Natural Resources Curse or Blessing Dr Filiz Otucu

Natural Resources: Curse or Blessing? Dr. Filiz Otucu and Dr. Whitney Howarth Dept. of Social Sciences Plymouth State University

�Why have resources become so important?

Escalating worldwide demand �population growth �Industrialization/economic growth �Increasing appetite for materials �Rising demand around the world

Risk of shortages �Earth lost nearly one-third of its available natural wealth between 1970 and 1995 as a result of human activity. �Oil and water are likely to be in insufficient supply to meet global requirements by the middle of the 21 st C.

Disputes over ownership �Many key sources of natural resources are shared by two or more nations, lie in contested border areas. � mixed with ethnic/religious conflicts

Case Studies �Water: Jordan River Basin, Middle East �Oil: Darfur, Sudan �Diamonds: Sierra Leone

WATER CONFLICT � Supply is inadequate �Rapid urbanization �Global climate change � water: matter of national survival �“water is life itself”

�Yitzhak Rabin: “if we solve every other problem in the Middle East, but do not satisfactorily resolve the water problem, our region will explode”

�According to World Bank: minimum human water requirement of 1, 000 cubic meters person a year �Actual available fresh water: 12, 500 cubic km per year

JORDAN RIVER BASIN �Lebanon: Hasbani tributes �Dan river: northern corner of Israel �Syria: Baniyas �Lake Tiberias �Israel: 6. 7/10. 9 m �Jordan: 3, 696, 000/ 6. 5 m �Israel: 467/310 �Jordan: 224/80

�Israel: National Water Carrier(NWC) �Jordan: East Ghor Canal � 75% Jordanian water needs � 1967: 6 Day War �Golan Height of Syria (Baniyas) �West Bank

Sudan: Starving for Oil Genocide in Darfur SUDAN: DARFUR: Starving for Oil in a Resource War Zone. “This is a resource war, fought by surrogates, involving great powers whose economies are predicated on growth, contending for a finite pool of resources. ” – David Morse, War of the Future: Oil Drives the Genocide in Darfur

Historic Background � Chevron finds oil in Sudan 1978 �Sudanese Civil War – 22 years Arab nomadic herding clans in north black African farmers in the south � US Sanctions since 1997 � Racial Tensions, Ethnic Rivalries, and Religious disputes. Water wars. � “The Dafur Conflict” -- began in 2003 and continues today --450, 000 dead (violence and disease) and --2. 5 million displaced � The Janjaweed militias - Genocide? ? Khartoum

Who “owns” Darfur? Multi-nationals competing for oil concessions… http: //youtube. com/watch? v=h. I 5 j 43 Yff. Fs (2: 43) Other Oil Companies/Countries in Sudan: Talisman (Canada) Petronas (Malaysia) Lundin Oil (Sweden) National Iranian Gas Company Aqip (Italian) Total. Fina (France) OMV (Austrian) & many more…

Concessions � State-owned Chinese oil company, CNPC, controls 60 -70% of all Sudan oil production � China’s CNPC is the operator of Sudan's huge Block 6… � Recent production increase in the Block 6 from 10, 000 to 40, 000 barrels of oil a day. � oil revenues are used to finance the Sudanese government's war against Darfuri people. � China is the world’s fastest growing oil importing nation – uses its position on the UN Security Council to block sanctions against Sudan.

Diamonds �ruthless factions are provoking civil war �Major resource conglomerates are contributing � no established local institutions. �demand is growing �Private military companies involved

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone “Conflict Diamonds” originate from areas controlled by forces opposed to internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments.

Fueling War Ø 1991: Civil War ØCharles Taylor of Liberia ØRUF: Revolutionary United Front Ø 1999: ceasefire 2001 U. N. sanctions : “a ban on Liberian diamond sales, and a ban on travel by Liberian officials, including its president, and tougher weapons sanctions. ” 2002 United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL)

• 1996 elections: To intimidate potential voters and to maintain control of the diamond mines, the rebels chopped off the hands and feet of adults, teens, children and even infants • 2003: the U. N. Special Court in Sierra Leone “indicted several of those involved in the civil war in Sierra Leone for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and violations of international humanitarian law. ”

Sierra Leone �Over 50, 000 people have been killed �Over one million people have been displaced �Thousands, especially children, have been maimed and mutilated

Who needs to take action? • Governments • IGOs and Non-Government Organizations (NGOS) • diamond traders & multi-national co. ’s • financial institutions • arms manufacturers/traders • social and educational institutions • Citizens & human rights groups • YOU and your Students!

Curriculum Ideas for teachers Water Lessons: � http: //www. nationalgeographic. com/xpeditions/lessons/04/g 912/newswater. html � http: //www. pbs. org/frontlineworld/rough/2005/10/flwrc 11. html? &c=3 wm (video clip) � http: //www. peacecorps. gov/wws/educators/enrichment/africa/lessons/byarea. html Oil Lessons: � http: //www. nationalgeographic. com/xpeditions/lessons/01/g 68/iraqoil. html � http: //www. pbs. org/wnet/extremeoil/teachers/lp 1. html � http: //www. pbs. org/frontlineworld/educators/geography_colombia. html Blood Diamond Lessons: � http: //www. amnestyusa. org/education/pdf/bd_curriculumguide. pdf � http: //www. pbs. org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/world/conflict_diamo nds_12 -06. html � http: //www. blooddiamondaction. org/ and http: //www. stlyrics. com/lyrics/blooddiamond/shineonem. htm

“Shine On ‘Em” Lyrics by rapper Nas They dug me out the soil in the Mines of the Motherland Now I'm misplaced, one hand to another hand Illegal smugglin', people strugglin' Wish they could just throw me back in the mud again Yeah, guess that's how we got here Slave Trade then the Diamond Trade Every child's afraid When his Mother and Father get sprayed Forced in the Army, young killer Brigade Gets a new name and then he give his nose glue Til' his mind can't take what he's gon' through Lookin' in that dirt for that ice so blue Then The Royal Family, the ice goes to And this thing has to change, feelin' half-ashamed As I rap with my Platinum chain When you shop for a gift for me You think about the misery? The same way we made Apartheid History We can do the same thing to the conflict ice But everybody wanna shine, right?