Web-Based Conflict Research Tutorials

The Trip Abroad:

Imagine that you have recently become involved in a student affairs group at your school. This group meets to discuss and respond to events that are taking place in the world around us. As of late, the group has become increasingly interested in world trade as a result of witnessing the protests of the Seattle meetings of the WTO (World Trade Organization). Because of the group's growing interest in free and fair trade policies, workers' and indigenous peoples' rights, and environmental justice, they have become more proactive in voicing their opinions about these issues. As a result, the group decides that they want to send a few representatives to the next meeting of the WTO. You find out that you were randomly selected as one of the representatives sent out to protest the policies and actions of the WTO.

But wait a minute! You do not know the first thing about world trade, outside of the information you have received from the group. In fact, you don't even know what the acronyms GATT, NAFTA or OPEC stand for. Additionally, you have never traveled outside of the United States, let alone overseas. As a result, you are faced with a problem. Because you know little about the issues, you do not know how you even feel about them. It looks like you have some research to do!

Before you pack your bags, however, you must find out as much as you can about the WTO as an organization, and some of their recent and ongoing decisions and policy proposals. Since you know very little about the organization, their background, their members, and how their policies have already impaced — or will potentially impact — member and non-member countries, you must seek out as much information as you can find. Additionally, you must find out about the areas in which you will be traveling. What are the local laws and customs? What is the dominant language? Do the residents speak English? What kind of weather or climate should you expect? Is it possible to find accessible communication outlets such as telephone, Internet, or mobile phone service in the areas in which you will be traveling?

Things You Need to Know

To adequately prepare yourself for both the trip and the conflict setting, it is important that you "ask the right questions." First and foremost, it will aid both your protesting efforts and your learning experience overseas if you have "done your homework" and found out a little bit about the organization (its goals, values, and objectives), the conflict (its history, context, and current status), and the region or setting of the conflict (the region's history, demographics, economy, and culture). This research will also allow you to investigate whether protesting the WTO is actually something about which you feel strongly enough to fly all the way around the world, whether you are prepared to confront the unique challenges of the conflict site, and whether your participation in the protest will help or hinder the conflict situation. The following list is a sample of the types of questions you may want to ask yourself and others about ongoing conflict resolution efforts surrounding global trade. (See Table 1.)

Your First Assignment - Preliminary Web Research:

• Go to Google, Yahoo!, or a similar general search engine site.
• Begin searching the Internet to find Web pages and websites that will assist you in answering some or all of the questions listed in Table 1.
• Are these general pages useful in finding the information you are looking for? What types of problems did you encounter in your search?

When finished, you are ready to move on the next page. If you want to return to the main Web assignment page, click here.