UNIT 4 REVIEWSocial Studies 10

HUMAN RIGHTS

Human Rights are needs or privileges that are believed to be basic entitlements for all human beings because we are all human beings and deserve equal rights

In 1948 the UN passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This document outlines what the UN believes all human beings to be entitled to.

The ideal of Human Rights grew as democracy grew.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND GLOBALIZATION

►Trade Remember that trade is largely driven by

transnational corporations.►Transportation

New, cheaper forms of transportation have allowed people to move easier around the world.

Media The media often bears witness to what is going on

around the world. Making human rights abuses known can often be enough to stop them.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND GLOBALIZATION

►Communications Technology The internet has allowed human rights organizations

to bypass corporate media and communicate with the public directly.

This has led to worldwide movements in support on basic human rights.

Two problems to consider:►The accuracy of information►The digital divide

SIERRA LEONE

Globalization

Human Rights Democracy

Gold Diamonds

Weapons

Sierra Leone

-Poverty- Child Soldiers- Civilian attacks-Civil War

- No effective police- No effective courts- No effective elections-Rebel Attacks on government

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Globalization

Human Rights Democracy

Gold Diamonds

Coltan

DRC

-Poverty- Child Soldiers- Civilian attacks

- No police- No courts- No effective elections

GENDER GAP

GENDER AND THE WORKPLACE

Equality in the work place has been a pervasive problem.

In 1967 for equal work women made 58.4% as much as men.

“Equal Work for Equal Pay” campaigns had some effect.In 2003 for equal work women made 71.2% as much as

men.

LABOUR ISSUES

We all know about the problem of exploitation of labour around the world.

Unions are designed to protect workers from these abuses but the drive for free trade and cheaper products has meant that unions are being attacked all over the world. In many countries unions are not protected and it is illegal to be a member.

The awareness of this issue has led many unions in global north to spread across borders and form international unions to stand up to transnational corporations.

GLOBALIZATION AWARENESS

We are becoming increasingly aware of how globalization impacts our quality of life. Everything from the environmental impact to inequality creates pressures on people’s ability to live good lives.

This awareness has led to some actions. Most trade agreements now include Social Clauses which state that new trade should not create new inequalities.

Many governments in global north are attempting to deal with these issues by promoting effective governance around the world (end corruption, oppression, etc).

EXPANDING GLOBAL COMMUNITIES

One reason why our community is getting bigger is because of new technology and media.

A second reason our communities are growing is because of the expansion of multinational corporations.

Immigration is a third reason why our communities are growing.

In 2006 immigration accounted for 2/3 of Canada’s population growth.

A fourth reason why our communities are growing is our increasing dependence on global resources.

A fifth reason why our communities are expanding is through the issue of health, more specifically disease and pandemics.

CIVIL SOCIETY

Typically we consider government and business to be the most powerful segment of society. While this may be true in many cases it is not the whole story.

A third sector is growing rapidly and gaining a great deal of influence. It is made up of community groups, NGOs, faith-based groups, universities, etc. It is called Civil Society.

GLOBAL CITIZEN

Being a global citizen is a choice. Oxfam, an international anti-poverty NGO explains that a responsible global citizen is one who is aware of the wider world respects and values diversity is willing to act to help others

UNIONS

• Unions #1 priority is to protect the rights of their workers

• Currently, many economists see unions as problems since they raise manufacturing costs and prevent the driving down of labor costs. This goes against market economic thinking which focuses only on the interests of the consumer.

• Internationally, membership is unions is dropping sharply as they are under attack from corporations

• Loss of union represented jobs is linked to outsourcing; where companies can shift the work to lower paying locations.