The CIF topic for the 2003-2004 school year is “Nuclear Issues in Northeast Asia.” Students will address these issues from the following perspectives: scientific, environmental, political/geopolitical, economic, and social/cultural.

Student participants will create products for each of the three Benchmarks ands make those products available on the CIF website. These products may be in any format that can be posted to the web. For examples of the kind of work that is expected, please check the Benchmark Results for 2002-2003.

The CIF benchmarks for 2003-2004 are listed below. Click on each benchmark link to view the full set of objectives and the suggested activities. You can also obtain a PDF version by clicking on that link at the end of each benchmark description.

Benchmark One: This year the CIF topic is “Nuclear Issues in Northeast Asia.” In order to begin to understand this topic your first two tasks will be to investigate and comprehend both nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. Your third task will be to investigate and understand what kind of nuclear related activities each of the Asian players is involved in. In your research you will examine the objectives from the point of view of the scientific & environmental; social & cultural; economic; political & geopolitical domains to gain a comprehensive understanding of nuclear energy and weapons. (Benchmark_1.PDF)

Benchmark Two: The players in Northeast Asia, including China (PRC), Japan, North Korea (DPRK), South Korea (ROK) and Taiwan (ROC) have many similarities (writing systems, art, architecture, religion) and also many differences (political systems, language, historical development). The similarities can create interdependence and cooperation. The differences can create competition and even animosity. Your task is to investigate and comprehend the relationships between and among the parties in the region, based on each of the domains. (Benchmark_2.PDF)

Benchmark Three: In Benchmark I you learned about nuclear technologies and how they have for either civilian or military uses or both. You also learned the nuclear posture of each of the parties in Northeast Asia. In Benchmark II you learned about the interaction of the CIF domains in the area. In this Benchmark you will learn how nuclear issues have led to a crisis in the region. You will also be introduced to two non-Asian players: Russia, and the United States. Finally, you will begin to work out possible solutions to the crisis. Your task is to investigate and comprehend the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula. In your investigations you will examine the objectives and policy options of China, Japan, North Korea and South Korea as well as the objectives and options of Russia and the United States. (Benchmark_3.PDF)

http://www.criticalissuesforum.org/bmks04.html
updated 06 February 2005