Global Conflicts and Global Interdependence

A World of Inequalities and InterconnectionsCanada is among the few “developed” nations of the world.

This is a very small group

Measuring Inequality is best done with these three categories...

Clean Drinking WaterA huge problem both in Canada and around the worldAffects first nations groups in Canada to a large degreeEducationAccess to education is a primary factor in determining if

someone will be “successful”Life ExpectancyWhen people live longer, it usually means they have better

lives

Global Poverty and Human DevelopmentWe use GDP per capita (amount of money per

person) and the HDI to measure how “good” life is in a country

The HDI gives a measurement between .0000 and 1.000Canada has a HDI of .95 (very high) where as Niger

is .28

Usually nations with low HDI used to be colonies and were dependant on their mother nations

Human Activities and Global EnvironmentEverything that human civilization does has a

large effect on our worldBy removing natural resources or building areas

up, we change the landscape and the environment

We cause desertification and loss of biodiversity

Forces driving human development:Increasing populationChanging technologyImproving living standardsIncreasing interconnections

The Globe within Our BordersCanada’s Population grows at about 1% a year.

It grows through Natural Increase and ImmigrationNatural Increase is the amount of births per 1000

people minus the amount of deaths per 1000 people Canada’s birth rate is 10.5 while its death rate is 7.3

Immigration is when people move into Canada

Canada’s Population ChallengesCanada’s population is currently “aging”This presents problems for the government as it

must take care of these elderly people

Canada’s Population Growth in PerspectiveHistorically, we are growing very slowly right

now (at about 1% per year)

Used to be that most of our increase came through “natural increase” but now its all about immigration (since about 1971)

The “face” of the nation is changing drasticallyThis is because immigration is now the primary

cause of our population growthImmigrants come from all over now with nearly as

many Asians as Europeans arriving on our shores– we are more and more “pluralistic” all the time

When and How Does a Good Citizen Intervene?Canada has worked to be a leader in international

affairs and enjoys a reputation as a peace keeperSometimes we use “sanctions” to influence governments

who are out of line Sanctions are economic bans on nations

Canada’s Foreign Policy is based on “multilateralism”This means that we work together with other nations to

get the job done rather than trying to do it ourselvesAs peacekeepers we do several jobs

Supervise Elections Delivering Humanitarian Supplies Setting up local police forces Mediating or arbitrating differences

Death in Darfur: Another Genocide, Another Failure?In 2003 fighting raged in Darfure (eastern

Sudan)The Arab-dominated government clashed with

rebel groups, destroying homes and farms1 million people became refugeesThere was evidence of genocide and that the

government of Sudan was involvedYet the UN still did not decide to act...

The UN can act if 2 conditions exist:1. The country threatens the peace and security

of other countries2. There is proof of genocide

The Changing Face of Global Conflict: Terrorism After 9/11Terrorism is not new– especially in the 20th century

FLQ in Canada, IRA in Ireland, and Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka

Terrorists dont see themselves as terrorists– they are not in it to simply scare people (that is just their tactic)Often they think they are freedom fighters, patriots,

and/or idealistsTheir goals usually include:

Overthrowing a governmentAchieving political independenceExpelling oppressive businessPursuing religious goals

TerrorismModern Responses to Terrorism

Terrorism is multinational, and so different groups need to work together to combat it

The Anti-Terrorism Act was passed in 2001 to give police and security powers more power to keep an eye on, and detain, suspected terrorists

This law has come under fire from critics who say it infringes on our rights to privacy, etc.

Canada’s Dilemma: Good Global Citizen or Good Neighbor?Canada joined the US-led, and UN sactioned invasion of

Afghanistan in an effort to capture and kill the Taliban and Al-Quida terrorists.

We did not, however, support the invasion of Iraq citing lack of evidence– this is big, because the US is our most important ally

Environmental InterdependenceThe UN leads the global effort to combat GHG

(Green House Gases) problems

In 1997 the Kyoto Protocol, signed by 160 nations, promised to reduce GHG by 5 percent by 2012

That is less than the amount of people who signed the petition to have Julia stop killing helpless puppies

Hope Through Global CitizenshipThe UN authorized the Millennium Declaration in

2000– promising to do the following things by 2015Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerAchieve universal primary educationPromote gender equality and empower womenReduce child mortalityImprove maternal healthCombat HIV and other diseaseInsure environmental sustainabilityDevelop global partnerships so that countries can

trade fairly and develop

Where do we stand? Where will we go now?