The document discusses several key issues facing the global community as addressed by the United Nations and other international organizations. It describes the formation of the UN after WWII to promote peace, security, and human rights. It also discusses challenges like weapons proliferation, terrorism, conflicts in the Middle East and other regions, and the rise of extremist groups like ISIS. Additionally, it outlines efforts to address global problems like poverty, health pandemics, human trafficking, women's rights, climate change, and economic development through international cooperation.

1. Contemporary Global
Issues

2. The United Nations (The UN)
● Forms after WWII to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war...to
reaffirm faith in human rights… and to promote social progress and better
standards of life in larger freedom.”
● General Assembly- all countries of the UN
● Security Council- advises the GA and passes resolutions for the GA to act
○ US, Russia, Great Britain, France, and China have permanent seats, 10 other countries are
elected for limited terms. 15 countries total.
● Peacekeeping Forces- settle conflicts and supervise truces in “hotspots”

3. Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD’s)
● The UN created the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1957 to help
stop nuclear proliferation (the secret spread of nuclear weapon
technology)
○ Creates the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NTP) to limit development of nuclear weapons.
○ Iran violated the NPT and had international sanctions placed on them . They sign a Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action which limited Iraq’s nuclear weapon development and eased
their sanctions if they complied.
● Bioterrorism- use of biological and chemical weapons in terrorist attacks
The 2001 Anthrax Attacks are an example of
Bioterrorism. Anthrax is a deadly spore that was
mailed to prominent Americans by Al-Qaeda
Members

4. The Challenge of Terrorism
● Terrorists often kill civilians or take hostages to achieve political goals.
● Due to is terror factor, the spectacle of terrorism gets a media attention and
publicity.
● Different goals for different terrorists
○ Independence
○ Creating a classless society
○ Hatred of religions, sexual orientations, etc.
● 9/11/2001- Terrorist attack on World Trade Center and Pentagon by Al-Qaeda
, led by Osama Bin Laden. President Bush starts the War On Terror in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Bin Laden is killed by U.S. forces after he is discovered in
Pakistan in 2011.
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmedslmeiUc

5. Fighting the Islamic State (ISIL) aka ISIS
● Forms and gains strength after U.S. begins to leave Iraq
● More extremist than Al-Qaeda
● Ignores borders and has taken over large areas of Iraq and Syria
● Engages in extreme violence against religious enemies and has had many
public executions, millions of refugees have fled these areas
● U.S. increased troops in Iraq to fight ISIL, ISIL responds by publicly executing
captured American journalists. President Obama pledges to increase the fight
against ISIL.

6. Challenges in the Middle East
● U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 with claims of WMD’s and ties to Al-Qaeda.
○ Both were found to be untrue
● Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s leader was found by U.S and executed by Iraq in
2006.
● President Obama has troops withdrawn in 2011, return in 2014 to fight ISIL.
● Most of the terrorism is targeted Western Powers due to their involvement with
ruling families and their investment in the Oil Industry.
● It is important to remember that the terrorists are extremists. Not all muslims
are terrorists just like not all Christians are the Westboro Baptist Church.

7. Civil War and Ethnic Conflicts
● Serbs use ethnic cleansing against Bosnian Muslims in the 1990s.
● Irish Protestants and Catholics frequently clash over religion.
● Crimean Crisis Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYDxOnDGpHc
● Rwandan Genocide Video-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWcKnp-e-ow
● Sri Lanka- Clash between Sinhalese (Buddhist) who leads the government and
the Tamils (Hindu)
○ Tamil Tigers- Terrorist group that has committed attacks against the Sinhalese throughout the
1990s and 2000s

8. New Democracies
● 1999- People of East Timor vote to become independent from Indonesia
○ Conflict follows between Christians and Muslims and 10,000 are killed.
○ East Timor becomes recognized as independent in 2002 and holds free elections in 2007 with
the help of the UN.
● As people in Latin America realize that Military Power without Popular Consent
will not have a strong country, more democracies start to pop up

9. Global Poverty
● Global Poverty has been decreasing
● Around 900 Million People live on less than $1.90 a day
● Poverty keeps children from attending school, limits access to clean water,
creates unsafe housing, and contributes to world hunger.
● 795 Million People suffer from hunger
● In the developed world, 13% is malnourished
○ 3 Million children under the age of 5 die every year from malnutrition
● Places that experience natural disasters or war can also have hunger issues.

