• Bangkok (AP) — The case of Amphon Tangnoppakul, a grandfather who had suffered from mouth cancer, drew attention to Thailand's severe lese majesty laws last November when he received one of the heaviest-ever sentences for someone accused of insulting the monarchy. » The full Associated Press article - By Thanyarat Doksone - May 8, 2012.
• Related article: "One does wonder how much of a national security threat a man in his 60s with cancer is that he needs to be locked up in jail? » the full Asian Correspondent - By the Bangkok Pundit - May 8, 2012.

Image source.

Thai court ignores increasing criticism of Thai laws being used for political persecution.

• Bangkok (AP) A Thai court has sentenced a political activist to 15 years in prison for insulting the monarchy, the second such action in less than a month.
• Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, a journalist, became an activist after Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was deposed in a 2006 coup and delivered fiery speeches at rallies organized by Thaksin's "Red Shirt" supporters.
• Daranee's sentencing for remarks in speeches at a 2008 rally came as the lèse majesté law is meeting increasing criticism for being an infringement on freedom of speech and an instrument for political persecution.
• Daranee said she would not appeal Thursday's sentence. "I have no will to keep fighting and I will neither lodge an appeal nor seek a royal pardon," she said.
• Sentiment against the law increased after a 61-year-old grandfather last month received a 20-year sentence for text messages sent from his phone. » The full AP article - By Vee Intarakratug – December 15, 2011.

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(AFP) Image source and article
• "Ultimately, the notion of a constitution being replaced by military force is—from the perspective of human rights, justice and the rule of law—an absurdity," said the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
• "While government propaganda in Thailand may persist in trying to give the appearance of a decent and harmless coup, the effect of removing the paramount law of a country by force is to make clear that the country is lawless…. Thus the country has devolved, in legal and institutional terms, to an extremely barbaric point that will have lasting bad effects for generations." » The full article - By Daniel Ten Kate - The Asian Sentinel - July 11, 2007.

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• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Political is Personal -
  Overview | Students explore their own personal political philosophies by identifying events, people and experiences that have helped shape their beliefs and writing an essay. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - Making Good Laws -
  Go to this Law and Building a Healthy Society Lesson."Is the Thai Constitution credible?"
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Keeping It Quiet -
  Overview | Students consider ways in which countries use censorship to control information. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining Military Coups Around the World -
  Overview | Students will consider military coups and their aftermaths, research famous coups... illustrating those events, and write letters from the perspectives of ousted leaders examined during class. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

• Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in December agreed to ask the Japanese government to help assess the impact of planned hydropower dams along the Mekong. Laos agreed to suspend construction of a $3.7 billion dam on concern the project would hurt fisheries and rice cultivation downstream.
• About 60 million people depend on the river and its tributaries for food, water and transportation. » The full Bloomberg article - By Masumi Suga - April 21, 2012.

Renewed push for Bank of Thailand policy easing

• Thailand’s Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong gave a target for where the baht should trade at and urged the central bank to cut the benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point to help exporters, pushing the currency to a one-month low.
• “The exports came down the past few months because of problems on the supply side, not because of the problem on the demand side,”
• “Thailand is similar to other countries suffering from cost- push inflation because of higher energy costs that come out of the tension in the Middle East,” he said.
• Kittiratt said. “I know that major economies in the west are not that strong as they were in the past, but they are looking for value-for-money items. Southeast Asia, East Asia, are producing those items.” » The full Bloomberg article - By Daniel Ten Kate and Susan Li - March 23, 2012.

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Is Thailand moving in the right direction on human rights?

• There is talk of progress, but has there been any actual progress recently.
• Bangkok Pundit doesn’t see any real progress.
• Until there is actual progress, BP sees hard to say Thailand is moving in the right direction. » The full article from The Asian Correspondent - By Bangkok Pundit - March 12, 2012.

Thai prime minister’s party seeks to amend the Thai constitution fulfilling one of its election platform policy promises

• The Pheu Thai party headed by Thaksin’s sister says the constitution is “undemocratic” because it was drafted by a military-appointed committee.
• The plan submitted Thursday to Parliament calls for the creation of a constitution-drafting assembly of 99 people that would have 180 days to rewrite the charter before submitting it to a national referendum. » The full AP article - February 9, 2012

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Thailand: Top PAD leader calls for another military coup (Is this legal?)

