The Kite Runner: Setting

To what extent does Cold War play an important role in the unfolding of events in the novel??

Western influence

Further information: European influence in Afghanistan and Reforms of Amānullāh Khān and civil war

British and allied forces at Kandahar after the 1880 Battle of Kandahar, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The large defensive wall around the city was removed in the early 1930s by the order of King Nadir.

Following the 1842 defeat of the British-Indian forces and victory of the Afghans, the British established diplomatic relations with the Afghan government but withdrew all forces from the country. They returned during the Second Anglo-Afghan War in the late 1870s for about two-year military operations, which was to assist Abdur Rahman Khan defeat Ayub Khan. The United Kingdom began to exercise a great deal of influence after this and even controlled the state'sforeign policy. In 1893, Mortimer Durand made Amir Abdur Rahman Khan sign a controversial agreement in which the ethnic Pashtun and Baloch territories were divided by the Durand Line. This was a standard divide and rule policy of the British and would lead to strained relations, especially with the later new state of Pakistan.

Zahir Shah, the last king of Afghanistan, who reigned from 1933 to 1973.

King Amanullah sitting next toGerman President Paul von Hindenburgin February 1928.

After the Third Anglo-Afghan War and the signing of the Treaty of Rawalpindi in 1919, King Amanullah Khan declared Afghanistan a sovereign and fully independent state. He moved to end his country's traditional isolation by establishing diplomatic relations with the international community and, following a 1927–28 tour of Europe and Turkey, introduced several reforms intended to modernize his nation. A key force behind these reforms was Mahmud Tarzi, an ardent supporter of the education of women. He fought for Article 68 of Afghanistan's 1923 constitution, which made elementary education compulsory. The institution of slavery was abolished in 1923.^[99]

Some of the reforms that were actually put in place, such as the abolition of the traditional burqa for women and the opening of a number of co-educational schools, quickly alienated many tribal and religious leaders. Faced with overwhelming armed opposition, Amanullah Khan was forced to abdicate in January 1929 after Kabul fell to rebel forces led by Habibullah Kalakani. Prince Mohammed Nadir Shah, Amanullah's cousin, in turn defeated and killed Kalakani in November 1929, and was declared King Nadir Shah. He abandoned the reforms of Amanullah Khan in favor of a more gradual approach to modernisation but was assassinated in 1933 by Abdul Khaliq, a Hazara school student.^[100]

Mohammed Zahir Shah, Nadir Shah's 19-year-old son, succeeded to the throne and reigned from 1933 to 1973. Until 1946 Zahir Shah ruled with the assistance of his uncle, who held the post of Prime Minister and continued the policies of Nadir Shah. Another of Zahir Shah's uncles, Shah Mahmud Khan, became Prime Minister in 1946 and began an experiment allowing greater political freedom, but reversed the policy when it went further than he expected. He was replaced in 1953 by Mohammed Daoud Khan, the king's cousin and brother-in-law. Daoud Khan sought a closer relationship with the Soviet Union and a more distant one towards Pakistan. Afghanistan remained neutral and was neither a participant in World War II, nor aligned with either power bloc in the Cold War. However, it was a beneficiary of the latter rivalry as both the Soviet Union and the United States vied for influence by building Afghanistan's main highways, airports and other vital infrastructure. In 1973, while King Zahir Shah was on an official overseas visit, Daoud Khan launched a bloodless coup and became the first President of Afghanistan.

Marxist revolution and Soviet war

Main articles: Saur Revolution, Soviet war in Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, and History of Afghanistan (1978–1992)

Outside the Arg Presidential Palace inKabul, a day after the April 1978 Marxist revolution in which President Daoud Khanwas assassinated along with his entire family.

In April 1978, the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) seized power in Afghanistan in the Saur Revolution. Within months, opponents of the communist government launched an uprising in eastern Afghanistan that quickly expanded into a civil war waged by guerrillamujahideen against government forces countrywide. The Pakistani government provided these rebels with covert training centers, while the Soviet Union sent thousands of military advisers to support the PDPA government.^[101] Meanwhile, increasing friction between the competing factions of the PDPA — the dominant Khalq and the more moderate Parcham — resulted in the dismissal of Parchami cabinet members and the arrest of Parchami military officers under the pretext of a Parchami coup. By mid-1979, the United States had started a covert program to assist the mujahideen.^[102]

