U3L1 Nations, Nation-States and Internationalism
Lesson
RESOURCES
Read and refer to Chapter Nine as your resource for completing this lesson's assignment.
Chapter Nine Summary Notes PDF
United Nations Security Council Resolution
Introduction to United Nations
About the United Nations
LESSON
Nations and nation states have many common and conflicting motives. Some nations prefer to concentrate on their domestic policies and virtually ignore the international community, while others are more concerned with global issues. These countries attempt to not only further their own interests through trade, collective security and other methods but they also attempt to assist in alleviating problems globally.
Common motives of nations and states include:
 |
Economic Stability Peace and Security Self-Determination Humanitarianism |
- All humans share the same needs and wants. Everyone needs food, water, shelter to stay alive and healthy. Wants are the things that people desire to have even if they do not require it to survive. Needs and wants create a motive for people to go out and find jobs so they can make money, to fulfill these needs and wants.
- Nations work the same way. Governments are motivated to fulfill the needs of their citizens by trying to provide economic stability. Peace and security, self-determination, and humanitarian activities.
- Abraham Maslow believed that people followed a unique pattern or hierarchy. He believed that once people have satisfied their basic needs, they can focus on their wants.
Economic stability
- Positive effects of high employment. If there are more jobs there are more people with money to spend. If companies have more people buying their products there is more demand, which means that there is a higher demand for the companies to produce more products. In order for a company to make more products, they need to hire more people to work, and so the cycle continues.
Peace and security
- Abraham Maslow believed that safety and security was the second most important need, because it’s hard to be happy if there is a war going on in your backyard. Many counties have charters or rights so that people know that they have the right to live safely. This also helps settle legal disputes. Countries also have armies or military forces that protect the country.
Self determination
- Most people like to control their own lives so when governments do not allow this to happen, the sovereign nations begin to emerge and start their own country. This is common when some nations only allow one religion to be followed in the country.
Humanitarianism
- Many people in the world feel sympathy for those who are less fortunate. These people start organizations like food banks so they can help out the less fortunate.
- Natural disasters, disease, wars and conflict can all cause suffering for people. Disasters such as tsunamis can destroy towns in a matter of seconds, killing many people and leaving others injured or stranded.
How do the motives of nations and states shape their responses to the world?
- Countries' withdrawal from contact was one of the reasons Adolf Hitler expanded Germany’s territory, and continued to persecute the Jews.
- A country's complete isolation from the rest of the world is known as isolationism. Japan was a good example of that until 1854, when the United States started trading with them.
- Unilateralism was an issue after WWII, because a nuclear arms race started, and countries just decided to disarm their nuclear weapons to avoid nuclear war.
- Bilateralism is an agreement, or a goal that two persons, or countries can work together, to accomplish, a goal such as Canada and the United States trying to fight against global warming.
- Multilateralism is when countries gather together because of an interest or common goal that they can work together to accomplish.
- Supranationalism is when countries change something so they are more uniform. Ex. The majority of European countries adapted to using the Euro. (previously, they all used separate currencies
Watch one of these (or both if you're keen)... THIS one is pretty detailed
Or this one which covers a lot and highlights the pros and cons of the EU
What are some understandings of internationalism?
- Internationalism is when countries can communicate around the world and everyone accepts responsibility for taking care of the world. It is also political cooperation between and among nations to work together to help improve the economy and the environment.
- NGO’S – (Non Governmental Organizations) there are many NGO’S around the world that are started by people that are likely dissatisfied with what the government is doing.
- A good example of this is the WHO (World Health Organization). The Who was established in 1948 to study and educate people about diseases so that we can prevent them and find cures for them. One of the WHO’s greatest contributions was the complete destruction of smallpox.
- Right to play is another NGO that was started by Canadian Olympic athletes and organizers in the early 1990’s. This NGO helps children in war torn countries have a safe place to play, and they are supplied with the toys. .
- The Arctic council is a group of ten countries that is dedicated to protecting the Arctic regions and the indigenous peoples living on the land.
|
How does internationalism benefit nations and states?
|
ngtY" allowfullscreen="" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"> If video does not work, go to youtube.ca and search for The United Nations: History and Functions (video length - 3:12)
|