Subject File HUMAN RIGHTS and HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

 

Eleanor Roosevelt holding the English-language version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in November 1949, Courtesy: Wikipedia

Subject File LITERACY & THE IMPORTANCE of READING

 

DW News: The rise of the post-literate society

The Atlantic: Why You Can't Read Anymore

Subject File CURRENT TRENDS in TOURISM

Sustainable Tourism

Making the tourism industry more sustainable has been among the major business development strategies, leading to the emergence of buzzwords such as ‘green tourism’, ‘eco-tourism’, ‘slow tourism’ or ‘clean tourism’. These strategies are in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations member states in 2015.

Ex. 1: Learn more about the “Sustainable Development Goals”.

For further information, go to: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/

Ex. 2: Sustainable Tourism. Identify possible markers.

Ex. 3: Complete the text with a suitable word.

Sustainable tourism development requires the informed ____________ (1) of all relevant stakeholders. Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous ___________ (2) and it requires constant monitoring. Sustainable tourism should also _____________ (3) a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful ______________ (4) to the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices among them. This requires the ______________ (5) of cultural integrity and the integration of environmental protection and cultural heritage resources in programs related to tourism. _______________ (6) attempts to implement the principles of sustainable tourism __________________ (7) are made both at the regional level and at the level of tourism enterprises.

Country File U. K. - Spotlight on History: BAYEUX TAPESTRY

It was a complex operation, shrouded in secrecy. 

In the dead of the night, the Bayeux Tapestry was chaperoned from Northern France to the British Museum in London under police protection. The convoy transporting it crossed the English channel via the Eurotunnel, taking the priceless cultural artefact straight into London. 

The tight security operations were met by the conditions of the transport of the 68 m long embroidery. To protect the fragile medieval masterpiece, conservators had folded it like a curtain and put into a climate-controlled vibration-consistent container with the right temperatures and moisture levels, because experts had warned that the transport could damage the fragile fabric of the embroidery. A government guarantee covers the embroidery at the value of around 900 million euros.

After almost 1,000 years, the tapestry is back on English soil, and it is the first time the tapestry has ever been displayed in the United Kingdom. The transfer has been made possible after one year of negotiations when the French president Macron agreed to loan the tapestry to Britain for 9 months, a move considered important for Franco-British relations after Brexit and as a symbol of trust and friendship between France and the United Kingdom. 

The exhibition at the British Museum in London opens on 10 September, 2026, and runs until 11 July 2027. 100,000 tickets were already sold on the first day of sales.

Country File U. S. A.: 4 JULY, 1776 --- 250 YEARS of STATEHOOD

How the United States became a country

On 4 July, 1776, a group of British colonies in North America declared themselves the United States of America, effectively laying the foundations for what is the country today.

But how did this come about?

In 1492, Christopher Columbus, a representative of the Spanish Crown, lands in the Caribbean, setting off a wave of Europeans coming over to explore the riches of these newly discovered lands.

The British Crown intends to also benefit of the newly discovered continent, and attempts are made to establish permanent settlements in 1585 and 1607, respectively, when Jamestown is eventually founded, a first colony in a region named "Virginia". The reasons why increasing numbers of settlers cross the Atlantic to start a new life here are manifold, but many of them seek religious freedom whilst others are attracted by the possibility to acquire wealth. For the native population, the influx of colonists is devastating, either because of endless wars or imported diseases.

Historic Jamestown: the first permanent settlement on the East Coast

Economically, these British colonies in the New World initially establish a tobacco growing industry. The need for labour on these plantations is met by forcibly importing African slaves, a practice which will later prop up agriculture in the South and the industrial system in the North.

By 1732, 13 very different colonies exist; what they share is their British identity and a sense of Britain as their real home, and they prove their loyalty to the Crown by fighting a war against France in the 1750s, which also has huge territorial claims on the continent but lose most of them to Britain. This victory over an imperial competitor, however, sows the seeds of discord with the motherland.

The King does not want the settlers to expand into these new territories beyond a proclamation line for fear of a war with the native population, a policy which is seen as impeding their westward conquest by the colonists. Moreover, massive debts after the war with France cause the British government to decide that the colonies should pay more taxes.

However, these policies lead to growing frustrations about Britain's rule over them among the settlers. The city of Boston, the capital of Massachusetts becomes the hotspot of discontent.

In 1765, colonists there riot against British taxes; in 1770, red-coat British soldiers shoot into a group of civilians, killing 5 people, an incident which would become known as the "Boston Massacre"; in 1773, local settlers board a British ship at Boston harbour and dump tea over board as a protest against British taxes and control over trade, the ominous "Boston Tea Party". When, in 1775, 700 British soldiers outside of Boston are confronted by a group of armed civilians resulting in the death of 8 colonists, the colonies respond by forming an army led by the legendary George Washington. The 13 colonies are now officially at war with Britain, against their own government. The American Revolution has started.

Boston Historic Landmarks To See On Vacation

In January 1776, Thomas Paine advocates for independence from Britain in a pamphlet,  questioning Britain's rule over a whole continent. The pamphlet goes viral, and public opinion is turning in favour of independence. In Philadelphia, representatives of the 13 colonies meet and choose Virginia's delegate Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence, which is adopted on 4 July 1776. 

These events lead to an escalation of the war, and the king send 32 000 British troops to New York to stop the rebellion. The Americans look to France and Spain for help and receive military and financial support. For other European empires, this new nation breaking from England provides opportunities. 

George Washington crossing the Delaware, by Emanuel Leutze

George Washington leads the American Army through five years of war with Britain, tens of thousands are killed in brutal battles, until, in 1781, Washington surrounds Britain's forces in Yorktown, where they surrender and the war is over.

Yorktown History

Americans build a nation, write a constitution, with a new idea to have a president in charge, and, in 1789, the war hero George Washington is unanimously elected by the electoral college to be the first President of the United States.

Subject File NEWSPAPERS

Newspapers

Different types of newspapers

Broadsheets or quality newspapers: printed on a large paper format, known for in-depth, objective reporting, and high-quality investigative journalism; focus on hard news, politics, business, and extensive editorial commentary rather than entertainment or sensationalism; traditionally aimed at educated, professional, and affluent readers; 

United Kingdom: The Guardian; The Telegraph; The Times

United States: Wall Street Journal; New York Times; Washington Post

Tabloids (also known as gutter press, redtops, yellow press, or populars): smaller, more compact-sized publications, characterised by sensationalist reporting, large arresting headlines, and a heavy focus on celebrity gossip, crime, and human interest stories;

United Kingdom: Daily Mail; The Sun

United States: New York Post

Task 1

Check out the links above and find national newspapers in your country which are equivalent to broadsheets and tabloids in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. 

Ex. 1: Study the adjectives below describing reporting styles. Decide which refer to broadsheet and tabloid journalism.

reliable - predictable - biased towards (in favour of sth.) - entertaining - unreliable - sensationalist - harmful - factual - provocative - controversial - judgemental - balanced