The SixtyTwenty News StudentNewspaperattheDepartmentofTranslationStudies UniversityofInnsbruck,March-June2015 DamagedhousesinSyria Thenever-endingSyriancivil war byPhilippScomparin AtthebeginningoftheSyrian started.Sincethen,accordingto andthefightbetweenrebelsand dedhisfather,Hafez-al-Assad, civilwaronlytwogroupswerein - theBBC,morethan200,000 theIslamicState.TheNATOand asPresidentofSyriain2000. volvedintheconflict:theopposi - peopleareestimatedtohave theUNhavenotintervenedyet Thebeginning tionandthetroopsofPresident losttheirlivesintheconflict.Alot becausetheirmemberstates al-Assad.Asthewarwenton, ofpeoplehadtofleeinthe havenotbeenabletoreachan On18March2011thedemons - moreandmoregroupsandor - neighborcountriesLebanon, agreement.Thisarticlereveals trationsbecamebloody.TheSy - ganizationshavejoinedthewar. Jordan,IraqandTurkey.Abig thestoryofthecivilwar. riangovernmentusedviolence Whydoesthiswararousesuch topicofthiswaristheuseofche - inordertostopprotesters.Atfirst abiginterestamongtheseor - micalweapons.Asalreadymen - Itallbeganasaprotestagainst thedemandofprotesterwere ganizationsandhowdidtheybe - tionedbefore,thiswarisnotonly thegovernmentofPresident democraticreforms,releaseof comepartofthisconflict? aboutgovernmentagainstoppo - Basharal-Assadinspring2011. politicalprisoners,morefree - sition.Italsoinvolvesfightsbet - AssadistheGeneralSecretary dom,abolitionofemergencylaw Inspring2011thecivilwar weenrebelgroupsthemselves oftheBa’athParty.Hesuccee - andanendtocorruption. Page1 CurrentAffairs thatchemicalweaponswerein - Statewithairstrikes.Intheme - Laterthemaingoalofthede - Alotofpeoplewithreligiousmo - volvedintheconflict.Afterthe antimetheKurdswereprovided monstratorsbecametheover - tivationsjoinedtheseorganizati - UNfoundevidenceAssad’sre - fromWesternstateswithwe - throwingofAssad.Afterforeign ons.Manyrebelunitsbecame gimeblamedtherebelsforthe aponsandsotheIShadtoleave countriesandUN’sSecretary- partoftheseIslamicorganizati - useofpoisongas.TheNATOdid Kobane.1,600peopleareesti - GeneralBanKiMoonshowed onsbecausetheyofferedthema notintervenebecausethemem - matedtohavelosttheirlivesin theirconcernsaboutAssad,the monthlysalary.Themeasuresof berstatesdidnotwantto.Also theconflictofKobane.Thisfight Presidentabolishedtheemer - thesegroupswerebrutaland theUShadnomilitaryreaction hasbeenoneofthelatestbig gencylaw.Despitethat,thepro - violent.Theyhurtjournalists,da - tothepoisongasattacksince eventofthecivilwar.2015has testscontinued.Thegovernment magedfacilitiesofotherreligions RussiaconvincedtheSyriango - notstartedsowellforthego - usedtanksandviolencetocom - andusedsuicidebombersto vernmenttostoptheirchemical vernmenttroops.Theyhavelost batthedemonstrators.The22 combatthegovernmentandaid weaponsprogramandallowin - someterritories,particularlyin Aprilofthatyearhassincebeen organizations.Infact,insteadof ternationalagenciestocontrol thesouthofthecountry. oneofthemosttragicdaysofthe weakeningtheAssadregime theirarsenalofchemicalwe - country.Snipersshotatprotes - theyhelpedthePresidentindi - apons. TheorganizationsHumanRights tersandkilledbetween30and rectlybecausetherestofthe WatchandAmnestyInternational 70people.AsaresponsetheUS worlddoesnotwanttosupport 2014–untiltoday accuseboth,governmentforces governmentimposedsanctions suchanopposition. andrebels,ofviolatinghuman onSyria. Asthewarwenton,rebelgroups rights.SincetheISjoinedthe Atthebeginningof2013theSy - startedtofighteachothermore war,Syriahasbecomethebig - Rebelgroups riangovernmentcouldstabilize andmore.Al-Qaidagroups gestdisplacementcrisisofthe itselfagain.Thegovernmenthad startedtofightagainsttheor - world.AccordingtotheBBC, InJuly2011formerarmymem - lesserterritorytodefendandthe ganizationsoftheSunnisand around7.6millionpeoplewere bersandciviliansfoundedthe useofartilleryandbombswasa againsttheFSA.Inthemean - forcedtoleavetheirhomesbut FreeSyrianArmy(FSA).The bighelp.TheSecurityCouncilof timeAssad’stroopscouldgain werenotabletoleavethecoun - FSAputalotofpressureonthe theUNcouldnotintervenebe - someareasofthecountry.Since try.TheUNestimatesthat12.2 militaryarmyandexpelledthem causeRussiaandChinawere theappearanceoftheIslamic millionpeopleareinneedofhu - fromalwaysmoreterritories.As againstanintervention. Stateinmid-2014,thefightsbet - manitarianhelpinsideSyria.In timegoesby,thenumberof weenKurdsandtheIslamicmili - themeanwhilenearly4million peoplewhowithdrewfromthe InMay2013militiasoftheLeba - tiabegan.Thefightswerevery peoplefledtotheneighborcoun - regulararmyincreased.Itsee - neseHezbollahenteredSyria brutalandsoalotofpeoplefled. tries.LebanonandTurkeyhave medlikethattheAssadregime andbegantosupportAssad’s TheIslamicStatewasableto eachmorethanonemillionSy - wouldnotlastlong.However,the troops.Withtheirhelpthetroops gainsomeimportantareassuch rianrefugees,whileJordan,Iraq