In September 1979, Khalqist President Nur Muhammad Taraki was assassinated in a coup within the PDPA orchestrated by fellow Khalq memberHafizullah Amin, who assumed the presidency. Distrusted by the Soviets, Amin was assassinated by Soviet special forces in December 1979. A Soviet-organized government, led by Parcham's Babrak Karmal but inclusive of both factions, filled the vacuum. Soviet troops were deployed to stabilize Afghanistan under Karmal in more substantial numbers, although the Soviet government did not expect to do most of the fighting in Afghanistan. As a result, however, the Soviets were now directly involved in what had been a domestic war in Afghanistan.^[103]

At the time some believed the Soviets were attempting to expand their borders southward in order to gain a foothold in the Middle East. The Soviet Union had long lacked a warm water port, and their movement south seemed to position them for further expansion toward Pakistan in the East, and Iran to the West. American politicians, Republicans and Democrats alike, feared the Soviets were positioning themselves for a takeover of Middle Eastern oil. Others believed that the Soviet Union was afraid Iran's Islamic Revolution and Afghanistan's Islamization would spread to the millions of Muslims in the USSR. The PDPA prohibited usury, made statements on women's rights by declaring equality of the sexes^[104] and introducing women to political life.^[104]

US President Ronald Reagan with a group of mujahideen representatives at theWhite House in 1983.

After the invasion, President Jimmy Carter announced what became known as the Carter Doctrine: that the US would not allow any other outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf. He terminated the Soviet Wheat Deal in January 1980, which was intended to establish trade with USSR and lessenCold War tensions. The grain exports had been beneficial to people employed in agriculture, and the Carter embargo marked the beginning of hardship for American farmers. That same year, Carter also made two of the most unpopular decisions of his entire Presidency: prohibiting American athletes from participating in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and reinstating registration for the draft for young males. Following the Soviet invasion, the United States supported diplomatic efforts to achieve a Soviet withdrawal. In addition, generous US contributions to the refugee program in Pakistan played a major part in efforts to assist Afghan refugees.

The Reagan administration increased arming and funding of the mujahideen as part of the Reagan Doctrine, thanks in large part to the efforts of Charlie Wilson and CIA officer Gust Avrakotos. Early reports estimated $6–20 billion^[105] but more recent reports suggest that up to $40 billion were provided by the United States and Saudi Arabia to Pakistan.^[106][107] This was in the forms of cash and weapons, which included over two thousand FIM-92 Stingersurface-to-air missiles.

The 10-year Soviet war resulted in the deaths of over 1 million Afghans, mostly civilians.^{[19][20][108]} About 6 million fled to Pakistan and Iran, and from there tens of thousands began emigrating to the European Union, United States, Australia and other parts of the world.^[109] Faced with mounting international pressure and great number of casualties, the Soviets withdrew in 1989 but continued to support Afghan President Mohammad Najibullah until 1992.^[110]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan

CULTURAL DIVERSITY: THE MORE, THE BETTER

This inaugural food festival will explore the delicious diversity of Pan Asian cuisine through demos, music, and dance.

Canada's Commitment to Cultural Diversity

Cultural Diversity: A Canadian Perspective

Canada's experience with diversity distinguishes it from most other countries. Its 32 million inhabitants reflect a cultural, ethnic and linguistic makeup found nowhere else on earth. Approximately 200,000 immigrants a year from all parts of the globe continue to choose Canada, drawn by its quality of life and its reputation as an open, peaceful and caring society that welcomes newcomers and values diversity.
In order to encourage the creation and sharing of Canadian stories, both at home and abroad, which reflect Canada's cultural mosaic, Canadian Heritage is pursuing a number of strategic objectives. Chief among these is recognition of the importance of cultural diversity. Our commitment and experiences are outlined in the following departmental publications:

• Sharing Canadian Stories: Cultural Diversity at home and in the world
• Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
• Canada @ UNESCO

YOU CAN DO RESEARCH ON FOOD, 

HEALTH: I'D RATHER DIE SKINNY

Teen eating disorders

By Christine Langlois

Here's how to recognize the signs that your teen might be suffering from an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.

Helping a teen with an eating disorder is among the most difficult challenges that a family can face. Parents should know that, fortunately, there are specialists who can help them help their child, that treatment for eating disorders is available. As with many disorders, there's a better chance of recovery if you recognize the problem and treat it in the early stages.

Research is ongoing into the causes of eating disorders, and the results are a subject of debate. Most experts believe that an eating disorder is a strategy that young people use to cope with problems too painful to talk about. They use their bodies as vehicles to play out the issues they face, usually issues of control, sexuality, separation, and self-esteem.

