Topic 1:
Afghanistan images
“At the end of the road” Mortenson, 2009
* “The Pashtun elders say that when Allah was finished creating the world, he cobbled together all the leftover bits and pieces, and it was from this pile of rubble that he fashioned Afghanistan.” p. 37
* Meeting point of Ptolemy’s Two Scythias and high point of the Silk Road. p. 37
* Linchpin of greatest trade route becomes farthest border of imperial powers. P. 39
* Ultima Thule: a place so remote that it delineates the outer limits of geography and the edge of civilization . P. 39
Portraying the Geography behind the headlines
* Maps show us where
* Maps provide information
* Maps define space and place
* Maps compare data
* Maps delineate regions
* Maps illustrate patters maps show changes
* Maps document spatial relations
KEY WORDS
*
* Bamyan (Bamian)
* Baluchi
* Corridor
* Crossroads of continent
* Demography
* Deployement
* Ethnolinguistic group
* Foos security
* Gender geography
* Hazara
* Kabul Kandahar
* Opium poppy
* Pashtun
* Regions
* Risk
* Regions
* Socio-economic
* Indicators
* Terrain
* Uzbek
*
* Vulnerable population
Topic 2:
Afghanistan and Canada
A never popular war loses momentum
What does the Afghanistan conflict teach us about geography?
* The continuing strategic importance if ‘crossroads’ countries in globalization
* The capacity of humans to adapt to changing environments
* The role of culture in differentiating and aligning human populations
* The strength and continuity of tradition in a country sustained by alliances
Topic 3:
More Terrorist Attacks; Ongoing Insurgencies: Afghanistan, Mumbai, Russia
Breaking news: Assassination of Rabbani
* Rabbani had been welcome in an all Arab camp
* Rabbini had respect of East and West
* Implications of his death are ominous
*...