Shrinking the World

1. Shrinking the World As globalization increases, so does the need for countries to work together Disease, terrorism and climate change are among the issues that demand countries cooperate to find multi-national solutions Countries that support internationalism accept collective responsibility for some world issues, and the work together to solve them

2. Marshall McLuhan Canadian media philosopher 1960 – predicted an information revolution and the development of a “global village” 2000s – we have the internet, cell phones, e-mail, and social networking sites that have changed the way people communicate Not everyone shares McLuhan’s ideas of a global village

3. Voluntary Balkanization The separation of like-minded people into isolated groups that are hostile to people whose values differ from their own Separation may result in a loss of shared experiences and values Can harm the structure of democratic societies May cause people to distrust decisions made by people who don’t have the same values and beliefs as them Idea developed by Marshall Van Alstyne and Erik Brynjofsson

4. Re-Examination of UN Goals 2003 – the UN decided to look at its goals as a result of changing world conditions and the high-profile failed peacekeeping missions in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia They came up with a report, titled, “A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility” The report said the UN needed to relax its stance of staying out of internal conflicts

5. Responsibility to Protect A doctrine that says the UN must protect people within a state when that state violates or fails to uphold the rights and welfare of its own citizens It could take the form of humanitarian operations, monitoring missions, diplomacy or military force (only as a last result)

6. A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility The intervention in the internal affairs of sovereign states should occur only when: • There is a defined threat • The purpose of intervention is clear • The intervention is the Security Council’s last resort • Only appropriate means are used • The reasons fir the intervention are examined and reported to the Security Council

7. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Mar. 05, 1970 – Treaty signed by 189 countries to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons while allowing countries to develop nuclear facilities for non-weapons purposes (like nuclear power plants) Five states that signed the treaty – the US, Russia, China, France and the UK – are recognized as nuclear weapons states (and are also the permanent members on the UN Security Council) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitors whether countries are meeting the terms of the treaty

8. Iran 2003 – IAEA announced that Iran had been secretly enriching uranium for 18 years; enriched uranium can be used to generate nuclear power, but also to build atomic weapons Western members of the treaty were suspicious about the secrecy of the enrichment, and they called on Iran to stop its enrichment program Iran refused, saying it was pursuing its national interests and should be free to do this without interference

9. Why is the World Concerned About Iran? In a nutshell: because MahmoudAhmadinejad is nuts In separate statements, he has said: • The Holocaust did not exist • Israel should not exist • The US should be destroyed 2010 – Iran announced it was a nuclear state

10. Where Does This Leave Us? In light of his statements and the secrecy surrounding his uranium enrichment program, people do not trust Ahmadinejad’s promises that this is strictly for nuclear power The UN has imposed sanctions against Iran since they refused to halt their program Some people believe Iran poses the biggest threat to world peace

11. Does the world have the right to stop Iran from developing nuclear facilities when the US, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and possibly Israel already have nuclear weapons?

12. Common Human Heritage The cultural inheritance from the past that all people share Preserved in: • World heritage sites • Traditional skills and knowledge • The arts

13. UNESCO 1945 – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was established Promotes international cooperation in education, science, culture, communication and works to create respect for shared values and dignity of every civilization and culture They identify sites that are of cultural significance to the world; they also identify cultural works – such as art or music

14. What Makes a Heritage Site? It’s not always easy for UNESCO to identify sites and intangible masterpieces World heritage may include: • creative genius • architectural influence • association with ideas or beliefs of universal significance • a major stage in earth’s history • the threatened habitat of a species • a setting of exceptional beauty

15. Challenges to UNESCO A UNESCO designation provides safeguards that protect these sites from development or destruction However, they cannot interfere with plans of nation-states In 2001, the Taliban destroyed two ancient statues of Buddha because they were “idols” that went against Islam

16. Trickle-Down Effect Theory that when people in developed countries have more money to spend, they will buy goods and services offered by businesses in less developed countries and that this spending will eventually help struggling countries in the developing world The driving force behind many international agreements The WTO and the EU support this principle

17. Cultural and Language-Based Organizations Early Indigenous Peoples’ Initiatives • established 1973, one of the first international groups to focus on Indigenous rights • disbanded in 1996 Arctic Council • formed in 1991 to discuss protecting the fragile Arctic environment La Francophonie • originally an organizations of countries who had French as an official language • goal was to promote French language and culture • includes countries as well as provinces or states (like QU and NB) Security Organizations • 1949 – NATO • The Collective Security Treaty Organization (Russia) • Warsaw Pact (disbanded after 1992)