprawling metro area in southern Arizona, Tucson started small and expanded into the empty space around it, drawing new residents with its low cost of living and its nationally recognized university.

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Ordinary World: Life in Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Ordinary World: Life in Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Despite its abundance of valuable natural resources, including copper and oil, as well as a picturesque landscape that once drew wealthy tourists from around the world, The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been plagued by political instability, leaving the Congolese people struggling to survive. Here are the top 10 facts about living conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in The Democratic Republic of Congo

1. Since acquiring the presidency following his father's assassination in 2001, Joseph Kabila has followed the recent trend in accumulating wealth for himself and his constituents while ignoring the desperation the majority of his country endures. Nearly 50 percent of the DRC's wealth belongs to the top 20 percent of its citizens while the bottom 20 percent has only 5-6 percent of the wealth.

2. Almost 65 percent of people living in the DRC fall below the poverty line. This number has been decreasing in recent years; however, it still places the country near the very bottom of the list of wealthy nations.

3. While the DRC has been trending towards urbanization in recent decades, more than 60 percent of the Congolese people still reside in small, tribal communities that have been regularly targeted by armed rebel militias. Raids by these militias have forced residents from their homes for fear of their lives, leaving many to seek refuge in displacement camps, such as The Mugunga III camp in the North Kivu province, whose lack of security has made it a target for militias to raid in search of resources.

4. The DRC has one of the highest birthrates in the world with an average of 6.6 children per mother, which has led to an increasing shortage of food. Roughly 70 percent of the Congolese people lack adequate access to food and 23 percent of children are malnourished. Groups like Actions Against Hunger are working to provide food, household items and healthcare to displaced populations in the north.

5. The infant mortality rate in the DRC is one of the highest in the world due to a lack of accessibility to hospitals and doctors. Because so many people are without health care, the infants who do survive often go unvaccinated until later in life. However, in recent years, these trends have shown improvement with the infant mortality rate dropping from 15 percent to 10 percent and vaccination rates increasing from 31 percent to 45 percent for children under 24 months of age.

6. Despite Kabila's efforts to block foreign aid to the DRC for fear that it will deter investors from putting money into his country's industries, The U.N. has not slowed down in its effort to provide support. In April of 2018, The U.N. held a donor conference with the goal of raising 1.7 billion dollars to provide food, shelter and medical attention to the Congolese people.

7. In October of 2017, The United Nations placed the DRC on its Level 3 emergency list, the highest recognition of crisis, due to unacceptable living conditions that roughly 4.5 million Congolese people have had to endure.

8. Despite malaria being one of the DRC's most prominent health crises, constituting nearly 20 percent of deaths for children under five years of age, groups such as The World Health Organization are working to promote prevention, education and treatment to combat malaria and other diseases.

9. Life expectancy in the DRC is 48 years for men and 52 for women. Comparatively, life expectancy in the U.S. is 76 years for men and 81 for women. The top causes of death include treatable conditions such as malaria, respiratory infection and diarrheal diseases.

10. Due to increasing pressure from the Congolese people, foreign aid groups and leaders of other countries threatening sanctions against the DRC, the Congolese government has increased its health budget by nearly five percent from 2011 to 2015.

Despite these top 10 facts about living conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo revealing a history plagued by political corruption, disease and a lack of accessibility to basic resources, the DRC currently finds itself in a transitional period that could begin to reverse much of the damage that has been done.

Kabila announced in August 2018 that he will no longer seek reelection and will relinquish his presidency at the close of his term. This opens the door for a leader whose intentions lie not in personal gain, but rather in rebuilding the DRC's economy, providing health care, access to basic resources to the people and restoring the country to a position of growth and stability.

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Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo

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Despite its abundance of valuable natural resources, including copper and oil, as well as a picturesque landscape that once drew wealthy tourists from around the world, The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been plagued by political instability, leaving the Congolese people struggling to survive.

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We welcome Claudel NKUNDA Rujuguma who has established Uvira, South Kivu, D.R. Congo as a City of Peace. Claudel works with children to teach them about nonviolence and to prepare them for a more peaceful future. The Peace Academy Centre is a new organization dedicated to creating a culture of peace through education of children in Uvira.

Note: Introduction page with information primarily at the time of joining International Cities of Peace. For updates, please contact the liaison.

In general my community is peaceful considering the conflict timeline. It is only after 1960's that conflicts invaded the community in the region. Since 1990's my community is suffering from conflicts mainly politically and economically motivated. The direct consequences are displaced people, rape, and human rights violation, limited access to health and education facilities. All these effects are the origin of conflict cycle in this area.

According to our experience, youth have a very active involvement in these conflicts in one hand as direct victims (lose habitation, education decrease, rape...) and as conflicts main actors on the other hand; manipulated by stakeholders due to their vulnerability.

A community can't expect sustainable peace if youth are not involved in peace building and conflict resolution projects. Our belief is in order to overcome the conflicts challenges we need to involve all parties including youth in our peacebuilding programmes.

The Peace Academy Centre is a personal initiation of Claudel's mission to train kids and young children on peace, conflict and nonviolence. His vision is to extend this education to as many children as possible in order to expect a peaceful future through youth.

We need support in order to attend our goals bring close communities in conflict, reduce violence and fight against GBV through our youth.

https://www.facebook.com/PeaceCAPaix/

VISION
Our vision is to build a peace among conflicted communities based by restoring mutual confidence.
Our approach is: build sustainable peace between communities through youth action.

MISSION
Our mission is to raise awareness of the communities on the direct consequences of local conflicts, on immediate effects on social, cultural, economic development and sustainable security.

- build a community free from violence, where cohabitation is unconditional;
- empower youth with capacities on peacebuilding and nonviolence for peaceful future generations;
- involve youth in peacebuilding actions and peace education;
- create permanent and periodic peace education infrastructures and activities;
- mobile peace activities in conflicts area to promote reconciliation and harmonious cohabitation.

YOUTH GENDER VIOLENCE POETRY & DRAMA

YOUTH THEATER ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Claudel is a young man with interest in peacebuilding, conflict resolution and community development. His education background, community development techniques, has inspired Claudel in becoming an initiative taker and optimistic person.

Claudel has a strong professional background local and international. In addition, Claudel has attended more than one international training session from various academic institutions mainly on the following subjects: peacebuilding, peace and conflict studies, mediation.

Claudel is available for any kind of collaboration and networking in order to change our world through the local capacity, a sustainable way to make it possible.

Claudel NKUNDA Rujuguma < unqda@hotmail.com>

ABOUT UVIRA, D.R. CONGO (from Wikipedia)

Uvira is a city in the South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, located at the extreme north end of Lake Tanganyika. There is a lake port called Kalundu at the southern end of the town, which provides links by boat to Kalemie in Katanga Province, Kigoma in Tanzania, Pulungu in Zambia and Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as DR Congo, East Congo, DRC, DROC, Congo-Kinshasa or simply the Congo, is a country located in Central Africa. The DRC borders the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north; Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania to the east; Zambia and Angola to the south; the Republic of the Congo to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest.

It is the second-largest country in Africa by area and eleventh largest in the world. With a population of over 80 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populated officially Francophone country, the fourth most-populated nation in Africa and the seventeenth most populated country in the world.

The town of Uvira is linked by road to Bukavu, the capital of Sud-Kivu, and Bujumbura. The town is 120 km from Bukavu and 60 km from the territory of Fizi. Uvira is a Roman Catholic diocese, a suffragan of the archdiocese of Bukavu.

Uvira is also linked by road to: - Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi (25 km) - The territory of Fizi (60 km) - Rwanda via Kamanyola border (80 km) - Bukavu, the capital of Sud-Kivu province (120 km) - Kalemie in Katanga Province and (385 km).

The new Uvira Mental Health Center will serve primarily residents in territory of Uvira, territory of Fizi and Territory of Walungu (kamanyola), although individuals living outside the region may also receive care.

Uvira was the former capital of South Kivu Subregion, which was part of the Kivu region during the Mobutu era. Following the creation of South Kivu as a province, the capital was transferred to Bukavu.

Note: If information or photos used here are copyrighted, please contact us and we will immediately delete the copyrighted material.

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We welcome Claudel NKUNDA Rujuguma who has established Uvira, South Kivu, D.R. Congo as a City of Peace. Claudel works with children to teach them about nonviolence and to prepare them for a more peaceful future. The Peace Academy Centre is a new organization dedicated to creating a culture of peace through education of children in Uvira.

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Ordinary World: Life in Austria during WWII

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Ordinary World: Life in Austria during WWII

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Before World War II, Jews played an important role in Austria's economic and cultural life. In 1938, Austria had a Jewish population of about 192,000, representing almost 4 percent of the total population. The overwhelming majority of Austrian Jews lived in Vienna, the capital, an important center of Jewish culture, Zionism, and education. Jews comprised about 9 percent of the city's population. However, by December 1939 their number had been reduced to just 57,000, primarily due to emigration.

The Anschluss: The German Annexation of Austria

After a prolonged period of economic stagnation, political dictatorship, and intense Nazi propaganda inside Austria, German troops entered the country on March 12, 1938. They received the enthusiastic support of most of the population. Austria was incorporated into Germany the next day. In April, this German annexation was retroactively approved in a plebiscite that was manipulated to indicate that about 99 percent of the Austrian people wanted the union (known as the Anschluss) with Germany. Neither Jews nor Roma (Gypsies) were allowed to vote in the plebiscite.

