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Current Global Issues

Current Global Issues. CONFLICTS AND PEACE EFFORTS. CONFLICTS AND PEACE EFFORTS. THREAT OF TERRORISM AND EFFORTS TO STOP Terrorism is the deliberate use of unpredictable violence Tactics: bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, and hijackings

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Current Global Issues

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  1. Current Global Issues

  2. CONFLICTS AND PEACE EFFORTS

  3. CONFLICTS AND PEACE EFFORTS THREAT OF TERRORISM AND EFFORTS TO STOP • Terrorism is the deliberate use of unpredictable violence • Tactics: bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, and hijackings • Examples: Israel, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, India, al-Qaeda • Efforts to stop: increased airport security, Interpol, nations condemning terrorism and pursuing terrorists aggressively

  4. CONFLICTS AND PEACE EFFORTS NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION • The spread of nuclear weapons has caused fear and tension throughout the world. • U.S., Soviet Union, China, France, GB all possess nuclear weapons, along with India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea • North Korea is currently threatening the use of nuclear weapons against South Korea and the U.S. • The U.S. suspects that Iran is developing nuclear weapons; Iran denies

  5. CONFLICTS AND PEACE EFFORTS WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION (WMD) • The U.S. has also suspected Iraq of harboring weapons of mass destruction. • This helped justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, yet no WMD were found

  6. CONFLICTS AND PEACE EFFORTS ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS TENSIONS • Conflicts in the world have also resulted from tensions between ethnic and religious groups. • Ireland – conflict between Catholics (IRA) and Protestants in Northern Ireland; violence against citizens; cease-fire in 1995 • Bosnia – ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims by Serbs (Milosevic) • Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs in South Asia • Buddhists and Hindus in Sri Lanka (Tamil Tigers) • Hutu and Tutsi in Rwanda

  7. CONFLICTS AND PEACE EFFORTS UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING EFFORTS • In some cases, when conflict impacts the international community or violates human rights, the UN steps in to help • Iraq – 1990, Operation Desert Storm (Kuwait) • Haiti - 1990s, restored Aristide to power to help build a democracy • Bosnia – 1990s, monitored cease-fires and created safe havens; charged Serb leaders with crimes against humanity

  8. CONFLICTS AND PEACE EFFORTS UNITED NATIONS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROGRAMS • 1948 – UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – states that all humans are born free and equal with dignity and rights • Examples of disaster relief: • 1960s – food to millions starving during Nigerian civil war • 1990s – food to Somalians in civil war • 1990s – food to refugees in Burundi and Rwanda • 1990s – food to victims of conflict in Sri Lanka

  9. ETHNIC CLEANSING IN BOSNIA

  10. Ethnic Cleansing in Bosnia

  11. I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND A. WWI 1. Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand B. Post-WWII 1. After WWII, JosipTito pushed to reunify the republics of Yugoslavia: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia 2. Tito died in 1980 and ethnic conflict, division, and push for self-determinationemerged C. Conflict 1. Between 1991 and 1992, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia declared independence 2. Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian leader, tried to assert power and prevent these republics from gaining independence

  12. II. CROATIA A. In 1991, Croatia (mostly Catholic; 12% Serbs) declared independence and Milosevic-led Serbs attacked – invaded to ‘protect’ the Serbs;began mass executions B. U.N. response – no international military intervention; arms embargo placed on Yugoslavia by UN C. End of 1991 – U.S.-sponsored cease-fire in 1991

  13. III. BOSNIA A. 1992 – the international community recognized Bosnia’s independence and Milosevic-led Serbs attacked 1. ethnic cleansing – systematically roundup local Muslims - mass shootings, forced repopulation of entire towns, and confinement in make-shift concentration camps for men and boys; also terrorized Muslim families into fleeing their villages by using rape as a weapon against women and girls B. Early U.N. response – no military action; help for displaced Muslims C. Event that led to increased international attention and response – Serbs bombed a marketplace in Sarajevo – 68 killed and 200 wounded

  14. III. BOSNIA D. Serb attacks against U.N. safe havens and NATO’s response – -attacked U.S. safe havens kidnapping hundreds of UN peacekeepers and using them as human shields; killed nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys and mass rapes of Muslim women -heavy bombardment by U.S.-led NATO troops E. Overall results – November 1995 - peace accord was declared; partitioning Bosnia into two main portions known as the Bosnian Serb Republic and the Muslim-Croat Federation; called for democratic elections; war criminals would be handed over for prosecution; over 200,000 Muslim civilians killed, more than 20,000 were missing and feared dead, while 2,000,000 had become refugees. -Milosevic was put on trial in 1999, but died before the final verdict was given

  15. ECONOMIC TRENDS

  16. ECONOMIC TRENDS • NORTH = DEVELOPED, INDUSTRIALIZED, & WEALTHY • Western Europe, North America, Japan, Australia • High literacy rates, high standards of living • SOUTH = DEVELOPING & THIRD WORLD • Asia, Africa, and Latin America • Problems of post-colonialism

  17. ECONOMIC TRENDS OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME IN DEVELOPING AND THIRD WORLD NATIONS • Geography – lack of rainfall and fertile land, natural disasters • Overpopulation • Dependence – developing nations rely on developed nations for manufactured goods and technology • Debt – owing large sums of money with high interest rates • Political Instability – money spent on warfare instead of education or health care; many refugees

