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CHARLOTTE C's List: How to: History of the Issue

  • 1. Begin with the facts

    Find out as much as possible about the history of your country from sources you know are reputable. Remember to keep an eye out for any UN action in your country related to the topic, relevant statistics, and anecdotes you could write about.

  • Oct 04, 11

    www.cia.gov/...pu.html sample

    • Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA after he was elected president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in office, YALA was ousted by the military in a bloodless coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. Malam Bacai SANHA was elected in an emergency election held in June 2009.

      • Important 

  • Oct 05, 11

    www.bbc.co.uk/...world-africa-13579838

      • The timeline page is VERY useful when writing the history of the issue paragraph 

  • 2. Search Elsewhere

    Using your wonderful Google skills and other resources available to you, begin searching for other sources of useful information that can tell you about the history of your country and/or the history of your topic in your country.

  • Oct 05, 11

    It is always a good idea to take advantage of the committee website, in this case UNECO. It can often lead you to helpful resources directly related to your topic.

    www.unesco.org/...custom-search sample

  • Oct 05, 11

    Even though this article doesn't relate directly to language, it helps to give me an idea of what the country has been dealing with instead. 

    news.bbc.co.uk/...7920033.stm sample

    • Guinea-Bissau was the only country in West Africa to have fought its way to independence. 

      But since that war with Portugal ended and the country's flag was hoisted in 1974, it has lurched from one crisis to another and analysts have long warned that the country urgently needs to change into a democratic state.

  • 3. Broaden your scope

    If searching specifically for your country/topic has not given you enough information, broaden your search terms. This can mean a larger geographic area (ex. west Africa), an organization, or an allied country. (Remember blocs?) Inferences start to come in handy now.

  • Oct 04, 11

    This resource was found using the Google scholar search. The information comes directly out of a published book.

    books.google.com/books sample

  • Oct 04, 11

    This is an excellent resource for many reasons. Not only is it a published book, it gives me a wider picture of the issue of language endangerment in Africa.

    books.google.com/books sample

  • 4. If all else fails...

    If there is absolutely no relevant information about your country's history on the issue, you may write about the general history of the issue as it relates to the world. This should be a last resort!

  • Oct 05, 11

    sample

    Topic: Promoting multilingualism and the safeguarding of endangered languages

    Country: Guinea-Bissau

    Since gaining autonomy from Portugal in 1974 after a long fight for independence, Guinea-Bissau has faced many setbacks in the ultimate goal of development. Issues of civil war, political instability, and a weak economy have left the country impoverished and highly dependent on foreign aid. With such turmoil constantly plaguing the advancement of the country, it is no surprise that cultural preservation has not always been considered a top priority. Regrettably, the country has already reportedly lost one language with many others classified as endangered. Guinea-Bissau's history has played a huge role in shaping the face of language in the country today. The linguistic situation has always been very complex with over sixteen ethnic groups each with their own language. As early as the 15th century with the dawn of Portuguese contact, a creole emerged as a result of the mixing of Portuguese and the native languages. During the colonial period, when the natives were subject to Portuguese rule, they were not asked which language they wanted to speak nor in which language they wanted to be dressed in. Portuguese was made the official language of the country and remains so even after independence. Even so, the kreole language has remained the most widely spoken. This trend towards a dominant language has been prevalent in West Africa as a whole. "The last decades of the 20th century have witnessed almost continuous warfare in some parts of the region" (Brenzinger 141). This unstable situation has left many ethnic groups split, relocated, and highly endangered. The consequence is the loss of a traditional way of living in favor for the dominant language in the region.

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