Following the Anschluss, the Germans quickly extended anti-Jewish legislation to Austria.

The Camp System in Austria

The Mauthausen concentration camp was established in the summer of 1938, after the German incorporation of Austria. Mauthausen became the main Nazi camp in Austria. It was built near an abandoned stone quarry, along the Danube River, about 12.5 miles southeast of Linz. The Germans designated the Mauthausen concentration camp a category III camp, indicating that it was a special penal camp with a harsh regimen. Inmates in the punishment detail, for example, were forced to carry heavy stone blocks up 186 steps from the camp quarry. The steps became known as the "Stairway of Death."

During the war, forced labor using concentration camp prisoners became increasingly important to German armaments production. In the summer and fall of 1944, subcamps under the administration of Mauthausen were established near armaments factories throughout northern Austria. The staff at Mauthausen administered more than 60 subcamps, including Gusen, Gunskirchen, Melk, Ebensee, and Amstetten. Thousands of prisoners were worked to death.

In addition to Mauthausen and its subcamps, other camps in Austria extended from Lochau in the west to Strasshof in the east.

The Kristallnacht Pogroms in Austria

The November 1938 Kristallnacht ("Night of Broken Glass") pogroms were particularly brutal in Austria. Most of the synagogues in Vienna were destroyed, burned in full view of fire departments and the public. Jewish businesses were also vandalized and ransacked. Thousands of Jews were arrested and deported to the Dachau or Buchenwald concentration camps. Jewish emigration increased dramatically in response to the German incorporation of Austria and to Kristallnacht. Between 1938 and 1940, 117,000 Jews left Austria.

Deportations from Austria

During World War II, German policy regarding the Jewish population shifted from one of expropriation and Jewish emigration to one of forced deportation. The Nazis deported thousands of Jews from Austria to occupied Poland and elsewhere in occupied eastern Europe.

Systematic mass deportations from Vienna, as elsewhere in Greater Germany, began in October 1941. The Nazis established centers where Jews were to be assembled before deportation. About 35,000 Jews were deported from Vienna to ghettos in eastern Europe, mostly to Minsk, Riga, and Lodz, and to ghettos in the Lublin region of Poland. Most Jews sent to Minsk and Riga were shot by detachments of the Einsatzgruppen shortly after arrival. Over 15,000 Viennese Jews were deported to Theresienstadt. Thousands of Jews were also sent to concentration camps in Germany. By November 1942 only about 7,000 Jews remained in Austria, mostly those married to non-Jews. Some Jews remained in hiding.

Soviet and American forces occupied Austria in April and May 1945.

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Before World War II, Jews played an important role in Austria's economic and cultural life. In 1938, Austria had a Jewish population of about 192,000, representing almost 4 percent of the total population. The overwhelming majority of Austrian Jews lived in Vienna, the capital, an important center of Jewish culture, Zionism, and education.

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Ordinary World: Life at Home in WWII (United States)

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Ordinary World: Life at Home in WWII (United States)

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Home Front During World War II: Rationing - HISTORY

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On the home front during World War II, life in the U.S. was changed by rationing, defense production, women's jobs and popular radio and movie entertainment.

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What Happened When Hitler Hosted the Olympics 80 Years Ago

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As Hitler rose to power in Germany and barred Jewish athletes from competing in the summer games, many considered skipping the Olympics

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Ordinary World: The Nazi Olympics Berlin

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Ordinary World: The Nazi Olympics Berlin

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Introduction
The Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936
For two weeks in August 1936, Adolf Hitler's Nazi dictatorship camouflaged its racist, militaristic character while hosting the Summer Olympics. Softpedaling its antisemitic agenda and plans for territorial expansion, the regime exploited the Games to bedazzle many foreign spectators and journalists with an image of a peaceful, tolerant Germany.

Having rejected a proposed boycott of the 1936 Olympics, the sponsoring athletic and Olympic organizations of the United States and other western democracies missed the opportunity to take a stand that-some observers at the time claimed-might have given Hitler pause and bolstered international resistance to Nazi tyranny.

With the conclusion of the Games, Germany's expansionist policies and the persecution of Jews and other "enemies of the state" accelerated, culminating in World War II and the Holocaust.

The 1936 Summer Olympic Games

In 1931, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1936 Summer Olympics to Berlin. The choice signaled Germany's return to the world community after its isolation in the aftermath of defeat in World War I.

Two years later, Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany and quickly turned the nation's fragile democracy into a one-party dictatorship that persecuted Jews, Roma (Gypsies), all political opponents, and others. The Nazi claim to control all aspects of German life also extended to sports.

German sports imagery of the 1930s served to promote the myth of "Aryan" racial superiority and physical prowess. In sculpture and in other forms, German artists idealized athletes' well-developed muscle tone and heroic strength and accentuated ostensibly Aryan facial features. Such imagery also reflected the importance the Nazi regime placed on physical fitness, a prerequisite for military service.

Exclusion from German Sports

In April 1933, an "Aryans only" policy was instituted in all German athletic organizations. "Non-Aryans"-Jews or individuals with Jewish parents and Roma (Gypsies)-were systematically excluded from German sports facilities and associations. The German Boxing Association expelled professional light heavyweight champion Erich Seelig in April 1933 because he was Jewish. (Seelig later resumed his boxing career in the United States.) Another Jewish athlete, Daniel Prenn-Germany's top-ranked tennis player-was removed from Germany's Davis Cup Team. Gretel Bergmann, a world-class high jumper, was expelled from her German club in 1933 and excluded from the German Olympic team in 1936.

Jewish athletes barred from German sports clubs flocked to separate Jewish associations, including the Maccabee and Shield groups, and to improvised segregated facilities. But these Jewish sports facilities were not comparable to well-funded German groups. Roma (Gypsies), including the Sinti boxer Johann Rukelie Trollmann, were also excluded from German sports.

Jewish Athletes

As a token gesture to placate international opinion, German authorities allowed the star fencer Helene Mayer to represent Germany at the Olympic Games in Berlin. Mayer was viewed as a "non-Aryan" because her father was Jewish. She won a silver medal in women's individual fencing and, like all other medalists for Germany, gave the Nazi salute on the podium. No other Jewish athlete competed for Germany in the Summer Games.

Still, nine athletes who were Jewish or of Jewish parentage won medals in the Nazi Olympics, including Mayer and five Hungarians. Seven Jewish male athletes from the United States went to Berlin. Like some of the European Jewish competitors at the Olympics, many of these young men were pressured by Jewish organizations to boycott the Games. These athletes chose to compete for a variety of reasons. Most did not fully grasp at the time the extent and purpose of Nazi persecution of Jews and other groups.

In August 1936, the Nazi regime tried to camouflage its violent racist policies while it hosted the Summer Olympics. Most anti-Jewish signs were temporarily removed and newspapers toned down their harsh rhetoric, in line with directives from the Propaganda Ministry, headed by Joseph Goebbels. Thus, the regime exploited the Olympic Games to present foreign spectators and journalists with a false image of a peaceful, tolerant Germany.

Boycott Movements

Movements to boycott the 1936 Berlin Olympics surfaced in the United States, Great Britain, France, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, and the Netherlands. Debate over participation in the 1936 Olympics was most intense in the United States, which traditionally sent one of the largest teams to the Games. Some boycott proponents supported counter-Olympics. One of the largest was the "People's Olympiad" planned for the summer of 1936 in Barcelona, Spain. It was canceled after the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, just as thousands of athletes had begun to arrive.

Individual Jewish athletes from a number of countries also chose to boycott the Berlin Olympics or Olympic qualifying trials. In the United States, some Jewish athletes and Jewish organizations such as the American Jewish Congress and the Jewish Labor Committee supported a boycott, as did a number of liberal Catholic politicians and many college presidents. However, once the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States opted in a close vote to participate in December 1935, other countries fell in line and the boycott movement failed.

Preparation for the Games

The Nazis made elaborate preparations for the August 1-16 Summer Games. A huge sports complex was constructed, including a new stadium and state-of-the art Olympic village for housing the athletes. Olympic flags and swastikas bedecked the monuments and houses of a festive, crowded Berlin.

Most tourists were unaware that the Nazi regime had temporarily removed anti-Jewish signs, nor did they know of a police roundup of Roma in Berlin, ordered by the German Ministry of the Interior. On July 16, 1936, some 800 Roma residing in Berlin and its environs were arrested and interned under police guard in a special camp in the Berlin suburb of Marzahn.

Nazi officials also ordered that foreign visitors should not be subjected to the criminal penalties of Paragraph 175, a German statute that criminalized sexual relations between men.

Opening of the Games

On August 1, 1936, Hitler opened the XIth Olympiad. Musical fanfares directed by the famous composer Richard Strauss announced the dictator's arrival to the largely German crowd. Hundreds of athletes in opening day regalia marched into the stadium, team by team in alphabetical order. Inaugurating a new Olympic ritual, a lone runner arrived bearing a torch carried by relay from the site of the ancient Games in Olympia, Greece.

Forty-nine athletic teams from around the world competed in the Berlin Olympics, more than in any previous Olympics. Germany fielded the largest team with 348 athletes. The US team was the second largest, with 312 members, including 18 African Americans. American Olympic Committee President Avery Brundage led the delegation. The Soviet Union did not participate in the Berlin Games (or any Olympics until the 1952 Helsinki Games, when many politicians, journalists, and competitors regarded the Olympics as an important battle in the Cold War).

