Freedom of Speech in Kuwait
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Topic area |
Freedom Of Speech - Kuwait |
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Target audience |
Students in Ethics and Speech classes |
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Activity type |
Pre-Class Exercise/ Lecture / Group Exercises / Post-class Exercise |
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Time required |
50 Minutes |
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Attachments |
Scenario of an event in the United States |
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Additional materials |
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Background needed to complete the assignment |
Information about US Freedom of Speech Laws |
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References |
Pre Class Activity - http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/mena/kuwait.html Kuwait Political background (with link to the constitution) Kuwait: political situation http://www.i-cias.com/e.o/kuwait_1.htm
http://news.fares.net/Weekly_News_Other_Issues/Palestine/
http://www.arab.net/arabview/articles/editorial1.html
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Last modified |
5/1/00 |
Abstract: This plan is part of the
previous freedom of speech lecture. This builds upon a previous class on Freedom of Speech in the US by
adding a new element to the mix. The students know their own freedom of
speech laws, but they can now learn how the United States compares to different
countries. There are three main points to address in this class:
1. Webpage regulations regarding Freedom of Speech
2. Cyberhate regulations
3. How freedom of speech regulations influence "surfing
the net" in other countries
Goals for the activity: The goal of this assignment is to make the comparison between international freedom of speech guidelines of other countries and our own United States guidelines, to better inform ourselves of why these laws are in place and what significance they bear.
Knowledge / skills / attitudes to be developed (behavioral objectives): The students are expected to learn that not all countries handle Freedom of Speech like the United States. From the information provided on how Kuwait views Freedom of Speech, the student should gain a better understanding of just how different countries can view similar topics. After obtaining a basic understanding, the students will then compare the Kuwaiti and United States laws and determine which one, in their opinion, is better suited to the different cultures.
Procedure: First, the students will be briefed with a background of Kuwait and their laws governing freedom of speech through the completion of the pre-class activity. The students’ knowledge will be deepened through the lecture. The lecture will develop into the specific differences between Kuwaiti and American laws concerning freedom of speech. It will highlight specific examples of similar scenarios in the two countries, primarily looking at how the government and the citizens react to the laws. Following the lecture the students will be separated into four discussion groups. A scenario will be provided to the class. With the knowledge given in the introduction to Kuwait and their knowledge from the previous US lecture on freedom of speech, the students will determine a positive or negative view concerning the laws of freedom of speech relating to the scenario. Each group will be assigned a pro or con view for their respective country. For instance, the con US group will discuss the downsides to the US law, whereas the pro group for Kuwait will discuss the positive aspects of Kuwaiti law. Each group will make a brief two-minute presentation to the rest of the class about what they determined from the scenario to begin the debate session.
Assessing outcomes: Once the groups have completed their presentations, the class will engage in a discussion of the pros and cons of the laws of each country. This will be basically a free debate; anyone who has an opinion should voice it. The debate should be based on the findings of the groups in class and on the response of Areej Saleh, a graduate student in ECPE that was interviewed about her experiences with freedom of speech in Kuwait. An information page is provided to inform the students about what was found from an interview with Ms. Saleh. The class should be informed about the laws and customs of Kuwait regarding freedom of speech from the pre-class activity. It is important that the students understand that although the idea of freedom of speech is repressed in Kuwait, that is their custom and to them our ways are as alien as their ways to us. This debate will help develop analysis skills from both sides of the topic and help the students have a better idea of how the country of Kuwait operates in regard to freedom of speech. Keep in mind that at this point there will not be much time left in class, if any at all. This last discussion is designed to be a conclusion to this exercise.
Additional remarks: There are many different attitudes concerning free speech, and each nation and culture has its own unique viewpoint concerning the topic. Kuwait is only one of many countries with a different set of laws governing free speech than the United States, and it is enlightening to examine the approach taken by many more than just these two countries. Culture also usually plays an important part regarding the approach taken by a country's legislation. For a more thorough grounding in the nature of free speech and what it means in various parts of the world, consult other lesson plans or find information concerning the treatment of free speech in countries around the world..
Author contact information: Greg Pickett <gpickett@vt.edu>
Sean Cooper <secooper@vt.edu>
James Black <jablack@vt.edu>
Michael Witczak <mwitczak@vt.edu>
Logan Hanks <logan@vt.edu>
Michael Murphey <cmurphey@vt.edu>
Page maintained by: J.A.N. Lee