Editor: Thailand's "entrenched elite" still using Mao's tactics to block elected government and political change.
• The People’s Alliance for Democracy … organized a public talk to mark the Chinese New Year and its four leaders vowed to resume the struggle against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

• PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul, speaking via a telephone call from China, said the military should stage a coup in cooperation with the people in order to wrestle a complete control of the country from Thaksin.
• “If the PAD is to make a move once again, this time will not just confine to street protesting but a complete seizure of power,” he said, pledging a make-or-break struggle. » The full Asian Correspondent article - By Prach Panchakunathorn - Published: January 20, 2012.




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Editor: I agree with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's statement on November 16th in a joint press conference in Thailand

• I recognize that these floods pose an early and serious challenge to the new Thai Government and to the hard-won peace that the Thai people achieved after the political violence that you have endured in recent years.
• The United States stands firmly behind the civilian government of Thailand and the work it is doing to consolidate strong democratic institutions, ensure good governance, guarantee the rule of law, and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms.
• We encourage the government to move forward with a political reconciliation process, which is critical to Thailand’s long-term stability and security. As it does so, it can also count on support from the United States. » The full transcript of the joint press conference - U.S. State Department - November 16, 2011.

Looking ahead - How can Thailand improve flood management

• Rising temperatures and sea levels in the coming decade will increase the risk of floods in Bangkok four-fold by 2050, the World Bank said in a report last year.
• Since the 1950s, more than 300 dams have been built to hold water from Thailand’s monsoon rains from July to October for use the rest of the year.
• The largest of these, Bhumibol and Sirikit, can irrigate 400,000 hectares (1,544 square miles) in the Chao Phraya basin, an area six times bigger than Singapore.
• A growing insurance industry in Asia will create “a market-based incentive for redirecting construction away from areas that are flood prone,” said David McCauley, lead climate change specialist at the Asian Development Bank. “Many across the region will be paying closer attention to Bangkok’s experience and will incorporate climate change risks in future urban planning.” » The full Bloomberg article - By Daniel Ten Kate - October 31, 2011.

• Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan said the government expected a recovery plan would cost 900 billion baht ($30 billion), including 800 billion baht for an overhaul of the water-management system and 100 billion for the rehabilitation of industrial estates.

• "Every crisis has an opportunity. We are studying how to rebuild the country's economy and competitiveness. We have studied models from several countries," Pichai told Reuters. "Solving the flood crisis is the main issue." The full Reuters article - By Robert Birsel - October 31, 2011.

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• Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, during the campaign said she would seek changes to a constitution written after the coup,

• “The elite still have constitutional mechanisms that they can deploy,” said Chaturon Chaisang, a former cabinet minister under Thaksin and one of 220 lawmakers banned since the coup. “This is not just something in our imagination, it’s happened before. The fundamental problem is still there.” » The full Bloomberg article - By Daniel Ten Kate - July 5, 2011.

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Vote Against, 'Manipulation'

• Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister and head of the Pheu Thai party, is the first female Thai premier, garnering 264 seats in the 500-member parliament.
• “It’s not as much a vote for Thaksin as a vote against the manipulation, coercion and suppression that we’ve seen since 2006,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute for Strategic and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
• Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, whose Democrats won 160 seats, resigned today as party leader and the defense minister said the army accepted the result. » The full Bloomberg article - By Daniel Ten Kate - Published: July 4, 2011.
• Abhisit also said that he would fight any effort at amnesty for those who opposed him that were charged since the coup in 2006.
• The generals that staged the 2006 coup already wrote their amnesty in the constitution they created,
• and Abhisit had immunity from prosecution from: The emergency decree which conveniently "grants officials immunity from prosecution," the ICG said. » The full Asia Sentinel article - By Richard S. Ehrlich - July 8, 2010.

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Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva did not have history on his side in the election this weekend.