Propaganda

Germany skillfully promoted the Olympics with colorful posters and magazine spreads. Athletic imagery drew a link between Nazi Germany and ancient Greece, symbolizing the Nazi racial myth that a superior German civilization was the rightful heir of an "Aryan" culture of classical antiquity. This vision of classical antiquity emphasized ideal "Aryan" racial types: heroic, blue-eyed blonds with finely chiseled features.

Concerted propaganda efforts continued well after the Olympics with the international release in 1938 of Olympia, the controversial documentary directed by German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. Renowned for her earlier propaganda film, Triumph of the Will (1934) depicting Nazi Party rallies at Nuremberg, Riefenstahl was commissioned by the Nazi regime to produce this film about the 1936 Summer Games.

German Victories

Germany emerged victorious from the XIth Olympiad. German athletes captured the most medals, and German hospitality and organization won the praises of visitors. Most newspaper accounts echoed the New York Times report that the Games put Germany "back in the fold of nations," and even made the Germans "more human again." Some even found reason to hope that this peaceable interlude would endure. Only a few reporters, such as the American William Shirer, understood that the Berlin glitter was merely a facade hiding a racist and violently oppressive regime.

After the Games

As post-Games reports were filed, Hitler pressed on with grandiose plans for German expansion. Persecution of Jews resumed. Two days after the Olympics, Captain Wolfgang Fuerstner, head of the Olympic village, killed himself when he was dismissed from military service because of his Jewish ancestry.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Within just three years of the Olympiad, the "hospitable" and "peaceable" sponsor of the Games unleashed World War II, a conflict that resulted in untold destruction. With the conclusion of the Games, Germany's expansionist policies and the persecution of Jews and other "enemies of the state" accelerated, culminating in the Holocaust.

Last Edited: Aug 22, 2023

Author(s): United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC

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The Nazi Olympics -1936 Berlin Olympic Games

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The 1936 Olympics in Berlin under Adolf Hitler's Nazi dictatorship were more than just a worldwide sporting event, they were also a show of Nazi propaganda.

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Later this month, the South Bay city of Torrance celebrates its centennial. Founded in 1912, Torrance followed in the footsteps of L.A. County's " phantom cities" and prefigured the master-planned communities that now sprawl over the region's coastal plain from Lakewood to Irvine.

Pasadena businessman J. Sidney Torrance envisioned the settlement as a model industrial town. In an era when labor tensions gripped Los Angeles -- witness the 1910 bombing of the Los Angeles Times building -- Torrance was to be a haven for workers and capitalists alike from the hostilities of the time. It would also offer some a way out of the living conditions that prevailed in parts of unplanned Los Angeles.

"The time has come when we must go beyond this and see that the man at work, the man who really makes the factory possible, has ideal living conditions," J. Sidney Torrance declared when he announced plans for his new town, to be located halfway between Los Angeles and the San Pedro harbor. "It is not charity, but mighty good business. See how it works. The man who has clean air to breath, who has a good home and pleasant surroundings comes to work in the morning in better condition to do the labor required of him. It is mental as well as physical health that must be offered him."

With the backing of other members of the Los Angeles business elite, Torrance secured some of the finest planning and architectural talent of his time to develop his idea. Modernist Irving Gill would serve as the town's resident architect, and for the princely sum of $10,000 Torrance hired landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., to develop the town plan. Olmsted -- the son of the famed Central Park designer and later the co-author of influential reports on Southern California's parks and roadways -- came to the project with a reputation for integrating natural elements into urban spaces.

The historic Old Torrance district still bears many of Olmsted's signature touches. Among the most evident is El Prado Avenue, a spacious parkway landscaped with trees and carefully aligned to afford views of Mount San Antonio (Baldy) on clear days. Olmsted's plan included paved streets, a a pre-built sewer system, and a civic center arranged around El Prado, complete with an administrative building, school, library, hospital, and auditorium.

Olmsted organized the initial townsite into distinct use zones. To ensure an easy commute for workers, Olmsted placed the residential and industrial districts within walking distance of each other, but specified that the factories should be built downwind of the houses.

A more sinister form of segregation was also a part of the city's early plans, as one area of the town was set aside to house "special quarters for non-Caucasians." Reflecting the widespread social injustice of the time, deed restrictions prohibited the sale of land and the renting of housing to nonwhites in all but this one corner of the town. As a result, the people of color who came to Torrance for work would be excluded from mainstream life for decades.

In December 1911, Torrance and his Dominguez Land Company -- named after the Dominguez family that had controlled the surrounding land since the late eighteenth century -- purchased two tracts east of Redondo Beach totaling nearly 2,800 acres for the planned settlement. Soon, the Pacific Electric Railway and Southern Pacific Railroad agreed to extend their lines to the new town, and a promise from the Union Tool Company to relocate there at a new, $500,000 plant guaranteed the town's conception. The company broke ground on the town on February 6, 1912.

Initially, the city was to be named Dominguez rather than Torrance. But the Dominguez name was already attached to a Pacific Electric station that served the Dominguez family's home. When the family learned that they would have to relinquish the name of their station to avoid confusion, they insisted instead on a different name for the town. In March 1912, the Dominguez Land Company agreed to change the name to Torrance in honor of the town's founder.

On October 28, 1912, the company declared Torrance officially open, selling more than a quarter million dollars' worth of land in its first day. A newspaper advertisement promised that "it will easily be a progessive city of probably 20,000 people IN NOT MORE THAN FIVE YEARS" [emphasis in original].

Despite the company's enthusiasm, the fledgling town took several years to realize even the basic elements of Olmsted's plan. Most streets remained imaginary except on maps, civic amenities like hospitals and libraries were missing, and a small cement building housed the town's only school. To combat the dust storms that plagued the nearly empty town, the Dominguez Land Company planted barley on its many vacant parcels.

A recession in 1913 and the outbreak of World War I in 1914 stymied the town's growth; while the Union Tool Company's new plant opened on schedule, other industrial concerns were slow to arrive.

So were residents. Three years after its founding, only 350 people called Torrance home.

But prosperity eventually came to Torrance. By the time it incorporated as a city on May 12, 1921, its population had increased to 1,800, and the discovery of a vast oil field underneath the city in late 1921 brought further prosperity -- as well as a veritable forest of oil derricks -- to Torrance.
Many of the archives who contributed the above images are members of L.A. as Subject, an association of more than 230 libraries, museums, official archives, cultural institutions, and private collectors. Hosted by the USC Libraries, L.A. as Subject is dedicated to preserving and telling the sometimes-hidden stories and histories of the Los Angeles region. Our posts here provide a view into the archives of individuals and institutions whose collections inform the great narrative-in all its complex facets-of Southern California. Read more L.A. as Subject posts here at KCET.org, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Torrance at 100: the South Bay City's Origins as a Model Industrial Town

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Later this month, the South Bay city of Torrance celebrates its centennial. Founded in 1912, Torrance followed in the footsteps of L.A. County's " phantom cities" and prefigured the master-planned communities that now sprawl over the region's coastal plain from Lakewood to Irvine. Pasadena businessman J.

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Government " Fire " About Us " History

The 1920s

On May 12, 1921, the City of Torrance was incorporated and had it's first Council meeting. One of the first orders of business was to establish a Fire Department. The City Council appointed Ben Hannebrink, who was the Volunteer Chief, as the new paid Fire Chief. His appointment would take effect on May 23, 1921. The Fire Department was re-organized into a paid/call Department and all of the approximately 20 former volunteers were now paid $7.50 a month and required to respond to all fires. The Model T chemical engine was their first line piece of equipment.

In 1922 the Fire Department purchased its first pumper, an American-La France Triple Combination Pumper with solid rubber tires, 80 gallon chemical extinguisher and a hose reel. On November 8, 1922, the city bought property at Cravens and El Prado for $8,000.00. On this site, a combination Firehouse, City Hall and Jail was built at a cost of $13,262.18.

The 1920's were a time of growth. The size and nature of fires were also growing within the City. By 1926, an American-La France city service truck was purchased for the Fire Department. In addition to the 50' Bangor ladder and ground ladders, it had it's own pump. With this new piece of apparatus, the Fire Department had again outgrown its quarters. A new Fire Station, with the City Hall upstairs, was built next door to the existing station addressed at 1523 Cravens. The original building was taken over by the Police Department.

In 1926, Louis B. Mayer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios filmed "The Fire Brigade," to publicize fire prevention. Proceeds of the film were to benefit the International Fire Chiefs' (IAFC) prevention campaign. On October 5, 1926 the beginning of National Fire Prevention Week, the studios' entourage left Los Angeles to promote the film. A private premiere was to be held at the IAFC Conference in New Orleans during the week of October 19-23, 1926. "The Fire Brigade" was the highlight of the Conference. The film went on to New York, where it received its public premiere. The film would be driven cross country and shown at various theaters. Each theater and Fire Department would promote it with bands, parades, fire prevention and demonstrations. One of the many stops was the old Torrance Theater on Cravens Avenue across from the Fire Station.

1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s

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Government " Fire " About Us " History On May 12, 1921, the City of Torrance was incorporated and had it's first Council meeting. One of the first orders of business was to establish a Fire Department. The City Council appointed Ben Hannebrink, who was the Volunteer Chief, as the new paid Fire Chief.

