If The World Were A Village https youtu

If The World Were A Village https: //youtu. be/Qrc. Od. LYBIw 0? t=25 s

WHAT IS GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP?

TO BE A GLOBAL CITIZEN, YOU MUST: • Appreciate that the peoples and countries of the world are all interconnected • Understand that poverty, pollution, epidemics, etc require international cooperation • Respect diversity and the human rights of all peoples • Realize that Canada is not the centre of the universe • Take action to make the world a more just place

THE UNITED NATIONS • An organization founded in 1945 to: • Maintain world peace • Develop good relations between countries • Promote cooperation in solving the world’s problems (ie. poverty, human rights) • Membership is voluntary; currently there are 193 member states • Two main bodies: • A. General Assembly – each country has a representative • B. Security Council – 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members • Permanent: France, Britain, China, Russia, the US – have veto power • Non-Permanent: voted in by region for 2 year terms

HUMAN RIGHTS IN A GLOBAL VILLAGE

DISCUSSION: • What do you think every human being has the right to? • It wasn’t until 1948 that the nations of the world agreed to a set of universal human rights

BACKGROUND: THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS • First signed in 1864 as an agreement between countries so that the Red Cross could help soldiers that had been wounded in war in a conflict zone and not be attacked • Future conventions would lead to rules for: • How war would be conducted • How prisoners were to be treated • Which weapons were to be prohibited

HISTORY OF THE DECLARATION • Violations of human rights throughout the 20 th century • Ie. Russia – Stalin • Ie. Germany – the Holocaust • Finally, after the creation of the United Nations in 1945, it produced the Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 • Granted every human being the right to life, liberty, security of person and an adequate standard of living (food, clothing, shelter, medical care, social security) • Canadian connection: John Humphrey, professor of law at Mc. Gill University in Montreal, helped draft the declaration

SUBSEQUENT “CONVENTIONS”/PUBLICATIONS • Convention on Genocide (1948) – defined genocide as the attempt to destroy a national or racial group by any means • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979) • Convention Against Torture (1984) • Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) • Right to: • • Survival Develop to the fullest Protection from harmful influences, abuse, and exploitation To participate fully in family, cultural and social life

DO THESE PUBLICATIONS WORK? • Address emerging violations of human rights (ie. Use of child soldiers) • Not always “enforceable”, but bring media attention • Allows for pressure on countries who are not respecting human rights either by countries or by individuals • Ie. Should trade be linked to human rights violations? Ie. China • Ie. Amnesty International – organisation that encourages individuals and governments to advocate

FAILURE OF THE DECLARATION • 1994 – Rwandan Genocide • 1, 000 dead in struggle between Hutu and Tutsi • UN peacekeeping force was not permitted to intervene (under Canadian General Romeo Dollaire) • Darfur, Sudan – 2003 - present • Between north and south (Arab and black populations) • Not all countries can agree on this being a genocide, so no action taken by the UN

ENFORCING HUMAN RIGHTS • There was no universal government with the power to enforce human rights • After WWII, Allies held the Nuremburg Trials, putting 22 German leaders on trial • Set a precedent for an international court system • In 2002 – creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague in the Netherlands • Works with national courts and only intervenes when countries are unwilling or unable to investigate • Only 120 countries have “ratified” or agreed to this (not the US, China, or Israel) because they are reluctant to give power to an outside body

CANADA AND HUMAN RIGHTS • Past issues • • • Slavery Women’s rights Japanese Internment Treatment of Aboriginal People’s ETC • Over time, huge improvements • Today, Canada is a leader • • Key role in founding the UN Peacekeeping missions for the UN Canada pressures other countries (helps to avoid refugee crises) Created International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development • Global landmine treaty

CANADA’S FOREIGN POLICY • The federal government is in charge of Canada’s international relations • The Department of Foreign Affairs manages embassies and consulates in 180 countries • Ambassadors and other staff gather information and help Canadians travelling abroad

TRADE • Canada negotiates trade agreements with other governments

THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (CIDA) NOW MERGED INTO THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (2013) • Distributes approximately $3 billion a year in aid and loans either directly or through NGOs for development projects around the world

GLOBAL POVERTY AND FOREIGN POLICY • Countries like Canada can make a difference in world poverty through foreign policy • Ie. By investing in education and industry, by adopting fairer trade policies, by forgiving debts owed by developing countries • In 1969, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, along with a group of world leaders, set a goal foreign aid: 0. 7% of GDP • In 2005, Canada gave approximately 0. 3 % , the US 0. 13% • Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands all EXCEEDED the 0. 7% goal!

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS) • Not-for-profit and operate independently of governments • Funded through donations and support from CIDA

CANADIAN PEACEKEEPING • Good citizens intervene in conflicts where human rights are at stake • There a few options: a. Sanctions (stop trade, aid, etc) b. Peacekeeping • Peacekeeping includes: supervising elections, delivering humanitarian aid, setting up local police forces, mediating differences • Intervention is controversial: • UN can’t intervene unless that country threatens the peace and security of other countries OR there is proof of genocide • Sometimes intervention is seen as being for the wrong reasons (ie. Iraq)

GLOBAL CONFLICT: TERRORISM • Terrorism is not new, but the way that it defines international relationships is • Terrorists see themselves as patriots or freedom fighters while victims see them as fanatics • Goals of terrorism may include: • • Overthrowing a government Achieving political independence Expelling oppressive businesses Pursuing religious goals

CANADA’S RESPONSE TO TERRORISM • Joined a UN operation in Afghanistan, the country of origin for the 9/11 attacks • However, Canada did not join the US in invading Iraq because the UN was not for it • This brought Canada into conflict with closest neighbour, the US

ENVIRONMENTAL INTERDEPENDENCE • One of the most controversial issues today is climate change • In 1997 – 160 countries signed the Kyoto Protocol which set specific goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions for 2012 • In 2010 countries met again in Copenhagen to discuss what to do next as the 2012 deadline approaches and many countries (including Canada) are not meeting their goals

ENVIRONMENTAL INTERDEPENDENCE • In 2015, the Paris Agreement (Paris climate accord, or Paris climate agreement) was adopted which aims to respond to the global climate change threat by keeping a global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius this century. • As of 2017, there are 174 United Nations framework convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) members who have become party to the agreement which allows each country to determine, plan, and report on their own contribution to mitigate global warming.

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (UN) • At the turn of the century, all UN members authorized the Millennium Declaration – a commitment to global renewal with 8 specific goals to achieve by 2015 • Brainstorm: What do you think they would have included?

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2015 – planning for 2030