• Last year: After 91 people, mostly civilians, were killed, Abhisit's denial that troops were responsible for a single death or injury was mocked even in the Democrat stronghold of Bangkok.
• A web-savvy generation could, with a few mouse-clicks, watch videos on Youtube showing military snipers firing on civilians. »

The full Reuters article - By Jason Szep - Published: July 1, 2011.

Thai Army Warns Voters Over Elections

• Thai Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, one of the leaders of the 2006 coup that ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, urged voters to pick “good people” in July 3 elections and warned criticism of the monarchy won't be tolerated.

• The party headed by Thaksin's sister Yingluck Shinawatra is now leading in opinion surveys. The last three election results have been overturned by the coup and legal challenges, provoking street protests that have cost more than 100 lives.
• Thailand has seen 18 successful or attempted military takeovers since absolute monarchy was abolished in 1932. In 2009, about 100,000 pro-Thaksin protesters marched to top royal adviser Prem Tinsulanonda’s house in Bangkok to demand he quit for backing the 2006 coup, a charge he denies. » The full Bloomberg article - By Daniel Ten Kate - June 15, 2011.

Original Image source

More on violence against Thai protesters in May, 2010:

Critics accuse the Thai government of stalling the investigations for political purposes.

• A body set up by the government to investigate the
  violence (8 months ago), the Independent Fact-Finding Commission for Reconciliation, says the military and the police are refusing to cooperate.
• The government’s forensic department has not responded to requests for autopsies.
• Teera Suteewarangkurn, a law professor at Thammasat University in Bangkok, said the military leadership feared it would face a public outcry if it admitted that soldiers had killed civilians.

• The government is concentrating on winning elections, which must be called by the end of the year. “The government needs to drag its feet,” Mr. Teera said. » The full New York Times article - By Thomas Fuller - Published January 24, 2011

Government Talk and Pledges Not Matched by Actions in 2010

• (New York) - The government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of Thailand failed to fulfill its pledges to hold human rights abusers accountable in 2010.
• Using the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situation, the CRES questioned, arrested, and detained UDD leaders and protesters, as well as accused sympathizers.
• The CRES also summoned hundreds of politicians, former officials, businessmen, activists, academics, and radio operators for interrogation; froze individual and corporate bank accounts; and detained some people in military-controlled facilities.
• The National Human Rights Commission reported that many UDD detainees had experienced torture and forcible interrogations, arbitrary arrest and detention, and overcrowded detention facilities. While the lifting of the state of emergency on December 22 was a positive development, the government has yet to provide the exact number and whereabouts of those detained without charge by the CRES, Human Rights Watch said. » The 2010 Human Rights Report on Thailand - Published: January 25, 2011

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Exclusive: Probe reveals Thai troops' role in civilian deaths

• (Reuters) The Thai military played a larger role in the killing of civilians during political unrest in Bangkok this year than officials have acknowledged, leaked state documents seen by Reuters show. A preliminary state probe into political violence in April and May concluded Thai special forces positioned on an elevated railway track fired into the grounds of a Buddhist temple where several thousand protesters had taken refuge on May 19.

• Three of six people shot dead at the temple were likely killed by troops, the investigation found, directly contradicting statements by the Thai military, which has denied soldiers were responsible for the killings at the temple.

• The findings by Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) are likely to embolden the "red shirt" anti-government protest movement challenging the legitimacy of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who in June blamed armed elements among the protesters for the temple deaths. » The full Reuters article - By Jason Szep and Ambika Ahuja - Published December 10, 2010.

Image source

• The coup will not just be an attractive option, but a lucrative one for the coup-makers. It is an open secret in Bangkok that some past coup makers made a lot of money from staging a coup. Not only did they make money out of a military coup, they usually got away with it legally. Some became highly respected figures in Thai society. This partly explains why a military coup will never be out of fashion in Thailand. » The full Asia Sentinel article - By Pavin Chachavalpongpun - Published, 11 January, 2011

