Surviving War

Somalia's prime minister attacked; Government protests erupt in Ethiopia; Thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops battle al-Qaida insurgents along the Syrian border.

Like so many weeks before, these and other stories related to political and social unrest were covered during the first week of November 2005 in newspapers across the globe.

Most often in such event coverage, news readers are fed only the basic statistics about the attacks, the resulting deaths, and the political motives tied to these events - the who, what, and where of social and political tensions - sometimes along with a brief reaction from the "man on the street."

But these events touch the lives of many more people than we hear from in the media - people whose stories describe the personal challenges of living in and fleeing from a war-torn region.

So for this week's lesson, you'll get a chance to tour some of these political hotspots and meet some of the teenagers affected by war. They'll share their memories about what it was like to live there, leave their homes, and resettle as refugees in the United States. You'll also take a look at how the war in Iraq is affecting Americans at home.

Beyond the Fire

Start your tour at Beyond the Fire: Teen Experiences of War Click to Begin Your Journey.

First, register to get your Passport as a Citizen of the World. Log in, then hit the road!

(Note: To make the complete journey takes some time, so jot down your log in name and password to return where you left off for subsequent tour days.)

Click on Jelena of Bosnia to read her short biography, then Click to visit her.

Before listening to Jelena's story, click the country's flag to get some basic stats. Then, review the political history of her homeland, starting in 1945 when the Republic of Yugoslavia was created and moving through time to 1991 when smaller republics declared independence, to 1999 when Albanians were forcibly evicted from Kosovo.

After reviewing all of the history cards, click to follow Jelena's Story Before watching the videos, read the World Traveler Commentary on the right side of the screen. Read the question, and think about your answer as you listen to Jelena.

Watch the videos representing snapshots of her life - from Growing up with war, to feeling Lucky to be alive, and her other thoughts on Experiencing war.

After all of the videos, click Continue Your Journey to add your own thoughts to the Travelog and get your passport stamped. Close your passport before flying Back to World View to choose your next destination.

Continue your journey, visiting teens in several other countries:

• Beserta, Kosovo
• Fouad, Iraq
• Fatma, Iraq
• Shaima, Afghanistan
• Zubair, Afghanistan
• Muhiddin, Somalia
• Lila, Somalia
• Naima, Somalia
• Winnie, Sudan
• John, Sudan
• Facia, Liberia
• Abou, Liberia
• Chuku, Sierra Leone
• Nyeweh, Sierra Leone

In what ways did war touch their lives as children? What were the reasons each person and her or his family left home? How did they survive? What friends or family members did not survive?

How exactly did they end up in a refugee camp or an American city? What challenges did they face in their home country and after they fled the region? What do they remember best about their lives before leaving home? What kinds of emotions did they feel at different times during their experience?

America's War

Now, look through Independent Lens at PBS to meet A Family at War. Here, you'll discover how today's war in Iraq is affecting American lives.

Read the introduction, then learn more about The Film to find out how Jeff's mother and father feel about his death. Review the Family Update to see if those feelings have changed or stayed the same.

In what ways has Jeff's death affected his family?

Next, read about Grief and Politics and listen to the Families Speak Out.

Have you been personally affected by war? Do you know of anyone who has? In what ways has American conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places affected you or other Americans?

Do you feel these conflicts are justified? Compare your opinions with those of others and discuss any differences. What factors influence your opinion and those of others? How do you think these different opinions affect your local community? How do they affect the United States as a whole?

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Newspaper Activities

Find news and features in The Salt Lake Tribune that relate to war or other types of political conflicts. How many include a quote or story from a civilian resident or recent refugee? In what ways do you think each event will affect local residents and the nation's overall stability? Also, find one or more people in your own community affected by war. Perhaps they are refugees or families who have one or more children or parents in the U.S. military. Alternatively, you might also come across stories about people facing other types of challenges, like cancer or a kidnapped child. Interview one or more of them about how the war has affected their lives. How have events affected them? What do they think about most? What gives them courage or hope to live to the next day? Also, ask them to show you any memorabilia or photos that remind them of the war in some way. Document the interview with video, photos, or other elements. Share this personal story with those collected by your classmates and compare similarities and differences.