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t the turn of the 20th century, Vienna, capital of the vast but ailing Austro-Hungarian Empire, reflected on its past with pride and its future with uncertainty. The empire had nurtured Beethoven, Brahms, and Strauss. The city was home to Sigmund Freud, and considered a world leader in science, philosophy, and research. With 2 million inhabitants, Vienna was one of the most populous and multi-ethnic cities on earth, a melting pot of immigrants from across the empire.

But Vienna seethed with provincial nationalism, socialist ideals, and an odious wave of anti-Semitism. Though its culture and science still predominate, modern Vienna is, of course, a very different place. In the old town section, the Innere Stadt, throngs of tourists fill the streets, lost in reveries over their fabulous surroundings. But I had come to see another side of the city's history. For Vienna also nurtured the young Adolf Hitler, and, after his rise to power, played a significant part in supporting the Nazi reign of terror. Vienna is rife with reminders of those dark years.

Hitler, together with his friend August Kubizek, moved to Vienna from their hometown, Linz, in 1908. Then 18 and an aspiring artist, Hitler wanted to study at the Academy of Fine Arts at Schillerplatz. Kubizek would study music. They shared a room at Stumpergasse 29, on a street near the Westbahnhof train station. It was an easy walk down bustling Mariahilfer Strasse, which remains the city's main shopping street, to the academy.

Hitler and Kubizek strolled the Ringstrasse, a three-mile-long boulevard that replaced the city's obsolete defensive wall, demolished in 1858. The Ring became one of Europe's great boulevards, lined with an eclectic mix of classical and modern architecture. The two friends admired the Hofburg Palace, which fills much of the southwestern quarter of the Innere Stadt, and the Neoclassical parliament building. Hitler attended parliamentary debates, and in Mein Kampf he claims it was here that he began to loathe democracy. And standing in the cheap seats at the Court Opera, now known as the State Opera, Hitler and Kubizek in-dulged their passion for Wagner. Little has changed. There is perhaps more traffic, but it is still an easy walk through the Innere Stadt to the Ring.

One day Kubizek returned to their room to find that Hitler had left. While Kubizek had been accepted into music school, the academy twice rejected Hitler, which he never told his friend. They would not meet again until 1938.

Hitler moved into a succession of dreary lodgings and homeless shelters, eating in soup kitchens. By 1909 his money-a pension from his mother's death and family loans-had run out. Occasionally he stayed at the shelter in Meidling, a quiet, leafy suburb some distance south of Westbahnhof. He was already peddling watercolors of Vienna, often to Jewish buyers, when fellow shelter resident Reinhold Hanisch offered to be his agent. Their business flourished, until Hitler accused Hanisch in court in 1910 of withholding payments for a painting he had made of the parliament building. Then, to escape Austrian military conscription, Hitler fled to Munich in 1913. While in Vienna he had spent a great deal of time reading right-wing and pan-German writings, expounding on their virtues to all who would listen; he left Vienna thoroughly anti-democratic and with ideas of a Greater German nation.

There are no plaques in Vienna marking the places where the young Hitler lived. But set in the sidewalk of Mariahilfer Strasse at the top of Stumpergasse, where Hitler and Kubizek rented their room, busy shoppers now walk over small brass markers with the names and dates of individuals sent to their deaths by the Nazis, placed at their last known residences or workplaces. There are more set in the sidewalks of the streets nearby, but you need eagle eyes to spot them while walking. German artist Gunter Demnig has placed over 22,000 of these Stolpersteine, stumble stones, in towns and cities across the former Third Reich.

Adolf Hitler triumphantly returned to Vienna in 1938 following his Anschluss, the German annexation of Austria. His parade progressed along the boulevard, passing the dissolved parliament and the town hall before stopping at the Hofburg Palace, where the emperor once lived. From the terrace of the Neue Berg wing, he welcomed to the Reich the 200,000 jubilant Viennese gathered before him in the Heldenplatz. Hitler spent just 24 hours in Vienna before returning to Berlin. Vienna had become a provincial capital.

The Jews of Vienna did not participate in this orgy of adoration. In front of jeering crowds they were forced to scrub the streets, their homes and shops were looted, and thousands were packed off to camps. Today, on Albertinaplatz in the Innere Stadt, there is a poignant sculp-ture of a humiliated, almost formless, scrubbing Jew.The November 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom was particularly vicious here. The City Temple, Vienna's main synagogue in the Innere Stadt, located in an apartment building on Seitenstettengasse, was the only one of the city's 94 Jewish places of worship to escape destruction. Nearly 700 Jews were murdered or committed suicide that night.

Adolf Eichmann had already set up his Central Office for Jewish Emigration in Vienna. It was, at first, a simple system of extorting the assets of Jews in return for allowing their emigration. He likened it to a conveyor belt. By 1939, some 130,000 of Vienna's 206,000 Jews had left the country. With the outbreak of war, further emigration was impossible and Eichmann efficiently organized the deaths of the city's remaining 65,000 Jews in extermination camps. In Judenplatz, a quiet square removed from Vienna's tourist bustle, a small and elegant memorial stands in remembrance. Its concrete walls are shaped like an inside-out library of 7,000 identical blank books with spines turned inward, representing the history erased with each Holocaust victim. The entrance doors have no handles. You cannot enter.

The Nazis did not confine their plundering to emigrating and soon-to-be-murdered Jews. Viennese art galleries and private collections were also looted. Auction houses were taken over by the Nazis to sell expropriated art. Ownership of much of this art remains contentious today. Hitler-by the late 1930s immensely wealthy from business largess, royalties from Mein Kampf, and the use of his image on postage stamps-was a major buyer. He purchased Vermeer's The Art of Painting, extorted from a Viennese family. Valued at $200 million, it now hangs in Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum, and is the most valuable painting on display in the city. The seller's heirs want it back, claiming it was sold under duress.

Fearing the Allies would bomb Vienna, in 1940 Hitler ordered the construction of three pairs of massive concrete flak towers in Arenberg, Esterhazy, and Augarten Parks to defend the city. The larger tower of each pair had massive firepower; the smaller had less and acted as the command center. By 1944, when the towers were completed, Allied bombers were in range of Vienna. Though the towers provided formidable defenses, they were more useful in protecting the 10,000 civilians sheltering in each tower during raids.

A tower in Esterhazy Park has been converted into the Haus des Meeres sea water aquarium, one of Vienna's top tourist attractions; another in Arenberg stores part of the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts, open to the public every Sunday. They remain some of the largest buildings in Vienna, but, as with Hitler's former lodgings, there are no plaques to acknowledge their past.

By April 2, 1945, the Red Army had surrounded Vienna. On April 13, it overcame a weak and demoralized German garrison and took the city. In Zentralfriedhof cemetery the graves of hundreds of German, Russian, and other soldiers who died in the battle are laid out in neat rows-not far from the resting places of Beethoven, Brahms, and Strauss.

Peter Bennett is a Canadian freelance photographer and writer, raised and educated in southern Africa and currently living in Berlin. His work for magazines and international development agencies has kept him busy photographing Africa, Asia, and Latin America. His base in Berlin has been ideal for him to develop his interest in World War II by traveling across Germany and Europe to photograph war sites. His photography and "Time Travel" articles may be found on his website, bennettpics.com.
When You Go
Public transport is not really necessary in Vienna's old town, the Innere Stadt. The Ringstrasse is eminently walkable, though you might want to catch the yellow Ring Tram that runs along the boulevard. The S7 S-Bahn train goes to Zentralfriedhof cemetery.

Where to Stay and Eat
The Hotel Imperial ( hotelimperialwien.at, Kärntner Ring 16) remains the best hotel in Vienna. For the rest of us there is the Ibis Wein Mariahilf ( ibishotel.com, Mariahilfer Gürtel 22-24) close to Westbahnhof station; the views across Vienna from its upper floors are magnificent. Café Frauenhuber in the Innere Stadt ( café-frauenhuber.at, Himmelpfortgasse) is Vienna's oldest restaurant. Mozart and Beethoven played on the same bill there in 1797. Delicious Austrian lunchtime specials go down well with a glass of locally brewed Zwettler Bier. The wood-paneled interior of the lively Café Hawelka coffee house, also in the Innere Stadt ( hawelka.at, Dorotheergasse 6), has not changed since 1906 and serves dozens of specialty coffees.

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t the turn of the 20th century, Vienna, capital of the vast but ailing Austro-Hungarian Empire, reflected on its past with pride and its future with uncertainty. The empire had nurtured Beethoven, Brahms, and Strauss. The city was home to Sigmund Freud, and considered a world leader in science, philosophy, and research.

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The 'politics of sensibility'

The international climate was also changing through the 1980s and 90s, as a new 'politics of sensibility' developed. A number of disputes over paintings (such as those by Gustav Klimt) revealed their dubious provenance, and thus brought the issue of the expropriation of the property of Jews to a wider public, and the war record of neighbouring Switzerland also came under scrutiny. In response - after some inept initial reactions - the Swiss set up the independent Bergier Commission to investigate their own country's approach to the Third Reich.

And last but not least, 'class actions' on behalf of holocaust victims and forced labourers were started in the US, with the aim of getting compensation and wage payments. So far these have been brought mainly against German companies and banks, achieving, if not massive damages for the claimants, at least legal costs, embarrassment and image problems for those claimed against.