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• The Learning Foundation - Who chooses the way a country is governed? -
  "It's my country - I can do what I want!" - A Simplified Mock Trial Lesson Plan.
• The Learning Foundation - Making Good Laws: "Is the Thai Constitution credible?" -
  Go to this Law and Building a Healthy Society Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Democracy in Action -
  Overview | Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They then work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government. Their learning is further enhanced by reflecting on what has transpired in these countries to date. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Political is Personal -
  Overview | Students explore their own personal political philosophies by identifying events, people and experiences that have helped shape their beliefs and writing an essay. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.
]]> keerock@lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:10:57 +0700 Building a Healthy Society Law and Society http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=860 A61FD87D-42B8-4E34-B6DB-8214E8B5B807 http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=2204 Image source - Chappatte dans "International Herald Tribune"

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• The New York Times - Learning Network - Democracy in Action -
  Overview | Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They then work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government. Their learning is further enhanced by reflecting on what has transpired in these countries to date. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - Making Good Laws: "Is the Thai Constitution credible?"
  Go to this Law and Building a Healthy Society Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - Who chooses the way a country is governed? -
  "It's my country - I can do what I want!" - A Simplified Mock Trial Lesson Plan.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Political is Personal -
  Overview | Students explore their own personal political philosophies by identifying events, people and experiences that have helped shape their beliefs and writing an essay. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.
]]> keerock@lfslessonsasia.com (Keerock Rook) Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:28:43 +0700 Law and Society Building a Healthy Society http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=2204 76CB4664-3996-49B4-88EE-83ABD36F3961 http://lfslessonsasia.com/wordpress/?p=741

Malaysia blames Thailand over Cambodia border clash

• Thailand and Cambodia agreed in February to accept Indonesian military observers on the border but the initiative remains on ice due to Thai demands that Cambodia first pull troops out of the temple.
• “An agreement had been agreed upon, (Thailand) should adhere to it, I wouldn’t want to say lacking in faith… (but) they did not adhere to the agreement,” Malaysian deputy foreign minister Richard Riot Jaem told reporters.
• "All the 10 (ASEAN) countries, I stress, including Thailand and Cambodia, agreed to the agreement but sad to say, the agreement was brought back to the respective two countries. Cambodia accepted it, Thailand did not accept,” he said. » The full Asian correspondent article - Published; May 09, 2011.

Thailand's martial law:

• "The government's use of terrorism charges to go after Red Shirt leaders, as well as Thaksin, is inappropriate for what was mostly a peaceful political movement that did not target civilians," said the Belgium-based International Crisis Group on July 5.

• The emergency decree, described by the ICG as “draconian,” conveniently also "grants officials immunity from prosecution," the ICG said. » The full Asia Sentinel article - By Richard S. Ehrlich - July 8, 2010

Image source By Barry Blitt.

• Looking back: Certainly, the Feb. 26 guilty verdict "will not heal the deeply polarised Thai politics," Jakrapob Penkair, former Minister of the Prime Minister's Office and one of the leading figures of the red-shirted National United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, said in an exclusive interview earlier this week.

  To Jakrapob, "the verdict was simply a continuation, and in many ways, a completion of the 2006 coup. It is the first and foremost reason why the verdict will not heal anything in Thailand."
  "A military takeover has been treated as a legitimate source of legal authority," Jakrapob said. "One does not even have to hear the rest of the case to understand what was actually going on."
  Jakrapob raised one important point: why do the courts recognize the (legality) of the military coup of 2006 as well as the legitimacy of the current government, which was not elected? These are conditions fiercely in conflict with democratic tradition. The full Asian Sentinel article » By Pavin Chachavalpongpun

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining Military Coups Around the World -
  Students will consider military coups and their aftermaths, research famous coups... illustrating those events, and write letters from the perspectives of ousted leaders examined during class. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Democracy in Action -
  Overview | Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They then work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government. Their learning is further enhanced by reflecting on what has transpired in these countries to date. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - Making Good Laws: "Is the Thai Constitution credible?" -
  Go to this Building a Healthy Society and Law Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Political is Personal -
  Overview | Students explore their own personal political philosophies by identifying events, people and experiences that have helped shape their beliefs and writing an essay. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.

