This year in world issues we have covered a variety of topics, I feel that all the topics we have covered are important, however the ones which we spent the most time on include the Arab Israeli Conflict, the European Economic Debt Crisis, Biodiversity, Global Disparity, and Global Warming.
I personally found the AIC and Global Disparity to be the two most influential topics that we covered. The reason for this being that up until this course I knew very little regarding the AIC, I was aware of the 'War in Iraq', Al Qaeda and the Taliban, however I was not aware that they were all related and stemmed from this conflict that had been going on for decades. I find the conflict itself very interesting, and I enjoyed the culminating assignment which involved my representation of Egypt in the AIC Game that we took part in online. I feel that this one topic not only broadened my understanding of conflicts in that part of the world, but it also affected the way I approach situations which have more than one solution, being a mediator in this conflict truly made me understand the importance of seeing an argument from every possible point of view.
I also mentioned Global Disparity as being one of the most influential issue that we covered this year. My reason for singling out this topic is because, I have lived in countries where majority of the population lives in poverty, witnessing poverty at a young age truly opened my eyes as to how lucky I am to live above the poverty line, with friends and family who care for me. However I have now lived in Canada for 9 years and although I have always been aware that poverty exists across the globe I had begun to forget just how bad some peoples everyday lives are, watching the move "invisible children" and discussing the problems in Uganda really reminded me just how fortunate I am.
With regards as to how I plan one using what I have learnt this year in the future I plan on making my self truly aware of the issues are going on around the world - and in terms of action, doing what I can in to change them. The newspaper, and online media are excellent sources for learning about global issues, whether they be environmental or humanity related. In terms of action I plan on communicating with my government and standing up for issues that I believe in, and most importantly, believing that I can make a difference to the number of crisis that are currently going on across our planet.
Saturday, 26 May 2012
#20 Canada, looking ahead at the biggest threat
I personally feel that the biggest threat to Canada in the next 50 years will be economically related. My reasons for believing this are simply.
Canada relies hugely on other countries importing Canadian goods. With the recent economic crisis Canada has lost billions of dollars because other countries have made cuts on the amount of produce that they imported from Canada. Although Canada has come through the recent recession with less debt than most countries, Canada depends mostly on the US, which has been hit hard by the economic crisis.
This dependancy on America is what I see as ultimately being the main reason for Canada's economy being threatened in the future. Until America sorts our their own economic problems, Canada will continue to lose money. The biggest problem with this is that Canada can do very little to change this situation, especially because forming new economic ties with other countries will be extremely difficult, seeing as every major country that would be interested in trading more with canada is currently in debt.
I personally think that it is going to take a very long time before the World - and Canada's economies return back to the healthy state they were before the 2008 world recession occurred. This is why when I look forward into the next 50 years, for Canada, the economy will by far be the most pressing issue.
Canada relies hugely on other countries importing Canadian goods. With the recent economic crisis Canada has lost billions of dollars because other countries have made cuts on the amount of produce that they imported from Canada. Although Canada has come through the recent recession with less debt than most countries, Canada depends mostly on the US, which has been hit hard by the economic crisis.
This dependancy on America is what I see as ultimately being the main reason for Canada's economy being threatened in the future. Until America sorts our their own economic problems, Canada will continue to lose money. The biggest problem with this is that Canada can do very little to change this situation, especially because forming new economic ties with other countries will be extremely difficult, seeing as every major country that would be interested in trading more with canada is currently in debt.
I personally think that it is going to take a very long time before the World - and Canada's economies return back to the healthy state they were before the 2008 world recession occurred. This is why when I look forward into the next 50 years, for Canada, the economy will by far be the most pressing issue.
Friday, 25 May 2012
#19 How I've Changed
This year in World Issues I have learnt a great deal about the many problems that are currently occurring throughout the world. This course has has taught me what it means to be a global citizen, and how I can personally make a difference in the world.
