European Elections

Greece and France are undergoing elections right now. The voters state that austerity measures will actually in fact do the opposite of helping the economy. Austerity measures is a policy of deficit cuts by lowering spending often through a reduction in the amount of benefits and public services. This in fact will not help the economy. It will lower the income of the economy and lower the capital value of the economy. If they were to cut spending on services then that will make the economy contract and lose money in the long run. Especially for Greece this will in fact not help the economy debt crisis If they default this will cause a ripple effect on other countries around the world. This "solution" would really not benefit the European Union, but especially these two countries due to the debt and trouble they are in. France cannot afford this risk because of the controversy about their human rights already. This would just add more fuel to the fire because this would be taking away more rights for their citizens. If they were to accept these austerity measures it could cause a catastrophic effect, so bad it could cause the euro zone to fail.

How Will I Make A Change?

As I move on to the next phase in my life, I wish to become more involved with helping children. I want to feel the accomplishment of at least making a few children's lives that much better. Even though I may not be able to actually help globally I can start locally. I'm hoping that maybe I can volunteer at a recreation center or a shelter for teenagers so that I can make their lives better and keep them safe. Even when I was in middle school I always helped out in the kindergarten classrooms because I enjoyed teaching younger kids. I hope that with all my volunteering experience I have at least affected one child's life. I want to be that person to make a change and help that one kid stay on the right path and become successful. when teaching a kid something new and they get to that finishing point where they understand it, it's the most rewarding feeling in the world. I can't wait to make a change and help kids stay out of trouble.

Biggest Threat in the Next 50 Years For Canada

I think that in the next 50 years the biggest threat Canada will be facing is environmental issues. What I mean by this is that because we consume so much of our resources that we will have a shortage and have to find alternative resources. I think that a main concern would be deforestation because even though we are realizing that we can't cut down a mass amount of trees each time, we are still doing it.

Though we have realized what we are doing wrong our population is still being greedy. We have come to realize and know that what we are doing is causing a problem in the long run but we choose to ignore this and still clearcut our forests. Canada is known for our forests and beautiful nature sights but our desire for more is killing these beautiful sights and habitats for our biodiversity. Not only are we going to have a period where we cannot cut down our trees for products because we used so much now but we will also lose many species. We are taking their natural habitat away and therefore they will become endangered because they are not able to survive or migrate somewhere else and we will lose that biodiversity.

What Have I Learned About Myself?

Throughout the course we learned about many different issues and I really found out a lot about myself. I learned that in the end I really wasn't aware of the extent of some of the issues but I also learned that I want to make a change to help children. I found out that even though I'm confident voicing my opinion in a group of friends when it comes to speaking in class discussions or debates I'm very shy and self-conscious of what people with think when I say my piece. I also learned that when presenting I get very nervous but now that the year is coming to an end I have become more confident, especially if I have an interest and knowledge on the topic. I also learned that I really care about the rights of children in other countries and that I want to do something to help them have better lives. At the end of this year I have realized that I just need to speak my mind if I truly believe my opinion and just let people say what they want as long as I stick to my opinion.

3 Important Issues

Now that the course is coming to an end I think back and realize that I have learned about so many different global issues in such a short span of time. In my opinion the 3 most important issues that I've learned about are:

1. The first issue that I believe is important is the Arab-Israeli Conflict. It was a huge chunk of our curriculum because we had to do a simulation. It was an experience in itself to learn about it but to actually experience it by going through this simulation really set in reality. After finding out what countries had to go through to fight for what they want but to also try and keep peace it was very difficult to manage. It just showed how stressful and serious this conflict is.
2. The next issue that in my opinion is important is racism. After discussing it I realized how much racism there is in my daily life. That was when I realized how much of an issue it was, I didn't even realize some of it was racism because it was said as a joke. People don't think of the consequences and how what they're saying can affect others. This is a serious issue that needs to be stopped because for generations to come it will be seen as okay to make fun of people by their appearance but it can also cause even more conflict between ethnic groups because of a silly joke.
3. My last important issue is education. Even though it wasn't technically an "issue" that we discussed it was a solution for everything. In the end a lot of issues are not resolved because of peoples lack of education. More programs need to be implemented to educate not only third world countries but also for the younger generations to help prevent more tragedies because of disease. 

CARE Model

The C.A.R.E. Model can be found in our Take More Action textbook, it can be used as a guide to become more aware and a better global citizen. Each letter describes the key components of being a better global citizen.

C:ompassion

• Try to relate with others and see their perspective on a situation. Try to take into account the other parties feelings, needs, and motives. It is important to what the other person involved is thinking because it can change the reaction and solution.