Singapore (Reuters) – June 6, 2010 -
The international community needs to start providing more economic and social assistance to Afghanistan to ensure the nation can function on its own, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister, Sergei Ivanov, said on Sunday.
"One thing is clear, a lot should be done in just starting very primitive social economic life in Afghanistan. If we don't do that, any military presence will be in vain," Ivanov told the Shangri-La Dialogue. » The full Reuters article - By Harry Suhartono and Nopporn Wong-Anan.

In our Posts - 2009 - Jurm was tormented by warlords in the 1990s, and though it never fell to the Taliban, the presence of the central government, even today, is barely felt. The idea to change that was simple: people elected the most trusted villagers, and the government in Kabul, helped by foreign donors, gave them direct grants — money to build things like water systems and girls’ schools for themselves.

Original image source » Holly Pickett for The New York Times
Villagers and development workers had to persuade a local mullah to get a girls' school built in the Jurm District of Afghanistan.

But forcing conditions would have violated a basic principle of the approach: never start a project that is not backed by all members of the community, or it will fail.
“People have to be mentally ready,” said Akhtar Iqbal, Aga Khan’s director in Badakhshan. If they are not, the school or clinic will languish unused, a frequent problem with large-scale development efforts.
Today, many people have water taps, fields grow wheat and it is no longer considered shameful for a woman to go to a doctor. The full New York Times article » By Sabrina Tavernise.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Guns, Butter or Both? Debating Troops vs. Development in Afghanistan -
  Overview | What actions can help mend and secure the situation in the war-torn nation of Afghanistan? In this lesson, students consider a proposal to build more schools in Afghanistan rather than sending more troops to secure the struggling nation, then conduct research and present their policy recommendations in a debate. Go to this Building Society Lesson.

• World Wise School - Perceptions - This activity is designed to help students understand that perceptions are influenced by personal experience and taste as well as cultural background. Go to Building Society Lesson Worksheet.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring the Intersection of Religion and Modernity -
  Overview: Students examine the ways in which various religious faiths have responded to social, ideological, and technological changes in 'modern' times. Go to this Building Society Lesson.

Dr. Strobos at left in 1941 with Abraham Pais and her mother, Marie Schotte, with whom she housed scores of Jews.» Original images and article

Why would she take such gambles for people she sometimes barely knew?
“It’s the right thing to do,” she said with nonchalance. “Your conscience tells you to do it. I believe in heroism, and when you’re young, you want to do dangerous things.”
In the decades since her wartime experience, she has spoken out on issues like the torture of terrorists, which she argues is not only cruel but also ineffective.
“Even when they scared me to death and hurt me, it confirmed me that I should not say anything to them,” she said. The full New York Times article » By Joseph Berger.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining the Attributes and Historical Realities That Create Heroes -
  Overview: Students will generate a list of the common attributes of heroes, and analyze a specific hero within his or her historical and cultural context.  Go to this Building Society and Life's Lesson.

This lesson introduces students to the concept of generalization as it applies to cultural stereotyping.
The goal is to have students challenge generalizations made about people, insist on knowing the evidence that supports these, and be willing to modify their own generalizations when confronted by evidence showing them to be false.
It is important for students to understand that almost all generalizations, particularly those about people and other cultures, need to be qualified. The lesson also asks students to practice using qualifying language.

• World Wise School - "How Accurate is It?" -
  This activity introduces students to the difficult concept of generalization so that they will challenge generalizations made about people... Go to this Building Society Lesson Worksheet.

Chinese authorities say .. arrests are part of the Communist Party’s latest anticorruption campaign--
But analysts say that prominent corruption cases in China are often the outgrowth of power struggles within the Communist Party, with competing factions using the “war on corruption” as a tool to eliminate or weaken rivals and their corporate supporters.
Those caught in the party’s campaigns are usually humiliated and denounced for taking bribes, leading “decadent lifestyles” and, sometimes, for taking multiple mistresses. The full New York Times article » By David Barboza.