An issue that I really enjoyed discussing with my class mates were the issues surrounding global disparity. We heatedly discussed the problems that the distance between developing countries and developed countries presents - in terms of sending aid - especially water. Most methods of transporting water are far to expensive, because water is so heavy. This lead to us discussing the possibility of transporting people to the water, however this would lead to problems in itself (overcrowding). The solution that most of us seemed to agree on was that inventions such as the water bike and straw, which act to purify dirty water are the best step forward - although these products are sometimes too expensive for the people who need them the most to afford.
In this course I was also given the opportunity to develop my debating skills, I gained confidence over the year, and no longer became afraid to voice my opinion on a topic. I especially enjoyed taking part in the discussions at the end of each ISU presentation.
Finally with regards to how I will be using the skills and knowledge I have accumulated in this course in the future. I plan on using the knowledge I have learned to educate others, and raise awareness as to how to become a global citizen. I have personally seen the poverty that plagues parts of the world and witnessed the conditions that some people are forced to live in every day. I know that raising awareness for issues in foreign countries can be challenging, especially when we may see no effects of the contribution we make. However if there is one thing that I have definitely learned in this course it is that change starts with acceptance and self driven determination, qualities that every person has, as long as they are willing to take the first step.
An issue that I really enjoyed discussing with my class mates were the issues surrounding global disparity. We heatedly discussed the problems that the distance between developing countries and developed countries presents - in terms of sending aid - especially water. Most methods of transporting water are far to expensive, because water is so heavy. This lead to us discussing the possibility of transporting people to the water, however this would lead to problems in itself (overcrowding). The solution that most of us seemed to agree on was that inventions such as the water bike and straw, which act to purify dirty water are the best step forward - although these products are sometimes too expensive for the people who need them the most to afford.
In this course I was also given the opportunity to develop my debating skills, I gained confidence over the year, and no longer became afraid to voice my opinion on a topic. I especially enjoyed taking part in the discussions at the end of each ISU presentation.
Finally with regards to how I will be using the skills and knowledge I have accumulated in this course in the future. I plan on using the knowledge I have learned to educate others, and raise awareness as to how to become a global citizen. I have personally seen the poverty that plagues parts of the world and witnessed the conditions that some people are forced to live in every day. I know that raising awareness for issues in foreign countries can be challenging, especially when we may see no effects of the contribution we make. However if there is one thing that I have definitely learned in this course it is that change starts with acceptance and self driven determination, qualities that every person has, as long as they are willing to take the first step.
Thursday, 24 May 2012
#18 Three Most Pressing Issues
I personally feel that every issue we discussed this year in World Issues is important, however if I had to choose three which I personally see as being the most influential on a global scale I would choose the following:
The European Debt Crisis:
The Economy crisis in Europe is still prevalent, and in my opinion is one of the most pressing issue that we covered this year in world issues.
This year we spent a great deal of time learning about the European debt crisis, we especially focused on countries like Greece and Italy who may still yet be forced to default.
People across Europe have rioted and protested against government cuts. Billion dollar bailouts have been arranged - and failed to achieve their goal, and most importantly the world economy is dramatically suffering as a consequence of poor financial planning.
The Euro was created to make Europe a stronger force, it was meant to unite the countries of Europe and solidify their position together in the European Union. Unfortunately it is doing the opposite of that, countries that are defaulting on their debts (Greece) are dragging down other countries (Germany) who are just managing to stay afloat.
The debt crisis is Europe is affecting the global economy, as a consequence of european debts millions of people across the globe are losing jobs, and being forced to make changes in order to save money - all as a consequence of a few mediterranean countries defaulting on their loans.
The Arab Israeli Conflict:
We spent a great deal of time dedicated to the Arab Israeli Conflict this year. I took part in an organised 'game' where I represented Egypt, I wrote a report detailing the different aspects of the conflict - both in the real world and in the game.