This complex of domestic and foreign factors seems to have persuaded the Austrian government (then a coalition of Social Democrat and People's Party) to set up its Historikerkommission in November 1998. From the start there were criticisms that it was a delaying tactic, or state-sponsored whitewash, like the 1946 report referred to above had been.

On the other hand, unlike the latter, its independence was laid down in black and white. Its chairman, Clemens Jabloner, was President of Austria's Verwaltungsgerichtshof (Administrative Court), and a leading legal and academic authority. And its other members (including the present writer) were not nominated by the government, but by outside bodies, in a transparent process.

A year after the Historikerkommission was set up, Austria hit the international headlines again, when, in 2000, a new coalition government under Wolfgang Schüssel (of the People's Party) brought Jörg Haider's FPO into the corridors of power. The headlines were in reaction to the acceptance or even approval of aspects of national socialism by Haider, and by some of the party's members. An international outcry against the FPO followed, and reactions included French-led 'sanctions', which included the suspending of bilateral cooperation.

As far as Austria's Nazi legacy was concerned, the new government was more than anxious to show itself willing to confront it, and talks over the two main problems - compensation for forced labourers, and outstanding compensation issues for Jewish victims - proceeded at breakneck speed. It was agreed that redress for the loss of rental property (59,000 Vienna flats) should be paid out of the Austrian National Fund.

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Austria and Nazism: Owning Up to the Past

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The international climate was also changing through the 1980s and 90s, as a new 'politics of sensibility' developed. A number of disputes over paintings (such as those by Gustav Klimt) revealed their dubious provenance, and thus brought the issue of the expropriation of the property of Jews to a wider public, and the war record of neighbouring Switzerland also came under scrutiny.

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Ordinary World: Vienna Under the Nazi-Regime

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Ordinary World: Vienna Under the Nazi-Regime

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Heinrich Himmler in Vienna (1938)

At the time Austria was practically surrounded by fascist countries in the shape of Germany and Italy. Austria found it increasingly difficult to withstand both the political and the economic pressure. In March 1938, the "Anschluß" was effected and Austria became part of Hitler Germany. During his first visit to the Vienna Town Hall, Adolf Hitler commented that it was imperative to provide the right setting to this "jewel in the crown". However, his policies proved devastating not only for Europe and the world at large, but also for Austria and Vienna. Anti-Semitism, which had been widespread in Vienna for many centuries and had become more prevalent since the turn of the century, eventually combined with the Nazi policy of what ultimately proved to be Jewish extermination. In November 1938 the city's synagogues, the very points of crystallisation of the religious and social life of Vienna's Jewry, fell prey to the destructive fury of a single night's rampaging, in the "pogroms of November" (Reichskristallnacht).

City expansion

Order to the jewish community (1942)

As early as October 1938 the city had seen a tremendous extension of its territory, following the example of Greater Hamburg. 97 Lower Austrian communities were incorporated into Vienna. The number of urban districts increased from 21 to 26. The extension cut deep into the Lower Austrian territory, in all directions, and, at the end of the day, the urban area had tripled. This was the kind of city that experienced the Second World War, which, unlike the earlier war of 1914 to 1918, directly and brutally affected the city and its residents. From 1943 the city suffered repeated Allied bombing. When the war was brought to an end in April 1945 fighting was going on in the very heart of the city.

Contact for this page:
Municipal and provincial archives of Vienna (Municipal Department 8)
Contact form

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Vienna under the Nazi-Regime - History of Vienna

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Heinrich Himmler in Vienna (1938) At the time Austria was practically surrounded by fascist countries in the shape of Germany and Italy. Austria found it increasingly difficult to withstand both the political and the economic pressure. In March 1938, the "Anschluß" was effected and Austria became part of Hitler Germany.

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PHOENIX - It has been eight years since former Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot and severely injured during a meeting in southern Arizona.

Giffords marked the anniversary Tuesday with a vow to "(make) our communities safer," shortly before House Democrats were expected to introduce a bill to expand background checks for sales and transfers of firearms.

Speaking is still difficult for me, but I don't think I can make myself more clear: Congress must act to make our country safer from gun violence. And today, we will do exactly that with the introduction of a bipartisan background checks bill.

- Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) January 8, 2019

Giffords was among the 13 people who were injured in the 2011 Tucson shooting when she was shot in the head. Six people were killed.

The shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, pleaded guilty to 19 charges of murder and attempted murder and was sentenced to life in federal prison.

Giffords' husband, retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, said, "Congress has done nothing ever since" the shooting.

"We take a big leap forward today with the introduction of background checks," he said in a tweet.

The bill expanding background checks "marks a critical first step toward strengthening America's gun laws and making our country a safer place to live, work, study, worship and play," Giffords said in an earlier statement.

"I stand ready to do everything in my power to get this legislation across the finish line."

Several Arizona lawmakers also recognized the anniversary of the mass shooting on social media.

We also remember the acts of courage and selflessness from bystanders, law enforcement, first responders, medical professionals and more that saved lives that day.

- Doug Ducey (@dougducey) January 8, 2019

Arizona will always remember:
Christina-Taylor Green, Gabriel "Gabe" Zimmerman, Judge John Roll, Dorothy Morris, Dorwan Stoddard and Phyllis Schneck.

- Doug Ducey (@dougducey) January 8, 2019

Eight years after Tucson, we'll do more than hold a moment of silence. Today we offer a bill to require universal background checks for gun sales. I'm proud to stand with @GabbyGiffords, @ShuttleCDRKelly, @RepThompson, and many more to make this common-sense proposal a reality.

- Greg Stanton (@RepGregStanton) January 8, 2019

Giffords and Kelly have long advocated for gun control and responsible gun ownership.

They formed Americans for Responsible Solutions, a nonprofit organization that supports gun control, after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, when 28 people, mostly elementary school children, were shot and killed.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the bill on background checks a common-sense measure and cited polls showing 97 percent of Americans support background checks for all gun sales.

"Our Democratic majority will press relentlessly for bipartisan progress to end the epidemic of gun violence on our streets, in our schools and in our places of worship," Pelosi said. "Enough is enough."

The legislation that was set to be introduced Tuesday was not the first to address the problem of mass shootings in the U.S.

The Trump administration moved last month to ban bump stocks, the firearm attachments that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machine guns.

Bump stocks became a focal point of the gun control debate after they were used in October 2017 by a gunman in Las Vegas who fired into a crowd at a country music concert, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds more.

A new regulation gives gun owners until late March to turn in or destroy the devices.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow @KTAR923

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phoenix and arizona breaking news and news headlines - home

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Giffords marks 8-year anniversary of near-fatal Tucson shooting

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PHOENIX - It has been eight years since former Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot and severely injured during a meeting in southern Arizona.

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adversity noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

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Definition of adversity noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

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Inger Ellen Nicolaisen is a self-made entrepreneur from humble beginnings. Raised in a small Norwegian town by an alcoholic father, she became a mother at the age of 15. The responsibility of having a child pushed her to develop her business skills. At the age of 16, she started her first business selling children's clothes. In 1984 she founded Nikita Hair, with her first hair salon in Norway. Nikita has now grown to become one of the leading hair and beauty companies in Europe with 150 salons and over 1000 employees.

Not only has Nicolaisen grown a large, strong company, she has raised a large family as well. She has given birth to three children but has 14 children who call her mom - 11 of them are from a children's home in Eastern Europe. It is truly a family business, as eight of her children work in the company. Her care for children expands beyond her own family as well. She is the founder of the A Hand to Children foundation. For more than two decades she has actively worked to help children.

Jill Griffin: Where did you grow up? Describe your early childhood and its impact on your life.

Inger Ellen Nicolaisen: I grew up in a little village north of the Arctic Circle in Norway, with only 300 people. I come from a pretty dysfunctional family - my father was an alcoholic and my mom was always working, so in many ways I feel like I raised myself. From a very young age I had to step up and be responsible for the family. The best thing about not being born with a silver spoon in my mouth was the monumental lessons I was able to learn. It was at times hard but it drove me to learn to organize and find solutions. I became a young mother at the age of 15, and with that also came a lot of responsibility. When I look back, I'm grateful because my experience has taught me so much.

Griffin: When did you first get the whisper you belonged in business?

Nicolaisen: When I was seven years old, I got a pink cash register that made the noise, "pling", so I started selling hot dogs at my own birthday party. I so loved the sound of the "pling" on the cash register! The rest is history.

I love dogs, so my next business was to sell dog equipment. I love horses, at one point I had 55, and bred them for sale.

In my early 20's, I went into the hair industry and found the most amazing and exciting business. Formal education is one thing I don't have, as I dropped out of school when I became a mother. Passion, enthusiasm, and strong will have helped me to achieve my goals. With so much responsibility as a young kid, I had no fear. The paradox is, if you are afraid to make mistakes, you will never have success. And by the way I am very stubborn.

If I see an opportunity, it's hard to resist. Even if it creates more work, it's better than wondering what I would miss out on by not taking it.

Griffin: Was there an early teacher that inspired you? Who and how?

Nicolaisen: The people I work with inspire me. When I work with someone and they bring out their potential, and think outside of the box, it inspires me and gives me a kick! That is what gives me the energy to keep going and do better.

Griffin: What's a great piece of business or life advice you received, who gave it to you, and how has it enhanced your life?

