The Impact of Civil War and Conflict on Identity

Themes & Core Questions:

1. How do people define citizenship or nationality in the times of government crisis?  To what degree does political instability affect the common person?
   
2. What are the economic impacts (both positive and negative) of domestic conflict or civil war on the average citizen?  What are some of the survival strategies used to deal with these impacts?
   
3. How do the five themes of geography (location, place, human & environmental interaction, movement, and region formation) shape the decisions made by citizens during conflict or civil war?
   
4. How do conflicts or civil wars affect religious institutions and the religious beliefs of the average man or woman?
   
5. What is the history of power sharing between ethnic groups or social classes in the country affected by conflict or civil war?  How do values and attitudes toward ethnicity, social class, and nationality change during civil war?  What factors have an effect on these changes?

Overview:

The lessons on Nigeria include a speech given by a tin miner, Weke Okujagu from Jos, who has been assigned to recruit workers away from oil rich land controlled by Shell and Chevron after the government execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a respected political activist, in 1995.

Time Required: 2 class periods or 90 minutes.

Suggested Grade Levels: Grades 8 – 12

Interdisciplinary Applications: Social Studies and Literature

NJ Core Content Standards: 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.7, 6.8

Instructional Objectives:

1. Explain how civil war impacts the common person.
   
2. Analyze the effects of conflict on identity using PEERS.
   
3. Synthesize the understanding of the impact of civil war or conflict on the common person by developing empathy for the various decisions they have to make.

Strategies:

Lesson 1:

1. Assign reading for preparatory homework.
2. Begin lesson by explaining activities.
3. Students will view Power Point presentation on Nigerian Conflict.
   Teacher should read “Recruitment Speech” aloud to class.
   Discussion based on Power Point presentation.
4. Assign vocabulary for homework.

Lesson 2:

1. Review Vocabulary
2. Students should complete critical thinking questions as class, with class discussion.

Materials:

• Recruitment Speech and Flyers of Weke Okujagu
  
• Recruitment Flyers (Download into Microsoft Word)
  
• Activities: Vocabulary and Critical Thinking Questions
  
• Power Point presentation on Nigeria (Download into PowerPoint with African Drums)
  
• Nigeria Maps (Download into Microsoft Word)

Resources:

• The Drilling Fields transcript of the documentary by One world Broadcasting Trust that was first shown on Channel 4 in London on May 23, 1994 was found at http://stephen.richards.net/Ogoni_Pages/og04.html. Sounds like a great documentary to find.
  
  
• Earthlife Africa’s Fact Sheet on the The Ogoni Struggle at http://www.gppsd.ab.ca/gpcomp/academ/soc/33/dict/Nigeria2.html was a well-organized outline on the Ogoni struggle against Shell.
  
  
• Ken Saro-Wiwa Literary Analysis at http://landow.stg.brown.edu/post/sarowiwa/sarowiwaov.html was part of a comprehensive project by Brown University on Post-Colonial and Post-Imperial Literature.  It had good descriptions of writings, but watch facts.  It said Saro-Wiwa died in 1996.
  
  
• Nigeria – Mining Industry at www.mbendi.co.za/indy/ming/mingng.htm had good links for mining development throughout Africa.
  
  
• Ken Saro-Wiwa’s Final Statement before the Military Tribunal at http://www.greenpeace.org/~comms/ken/state.html. You can read the text of his final statement before the Military Tribunal that sentenced him to death.
  
  
• “Shell Oil and Environmental Devastation of Nigeria” at www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Environment/ShellNigeria_environ.html had some good facts on oil in the Ogoniland but their homepage and the links are what is impressive and useful for activist information.
  
  
• Shell Nigeria at www.shellnigeria.com was a good site for the maps and the corporate perspective.
  
  
• “Tin Mining Wreaks Havoc in ‘Beautiful’ Nigerian City” at www.oneworld.org/panos/news/32MAR99.HTM was an interesting article that helped me to understand the effects of mining in Nigeria.  The www.oneworld.net site is a great site for activist literature from around the globe.

Assessment:

Vocabulary worksheet
Critical thinking worksheet