Global Studies Final by Kelly McDevitt https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75 Made by Parisa, Tais, Kelly and Eryka en-us 2019-12-04 17:52:31 UTC 2025-12-20 19:00:22 UTC hello@padlet.com Mission Statement sharksaremylife98 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/421897975 "We strive to support dependable learning environments for independent learners regardless of age or gender"

]]> 2019-12-09 22:18:55 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/421897975 Syria's Education Crisis kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422965061 2019-12-11 20:09:02 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422965061 Explanation of the Education Issue kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422966387 The ongoing conflict has severely affected the educational system in Syria. Lack of human, financial and educational resources and materials has further contributed to this dire situation.  Poor or no internet connection, high costs of bandwidth and state censorship present challenging conditions for principles and practices of freedom of access to the internet. Access to the worldwide internet will provide young aspiring students with opportunities to further their education. This will assist them by providing entrepreneurship training to find jobs, thus they can receive the necessary training to find employment, to launch their own businesses and to embark on an entrepreneurial path. By implementing this project, the Syrian students can aspire for a brighter future where they can reach emotional and financial independence moreover through education and training they can contribute to the future of Syria by rebuilding its economy.

Education is a basic human right, it gives hope, resilience and will eventually sustain communities as well as protecting the children and young adults against discrimination in the society, yet there is no mention of the tertiary education and the future of children and young adults by the humanitarian organizations in syria. When Syria eventually stabilizes, it will need skilled and educated young adults to rebuild their country physically, intellectually and emotionally. As a consequence of the ongoing conflict in Syria, many libraries and laboratories have been destroyed, access to online materials have been more challenging than before and as a result, students cannot easily access the necessary educational materials. 


]]> 2019-12-11 20:11:38 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422966387 kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422968338 2019-12-11 20:15:46 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422968338 Internet Access Balloons kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422968553 2019-12-11 20:16:11 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422968553 Online Children’s Books websites kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422969369 2019-12-11 20:17:39 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422969369 kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422969638 2019-12-11 20:18:12 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422969638 Current Political Situation kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422971066
  • For the past eight years Syria has been experiencing a civil war, as different fighting groups have fought to seize control of the country. This has been between soldiers who support the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and fighters known as rebels, who are against this regime. The opposition is made of several subsidiary groups including rebel fighters, political parties, and Islamic State
    • Concerns regarding high unemployment, misbehaviour of officials and a neglect of political freedom under President Basar al-Assad occurred even before the conflict began. However, the event which catalysed the civil war situation was the arrest of 15 school children, who were reportedly tortured, for anti-government vandalism. Peaceful protests began to free the children, and support democracy and greater freedom. These demonstrations escalated quickly after the government’s aggressive response on 18 March 2011 when the army opened fire on protestors
    • Protestors have campaigned for the resignation of President Assad. This has been very difficult, especially considering the government’s tightly controlled and repressive political structure where they have authority over how information is transmitted to the public- Syrian state TV is controlled by the government.
    • https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/16979186
  • As of 1 November 2018, Freedom House acknowledged Syria as having an internet status as ‘not free,’ where there are heavy restrictions on internet freedom. One key factor highlighted to support this status is the 32% internet penetration (indicating the number of people who use the internet in regards to the country’s respective demographic information.) 
    • It is noted that content surrounding political and social issues are blocked, and those who use the internet, in what is deemed an inappropriate way, can be arrested. Many are persecuted if they misuse the internet as seen in the example of digital activist Bassel Khartabil Safadi. His democratic activism was the cause of his detainment in 2012, and it was later revealed in 2017 that his execution in 2015 was conducted by the regime’s security forces.
    • There has been positive progress between June 1, 2017, and May 31, 2018, where internet access became more affordable and accessible as more websites were unblocked, including Wikipedia, WordPress blogging platform and numerous regional and Lebanese media websites.
    • However, there continue to be obstacles in accessing the internet as Syria’s telecommunication infrastructure and the broadband connection are the least developed considering the difficulty and costly nature of accessing it. Due to the civil war, and bombings that encompasses it,  there are many electricity outages, and the communications infrastructure is the weakest in areas where the government does not have control over. Moreover, there are many internet shutdowns by the government.
    • https://www.refworld.org/docid/5be16af6116.html

    • ]]>     2019-12-11 20:21:00 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422971066     Overview of the Current Educational Situation in Syria kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422975750
  • Literacy rate: 83%
  • 2.8 millions children have been out of school between 2011- 2018 
  • 2 out 5 schools in Syria cannot be used because they have been damaged, destroyed, sheltering displaced families or being used for military purposes 
  • 40% of children ages 15 to 17 are out of school, elevating risk of early marriage, child labor and other forms of exploitation and abuse
  • Neglect and under-stimulation of children affected by conflict can lead to severe impairments in the child's development, creating a lasting legacy of war.
  • Many of Syria’s children have seen their families torn apart, and witnessed loved ones suffer and die before their eyes. Two-thirds have been injured or had their homes hit by attacks. More than half are using drugs to help cope with the stress of living in a war zone, and nearly three-quarters have shown signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.