Of the people with eating disorders, 90 to 95 per cent are female. People with eating disorders may have suffered a trauma such as psychological, physical, or sexual abuse, or be part of a family in which the caregivers are addicted to alcohol or drugs. However, many people with eating disorders have not experienced such traumas. An eating disorder may have no single cause. In someone who is vulnerable, a disorder can be triggered by an event she doesn't know how to handle, which can be as common as being teased or as devastating as rape or incest. An eating disorder often begins when the person is dealing with a difficult transition: puberty, a new school, the breakup of a relationship. Every person's experience is unique, but often the teen who develops an eating disorder feels shame, disgust, and anger about her body. Some feel a need to purify or even punish their bodies. They feet powerless to change anything else in their lives.

There are two main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Both are characterized by excessive concern about one's weight and shape and a negative, distorted body image. Although a teen may weigh only 32 kg (70 lb.), when she looks in a mirror, she sees herself as obese. She thinks that others also consider her mammoth in size, even if you think she looks skeletal when you see her thin arms and legs.

Anorexia Nervosa

Of the women in Canada between the ages of fourteen and twenty-five, an estimated 2 per cent suffer from anorexia, a condition defined as a drastic weight loss caused by self-induced starvation. It can, however, begin earlier. The child may begin by eliminating desserts from her meals. Then she may also exclude bread. She could go on to deny herself more and more food until she's eating only celery sticks and water. Eventually she may try to exist on water alone. The anorexic may go to the extreme of counting the calories she consumes from the glue after licking a postage stamp.

Behind this potentially fatal illness is a girl's strong desire to control everything and to become thin. Some may already be painfully thin in their parents' eyes; others become anorexic because they were overweight children, were either ostracized or encouraged to diet, and were praised when they lost pounds. Anorexics believe their only problem is being too fat. They have a distorted body image and dorA recognize how underweight they are, which makes it difficult for them to recognize that they need treatment.

Typically the anorexic makes up excuses to miss meals. Most adolescents have voracious appetites, but if your daughter often says that she had a huge lunch and doesn't want dinner, you might well be alert to other indicators of anorexia.

The British Columbia Ministry of Health includes the following as signs of anorexia:

• She develops obsessions about food and recipes. An anorexic may eat vicariously by grocery shopping, by watching cooking shows,or by cooking food for others.

• She develops unusual eating habits. She may cut her food into tiny pieces or eat only the crumbs that others leave behind.

• She always feels cold.

• She shows a noticeable weight loss.

• She involves herself in excessive exercise. As a way of burning
calories, an anorexic may spend hours in the gym or go on day-long walks.

HEALTH: OBSESSED WITH BEAUTY

Eating Disorders

At least 10 million Americans are estimated to suffer from potentially life-threatening eating disorders, a family of behaviors characterized by an unhealthy relationship with food, an unhealthy relationship with one's body, and unhealthy weight-regulation practices. Combined, these illnesses are one of the leading killers of young women in western nations.

Consider these statistics:

·         Among western women between 15 and 24 years old, approximately 1 out of every 200 suffers from anorexia nervosa, while about 1 in 50 is bulimic.

·         Between 10 and 50 percent of American college women report having binge eaten and then vomited to control their weight.

·         Approximately 40 percent of American girls ages 9 and 10 report being or having been on a diet to lose weight.

·         Some 50 to 60 percent of teenage American girls believe they are overweight, yet only 15 to 20 percent of them actually are overweight.

Individuals with eating disorders are at the highest risk of premature death (from both natural and unnatural causes) of all people who suffer from psychiatric disorders.

Eating disorders are commonly considered to affect primarily teenage girls and young women (who are in fact the most likely to seek treatment). However, experts report that other groups, such as men, minorities, and lower-income Caucasians, increasingly are developing eating disorders. Because they don't fit the stereotype, these people are not commonly identified by caregivers and do not typically seek treatment.

Because disordered eating originates from a combination of genetic, environmental, and individual factors, the path to developing such a disorder is complex—and as unique as each person affected.

The presentation of disordered eating is also extremely individualized. For example, some people may appear to eat in a healthy manner, but their extreme exercise habits negatively impact their health and their relationships. Others may eat very little during the day but eat throughout the evening. Some people may try to compensate for binge eating with strategies such as self-induced vomiting or laxatives, while others may not.

Categories of Eating Disorders

When people think of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa usually come to mind. Many don't realize that the expression of disordered eating comes in a variety of forms. While each category has its own symptoms, as described below, the common denominators are nutritional problems and disturbances in people's experiences of their bodies that negatively affect their ability to function.

