Motivations of Nations in International Affairs

1. Chapter 9 Nations, Nation States, and Internationalism

2. What Motivates Nations and Nation-States To Become Involved in International Affairs? • Psychologists believe that people’s behaviour is motivated by needs and wants • Others however believe that human nature is much more complex • Some motivated for example by a need to help others

3. Needs and Motives of Successful Nation-States • Behaviour of nation-states is much the same • Motivated by the collective needs and wants of its citizens • Economic stability • Peace and security • Self-determination • humanitarianism

4. Economic Stability • Ways to do this: • Provide money to train and educate people to create a more skilled work force • In turn will attract industries from around the globe • Develop trade policies that support exports • Exports produce money for a government • Imports do not they cost money • The more we export, the more jobs in a country which means more money for a country

5. Peace and Security • Safety is a very strong motivator for all nation-states • Society can not function if people do not feel safe • Will flourish if people do feel safe and secure • Done by passing laws, creating police forces, making rules for the work place • May also do this by creating agreements with other countries • If one is attacked the other will help out • NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) • Goal to maintain security of western nations (mostly in Europe) • NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) • To defend North American airspace from attack • Others believe they are only truly safe if there is world peace • Join the United Nations to ensure this

6. Self-Determination • Nations and nation-states are strongly motivated to control their own futures • Nations do this by seeking independence from nation-states • In other instances, many nations may band together to create a nation-state • Nunavut is an example

7. Humanitarianism • Motivated to protect the innocent and relieve suffering • These acts can occur within a country or outside • Red River flooding of Winnipeg required the use of Armed Forces to aid people • Haiti’s earthquake, the Tsunami in Indonesia, amongst many others are examples of acts we take to help people outside of our country • Why do we do it? It is our duty as a developed country to help those less fortunate • To maintain stability in the world

8. Canadian Stats for Comparison • GDP per person: $38 439.79 • Inflation Rate: 2.4% • External Debt: $833.8 Billion • Life Expectancy: 81.2 • HIV/AIDS rate: 0.2% • Population per physician: 470 • Population per hospital bed: 294 • Educational Expenditures % GDP: 5.2% • Number of students per teacher: 18 • Number of years of compulsory school: 9 • Number of internet users: 25 086 000 • Number of Cell Phone users: 21 455 000 • Number of TVs/1000: 655 • Number of Autos/1000: 563

9. How Do the Motives of Nations and Nation-States Shape Their Responses to the Rest of the World? • Countries are influenced by many factors when responding to the world • Related to the needs of their people • May choose from a range of responses: • Isolationism • Unilateralism • Bilateralism • Multilateralism • supranationalism

10. Isolationism • Staying completely out of world affairs • Having no dealings with other countries whatsoever • Japan up to 1854 was like this • Individual foreigners were not allowed into the country • Is very rare to find anywhere in the world today • Degrees of isolationism can only be found today • Switzerland stayed neutral during the two world wars but still maintained economic and business ties with other countries

11. Unilateralism • Responding to world events on your own • Word means going it alone • May not want or be able to convince other countries to help them. • Declaring war is often a unilateral decision

12. Bilateralism • An agreement between two countries to take action • Example: Canada and the United States agreed to work together to solve the problem of Acid Rain. • Since the rains were travelling across international borders and affecting everyone.

13. Multilateralism • Many parties acting together as one • Middle power countries do this to try and persuade and sway the superpowers to change policies • Environmental concerns are usually addressed here. • Kyoto Protocol is an example • Agreement among many countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that have caused global warming

14. Supranationalism • Nations agreeing to go along with decisions made by international organizations • Power is given to the outside organizations to make decisions for the countries • EU (European Union) • European countries joined together to make them a stronger economic force in the world • Combined currency • Easier immigration between countries • Open trade of goods

15. What are Some Understandings of Internationalism? • Many believe that being internationalists can actually serve national interests • If countries co-operate fair and equitable trade rules can be established • Then the economies of the world would each flourish

16. The World Health Organization • Formed by the United Nations in 1948 • To tackle global health issues • Human disease pandemics • Contagious diseases know no boundaries • Nutrition • Population planning • Sanitation • Health of mothers and children • To ensure a good quality of life for all people no matter what part of the world

17. Right to play • International non-governmental organization • Use of games and sport to improve the lives of and educate children in poverty stricken areas • Soccer is a huge draw for the children

18. The Arctic Council • Involves countries that have territory in the Arctic • Canada, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, United States, Denmark • Along with the Inuit of the Arctic areas • Goal is to protect the fragile environment of the Arctic

19. How Does Internationalism Benefit Nations and Nation-States? • Internationalism and Peace and Security • After WWI the League of Nations was created to maintain peace and security • It failed to do this because key countries did not buy in • After WWII the United Nations was formed • Has been moderately successful • Countries learned that without a body such as this they would end up in a war once again. • Requires countries to give up some sovereignty in order to maintain peace and security

20. Internationalism and Economic Stability • Countries that founded the United Nations believed that the Great Depression of the 1930s helped push the world into war. • Decided to try and prevent another depression from occurring by creating groups to prevent it. • World Bank and International Monetary Fund • Original purpose to help countries in Europe and Asia to rebuild after WWII • Recent purpose is to help developing countries to develop • World Trade Organization • Job to promote freer trade and settle trade disputes between nations

21. Internationalism and Self-Determination • In the early part of the 20th century many parts of the world were colonies • Earned their independence after World War II • Some natural enemies were forced to live together • When countries were made their needs were not taken into account • Led to many civil wars and genocides (Rwanda as an example)

22. Internationalism and Humanitarianism • Internationalism has helped the world respond to crisis throughout the globe quickly • Because we have learned to work together to solve issues • Tsunami in South East Asia is an example • Countries from everywhere sent help • Money, people, supplies, medicine etc;

23. Questions to Answer: • Recall Reflect Respond Page 213: 1 and 2 • Recall Reflect Respond Page 216: #2 • Page 220: #2