The reason why I feel that the AIC is such an important issue is because the conflicts that have arisen from this single conflict range from terrorist attacks to political uprisings, it has truly become a war that involves counties from across the globe, although it can be debated that some countries are more interested in profiting from this war, than ending it.
Apart from the world wars, the world has never been host to such a conflict, where western powers are forced to band together to fight an 'enemy' which upon closer inspection is so intently rooted into a society that no amount of western influence will ever be able to change it.
Maintaining Biodiversity:
Biodiversity is a world issue that many people choose to overlook, or simply not understand. I chose it as one of my top three because it is an issue that affects the entire planet and will continue to do so until enough awareness is raised, and enough people are educated as to how to make a change.
Biodiversity on planet earth is rapidly declining, solely due to human impacts on nature.
During the year my teacher made a reference that humanity is like a cancer slowly draining the earth of all life and resource. I found this analogy interesting because I could not help but notice the similarities between humanity and cancer - the earth acting as our dying host.
However unlike cancer, humanity has the ability to realise the dangers of consuming too much, before it is too late, which is why I believe that through education and action as a global community we can become a world where maintaining biodiversity is no longer a challenging issue.
The European Debt Crisis:
The Economy crisis in Europe is still prevalent, and in my opinion is one of the most pressing issue that we covered this year in world issues.
This year we spent a great deal of time learning about the European debt crisis, we especially focused on countries like Greece and Italy who may still yet be forced to default.
People across Europe have rioted and protested against government cuts. Billion dollar bailouts have been arranged - and failed to achieve their goal, and most importantly the world economy is dramatically suffering as a consequence of poor financial planning.
The Euro was created to make Europe a stronger force, it was meant to unite the countries of Europe and solidify their position together in the European Union. Unfortunately it is doing the opposite of that, countries that are defaulting on their debts (Greece) are dragging down other countries (Germany) who are just managing to stay afloat.
The debt crisis is Europe is affecting the global economy, as a consequence of european debts millions of people across the globe are losing jobs, and being forced to make changes in order to save money - all as a consequence of a few mediterranean countries defaulting on their loans.
The Arab Israeli Conflict:
We spent a great deal of time dedicated to the Arab Israeli Conflict this year. I took part in an organised 'game' where I represented Egypt, I wrote a report detailing the different aspects of the conflict - both in the real world and in the game.
The reason why I feel that the AIC is such an important issue is because the conflicts that have arisen from this single conflict range from terrorist attacks to political uprisings, it has truly become a war that involves counties from across the globe, although it can be debated that some countries are more interested in profiting from this war, than ending it.
Apart from the world wars, the world has never been host to such a conflict, where western powers are forced to band together to fight an 'enemy' which upon closer inspection is so intently rooted into a society that no amount of western influence will ever be able to change it.
Maintaining Biodiversity:
Biodiversity is a world issue that many people choose to overlook, or simply not understand. I chose it as one of my top three because it is an issue that affects the entire planet and will continue to do so until enough awareness is raised, and enough people are educated as to how to make a change.
Biodiversity on planet earth is rapidly declining, solely due to human impacts on nature.
During the year my teacher made a reference that humanity is like a cancer slowly draining the earth of all life and resource. I found this analogy interesting because I could not help but notice the similarities between humanity and cancer - the earth acting as our dying host.
However unlike cancer, humanity has the ability to realise the dangers of consuming too much, before it is too late, which is why I believe that through education and action as a global community we can become a world where maintaining biodiversity is no longer a challenging issue.
#17 ISU Reflection
I greatly enjoyed the Independent Study Unit presentations, I felt that everyone did an excellent job of outlining their issue, and that the discussions that arose from our presentations really widened my knowledge of issues that previous to this unit I had known very little about.
I did my presentation on Human Trafficking, I feel that I accurately conveyed the cruelty and seriousness of this issue. I was surprised to find that several of my class mates were unaware of this pressing issue, and were shocked that it is currently happening in developed nations - even Canada.