This section contains more on:

·         Anorexia nervosa

·         Bulimia nervosa

·         Binge eating disorder

·         Eating disorders not otherwise specified

Anorexia Nervosa

Often referred to as self-starvation, anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that results in drastic, life-threatening weight loss. Estimated to affect 1 percent of adolescent females in the United States, anorexia nervosa has one of the highest death rates of any mental health condition.

In the United States, approximately 86 deaths in 100,000 among 15-to-24-year-olds are attributed to anorexia nervosa—about five times more than what is expected among people in that age group. Perhaps more troubling, the suicide risk among individuals with anorexia nervosa is approximately 32 times that of the general population.

Anorexia nervosa is most likely to occur among teenage girls and young women—at least 90 percent of sufferers are females—although it can strike both males and females at any age. Because the disorder robs the body of the fuel it needs to perform properly, the body begins to slow down critical functions in an effort to conserve energy. This can lead to serious medical complications, including:

·         Slowed heart rate

·         Low blood pressure

·         Loss of bone and muscle mass

·         Cessation of a menstrual cycle in post-pubescent females

·         Dehydration

·         Fainting or lightheadedness

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and dangerous weight-loss behaviors. That is, people with bulimia regularly consume large amounts of food followed by efforts to rid the body of that food (purging).

Purging and compensatory behaviors include self-induced vomiting, the abuse of laxatives and diuretics, excessive exercising, and fasting. Many people with bulimia feel as though they are powerless against their compulsions to binge and purge.

Although bulimia nervosa affects approximately 2 percent of adolescent Americans—primarily teenage girls and young women—those afflicted may not always be obvious to others, as many are of normal body weight for their height and age.

Bulimia nervosa's assault on the body can take a life-threatening toll. Bulimics can develop serious related medical conditions that include:

·         Electrolyte and chemical imbalances resulting from the dehydration and loss of critical vitamins and minerals that are consistent with frequent vomiting. Such imbalances can lead to irregular heartbeat, a cumulative decline in cardiac function, and death

·         Chronic gastrointestinal irregularity and distress due to abnormal eating and elimination habits or the abuse of substances such as laxatives and diuretics

·         Damage to the esophagus caused by regular self-induced vomiting

Binge Eating Disorder

While many people equate eating disorders with extreme weight loss, that is not always the case. Arguably the most common eating disorder in the United States, binge eating disorder affects an estimated 2 million Americans.

Binge eating is characterized by the quick consumption of more food than would be expected given the situation in which the eating occurs. People who are binge eaters often describe feeling that a part of them wants to stop eating, but because they continue to eat despite this internal struggle, they frequently describe a feeling of loss of control. After the eating episode, binge eaters may feel guilty, shameful, or disgusted with themselves.

Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (ED-NOS)

This category includes forms of nutrition and body image disturbance that do not fit neatly into the more well-known categories of eating disorder. An "ED-NOS" diagnosis means that a person's body image and nutritional disturbance hinder his or her ability to live an optimal life by interfering with aspects such as health, concentration, job performance, or relationships.

Behaviors may include extreme methods of weight regulation, such as over-exercising; chronic dieting; the abuse of diet pills, laxatives, enemas, or diuretics (with or without binge eating); chewing and spitting out food; and binge eating at lower frequencies than in binge eating disorder.

While these behaviors are frequently exhibited by individuals with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, they also make up a category of their own and have a strong psychological component.

Because there are currently no standardized diagnostic criteria for these disorders, national statistics for them do not exist. However, the Eating Disorders Program at Duke University Medical Center reports that approximately half of its clinical patients fall into this category—and that many of these individuals suffer from similar levels of social and cognitive impairment as do those with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

While sufferers are overwhelmingly, but not exclusively, teenage girls and young women, all sufferers struggle with nutrition and body image disturbances at levels that interfere with their functioning and have a negative impact on their lives.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY: OPEN TO THE NEW

Aussies 'love other cultures, and fear them'

Muslim girls wearing hijabs with the Australian flag on them walk in Melbourne (AAP)

A survey finds Australians believe cultural diversity is good but are worried that differences will stop everyone from getting along. 

Australians are in two minds about multiculturalism, a long-term survey has found.

They believe cultural diversity is good for the country but they're worried that cultural differences will stop everyone from getting along.

An 11-year study by a collaboration of Australian universities has found 85 per cent of Australians acknowledge racial prejudice occurs in the nation, and one in five has been a victim of racist verbal abuse.

Some 'against' multiculturalism

The study found that 6.5 per cent of the 16,000 Australians surveyed were against multiculturalism.

