United Nations - Introduction

The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945. The United Nations was the second multipurpose international organization established in the 20th century that was worldwide in scope and membership. Its predecessor, the League of Nations, was created by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 and disbanded in 1946. Headquartered in New York City, the UN also has offices in Geneva, Vienna, and other cities. Its official languages are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
The United Nations has developed a site specifically for students. Don't be fooled by the title (it is not as grade 3 as it sounds): UN CYBERSCHOOLBUS has a good overview of the United Nations and its functions here
Below are some introductory videos that help to give an overview of the united nations. After watching them respond to the questions at the bottom of this post.

The Founding of the United Nations
A slide show on the Basic Facts of the United Nations

What were the motivations and events that helped to found the United Nations?
To what extent does the United Nations provide equality for all member nations?
What potential good could the United Nations accomplish in the world? Has it been able to meet that potential?
What potential problems might arise because of the establishment of the United Nations? In what ways have these problems been realized?

United Nations: nifty or nasty?

The following video highlights some of the strengths and weaknesses of the United Nations.

Some Questions to think about...
Is the idea of a global government appealing or frightening?
Can an organization like this make a real difference toward peace, equality, poverty?
Different countries have different roles in the U.N. – I.E. Is the strength of the U.S.A. in international issues a good thing or more of a problem?
What does the war in Iraq tell us about the problems in international relationships?

Study Guide for Related Issue #2 Part B

For all the related posts for this unit click here

In addition to main concepts introduced in the part A of this unit you should be familiar with the following terms and concepts:

Conscription

The political geography of WW1 and WW2

Decolonization

Successor States

Appeasement

Main elements of propaganda (think 5 “c’s”)

Order of events in World War One and Two

Internments camps

League of Nations

Four main causes of ultranationalism and how each of these played out in Japan, Germany and Italy prior to World War One

Happy Meal Self-Determination

What if the soft drinks decided not belong to Happy Meals any more?
Soft drinks are one third of the perfectly gross trifecta of unhealthiness that is the typical Happy Meal. What if the coke decided to seek sovereignty?
GoAnimate.com: Happy Meal Self-Determination by MrFreezer

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!
Once separated what would the successor state be called?

Chapter 8 Self-Determination

Chapter 8 in your textbook deals with the issue of self-determination. When a people group (who identify together through ethnic, religious, language, or cultural practices) seek to establish an independent (soveriegn) they are try to achieve self-determination - the right to govern themselves.
The process of self-determination has been tricky and rarely smooth.
In the late 19th and early 20th century most of the former Empires of the world began divest (getting rid of) themselves of thier colonies. Sometimes this was because they lacked the resources to hold on to these colonies (Example: French and Dutch Empires). In other cases colonies fought fro the right to seek independence through revolution or revolt. Ghandi's pursuit of an independent India finally convinced the British Empire to release India as a colony. India and Pakistan became independent successor states (a state that emerges from a former state). Your textbook talks about several case studies that show the process of how successor states achieved sovereignty. Make sure you take notes on the following:

>>India/Pakistan/Kasmir<<

>>Tibet/China<<

>>Cambodia<<

>>Vietnam<<

>>Kosovo<<

Your textbook also points out two cases in Canada where a people group has attempted to achive soveriengty and become an independent nation. Compare the struggle between how the Tibetan people want to have freedom with how French Canadians in Quebec and the Inuit of the Arctic have attempted to gain independence.
Do you think it is hypocritical for Canadians to call for Tibet indepedence and not let the Inuit or people in Quebec be free? Support your answer!

Swing Kids

I

n pre-World War II Germany, Swing music becomes the underground movement of young people. Two college students, Peter Müller (Robert Sean Leonard) and Thomas Berger (Christian Bale), attempt to be Swing Kids by night and Hitler Youth by day. The impact of this decision is felt acutely by their friends and families. Soon dancing and fun lead to more difficult choices as the Nazis begin tightening their grip on Germany. A seemingly charming but intimidating Gestapo officer, (Kenneth Branagh), ‘works’ himself into their lives. Each member of the group is forced to face some tough choices about right, wrong, and survival. This is the story of one group of Swing Kids and how Nazi rule and persuasion tore them apart and set them against each other.

Use the information in the film as a background to develop a written response on a separate sheet of paper…:

Profile:

Which one of the characters do you identify with the most?_________________________________

Why?

Comparison...

Write a detailed comparison between the life of young adult in 1930s Germany and Today. Reflect on issues like in the idea of freedom, pressure to accept certain ideas, racism, loyalty/patriotism to one’s nation, social trends, the role of music, religion, etc.,

The Holocaust

The Holocaust is a dark stain on the world's history. The following post gives you some aspects of this event that are worth exploring...

http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/holocaust/art.htm



Operation Barbarossa