A presentation that I found particularly interesting was the presentation on water, and its relation to the developed world. I was particularly interested in the prospect of geographic location to fresh water being one of the most contributing factors to the wealth of a nation.
Countries that are situated in areas where fresh water is sparse are usually still developing, and so may be classified as "third world" countries. Whilst countries that have unrestricted access to fresh water, for example Canada, and the United States, are developed, and considered by many as world powers.
The presentation went on to discuss the importance of limiting water usage in the developed world, and making an effort to be responsible, and not take for granted the water that flows infinitely out of our taps. The luxury of fresh water should be taken more seriously, in the US the average person uses 2,500 cubic metres of water annually - enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool! This figure is more than double the average person's water usage across the globe. Clearly there is a problem with the morals surrounding water usage.
My classmates presentations helped shape my view of the world by broadening my overall knowledge, and awareness of issues that I was not aware of previous to this course. I was not only made aware of the negative issues presented, but also the positive initiatives that people across the globe are leading to combat these issues.
I did my presentation on Human Trafficking, I feel that I accurately conveyed the cruelty and seriousness of this issue. I was surprised to find that several of my class mates were unaware of this pressing issue, and were shocked that it is currently happening in developed nations - even Canada.
A presentation that I found particularly interesting was the presentation on water, and its relation to the developed world. I was particularly interested in the prospect of geographic location to fresh water being one of the most contributing factors to the wealth of a nation.
Countries that are situated in areas where fresh water is sparse are usually still developing, and so may be classified as "third world" countries. Whilst countries that have unrestricted access to fresh water, for example Canada, and the United States, are developed, and considered by many as world powers.
The presentation went on to discuss the importance of limiting water usage in the developed world, and making an effort to be responsible, and not take for granted the water that flows infinitely out of our taps. The luxury of fresh water should be taken more seriously, in the US the average person uses 2,500 cubic metres of water annually - enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool! This figure is more than double the average person's water usage across the globe. Clearly there is a problem with the morals surrounding water usage.
My classmates presentations helped shape my view of the world by broadening my overall knowledge, and awareness of issues that I was not aware of previous to this course. I was not only made aware of the negative issues presented, but also the positive initiatives that people across the globe are leading to combat these issues.
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
#16 European Election -Austerity Rejected!
Elections in Europe have led to a rejection of austerity measures. Europe is still in an economic crisis and the people who are suffering the most are crying out for a change in financial policy that will actually bring them out of this double-dip recession.
I decided to focus my attention on Greece, a country who has recently rejected further austerity measures, as well as electing out the governing party that led them into the mess that their economy is currently still in.
It appears the people of Greece are tired of proposed bail-out plans, and instead have opted for smaller governing forces that focus on anti-bailout plans - a switch which many feel uneasy about, as some feel what Greece needs most is to be lead my an experienced party.
I understand why the people of Greece have decided to put their faith in a smaller less experienced government, they feel change is the only way out of their current situation. They are tired of feeling like a burden on Europe's economy, and further austerity measures would only increase the unemployment in Greece, which is already at an all time high of 20%!
Whether a change in party will lead Greece out of their economic catastrophe, or be another mistake that will put them into further debt, only time can tell. However with regard to austerity measures, I firmly agree that another solution needs to be found, as creating even more tension in an already pressing situation will only worsen the problem.
#15 Racism
"Any concept of one person being superior to another can lead to racism."
-Walter Lang
To me this quote really outlines the root of racism, all men and women are made equal and yet people in our society refuse to treat each other as equals.
An example of racism that I found shocking was the video that one of my class mates showed during their summative presentation on racism. The video detailed a situation which was set up by a group that was working to eliminate racism in our society. The situation unfolded as follows, a woman of African heritage walked into a store - she was an actor, the was then confronted by one of the the white sales women (also an actor) who demanded she leave the store - immediately, purely because her 'type' were not welcome in that particular store. The point of the video was to get a reaction out of the nearby shopper - who were not actors.
