PAGE 1 :
SOUTH AFRICA
.
PAGE
2 : BARACK OBAMA .
SOUTH AFRICA
THE APARTHEID BUS p 28
1) We can see a bus with the word “apartheid “written on its side. It is
packed (= thronged) with black people who
are all sitting at the back (= rear). Indeed each new black passenger who gets on (= boards)
the bus is told to sit at the back by the white
driver. Since almost all the passengers are
gathering at the back, the bus is precariously balanced on the edge of a cliff.
Besides it is worth
noticing that nobody is complaining : they all comply with the law however stupid it may be…
2) The cliff is symbolic of South
Africa and the bus stands for Apartheid. The
white driver stands for the white minority whereas
the black passengers represent the black
majority. This cartoon illustrates the
apartheid regime which lasted for almost 45 years. Indeed
between 1948 and 1992 the law made it legal to discriminate
against black people and treat them as
second-class citizens who could not vote, could not go wherever they wanted
whenever they wanted and who could not mix with white people. The bus which is about to fall from the cliff is also symbolic of
the imminent fall of South Africa if the apartheid regime goes on. That is why, in my opinion, the cartoon was drawn
during the apartheid era. The cartoonist must have disapproved of the
apartheid regime that had plagued SA for so
many years.
MANDELA
A PAINTING :
A MAN AND HIS COUNTRY
The document is a painting
painted by Tommy Motswai in December
1993, a few months before Mandela was
elected President.
In the foreground I can
see Nelson Mandela who is wearing a blue suit and a tie. He is smiling and
joining his hands together as if praying. He
is happy because he
is no longer a prisoner and the country is a
democracy.
There are a lot of symbols.
First I can see a coloured dove on each of each of his shoulders. The colours are the colours of the
ANC (= African National Congress), Mandela’s political party. They symbolize peace in South Africa : the peace achieved thanks
to the struggle of the ANC.
Then in the bottom-left-hand corner , I can see hands shaking and
two faces smiling . What’s more there are
white and black people on the beach.
This could be the symbol of
reconciliation and peace between black and white people because apartheid is
over (it was abolished in 1992). Today blacks and whites live together and they
are happy.
At the bottom, I can see
gold mines. They show that the country is
very rich and has a lot
of resources.
Just under Mandela’s
hands, I can see skyscrapers which stand for economic development (= growth) and prosperity. In that city there are two
men who are shaking hands : they are Mandela and De
Klerk. It refers to their negotiations ( and their Nobel Peace Prize awarded in 1993)
Next to them there is the
Earth. We can see Africa. There are a lot of green, yellow and black balls
coming from South Africa going all over Africa and around the world. Two coloured doves are flying from SA illustrating that SA’s
peace has a worldwide impact.
In my opinion the message of the document is that Mandela
brings peace and joy to SA. People living in SA need peace and reconciliation
instead of hatred and resentment. Today
White and black people no longer hate one another and have become friends. It
is a message of hope.
I find this document optimistic
because it is a message of hope.
THE JOBLESS p 29
1) This chart shows us that the unemployment rate is high and that despite the abolition of apartheid, there are still
huge inequalities in SA when it comes to
employment. Indeed coloured
people are more likely to be unemployed than
whites people. Besides the
situation is even worse for women.
2) Although apartheid laws were
officially abrogated in 1992, inequalities
persist. Indeed black people are often poorer
and less educated than white people.
PAGE
2 : BARACK OBAMA .
A webquest found on http://lve.scola.ac-paris.fr/anglais/obamath.php
Answer the following questions.
1) When was Barack Obama born? How old is he?
http://www.biography.com/featured-biography/barack-obama/index.jsp
2) Where was he
born? How long did he stay
there?
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1834628_1754197,00.html
3) Where did his
father come from?
http://www.biography.com/featured-biography/barack-obama/index.jsp
4) Where did his
mother come from?
http://www.biography.com/featured-biography/barack-obama/index.jsp
5) What is his
academic background (Where did Obama study?
Did he study in famous universities?)
http://www.scoop08.com/obama%2526%2523039%3Bs-academic-background-could-influence-court-picks
6) What did he study and what is his profession?
http://www.scoop08.com/obama%2526%2523039%3Bs-academic-background-could-influence-court-picks
7) Give details
about his family (wife’s name,
children)
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1834628_1754229,00.html
8) What is his political party ?
http://www.democrats.org/page/dashboard/public/gFdZp
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7578136.stm
10) During his campaign, Obama
delivered a speech on March 18, 2008. What was the
speech theme?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/obama-race-speech-read-t_n_92077.html
11) Give Barack Obama's main political
campaign issues.
http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/
12) What happened on November 4th, 2008?