Front Back
The League of Nations (1919)
Set up after WWI by Wilson to promote collective security
The United Nations
formed in 1945
Three Pillars
- Security - Economic Development - Human Rights
General Assembly
where all nations gather in NY; main function to control finances and money
Security Council
where power is held; actual decisions are made
5 Permanent Security Council Members
- US - UK - France - Russia - China
10 Non-Permanent Security Council Members
no power, rotate every 2 years
Peacekeeping Problems
- Difficult to enforce UN Politics - Sovereignty problem
Proposed Changes for Peacekeeping
- Expand Security Council - Right to Self-Defense - Aftermath of War (Rebuilding)
UN Programs: Development
- UNEP: environmental - UNDP: developmental - UNCTAD: trade
UN Programs: Human Rights
- UNICEF: children's fund - UNHCR: high commission on refugees
UN Programs: Culture/Education
- UNESCO: education and science
UN Programs: Autonomous Agencies
- WHO: World Health Organization (mainly Global South) - FAO: Food & Agricultural Organization - IMF: balance of payments, debt - IBRD (World Bank): reconstruction & development, mainly Global South
Marshall Plan (Post WWII)
- main focus to rebuild Germany - America invested in Europe
Benelux (1944)
Union of countries: - Belgium - Netherlands - Luxembourg
Creation of the EEC (1958)
European Economic Community - Belgium - France - Italy - Luxembourg - Netherlands - West Germany
Maastricht Treaty (1993)
created the EU as we know it
Creation of the Euro (1999)
common currency for EU
European Commission
- identifies policy problems & creates policy - most powerful - commission president (most powerful)
Council of the EU (Upper House)
- Legislative body - votes on budgets
European Parliament (Lower House)
- vetoes can be made - largest number of members
European Court of Justice
makes sure laws are upheld
European Council
- made up of heads of state of European countries - Diplomatic forum - maintain good diplomatic ties between countries
Germany and France
agree to become allies
Criticisms of the EU
- only for powerful countries - built to great wealth - centralizes power - too ambitious - ultimate goals are unclear - economic unity (problem of rich vs. poor countries)
International Law History
- Roman Law - Catholic Canon Law - Islamic Sharia Law - English Tort Law
Catholic Canon Law
legal framework of Catholic church
English Tort Law
wrongdoings taken care of
Sources of International Law
- treaties - custom (how countries interact) - criminal laws - legal precedent
Universal Rights
Western; human rights universal
Relative Rights
Non-Western; rights relative to a specific culture
Sources of Rights
- religion - natural rights - modern revolutions
IOs for Rights
UDHR (1948): Universal Declaration of Human Rights
NGOs for Rights
Amnesty International
Governments for Rights
Western
Geneva Convention
created after WWII; standards for treating prisoners of war
ICC
International Criminal Court; tries war criminals
Red Cross
safe haven, human zone for ill
Genocide
the systematic killing of large number of people, based on religion, ethnicity, race, political opinion, social status, class
Modern Era Cases: Colonial Era
slave trade
Modern Era Cases: 20th Century
- WWI (Turkey-Armenia): 2-3 million killed - WWII (Nazi Germany, Japan, USSR): highest number of killings in order - Communist Rule (USSR, China, Kampuchea): largest number ever killed, around 70 million - Africa (Rwanda, Sudan): over 1 million
Stages of Genocide
- classification of people - polarization of people - stigmatization of people (propaganda) - organized imprisonment of people - organized extermination of people
Types of Slavery
- chattel slavery - serfdom
Chattel Slavery
simple piece of property can be bought or sold
Serfdom
slaves had certain human rights and never returned home
Global Impact of Food Crisis
- the world's poor - the environment - the trading system
Reasons for Food Price Increase
- rising population - climate change - consumer choices - energy prices - farm subsidies - political instability
Peasant (Subsistence) Agriculture
peasant or farmer produces almost everything from land
Industrial (Commercial) Agriculture
machinery, chemicals, seed varieties, transportation changes
Costs of Industrial Agriculture
- benefits rich farmers - increased energy use/pollution - creates dependency - food quality declines
Solving Food Problems
- more investment/research - changing diets - localized production - food security - America's role?
Key Features of the Modern World
1800-2000: six fold population increase (1-7 billion)
Growth Rate
the rate of growth expressed as a percentage
Demography
study of population, demographics
Mortality Rate
death rate usually measured by thousands
Natality Rate
number of births per thousands
Fertility Rate
average number of children per woman
Avg. Life Expectancy
average number of years a person lives in a society
ZPG
Zero Population Growth; number of births and deaths are roughly equal
Largest Population
China
Second Largest Population
India
Third Largest Population
Indonesia
Fourth Largest Population
US
Highest Growth Rates
African & Islamic countries
Declining Birth Rates
- most of Western Europe - Russia - Japan
Population Debates
- increase in numbers - increase in consumers - technology - policies and customs
Prospects/Trends of Population
- carrying capacity of Earth - impact of aging populations - Global North vs. Global South
Information - Govt. Agencies
government are sources of information
Research - Govt. Agencies
cancer, etc.
Prevention & Control Programs
- insurance - producing vaccines - initiating quarantines
Diseases of Modernity
- cancer - heart disease - nervous disorders - STDs - new diseases?
Historical Disease Cases
- The Black Death (14th century) - Great Influenza Pandemic (early 20th century) - AIDS (late 20th century - present)
Causes of Urbanization
- weak rural economies - environmental degradation - population growth - perceptions of wealth in cities - warfare
Consequences of Urbanization
- economic dependence/vulnerability - increased disease/poverty - increased environmental (pollution) problems - socially/politically unstable
Acid Rain
type of pollution caused by release of dioxides; burning of coal
Treaty on Long Range Transboundary Pollution (1979)
for acid rain; regime leader: Germany
Ozone Depletion
- protects Earth from harmful UV rays - causes: CFCs
Montreal Convention (1987)
for ozone depletion; regime leader: USA
Climate Change
caused by greenhouse gases
Geneva Convention (1991)
for climate change
Kyoto Protocol (1997-)
current one for climate change; regime leaders: island nations
Toxic Waste
by-product of industrial production
Basel Convention (1992)
for toxic waste; regime leader: Indonesia; ship waste overseas
Deforestation of Tropical Forests
- population growth - development - geography - government policies
Deforestation of Dryland
- energy demand (wood) - desertification
Causes of Wildlife Depletion
- poaching - pet trade - habitat loss
Cases of Wildlife Depletion
- Big Cats - Elephants - Rhinoceros
WWF (1960s)
formed by former hunters to protect animals
CITES (1980s)
control the trade of endangered species
Causes of Over-Fishing
- technology - government policies - market demand - no international controls
UN Law of the Sea (1982)
governs use of oceans
COFI
Committee of Fisheries; mainly research and advocacy group
Causes of Scarcity
- overuse - drought
Areas of Potential Scarcity
- Middle East - North Africa - Southwestern USA/ Mexico

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