FSAwasnotabletoprovidefor wereabletobeatrebelsinmany asabigpartofthecityofKo - andEgypthavetakeneachhun - thepopulationoftheirterritories. areas,includingimportantstra - bane.SomeWesternStates, dredsofthousandsofSyrians. Thisissuewassolvedbyvarious tegypointslikeAl-Qusayr. particularlytheUS,wantedtoin - About200,000peopleareesti - organizationofSunnis’,which terveneatthispoint. matedtohavediedinthewar areconsideredtobethelargest Theuseofchemicalweapons andasitseemsthenumberof branchoftheIslam.Asthewar InAugust2013apoisongasat - Sincethen,acoalitionconsisting victimsisgoingtoincreasemore continued,membersoforganiza - tacktookplaceinGhoutaand oftheUSandsomeArabic andmore. tionsarmedthemselvesandpar - causednumerousvictims.Atfirst states,likeSaudiArabiaand ticipatedinthewar. theSyriangovernmentdenied Qatar,hasattackedtheIslamic TheOrphansinBelarus Thetragiclifefateoftheorphanedchildren bySaraEnnine Belarusisacountryfullofcon - cuatedonly9daysaftertheinci - tradictions,blessedwithamar - dent. vellouscountrysidebutatthe sametimeitisanextremelyim - Theradiationwhichwasre - poverishedcountry.Adecisive leasedwhenthereactorexplo - eventofBelarus’historywasthe dedisstillaseriousproblem. Chernobylnucleardisasterin Thehighlevelofradiationhad 1986. causedtremendoushealthpro - blemsandmanyresidentsare On26thApril1986aserioustra - stilllivinginthecontaminated gedyoccurred.Duetoafailed areabecausetheydonotwant experimentanuclearreactorof toleavetheirhomeorrathergive PowerstationPripyatinCherno - uptheirwholeexistence.Besi - bylexploded.Withtheexplosion des,thenumberofcancercon - numerousradioactiveelements ditionshasincreasedandisstill andcompoundshadbeenre - increasing. leasedintotheair.Theresidents oftheaffectedareawereeva - Afterthereactoraccidentamul - Page2 CurrentAffairs titudeofaidorganisationsand percentofthepopulationabuse kidsdonothavethesamepos - theybecomeaddictedtoalcohol, associationswereestablished. alcohol,inthemajorityofcases sibilitiesasothergraduates. neglectorprostitutethemselves. Themainobjectivewastohelp theyconsumevodka.Inthis childrenwhohavetoliveincon - casethegovernmentcomesinto Childrenwithadisabilityarenot Anotherbigproblemistofinda taminatedareas.Totakethechil - playandremovesparentalrights acceptedinBelarus,theyarere - jobandaflat.Mostofthemnot drenoutofthecontaminated fromtheparents.Asaconse - jectedbysociety.Thatistherea - evenhaverelatives,family areaevenforashorttimecan quence,theyloosethechildcus - sonwhytheyareplacedin friendsoracquaintancesthat haveapositiveeffectontheirhe - tody. orphanageswheretheyhaveto couldhelptheminanyway.The alth.Theaidorganisationspay growupwithoutloveandaf - harshrealityisthattheyare particularattentiontoorphans Nevertheless,therearemany fection,withoutafamily.The completelyleftalone. wholiveinorphanagesand otherreasonsbesidesalcohol conditionsaresaidtobeterrible. otherinstitutionsofvarious abusewhychildrenaresentto Althoughtherearecaregivers Thenon-profitaidagency“Cana - types.Theinitiativeparticularly orphanagesorsimilarinstituti - thechildrendonotgettheaf - dianAidforChernobyl-Provi - camefromforeignorganisations. ons.Thekidslivingintheorpha - fectiontheyneedbecausethere dingHopeto…aNation…a nagescomefromseveral isnotenoughstaff.Inconse - Village…aChild!”hasnewinitia - InBelarusthereare600orpha - milieus.Inalmostallcasesthe quenceofthisissueviolentat - tivesfor2015.Theirprojects nageswhichhostabout50,000 parentsarenotabletoraisetheir tacksaretheorderoftheday focusonBelarusandthe children.Mostorphanageshad childrenontheirownandthis becausefromtheirpointofview Chausyregion,atowninthe beenbuiltafterWorldWarII. oftenleadstohighphysicalvio - thisistheonlywaytosedatethe eastofBelarus. Somechildren’shomeshavethe lence.Manymothersprostitute children.Inadditiontothat,pills functionofasanatorium;this themselvestogetmoneyfor andothermedicationsareused. Themostrecentinitiativeiscal - meansthattheyallowchildrento vodkaandoftendrugs;theysee Thisisdoubtlessnottheright led“RescueHomeforChildren”. stayuntiltheyarecompletely theirchildrenasacumbersome waytohandlethissituation.It Theagencyplanstoerectares - cured.Sotheyprovideatleast burdenandsendthemaway. shouldbementionedthatthis cuehomeintheTownofChausy theshelterandprotectionthat Theadultsarenotevenableto cannotbeblamedonthestaff wherechildrencanliveanddo thosechildrenneedanddeserve handletheirownlifeandthatis only;itisnotpossibleforthemto nothavetoleaveataspecific forsometime. thereasonwhytheydonotma - lookaftersomanychildrenor age.Hence,theycanlivewithout nagetolookafterachild. rathertobeasubstitutefamily, thefeartobeleftalone.Further - Otherinstitutionshostchildren TheRussianpedagogueMaka - asthisalternativefamilyformis more,theywanttohireaso-cal - whohavestayedbehindintheir renkodescribedthefateofthe nottherealone.