Briefly describe the current situation in both countries (20p for each civil war). You are required to use scholarly or other credible sources. You should address the following questions: when did the war begin?

The civil wars in Syria and Yemen are bringing both countries to the brink of collapse. In your essay exam you will conduct your own research to try and identify the root causes of both wars. Your answer must include the following:

1. Briefly describe the current situation in both countries (20p for each civil war). You are required to use scholarly or other credible sources. You should address the following questions: when did the war begin? Who are the actors involved (domestic and international)? What are the goals of each side of the war? What has been done to try and resolve the conflict? There are plenty of news articles and reports that can assist you with these questions. Avoid using Wikipedia or any other online encyclopedia.

2. Conduct your own research to identify some of the root causes of both conflicts. Your answer must point to at least three different factors (causes), one factor that relates to Syria, one factor that relates to Yemen, and the third factor you can choose, either Syria, Yemen, or both (30 points for each factor, 90p in total). Please note that mentioning the factor is not enough but you must explain how each factor/cause relates to the case studies (Syria or Yemen), or how does it help us understand the civil wars. To help you determine the factors/causes, you should start by watching the presentation on civil wars. Below you can find several articles that highlight key factors/causes often correlated with internal conflicts. It would be beneficial to go over some of these articles, identify important variables and assess whether these are applicable in the cases of Syria and Yemen.

Your essay must include at least 5 different sources, one of the sources must be one of the articles listed below. You can use primary sources (news articles, magazine articles or reports) and/or secondary sources such as academic articles and books. The paper must be 4-5 pages long, not including the bibliography and title page. 20 points of the final grade will be based on your writing (grammar and spelling mistakes), your ability to follow directions, and citations, so make sure you review your work carefully. Please note, you are not allowed to use direct quotes in this exam. Use your own words, you will lose .5 points for each direct quote in the text.

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