A:ction

• You need to show leadership and initiative to be able to make a change. Showing that leadership will prove that you are ready to make a change in the world. You need to have courage and hope to believe that change is possible. You need to be able to separate right from wrong, even if right is the unpopular choice. You need to be able to control your fear and hold it back to make that change.

R:esponsibility

• You have to take ownership for your actions and not blame someone else if it goes wrong. People need to be able to trust you and your decisions and be able to come to you and count on you being there. You need to be able to make a promise and go through with it.

E:quality

• Everyone needs to be equal and work as one instead of being individuals. You need to consider the individuals feelings and needs to come up with the best possible solution that benefits everyone. Treat everyone the same so that you don't favour anyone and listen to others ideas.

The C.A.R.E. Model is very important to becoming the best global citizen you can be. Each letter is important and one is not effective without the other. Ultimately, the most important component is all of them because each element links to the other.

ISU Reflection

We just finished ISU presentations in my world issues class and it was an eye opener to learn about so many different topics and to hear my classmates views on the subject. After learning about these topics it really shows me how opinionated people are and how some issues might never be resolved. But they also showed me how horrible and judgemental the world can be. The presentation that I found the most interesting was Abortion and Child Slavery.

Now I've had debates and done research on abortion so I knew the facts but what I found interesting was the discussion. I learned other facts about abortion that I hadn't known before but to hear my peers opinions was very interesting. There were so many different opinions in my class that a heated discussion actually arose because of difference of opinion. It was intriguing to hear people evidence on how they back up their opinion and how it was easily countered by the opposition.

The presentation on child slavery was one that I found concerning and almost disturbing. It was horrible to find out about the statistics of child slaves and to know the actual definition of child slavery. It was devastating to find out about the amount of children who are taken from their families and forced to working horrible and demoralizing conditions. It makes me wonder how people can just let this happen and how more needs to be done to stop this.

Globalization

Globalization is the relationship between countries, mainly economically. It is also the increasing dependency we have for other countries. This can have a very positive effect on countries. We have easier access to technology and resources that we may not be able to produce on our own soil. It also gives us the chance to make that profit in trading, it helps us build relationships with other countries. But it can also have a very negative effect on countries. Since we have become so connected and dependent on our alliances with these other nations if something were to happen in that area it would most likely affect our country as well. A perfect example of this is the European Debt Crisis, because of Greece's debt they are putting the EU at risk. If they were to default it would crash the Euro. There are both negatives and positives to every situation. In this case it seems to be more negative because we are so interconnected that the smallest thing can affect the world.

Biodiversity

The Earth's biodiversity has drastically changed in the last 150 years and will continue to change in the next 150 years. Humans are the main reason for the Earth's biodiversity decrease. Because of our advancement and the rapid increase in our population we are taking habitat away from the wildlife and killing the environment. With the industrial revolution we started using fossil fuels and we became dependent on this resources. To this day we have become even more dependent on fossil fuels, we use them everyday mostly for travelling. We use so much of the Earth's resources that we are taking away necessities to the millions of species around the world. Since humans take out so much of forests at one time the land is not able to produce the trees at the pace we need. With taking away this resource we are taking away homes to hundreds of thousands of species. Because of the way we want to live the Earth's beauty is being punished.

Ultimately we need to learn how to change our lifestyles to live in peace with the environment. We need to only take the amount of what we need and not the amount we want. This will be a challenge because in our society we are used to the lifestyle where we take as much as we want without thinking of the consequences. We need to find alternatives to fossil fuels because we know in the near future we'll run out of this resource. We need to focus more on becoming environmentally friendly to stop or at least reduce our destruction on the world's biodiversity.

Violence in Society

In today's society we see violent acts daily. It's geting progressively worse where we see it everywhere. It has become a major issue in society because it is escalating to the point where the violence is seen as okay. We see it on the news, in tv shows, and in video games. We see news of younger kids getting into fights and kids ending up in the hospital because of it. This happens because of things they see at home or because of violent video games or tv shows that show that it's okay.

This violence we see is affecting youths minds and for generations to come it will make them think its okay. Another factor is what goes on at home. There is a lot of domestic violence in society because of bad childhoods, upbringing, or experiences. This can have a negative effect after because these factors can alter their way of thinking and their actions later in life. We need to make programs to help these kids realize what's going on is bad and wrong. Rating for tv shows, movies, and other media that could influence generations need to be changed and/or re-evaluated.