    • ]]>     2019-12-11 20:30:26 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422975750     kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422976357 2019-12-11 20:31:38 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422976357 kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422976824 2019-12-11 20:32:28 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422976824 kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422978656 2019-12-11 20:36:00 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422978656 kmcdevitt1218 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422978966 2019-12-11 20:36:36 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422978966 Explanation of Mission Statement sharksaremylife98 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422996459 In order to establish a positive relationship with Syrian officials, we find it important as a project to acknowledge the ongoing conflict but have structured our statement to be vague to not ruffle feathers, however we will stand by our morals on fair implementation for girls and women.]]> 2019-12-11 21:13:56 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/422996459 Costs & Funding sharksaremylife98 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423003464 Due to Syria's current economic crisis, outside sources of funding will definitely need to be implemented in order to fund this project.

    1. Donors, Donors, DONORS. Without public or private donations towards the the belief of our po

    2. Partnerships: Loon technology is fairly new and is still it's trial period. Trials held now in Kenya are awaiting results as telecom and cellular companies grow interest in this technology. Privatization is not a goal of this project however funding from private sources is accepted as public funds are not always substancial. 

    3. The test phase of these balloons has not provided a current price of balloons, but management can be presumed to be costly as each balloon needs to be monitored. Also, in the global helium shortage, helium prices have risen, causing the fueling of these large balloons will be costly. 

    4. A possible extension of the app could be the inclusion of narration (seen in many book apps) by Syrian stars, who can use their fame to bring attention and hopeful donations to this project. ]]>     2019-12-11 21:32:42 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423003464     How many balloons are needed in Syria? sharksaremylife98 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423005931 About 14 to cover the entirety of the nation. Loon internet balloons have coverage of approx. 5,000 square kilometers. 14 may not be needed as some areas may experience enough wireless coverage.]]> 2019-12-11 21:38:47 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423005931 Map of Syria sharksaremylife98 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423007263 2019-12-11 21:41:57 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423007263 Impact sharksaremylife98 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423034120 Following Plan International UK: Benefits of Literacy
    1.     Literacy lifts individuals out of poverty
    2. Literacy improves the development of the wider community
    3. Literacy reduces infant mortality rates
    4. Literacy empowers women and girls
    5. Literacy positively impacts economic growth beyond the local community
    ]]>     2019-12-11 23:10:09 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423034120     Our Implementation sharksaremylife98 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423034828
  • In the digital age, smartphones are more prevalent than ever before, these are used a source of power for many people in conflict zones and refugees, whether that's to plan political protests on social media or whether it acts as the final connection to their families who have left or those who can not escape
  • In the spirit of resistance (whether openly vocal about doing so) we support education as it creates equity. We will support of creation an app for online books specifically for literacy (see the children's book website for inspiration)
  • Numerous books will be available in Arabic
  • Introduction of the Loon Wifi balloons will support internet or faster internet in areas previously "off-the-grid" so more Syrians can access the app

    • Potential Challenges
    • If there was no access to the internet (or during a switch of balloons) there are a few fail safe plans that could be considered. 
      • Ebooks will have a downloadable function so that they can be remotely accessed even if a device has no internet access
    • In order to maintain our project in Syria longterm, we will allow for the government to look through the app and censor (hopefully a limited amount) 
    • Additionally, officials can be present at balloon launches to mitigate the fear of supervision


    ]]>     2019-12-11 23:12:51 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423034828     Impact Continued... sharksaremylife98 https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423046601 Displaced Syrians and those that remain are at a disadvantage. 

    Supporting the education of Syrians aids in their inclusion back into the global conversation and eventually economy. The higher level of education Syrians have can help them access the political realm and make great change or aid in their transition if they are unfortunately forced to flea. Whether the access to this app and internet is used in a formal school space or in the safety of one's home one can have consistant education. ]]>     2019-12-12 00:01:20 UTC https://padlet.com/kmcdevitt1218/a9buwzlwbw75/wish/423046601