Learning Objective: This is a news reading and comprehension and conversation class. At the end of the session, the participants are expected to be able to discuss each issue and answer questions correctly.

Global Food Culture: Around the World in 80 Diets

Eating is a part of our cultural identity - it's both necessary for survival and a sensual pleasure. But how have our eating habits and food choices changed in the age of globalization?

Photojournalist Peter Menzel looked what 80 people in 30 countries consume in the course of a typical day. His book, "What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets," features people from various walks of life, ages and social standings and their daily fare.

Discussion


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Global Count: Education

Everyone has a right to an education - that ideal is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It's a prerequisite for social justice and peaceful coexistence.

Not all countries, however, are able to put this pledge into practice. Some rely on foreign donors. But the worldwide total development aid of 8.1 billion euros set aside for education is not nearly enough to achieve the goal of universal schooling.

Discussion


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Wind Energy in Vietnam

Vietnam's energy consumption has been rising by some 15 percent a year. The country largely relies on fossil fuels like coal and oil, although it is ideally suited for harnessing renewable energy sources like wind power.

Yet Vietnam lacks the political conditions that would be necessary to make construction of windparks attractive for private investors. Germany's foreign technical assistance agency, GTZ, is helping the country to build an infrastructure for generating energy from wind power.

Discussion

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