Racism

Racism is an issue that we have started to realize is an everday occurance seen in our daily lives. The majority of the racism seen is to do with stereotypes. It is largely known that racism is usually based on physical appearance such as; skin colour, gender, religion, etc.

In my opinion the extent of racism became more of an everday occurance in the modern day because of the fact that people use it more in jokes and for fun. This makes for concern because even if it is used in a non-serious way it is having a negative impact on younger generations. With our older generations using it, it makes it seem that being racist is okay and that it's not a big deal. This is altering the minds of young generations and generations to come because it is getting out of hand. With the stereotypes we see today that is how each person is depicted and judged even before you take the chance to get to know them. Our generation is notorious for it and we need to realize the wrong we are doing and to stop our bad habits. It may start out as fun but it can cause a negative effect in the end because what started out as a joke can end in a serious situation. Its gotten way out of hand that we can easily say these things about people and not see the consequences. We need to learn to filter and think of the effects of what we're saying.

Gender Inequality

Gender Inequality has been a prominent global issue in the world for centuries. In the last century this issue has been more addressed and more women are standing up for their rights. In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Article 1 it stats that: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." Not only is it addressed in that one article but equal rights is mentioned in various parts of the UDHR. This is issue has been acknowledged globally because it is now third on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

It is clear that with the advancement in today's society that it is only right for both men and women to be equal. It has been proven that women are just as valuable in the workplace as men are. There are certain jobs and roles that are better suited for women and vice versa for men. With developing countries some of them are stuck in their traditional ways where the women stay home to take care of the children and tend to the chores. What needs to be realized is that women are a valuable asset to a community, without them society could basically collapse. Women are a valuable resource for a village because of their instincts and their abilities. I think that with women starting to realize they want to do more in their lives they are starting to fight for their rights. This attitude and passion s really needed in the developing countries because this is where we are seeing the majority of inequality. The government must be their focal point because they are so corrupt and stuck in their ways that this is stopping women in thesse countries from evolving. Polticians must be modernized and interested in the change to help. Men in these nations must also be willing to help because with the support of the other gender it will show that the change is necessary and desired.

AIDS and Disease

HIV/AIDS is considered one of the most deadly diseases in the world. About 30 million people have died from AIDS, 60 million people have been affected with HIV, and approximately 34 million people are living with HIV. In 2010, about 1.2 million Africans died because of AIDS, this counted for 69% of the world's total that year. (World Health Organization)


Though our world is advancing at a rapid pace, HIV/AIDS continues to affect our planets population. No cure has been found yet to eradicate HIV/AIDS. A main contributor to the contraction of HIV is unprotected sex. This becomes a global issue because of the lack of education in the majority of the population. We see that the majority of people affected are in the poorest countries of the world. Africa is about 69% of world's deaths it goes to show that lack of education is the main cause. Since most of the population in Africa has never had any education they wouldn't know solutions on how to prevent HIV/AIDS. Another reason that this disease is such a problem is because of the lack of medical care. In these poor countries since there is very little education the access to medical care would be scarce. Both factors go hand in hand with each other and one is not quite effective without the other.


To change this awareness needs to be brought on the issue and become known globally. Unfortunately with the development of HIV/AIDS it has been known because of the increasing deaths. Now that it is considered a global issue it is being focused on more. This awareness should have been brought long ago so that hopefully the increasing rate wouldn't be as high as it is today. A group helping to eradicate HIV/AIDS is UNAIDS. This organization is a branch off of the United Nations. 


Their five goals are: 

1. Leadership and advocacy for effective action on the epidemic;
2. Strategic information and technical support to guide efforts against AIDS worldwide ;
3. Tracking, monitoring and evaluation of the epidemic and of responses to it ;
4. Civil society engagement and the development of strategic partnerships;
5. Mobilization of resources to support an effective response

Reflection On AIC NSA

In our final email from our NSA he congratulated us on the progress we made through the simulation. He also commented on the fact that we were very successful in accomplishing our goals and that we handled situations very well. He was pleased that we completed our main goal of joining the European Union and that we were able to stay in it throughout the simulation while accomplishing our other goals. Throughout the simulation our NSA was very helpful in guiding us to make our goals a reality. He agreed with the goals we proposed and voiced that they were realistic goals that we would be able to accomplish by the end of the simulation. Our NSA was constantly in contact with us and gave us suggestions on how to make Turkey a neutral country. He would give us his opinion on what to include in our press releases and what other initiatives we should take to reach our goals. Overall our NSA played a role in helping us achieve our goals and stay peaceful within the AIC Simulation.