I found the different reactions to this scene very interesting, especially when one man supported the racist sales woman! When the act was revealed he immediately changed his opinion, which I found ironic, however majority of the people who did react to the scene did so in defence of the African American woman who was being discriminated against.
I am personally extremely against racism, and don't understand how some people can discriminate against other on that basis of skin colour or ethnicity. This video I mentioned did however have some encouraging moments - for example when two women stood up against the "racist" saleswoman, by not only supporting the African American women but by also and proceeded to walk out of the store , bringing many of the other shoppers with them.
-Walter Lang
To me this quote really outlines the root of racism, all men and women are made equal and yet people in our society refuse to treat each other as equals.
An example of racism that I found shocking was the video that one of my class mates showed during their summative presentation on racism. The video detailed a situation which was set up by a group that was working to eliminate racism in our society. The situation unfolded as follows, a woman of African heritage walked into a store - she was an actor, the was then confronted by one of the the white sales women (also an actor) who demanded she leave the store - immediately, purely because her 'type' were not welcome in that particular store. The point of the video was to get a reaction out of the nearby shopper - who were not actors.
I found the different reactions to this scene very interesting, especially when one man supported the racist sales woman! When the act was revealed he immediately changed his opinion, which I found ironic, however majority of the people who did react to the scene did so in defence of the African American woman who was being discriminated against.
I am personally extremely against racism, and don't understand how some people can discriminate against other on that basis of skin colour or ethnicity. This video I mentioned did however have some encouraging moments - for example when two women stood up against the "racist" saleswoman, by not only supporting the African American women but by also and proceeded to walk out of the store , bringing many of the other shoppers with them.
Sunday, 13 May 2012
#14 Globalization
Globalization is becoming an issue that is effecting billions of people throughout the world, both positively and negatively.
Globalization is the 'growth' of a company to a worldwide scale. The main reason companies are becoming able to expand to become such massive entities is mainly because of the internet and modern technology that has made it possible for people to communicate across the world.
Globalization can be seen as a positive step forward, the unification of people through the world can lead to competition between companies, which in itself will lower consumer prices, and encourage more consumer spending which will promote the global economy - however the cons that are associated with Globalization cannot be ignored, especially when so many people are affected by them.
I am of course talking about the unfortunate fact that some companies take advantage of the poverty that some people in third world countries are forced to live in. These companies rely on the desperation of the poor to fuel their industry - offering them very low paying jobs that barely keep them supported. However some may argue that these low paying jobs are the only chance that these desperate people have of survival - and that these companies are keeping them alive.
There is no clear cut solution to this problem, which is more important? - the global economy , and the sustenance of companies that offer jobs to millions of people across the globe - or the development of third world nations and the encouragement for their lower classes to get an education and attempt to break the cycle of poverty.
Globalization is the 'growth' of a company to a worldwide scale. The main reason companies are becoming able to expand to become such massive entities is mainly because of the internet and modern technology that has made it possible for people to communicate across the world.
Globalization can be seen as a positive step forward, the unification of people through the world can lead to competition between companies, which in itself will lower consumer prices, and encourage more consumer spending which will promote the global economy - however the cons that are associated with Globalization cannot be ignored, especially when so many people are affected by them.
I am of course talking about the unfortunate fact that some companies take advantage of the poverty that some people in third world countries are forced to live in. These companies rely on the desperation of the poor to fuel their industry - offering them very low paying jobs that barely keep them supported. However some may argue that these low paying jobs are the only chance that these desperate people have of survival - and that these companies are keeping them alive.
There is no clear cut solution to this problem, which is more important? - the global economy , and the sustenance of companies that offer jobs to millions of people across the globe - or the development of third world nations and the encouragement for their lower classes to get an education and attempt to break the cycle of poverty.
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