Nicolaisen: "If you think you can or you think you can't you will be absolutely right." -Henry Ford

I had to read this more than 20 times before I really truly understood what it meant. Then I understood, even if I feel a little doubt, I have to go for it 100%, and strongly believe in what I'm doing. I tell myself, "I can do this!" If I allow doubt to take control, I will not achieve it.

Right now, this is inspiring me to tackle the world of franchising as we bring Nikita Hair to markets across the United States. We can't wait to pick up momentum with the debut of our first U.S. franchise location in Q1 2019.

Griffin: Please give me the top 3 bullet points in your Personal Leadership Credo.

Nicolaisen: We have our own leadership philosophy. There are 3 points we focus on in our business. It's helped us to create a strong positive culture:
We love to build!
We build people and businesses for success. We love to see them succeed.

Through professional development, personal success plans, and goals, we help you to release your full potential.

We strongly believe in our team members and raise them up! We inspire, we listen, and we truly see every client and team member. Our enthusiastic attitude and generous praise lead to great results!
We seek solutions!
We applaud initiative and innovation. Our focus is on solutions.

We are seeking talented team members who have passion and values that match our brand values.

We say what we mean and mean what we say!
We are strong, clear, and great role models!
We are clear, with high expectations, and we are always "hands-on." We earn credibility through being a great role model.

Leading by showing the way and strong enough to make unpopular decisions when necessary.

Griffin: Describe a painful setback in your life and what it taught you.

Nicolaisen: At one point, I had the idea to open four locations for a new concept that only sold hair care products and, to make a buzz, I opened them all on the same day. After three months, I saw the concept did not work; the reason being it was too niche. We had to close and lost some money. It taught me to look at the market and do more market research. It has also taught me that business is not a walk in the park and when you are running business you must accept that there will always be ups and downs.

Griffin: What advice do you have for young, talented, ambitious women who want to rise?
Nicolaisen:

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Want To Overcome Adversity? Believe In Yourself, Then Get Started

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Inger Ellen Nicolaisen is a self-made entrepreneur from humble beginnings. Raised in a small Norwegian town by an alcoholic father, she became a mother at the age of 15. In 1984 she founded Nikita Hair, with her first hair salon in Norway. Nikita has now grown to 150 salons and over 1000 employees.

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You probably didn't read many memoirs in English class in high school. If you're still taking English at Stanford, you probably haven't read many memoirs here, either (ExploreCourses confirms that some ethnic studies and English classes do include memoirs in their syllabi, but they hardly represent the mainstream English curriculum). Historically, memoir was considered a "lower" form of writing, not worthy of being labeled real literature. It was too personal, too self-absorbed for the critics of decades past. Even in the last few decades, memoir has been considered a popular genre rather than a literary genre, often treated with the same amusement as John Grisham novels among literary types.

However, the past two decades or so have seen a renaissance for the memoir form. Authors like Tobias Wolff, Mary Karr and Cheryl Strayed have inserted the memoir into the front and center of literary conversations, merging humor, self-critical honesty and epiphany into books that not only keep the pages turning, but change minds, hearts and - perhaps more importantly -perspectives about the world we inhabit, past and present.

I used to be, per the mainstream literary-snob opinion, skeptical of the memoir. For the first half of high school, I had a " War and Peace" -or-bust mindset towards my reading list (not that I've ever read " War and Peace ," but perhaps that's precisely the point). I wanted to read the books that had shaped our wisest minds and our culture at large: the Hemingways and the Faulkners and the Morrisons of the bookstore shelves. These books, lauded as the defining artifacts of their respective generations, would teach me about the world in a way that only fiction could.

I did read some of these books, and I did enjoy them. Some of them moved me deeply, sometimes to tears (other times, I was simply moved into confusion, followed by an existential crisis about my intellectual and emotional capacity to appreciate great literature). Books like " A Farewell to Arms" broke my heart, taught me about the past and showed me what unique, brilliant prose looked like on the page. Fiction transfixed me the same way that one might be transfixed by the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

But I have a confession to make: through all of the great novels I've read, I rarely felt myself, my life and my experience of American culture represented on the page. Partially, this was due to the age of the novels I read, but there was more: fiction had a heroic depth that, quite frankly, did not align with the slightly-amusing banality of my daily existence. My misfortunes did not feature battle scenes or brutal miscarriages, but things like losing friends, negotiating petty family grievances, juggling self-criticism and self-compassion and thinking about what the hell I was going to do with my life.

Not exactly the stuff of great literature, last time I checked. But it just might be the stuff of great memoir.

First, to clear up a common misconception: memoirs are not autobiographies. Autobiographies cover a person's whole life, hinging on a person's career success. Famous people write autobiographies because others actually care about their formative years, their professional experiences and their reflections on an entire life well (or infamously) lived. Memoirs, on the other hand, articulate the lives of normal civilians. They focus on particular themes or periods of a person's life, telling a story through an almost fictitious narrative frame. Facts and historical moments take a backseat to lived memories, as they've been contoured over years of personal growth and reflection. Memoir is the gritty stuff, the little shards that may not fit together perfectly because life doesn't, either.

Memoir does not tie up all the loose ends and does not glide along a plot arc like a work of fiction. It is not always profound or brilliant or tragic. But it is real life, or as close to real life as you can possibly get in the form of a paperback book. It is the closest we can get to living another person's real story, and the closest we can get to walking a mile in another's shoes.

Memoir is, in my experience, the best way to immerse yourself in a new perspective that really existed, or exists, in the same world we all inhabit. Particularly in this political and cultural moment, I cannot think of a better medium for helping us understand and and empathize with one another than the memoir. Whether it's Mary Karr's " Lit" or J.D. Vance's stunning " Hillbilly Elegy ," memoir has the power to bring us together and unearth our mutual humanity in a way that newsreels and 800-word articles fail to do.

Memoir may not be literature in the canonical sense of the word, but if literature's primary purpose is to help humans understand each other - and I believe that it is - then memoir deserves a front-and-center place on the literary shelf. So take a break from reading the same unintelligible paragraph of " Ulysses" for the fifth time over and crack open a bestselling modern memoir. Even the literary snobs out there, I believe, will not be disappointed.
Contact Avery Rogers at averyr 'at' stanford.edu.
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You probably didn't read many memoirs in English class in high school. If you're still taking English at Stanford, you probably haven't read many memoirs here, either (ExploreCourses confirms that some ethnic studies and English classes do include memoirs in their syllabi, but they hardly represent the mainstream English curriculum).

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Newsela | Mexican Immigration History: Longer, more Complex than U.S.-Mexico border

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Mexican immigration to the U.S. is a huge political issue stretching way back in history. Much of the U.S. was once part of Mexico. War, economics, agriculture, labor and legal issues all figure into it.

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Photo Credit: bigthink.com

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Initial reaction to the outbreak of war

World War Two began on 3 September 1939, when Britain and France reacted to the German invasion of Poland two days earlier by declaring war on the Nazi state. Most Germans believed the attack on Poland was a reaction to Polish aggression and was designed to reclaim territory lost in the , particularly the city of Danzig on the Baltic.

A little over a month later, with Poland defeated and occupied, Hitler publicly offered to make peace with the western allies, while secretly ordering his generals to prepare for an invasion of France that winter. Britain and France refused to trust Hitler this time and the war continued.

The German people reacted to the outbreak of war with resignation. In 1914, at the outbreak of World War One, there had been much enthusiasm but not this time. Germans in 1939 could still remember the pain of 1918, their surrender and the subsequent punishment at Versailles. However, the vast majority of Germans reluctantly supported the war and signed up to play their part in the war effort.

The growing impact of war

Rationing of food was introduced on 27 August 1939 and a points system for clothing was introduced in October 1939.

Germans' diets became more monotonous, with lots of bread, potatoes and preserves.

There were meat shortages due to lack of imports from the USA.

Many Germans feared a repeat of the shortages experienced during World War One.

Food entitlements depended upon the importance of individuals to the war effort: 'normal consumers', 'heavy workers' 'very heavy workers' - there were also categories for children, pregnant women.

The winter of 1939-40 was exceptionally cold and there were shortages of coal.

Area bombing

Up until the middle of 1942 the British had tried to target their bombing raids on industrial and military targets.

In 1942 RAF Bomber Command switched to a policy of 'area bombing' - targeting large industrial cities with incendiary bombs (bombs designed to cause fires), and not distinguishing between military and civilian targets.

On 30 May 1942 the first British 'thousand bomber raid' was launched against the German city of Cologne.

Over the next 3 years: 61 German cities, with a combined population of 25 million, were attacked; 3.6 million homes were destroyed; 7.5 million people were made homeless; 300,000 - 400,000 Germans were killed in the raids; and 800,000 people were wounded. However, German industrial production continued to increase until mid-1944.

The raids had a mixed impact on the morale of the German population as Nazi tended to downplay their impact and the number of deaths.

At the outbreak of war, many Germans from the western regions bordering France, such as the Saar, fled east further into Germany. However, many returned soon after when immediate fighting with France failed to begin.

The intensive British 'area' bombing campaign from May 1942 onwards, targeted at the industrial Ruhr region, created thousands of refugees as whole cities were flattened or burnt down.

During the advance of the Soviet army through Poland and eastern Germany during 1944 and 45, much of the civilian population fled westwards to avoid the brutality of the Russian soldiers.