  18. ECONOMIC TRENDS GLOBALIZATION • In modern times, countries have increased trade with other countries and have increased outsourcing of jobs leading to international interdependence • Oil - countries have become reliant on other countries with large oil supplies; OPEC has significant control over oil prices • Global Banks (IMF, World Bank) – loan money to many developing nations • Multinational Corporations – many businesses today operate in many countries; may bring new technology and ideas, but may hurt domestic industries • Economic Alliances /Agreements • NAFTA – (North America Free Trade Agreement) - opened free trade between U.S., Canada, and Mexico • European Union (use of the Euro) • ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) – coordinates policies on trade and agriculture

  19. ECONOMIC TRENDS INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRADE • 1980s signaled “war on drugs;” some international cooperation

  20. ECONOMIC TRENDS DECREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WORKING IN AGRICULTURE

  21. SOCIAL PATTERNS AND CHANGE

  22. SOCIAL PATTERNS AND CHANGE MODERNIZATION VS. TRADITION • Traditions are often lost when a country becomes modernized (westernized) • Sometimes traditions help the modernization process • Ex: Japan and the idea of individual sacrifice. • Seems to be changing among younger workers.

  23. SOCIAL PATTERNS AND CHANGE OVERPOPULATION • In many areas of the world the population is growing faster than the ability to provide resources (food, housing) • Asia • China and India • Causes • Religion (no birth control), Cultural (carry on the family name), Economic (need a large family for support) • Problems • poverty, malnutrition, depletion of natural resources • Solutions? • one child-per-family policy in China..

  24. Reasons looking for jobs, health care, education Escaping poverty Results Change in culture poverty Solutions Education – gives people the knowledge needed to work Religious groups have set up missions in slums (ex. Mother Teresa in India) Improve health care Build affordable housing SOCIAL PATTERNS AND CHANGE URBANIZATION - the movement of people to cities

  25. SOCIAL PATTERNS AND CHANGE GLOBAL MIGRATION • The gap between rich and poor continues to grow • Many people in poor regions go to industrialized nations for jobs • Germany provided food, clothing and shelter to all immigrants who applied during the 1990s • The US struggles with what to do about illegal immigrants from Latin America (we need them to fill jobs but they often drain resources)

  26. SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY

  27. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THE GREEN REVOLUTION • Scientists applied technology in order to increase food production • Irrigation: pumps bring water from far away • Machinery: increases yields • Fertilizer and Pesticides: improve the soil and eliminates pests • New varieties of grains/livestock: drought resistant crops and animals that produce more milk and meat

  28. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LIMITS OF THE GREEN REVOLUTION • The Green Revolution has increased the food supply but it has not solved world hunger • Overpopulation and natural limitations (lack of water sources) limit production in some areas • New technology costs lots of $$$ so many poor farmers can’t afford it

  29. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THE INFORMATION AGE • Computers: the most revolutionary development of the late 1900s • The increase in use is known as the Computer Revolution • Benefits • Creates new jobs • Links nations/people • Limits • Threatens some jobs • Limited availability

  30. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THE SPACE AGE • Began as a competition during the Cold War (first to land a man on the moon) • Has evolved into space stations and satellite systems • Benefits • Create better maps (GPS) • Better weather forecasts • Monitor climate changes • Worldwide communication (cellular service)

  31. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY • Advances in medicine have allowed people to live longer and be more productive • Advances • Antibiotics, vaccines • Transplants and laser surgery • Challenges • Cloning/genetic engineering • New epidemics (AIDS) • Drug-resistant germs

  32. ENVIRONMENT

  33. ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION • The contamination of the environment (air water soil) • Caused by wastes and by-products of humans living in society • Harmful to humans, plants, and animals

  34. ENVIRONMENT ACID RAIN • Occurs when rain falls through polluted air (burning of fossil fuels) • Damages lakes, forests and farmlands • Winds often cause acid rain to fall in other areas or even countries • Ex: Acid rain in Canada caused by pollution from New York

  35. ENVIRONMENT THE OZONE LAYER • A layer of gases high in the atmosphere that protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays • Depletion of the ozone layer could cause increased skin and eye cancer in humans • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) appear to cause depletion

  36. ENVIRONMENT GLOBAL WARMING • A gradual rise in global temperatures could have a devastating impact on our climate • CFCs and the burning of fossil fuels trap warm air in the lower atmosphere • Known as the Greenhouse Effect • Could melt the ice caps and cause massive flooding • Some do not believe in global warming (simply a trend)

  37. ENVIRONMENT ENDANGERED SPECIES • Can damage the balance of world ecosystems

  38. ENVIRONMENT DEFORESTATION- the destruction of forests • Can be caused by lumber companies or by people who seek to clear the land for farming or homes • Brazil, India, and Indonesia have the highest deforestation rates

  39. ENVIRONMENT DEFORESTATION EFFECTS • Changes in local weather patterns • Soil erosion • Extinction of plants and animals • Loss of potential cures for disease (rainforests are the source of many medicinal plants) • increase of CO2 (greenhouse effect)

  40. ENVIRONMENT DESERTIFICATION • The changeover from arable land (land that can be farmed) into desert • ex. Sahara is expanding about 50 miles per year • Human causes • Over grazing of livestock • Cutting down forests • Cures • Restrict grazing • Planting new trees to control erosion

  41. ENVIRONMENT NUCLEAR ENERGY • The use of nuclear energy and weapons has increased and poses a serious threat. • 1986: A reactor in Chernobyl exposed millions to radiation • Weapons: the US and Russia control 90% of the world’s nukes

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