Professor Kevin Dunn, from the University of Western Sydney's school of social science, said the study revealed that the majority of Australians are pro-multiculturalism but are anxious that the diversity will not be managed well.

"Over 40 per cent of those surveyed feel that cultural differences pose a threat to societal harmony," he told AAP.

Suspicious of pluralism

"So if you take that alongside the 87 per cent that are pro-multiculturalism, clearly you've got a third of the nation that tolerate cultural diversity but are concerned at the impact it will have on society.

"The Cronulla riots and the recent attacks on people of Indian descent are an example of this.

"The figures show that 85 per cent of Australia acknowledge there is racial prejudice in the country."

Dunn believes previous governments have done nothing to address the issue for the past decade, with Aboriginal and 

Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma spending only part of his time dealing with race discrimination.

"For the last decade, the government hasn't appointed a full-time Race Discrimination Commissioner," Prof Dunn said.

"Because of the severe underfunding of the commission, they're just unable to offer the sorts of services required.

"Take the issue of the Indian students recently.

Offensive slang reported

"There's no way that the commission is resourced enough to deal with their (the Indians') reports (of violent attacks on them), and to offer support and advice," he said.

The survey also found that at least one in five Australians experience verbal abuse such as offensive slang names for different cultural groups, or swearing and offensive gestures, while 11 per cent feel they don't belong or are inferior.

The study is part of the 'Challenging Racism Project' that includes researchers from the University of Western Sydney, Macquarie University, Murdoch University, University of Melbourne, University of South Australia and Victoria University.

Harmony Day is celebrated each year on March 21 and is a special day when Australians are encouraged to celebrate the cultural diversity of our country.

Harmony Day is a day for all Australians to embrace the many things that make Australia unique and to share what we have in common.

The central message for Harmony Day is that everyone belongsand thousands of events are being staged in communities around the country. It's about community participation, inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone – celebrating the cultures that make Australia a great place to live.

HEALTH: TO BE OR NOT TO BE PRETTY

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/keep-glitz-away-from-our-children/story-e6frfhqf-1226101643059

THIS weekend, in a first for Victoria and Australia, Universal Royalty - a Texas-based company specialising in glamour beauty pageants - will hold a modelling and talent competition for babies and children.

On the face of it, the event looks like harmless fun. Everyone knows how much kids love to dress up and how much pleasure parents get dressing up their children.

However, there are some disturbing aspects to this particular style of "glamour pageant".

Many in Victoria are disturbed by US-style child beauty contests. Since this event was flagged this year, the glamour pageant has divided our community.

In Melbourne, the pageant, to feature on the controversial cable TV showToddlers and Tiaras, will be open to Australian babies as young as six months. It will include a compulsory beauty competition, modelling and make-up workshops. Organisers have also set up exclusive deals with local media - perhaps in an attempt to guarantee positive coverage.

Make no mistake about it, child beauty pageants are big news and also big business. An internet post from an organiser of the Melbourne pageant estimates the industry is worth about $5 billion worldwide.

Parents can be expected to pay about $400 to enter their child in the Australian event, but the spin-off costs for costumes, make-up and dance lessons can spiral into the thousands.

Most Victorians are not opposed to baby competitions at local shopping centres. We don't mind our kids dressing up as fairies or pirates and we actively encourage them during book week to dress up as their favourite character.

But when our children are "glammed up" and objectified to look like mature attractive women, alarm bells must ring. Governments have a responsibility to keep our children safe and to preserve their innocence when they are at risk.

There are many parents who are far from comfortable seeing very young children strutting their stuff in split gowns, heels, a spray tan, waxed legs and eyebrows, curled hair and caked-on make-up. It beggars belief that these competitions are really all about self-esteem, poise, and etiquette.

Psychologists and children's advocates agree that beauty contests do not form part of a child's healthy emotional development and that they can actually hurt our children in the long term.

Many also argue that beauty contests teach our kids the wrong values. There are more important qualities than being pretty. We have always taught our children this and it's never occurred to us to ever enter our six-year-old daughter in a beauty pageant.

Child psychologists also warn of the damaging long-term effects of these competitions. Experts see a clear association between these types of events and the development of body image problems, eating disorders, and depression.

All this leaves me and many Victorians asking, whatever happened to letting kids be kids? Let them run around at the local park. Let them muck around in the back yard or kick the footy at the local oval.

Importantly, let their imaginations flourish and encourage them to read. Let them play. Let them learn. Let them be happy.

I think there's a case to better regulate this industry and that's exactly what we are talking about - it is an industry where large profits are being made.

If the Baillieu Government is interested in such regulation, they can count on Labor's support to develop and