Employment

13.7 million German men served in the army during the war, and this created a huge labour shortage on the home front.

As they did during World War One, women entered the workforce in large numbers, working in armaments factories and as medics.

The Nazis also made extensive use of forced labour, transporting hundreds of thousands of civilians and prisoners of war from Eastern Europe and elsewhere to Germany to keep the war effort going.

At the end of the war, eight million slave labourers and other 'displaced persons' became refugees inside Germany. In addition, 11 million ethnic Germans were either refugees or had been expelled from the countries surrounding Germany in the East.

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The outbreak of war and its impact - World War Two and Germany, 1939-1945 - AQA - GCSE History Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize

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World War Two began on 3 September 1939, when Britain and France reacted to the German invasion of Poland two days earlier by declaring war on the Nazi state. Most Germans believed the attack on Poland was a reaction to Polish aggression and was designed to reclaim territory lost in the , particularly the city of Danzig on the Baltic.

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There are several types of neglect. Physical neglect is a broad category that includes the refusal to seek necessary medical care; child abandonment, or the desertion of a child without arranging for care or supervision; inadequate supervision; the expulsion of a child from the home; and failing to provide for a child's safety or physical needs. Other forms of physical neglect include inadequate nutrition, clothing, or hygiene; conspicuous inattention to avoidable hazards in the home; and reckless disregard of a child's safety and welfare, such as driving with a child while intoxicated or leaving a young child in a car unattended. Educational neglect occurs when a child is allowed to engage in chronic truancy or is of mandatory school age but does not receive schooling; the refusal to obtain or allow recommended remedial education services; or the refusal to follow through with treatment for a diagnosed learning disorder or other special education needs without reasonable cause. Emotional neglect includes inadequate nurturing and affection; spousal abuse in a child's presence; allowing a child to use drugs or alcohol; the refusal, or delay in providing, needed psychological care; and encouraging or allowing maladaptive behavior such as chronic delinquency or assault. Because emotional neglect may not manifest as physical signs like dirty clothes or frequent absences, it may be difficult for outside parties to identify. Medical neglect is the failure to provide for the appropriate health care of a child. Such a child may exhibit signs of poor health such as fatigue, infected cuts, and constant itching or scratching of the skin.

Research finds that neglected children are more likely than their peers to experience behavior problems, develop psychiatric disorders and/or engage in substance abuse, or display emotional challenges, such as difficulties connecting with or trusting others. Children who are physically neglected-failing to receive adequate food or medical care, for example-may suffer from developmental problems or other long-term health issues as a result. Children who are neglected in the earliest years of their lives tend to experience more long-term problems than do older children in similar straits.

How does childhood emotional neglect affect adults?

Emotional neglect-typically defined as a parent being unable or unwilling to provide emotional support to a child, or allowing them to witness or engage in maladaptive behavior without consequence-can seem less serious than physical neglect. But all neglect has the potential to cause great harm, and emotional neglect can result in lasting harm that can persist into adulthood. An adult who was the victim of childhood emotional neglect may feel empty, numb, or unable to express their emotions; struggle to trust others or form close, intimate relationships; or grapple with deep feelings of guilt and shame. They may also feel fundamentally flawed or as though they are different from everybody else. Adults who suffered emotional neglect in childhood can often benefit from therapy, which can help them learn key coping skills and feel more comfortable naming and expressing the emotions that were denied to them in their youth.

It depends. Leaving a very young child, a seriously injured child, or a developmentally disabled child at home alone is more likely to be considered child neglect in most jurisdictions, because such children are more likely to lack the ability to care for themselves or respond appropriately in an emergency. However, many children-and especially older, more mature ones-are responsible and knowledgeable enough to be left home alone. Most laws surrounding child neglect do not specify an age at which it's acceptable to leave a child alone, and generally leave such a decision to the parent's discretion. Whether a parent is charged with neglect after leaving a child alone typically depends on the child's age and maturity level, how long and how often they're left alone, and other mitigating factors.

What is the relationship between "free-range parenting " and child neglect?

In recent years, a parenting style known as "free-range parenting"-which prioritizes children's independence and aims to reduce overbearing parental supervision-has gained popularity, and many parenting experts have argued that allowing children more freedom and autonomy benefits their physical and emotional health. In some instances, however, so-called "free-range parents" have been investigated by child protection authorities or even formally charged with neglect because their children were engaging in public activities, such as walking home or playing in a park, alone and unsupervised. Some U.S. states have begun to formalize legislation allowing for free-range parenting, as long as children are otherwise well-cared-for; however, parents who encourage autonomy in grade-school age children should be aware that depending on the state and the circumstances, if a report is made that a child is unsupervised, child protection authorities may become involved.

Likely not. There has been pushback from parents about child protection measures that clash with parents' encouragement of autonomy in school-age children, and some U.S. states have begun to formalize legislation allowing for free-range parenting, as long as children are otherwise well-cared-for. However, it may still be possible for someone who identifies as a "free-range parent" to be charged with neglect, depending on where they live and the specific circumstances.

Research suggests that parents with mental illnesses are more likely than other parents to abuse or neglect their children. Seriously depressed parents, for example, may struggle to meet a child's needs in addition to their own, while parents with antisocial personality disorder may neglect a child out of indifference or cruelty. Substance use disorder in parents also greatly increases the risk of child neglect, along with other types of child mistreatment such as sexual abuse.

Being neglected as a child can indeed be traumatic, and evidence suggests that it can trigger post-traumatic stress in some cases. Some also argue that since neglect tends to be ongoing, rather than a singular incident, it may result in complex PTSD ( cPTSD), a condition similar to both PTSD and borderline personality disorder that can manifest as symptoms like hypervigilance, feelings of helplessness, and interpersonal difficulties stemming from insecure attachment.

Yes. Psychotherapy can help neglected children-as well as adults who were neglected as children-come to terms with what happened, cope with difficult feelings, and learn to trust others again. In some cases, and especially in cases where both neglect and abuse occurred, trauma-informed therapy may be most appropriate. For neglected children and teens, some studies have found group therapy to be particularly effective, if it is available nearby. In cases where the neglectful parent will remain in the child's life and is open to changing their behavior, family therapy can help address dysfunctional dynamics and help parents learn the skills necessary to meet their child's needs.

In the U.S., anyone who suspects that a child they know is being neglected can call or text the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1 (800) 422-4453. They can also contact their state's child welfare agency, which can be found here. Individuals in other countries who suspect neglect may be able to reach out to similar resources in their country, most of which are discoverable via an internet search.

After suspected neglect is reported, a child welfare agent will investigate to determine whether it is in fact present. If they determine that neglect is occurring, they will decide what to do based on the severity and the specific jurisdiction's laws. In less severe cases, they may direct parents to parenting classes, substance use education, or other resources to help them better care for their children. In more extreme cases, especially when the child appears to be in immediate danger, the child may be taken away from the parents and placed in foster care. Children who are removed may eventually be returned to their parents, especially if the parents demonstrate willingness to change their behavior and comply with the child protection agency's orders. A judge will usually determine whether a child can be returned to his or her parents.

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Child neglect is defined as any egregious act or omission by a parent or other caregiver that deprives a child of basic age-appropriate needs and thereby results, or has reasonable potential to result, in physical or psychological harm. Younger children are neglected most, and more girls suffer from neglect than boys.

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Daren writes about moving in and out of homelessness for most of her teen life. She struggles to keep up her grades amid an unstable, chaotic life in shelters.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Newsela | Primary Sources: An Investigation Into Congo Colonialism, 1890

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In his letter to King Leopold II of Belgium, George Washington Williams demands that the Belgian government be held accountable for the atrocities it committed in the Congo

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*Some sensitive content*

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Editor's Note: This piece originally appeared in the March 2013 issue of the Foreign Policy Research Institute's E-Notes bulletin.

When the third son of dying leader Kim Jong-il was designated as the successor of his ailing father in December 2011, the media asked me to comment on the young (28 or 29) Kim's inclination to reform North Korea's politics and economy. Journalists pointed out that Kim Jong-un had received several years of education in Switzerland, where he could savor prosperity and freedom. Moreover, as a relatively young leader, he might favor new ways of doing things. He might, in short, reveal himself to be a reformer. Interestingly, this is what many people said about Kim Jong-il when he took over after his father's death. The reformation of North Korea would make a great story for the media, but most of life is humdrum and repetitive rather than newsworthy and so I did not expect anything new from the young Kim. My favorite cautionary example was the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad of Syria, whose four years of post-graduate school in London failed to turn him into a political reformer when he took over from his father.

Not long after Kim Jong-un came to power, he was frequently seen in public with a woman who turned out to be his wife. Again I was asked if this was a sign of change. Kim's father, who had at least one wife and numerous mistresses, never appeared in public with any of them, and North Koreans knew better than to ask whether their leader was married. Once again we can turn to Assad, whose wife was raised and educated in England but has not had an appreciable influence on the political attitudes of her husband.

I have been studying North Korea for over three decades. Back in the year 2000 I co-authored a book with my research partner, Ralph Hassig, titled North Korea through the Looking Glass. The title was meant to suggest that North Korea is just the opposite of what Westerners are familiar with. Most of the book was written during the period when Kim Jong-il seemed to have abdicated leadership and abandoned the North Korean people to suffering and famine-a dramatic change from the days when his father (assisted by Kim Jong-il) kept a firm grip on the lives of his people. Optimists saw the younger Kim's abdication of power as a possible harbinger of political, economic, and social change. Yet, we were not convinced that Kim had adopted any kind of new thinking. Rather, we believed the North Korean press when it quoted Kim as saying, "Expect no change from me."