• A Learning Foundation Lesson - Compare and Contrast -
  China's use of "corruption allegations" with that in Thailand being used against deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and anyone associated with him.
  There have been 17 military coups in Thailand all claimed they did so to combat corruption. Go to this ESL, Law and Society Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - What makes a law good lesson plan -
  Over half of Thailand's provinces were under martial law, controlling freedom of speech, press and assembly, during the referendum to pass the 18th Thai Constitution. Martial law persisted up to and including the referendum, and stayed in force up to and during the parliamentary elections in December 2007. "Is the Thai Constitution credible?"
• The Learning Foundation - "Did Li Qingyou Break the Law?" - Simplified Mock Trial Lesson -
  Li Qingyou's statment: "Our mentality was that when Chairman Mao waved his hand, we would move, and whatever he said, we would do.
  - We took their money, gold, silver, and things and gave it to the government."
  - Pin Dueng was one of the landowners described as ’rich’ in Li’s statement, and has accused Li of stealing his things and has brought the case to court. Go to this Simplified Mock Trial.

Background: In 2003, four lawyers from China's most prestigious university set up a non-governmental organization to advance the rule of law and constitutional rights. Knowing only too well official sensitivities, they promised that it would be not ‘critical' but ‘constructive' and work scrupulously within the law.
For his part, Xu-Zhiyong, (one of the founders said) "We helped the weak uphold their legal rights and promote the rule of democracy. This could have upset some vested interests. Since the progress of society will not be smooth, this was not unexpected. We cannot predict the outcome of the hearings. Our biggest obstacle has been an unreasonable system, the lack of independence of the judiciary and the inability of public interest firms to get legal status." the Full Asian Sentinel article » By Mark O'Neill.

Original photo and article: As lawyers here discover, there are limits to China’s embrace of judicial reform.
The Constitution, which includes guarantees of free speech and human rights, is unenforceable in court.
Judges routinely ignore evidence, making determinations based on political considerations.
And when it comes to vaguely defined offenses like “subversion of state power” or the invoking of “state secrets” laws, even the best-trained lawyers are powerless to defend the accused.
Last week, China’s justice minister gave a speech saying lawyers should above all obey the Communist Party and help foster a harmonious society. To improve discipline, the minister said, all law firms in China would be sent party liaisons to “guide their work.” NYT article: "Arrest in China Rattles Backers of Legal Rights" - Photo Greg Baker/Associated Press article - By Andrew Jacobs.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Understanding the Quest to Protect Human Rights -
  Overview: Students explore the concept of human rights by developing and defending their own "Bills of Human Rights" and by writing a reflective essay that compares their notions of human rights and the protection of them.  Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

• The Learning Foundation - Simplified Mock Trial Lesson - "Did Li Qingyou Break the Law?" -
  Li Qingyou's statment:"Our mentality was that when Chairman Mao waved his hand, we would move, and whatever he said, we would do. Go to this Simplified Mock Trial.

With its thrillerlike pacing and scenes of sexual coercion and teenage backbiting, the novel appeals to young readers, who say the book also gives them insight into peers who might consider suicide. “I think the whole message of the book is to be careful what you do to people, because you never know what they’re going through,” said Christian Harvey, a 15-year-old sophomore at Port Charlotte High School in Port Charlotte, Fla. “You can really hurt somebody, even with the littlest thing.” Read more about "Thirteen Reasons Why," - By Motoko Rich

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Reflecting on Teen Depression and Suicide
Overview: Student reflect on teen depression in the context of the bestselling book "Thirteen Reasons Why," then create proposals for improving mental health in their school community. Go to this Health and ESL Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Discussing Strategies for Coping with Emotional Stress. -
Overview: Students reflect on the increase in self-injuring, specifically "cutting," among teens and then participate in a written discussion to identify and discuss healthy methods of coping with emotional stress. Finally, they conduct further research and write a mock dialogue. Go to this Health and ESL Lesson.

From The Buddha's teachings ... every action that one performs in the present moment — whether by body, speech, or mind itself — eventually bears fruit according to its skillfulness: act in unskillful and harmful ways and unhappiness is bound to follow; act skillfully and happiness will ultimately ensue.13 As long as one remains ignorant of this principle, one is doomed to an aimless existence: happy one moment, in despair the next; enjoying one lifetime in heaven, the next in hell.

• World Wise School Lesson - Students will recognize that their classmates hold a variety of opinions. - This activity is designed to illustrate the variety of perspectives and opinions represented in the class. It will help students understand that perceptions are influenced by personal experience and taste as well as cultural background.  Go to Building Society Lesson Worksheet.

