For this essay, students will find an online news report (article, video, etc.) on a current civil conflict (insurgency, civil war, mass protest/uprising, etc.) and analyze the report for evidence consistent with explanations of civil conflict generally.
Provide links to the sources that you use in the essay.
The first half of the essay (half to one page) should include a very brief description of the conflict explaining;
1) the participants,
2) the main issue of contention between the government and the rebels/protesters,
3) the length of the conflict and any negotiations or failed settlement attempts,
4) any interventions by international/regional organizations or other third parties. For background information, the UCDP website is a good resource .
The second half of the essay (half to one page) should apply theories of civil war and intervention behavior to explain the conflict depicted in the news report.
Do greed, grievance, or opportunity theories explain why the civil conflict is occurring?
How do factors like government repression and regime type (democracy, dictatorship, etc.) influence the conflict?
Are there factors that seem to be important in explaining this conflict that are not part of theories on civil war and intervention?