Over a decade later, North Korea's newest leader has taken firm control from the outset. He has purged those whose loyalty he questions. He has strengthened control over the border with China to reduce the flow of North Korean defectors. Although it was rumored that he favored some modest rural reforms, he has failed to announce or implement them. And most discouragingly, he has devoted most of his attention to preparing his people psychologically for another Korean War. Against the express wishes of the Chinese, who provide most of the economic support for the North Korean people, Kim has sided with the army and moved ahead with missile and nuclear development. Toward South Korea, the United States, and Japan, the North Korean regime has issued increasingly harsh threats of impending war.

South Korea's new president, Mrs. Park Geun-Hye, has offered to implement a trust-building process with North Korea, and her unification minister has said that South Korea is willing to resume humanitarian aid to the North. In the United States, critics of the Obama administration have likewise suggested that a softer approach to North Korea might pay dividends. This strain of optimism is to be found at the beginning of every new administration, but in my opinion it is not the case that previous administrations have missed something. They have tried and become discouraged. Unlike his father, who back in 1994 at least pretended to be willing to make accommodations with the international community when it came to North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Kim Jong-un has spurned offers of reconciliation and is staking North Korea's future on Chinese willingness to support his regime, despite the obvious dissatisfaction of the Chinese.

It would seem that Kim Jong-un can only be moved by the wrath of his people or by strong pressure from the Chinese. No one else has leverage over him. China voted for the most recent UN resolution on additional sanctions against North Korea following Pyongyang's third nuclear test, but whether the Chinese leadership will back up their sanction vote with action remains to be seen. In the past they have spectacularly failed to do so, fearing regional instability more than possible nuclear proliferation.

During my visit to China in November 2012, young Chinese intellectuals and party cadres expressed to me their unhappiness with the Kim regime, although they know better than to directly contradict official Chinese policy. "The 'First Fat,' Kim Il-sung, was sort of a comrade to us, fighting against the colonial Japanese. The 'Second Fat,' his son Kim Jong-il, was disliked by most Chinese but we continued to support North Korea. Now this 'Third Fat,' Kim Jong-un, seems to be the worst of the lot." China's new leadership may continue with its traditional "noninterference policy" for a while, but the young Chinese elites have already lost patience with their troublesome neighbor, a fact that Kim Jong-un and his supporters must surely be aware of.

Inside the two Koreas

North Korea today is not one republic but two: A "Pyongyang Republic" and a "Republic of Everyone Else." The distinction is both geographical and political. The capital city Pyongyang is clean, orderly, and modestly prosperous. Pyongyangites, most of them Party members, dress better than they used to, buy food at restaurants and street-side stalls, and talk on their cell phones. Foreign visitors, expecting to see a land of starving people, are impressed. The regime has the power to make the city-or the most visible parts of the city-to its own specifications. After all, there is no private enterprise to interfere with government plans. Kim Jong-un and the top elites live even better than the other citizens of Pyongyang. No matter how many economic sanctions are placed on North Korea, there always seems to be enough money to support the political elites, with plenty left over for nuclear weapons and missiles.

Outside Pyongyang, North Korea is a different world. In 2009 Ralph and I wrote The Hidden People of North Korea. These are the people we were talking about. In Pyongyang, the main streets are as wide as parking lots. Outside the city, most roads are unpaved. Vehicles are few and far between (even visitors to Pyongyang can see that). Trains creep along twisted tracks. Although North Koreans have more freedom to travel than they used to (not officially but unofficially), they mostly hitchhike to get to their destinations. Travelers pay bribes of homemade wine and cigarettes to get rides on military trucks, or they simply trudge along the side of the road. People are thinner and much more poorly dressed than they are in Pyongyang. They are also hungrier and sicker. Only local party leaders and the black-market entrepreneurs who bribe them are pear-shaped; everyone else is banana shaped.
How can the Kim regime be moved?
The United States has long appealed to China to put more pressure on North Korea to stop its nuclear and missile programs and initiate economic reforms. The Chinese have by and large resisted this appeal and instead repeatedly called on "all parties" to remain calm and work out their differences in the Six Party Talks, hosted by China but not convened since 2008. For that matter, neither the United States nor South Korea officially favors any sort of political revolution in North Korea, preferring to wait until something causes the regime to change its own mind.

If China cannot be moved, and neither the United States nor South Korea is willing to do more than call on the Kim regime to reform, can 23 million North Koreans take their fate into their own hands? Since the famine of 1995-1998, when the government stopped providing food to most of its citizens, they have pursued a bottom-up economic revolution and now survive for the most part by their own means, even though these means are mostly illegal. Not having the wherewithal to care for its people, the Kim regime has acquiesced to this revolution, although it occasionally cracks down on private enterprise and continues to insist that socialism is the only acceptable economic system.

Interpreting the regime's acquiescence to private enterprise as a softening of its views, some politicians, political pundits, and analysts in the United States argue that our government should initiate high-level talks with the Kim regime, agree to North Korean demands to sign a peace treaty replacing the 1953 Armistice Agreement, and normalize diplomatic relations with the government in Pyongyang. These actions would satisfy some, but hardly all, of the demands North Korea has made on the United States. In my opinion, the United States tried its best to reach an agreement in 1994 but the effort ultimately failed. Part of the fault lay with the United States, which, as a democracy, was unable to fulfill all of the obligations that the Clinton White House had made. Much of the fault lay with North Korea, which arguably had no intention of actually giving up its nuclear weapons, but rather was playing the United States for all it could get. Regardless of how blame for the agreement's ultimate failure is allocated, the failure itself exemplifies the theme of our Looking Glass book: that the two countries are on opposite sides of most issues and can no more meet in the middle than a person can pass through a looking glass-except in a dream.

Almost everyone who tries to deal with North Korea, politically, economically, or socially, comes to realize that this is an almost impossible country to deal with. There is an obvious reason for North Korea's recalcitrance: only by keeping itself separate from the modern world can the regime hope to perpetuate itself generation after generation. People often forget that the regime has been a great success, even though the country is a basket case. The first two Kims lived lives of luxury (after the elder Kim established himself as leader) and died natural deaths. The third Kim presumably believes he can do no better than follow in their footsteps. He and his supporters have little reason to change their policies because they do not suffer from international sanctions or their ruinous economic policies.

So what about the 23 million citizens of North Korea who are not living a life of luxury? Do they have the will and the means to change their condition? Human beings are highly adaptable. The North Korean people have learned how to make their own living, even if for most of them it is not a very good living. They live in constant fear of punishment; most of them endure a measure of hunger and sickness. But this has always been the case. They have never had political power, and the few who have tried to resist the regime have been quickly arrested and put away in prison camps. Hope is the last word in the people's dictionary. For them, the scope for change is their immediate economic environment, nothing more.

Koreans living in both halves of the peninsula are a hardy and resourceful people. South Korea in the 1950s was in many respects not that much different from North Korea. Both countries were dictatorships and both were poor (North Korea actually got an economic jump on South Korea in the 50s and 60s). In the 1960s, under the authoritarian president Park Chung-hee (the father of the current president), South Korea experienced an economic revolution-instituted by the government rather than the people. Only in the 1980s did the government gradually relinquish its authoritarian powers and move toward full democracy, which arrived in the early 1990s after years of popular demonstrations. Arguably the key difference between political fates of the two Koreas was that the United States had a large military presence in South Korea and successive Korean governments recognized their dependence on the Americans. This presence, and South Korea's desire to join the international community, constrained the South Korean presidents in their use of force against protesting citizens.

The United States has no presence in North Korea. Kim Jong-un's only constraints are the fear that the Chinese might someday pull the plug on his economy, and the fear that his hard-line military might turn against him. As a far away force, is there anything the United States can do to help the North Korean people stand up for themselves against their government? In the final pages of our Hidden People book we suggested that the only way North Korea would change is if its ordinary citizens took it upon themselves to bring about change, and we recommended that foreigners do everything in their power to provide the North Korean people with information about their government and the outside world to empower themselves. The United States has extended very modest assistance to North Korean defectors who have devoted their lives to transmitting information back to their comrades in the North. But beyond that the United States, with its hands full in the Middle East, has been unwilling to go.

The Obama administration's official policy toward North Korea is "strategic patience." The virtue of this policy is that it does not stir up any hornet nests. The weakness is that it fails to control the situation. Rather than working to remove the Kim dynasty, which judging by its own words and history is unlikely to change, the United States (and South Korea) bolster their defenses so that if the Kim regime should act on its threats of war, the allies can win the war as quickly as possible. As for the North Korean people, they are on their own.

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Kongdan Oh evaluates the state of North Korea and its leadership, arguing that the Kim regime hopes to perpetuate itself by keeping separate from the modern world, and that the regime will continue to be a success even though the country is a basket case.

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Article: What You Need to Know About North Korea and it's Nuclear Program

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Article: What You Need to Know About North Korea and it's Nuclear Program

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Newsela | North Korean refugees treated like prisoners in their own country

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Some North Koreans take extraordinary risks to escape the harsh conditions in their country