• Compare and Contrast - Ask students if the Buddha and Socrates thought the same or different? -
Writing help from TOEFL- Prep Writing Practice Site Lesson - More about Comparison and Contrast.

• WWS - World Wise School Lesson - Students will recognize that a single observation can be misleading -
Young children often make assumptions and judgments about people based on quick impressions. For example, a little girl noticing a house with peeling paint and an unkempt yard told her aunt, "I bet the people who live in that house are ugly." The girl had somehow learned to make assumptions about people she had never met based on her perception of their possessions. Go to this Building Society Lesson Worksheet.

The Institute of Medicine recently noted that you can meet your body’s need for liquids in many ways, including drinking coffee and tea (with or without caffeine) and eating fruits and vegetables with a high water content. Two clues that you may need to drink more are thirst and the color of your urine, which should be clear like, well, water.

If you are physically very active, especially in hot weather, repeatedly sipping cold water is helpful. But beyond two quarts, you may need to also replace the salts lost in sweat — for example, by drinking a diluted sports drink or eating foods with salt and potassium. More about health myths in this Article » By Jane E. Brody - New York Times

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Finding Evidence to Support or Refute Commonly-Accepted Scientific Claims -
Overview: Students investigate commonly-accepted scientific claims and gather evidence that supports or refutes them. They synthesize their learning by writing their own "Really?" columns modeled after those found in The New York Times’s weekly Science Times section. Go to this Health and Science Lesson.

Why do people gossip and spread rumors? We've all had that kind of urge. But why? Here are some possible reasons:
- To feel superior
When people are feeling bad aboutthemselves, they sometimes thinkthey’ll feel better if there weresomeone worse off than they are.
- To feel like part of the group
If everybody else is gossiping or spreading rumors, you might feelyou have to do the same thing in order to fit in.
- For attention
When you know a secret that nobody knows, or are the first personin your group to hear a rumor, it can make you the center ofattention.
- For control or power
Certain people always want to be in control and at the top of theladder.
- Boredom
Did you know in many studies, boredom was the number 1 reason why young people say they spread rumors? ... Read more about Gossip and Rumors - PBS kids Its my Life.

Related article: "But rumours sell. People tend to believe in a rumour if it is against the party they hate. This is worrying because people cannot make an informed decision based on rumours." The full article - The Bangkok Post

• The New York Times- Learning Network - Not Just the Facts
Overview: Students explore the difference between hard news, news analysis and (rumors and gossip) ... They then endeavor to write an analysis ... using local sources and drawing their own conclusions. Go to this Media Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - "News vs Gossip" - Simplified Mock Trial.

- The Prince, who had first thought all of his dreams would be met by finding a real princess, discovered that nothing he nor anyone else did for the Princess was enough for her.
- She blamed and complained to everyone that she was not being treated like a real princess, and this tortured her in mind and body.
- The Prince having seen what life would be like with the Princess called off the wedding.
- The Princess said it wasn't fair to cancel the wedding since she was a real princess which was what the Prince had wanted.

• The Learning Foundation - "Hard to Please" - Simplified Mock Trial - Lesson Plan

It emphasizes the quality of individual plants over the quantity. It applies a less-is-more ethic to rice cultivation.
Harvests typically double, if farmers plant early, give seedlings more room to grow and stop flooding fields. That cuts water and seed costs while promoting root and leaf growth... Read this IHT Article » By William J. Broad

More about improving crops:

Monsanto executives say that a new technique called marker-assisted selection could double the rate of gain made from breeding. That technique does not involve altering crops by putting in foreign genes. Rather it uses genetic tests to help choose which plants to use in conventional cross-breeding, vastly speeding up the process and improving its efficiency. » Monsanto pledges to lift food supply - By Andrew Pollack - IHT

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Addressing the Causes and Effects of the Global Food Crisis -
Overview: Students learn about the reasons for Australia's rice shortage and its impact on the rest of the world. They then individually identify the causes and effects of another agricultural commodity's recent changes in the global marketplace. Go to this Science and Economy Lesson.