11. Global Health Pandemics
● Pandemic- A disease that has spread globally (LIKE COVID-19)
● The fear of diseases like Swine Flu, Ebola, Coronavirus, SARS,, etc made
people aware that diseases can spread more rapidly with global interactions
○ Diseases can travel countries in hours with air travel
● As of 2015, 1.2 Million have died from AIDS, especially in Africa.
○ Many children in the area south of the Sahara have lost one or both parents to AIDS
● AIDS deaths have decreased due to medical advancements such as
Antiretroviral therapy (AZT)

12. Human Rights
● Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)- set by the UN in 1948. Set a
standard for basic human rights in most governments.
○ Right to Life, Liberty, and Security of Person
○ Human Rights violations still occur around the world
● State Sponsored Violence- Violence against groups of people by the
government for different political or religious. (Ex. Rwandan Genocide)
● Human Trafficking- illegal movement of people for sexual purposes, forced
marriages, organ harvesting, or forced labor
○ UN Global Initiative to FIght Human Trafficking (UNGIFT) - is a nonprofit organization to prevent
trafficking.

13. Gender Gap
● The discrimination of women is generally on the decline but still exists globally.
● More women are joining the workforce and half of university students are
Women in Western nations
○ Women do not hold many top positions in many countries (Ex. USA has never had a woman
president)
● There is more gender inequality in developing countries.
○ Less access to education, decent jobs, or property rights.

14. Population and Migration Trends
● World Population is approx. 7.3 Billion as of 2015, 9.8 Billion by 2050
● Large population growth from developing nations
○ India will pass China by 2050
○ Many developing nations do not have a strong enough infrastructure to keep up with the
growing population
● Graying- Reaching retirement age
○ More people are living longer due to increased technology and better lifestyles
○ By 2050, 20% of world population will be 60 or older.
● Migration- people moving from one country, place,or locality to another
○ Many people leave their home for political or economic reasons
○ Since most immigrants move to urban areas, migration is often tied with urbanization
○ https://www.citylab.com/equity/2016/06/watch-6000-years-of-urbanization-in-3-minutes-max-galka-metrocosm/487142/

15. Transnational Organizations
● Globalization has sparked groups interested in stopping things like child labor,
gender inequality, and creating world peace.
○ Example- International Red Cross- “Think Globally, Act Locally”
● Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO’s)- an organization that has no
government ties and works to address world problems

16. Global Economic Organizations
● World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) formed after WW2 to help
countries recover.
● Goal is to create a world free of poverty
● World Bank provides grants, loans, and advice for economic development
● IMF oversees the global financial system
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN2WrfDnY_4
● Global Economy on the rise from the 1980s onward
● Multinational Corporations- Company with divisions in more than 2
countries (ex. General Motors, Sony, Mitsubishi)
○ Economic downturns in one country can harm others because now they’re interconnected
● The Group of Eight (G8) is 8 industrialized nations that meet yearly to discuss
global economic and security issues.

17. Regional Trade Organizations
NAFTA- North American Free Trade Agreement
● Created Free Trade for US, Canada, and Mexico in 1994.
● Has countries focus on items they are good at making.
● Pros and Cons- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwKR08t5BGA
○ Watch this video to see how NAFTA is responsible for a Millenial Stereotype

18. Regional Trade Organizations
European Union (EU)
● Attempted to establish a common currency in Europe (Euros)
● As of 2010, 16 countries have taken the Euro
● Has agricultural policy to help farmers, provides aid to poorest countries
● Has military force of 60,000 for peace keeping purposes.

19. Aspects of Globalization
Globalization- process of by which people and nations have become more
interdependent.
● Has led to the formation of citizen groups and transnational organizations
that work across national boundaries to solve problems
○ Example: Clowns Without Borders- provides laughter and joy to children in wartorn areas,
refugee camps, or other conflict zones, such as places damaged by natural disasters

20. Globalization Protests
● The World Bank and IMF have been criticized for forcing western practices on
other nations.
○ Critics say that this aggravates poverty in some areas
○ World Trade Organization (WTO) criticized for causing environmental issues
● Protests of global organizations for violating workers rights and providing poor
wages and working conditions as well as ignoring environmental concerns

21. Global Financial Crisis
● Global economy started to struggle in 2007 when housing market collapsed in
U.S.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPOv72Awo68

22. Emerging Economic Powers
● China and India have been experiencing large levels of economic growth
● China is supreme in mass manufacturing (everything seems to be made in
China) and India is supreme in design services and software
● Multinational organizations are outsourcing to these nations
● Poverty still high in these countries and environmental problems are growing
○ Decreasing farmland, smog, uncertain levels of economic stability

23. Communication, Transportation, and
Space
● People can communicate faster than ever thanks to internet, cell phones, and
social media
● Jumbo Jet Airliners can move large groups of people quickly anywhere
● World Wide Web developed in the 1990s gives people quick access to
information
● Phones become portable with the creation of the microchip
● Hubble Space Telescope Launched in 1990 and gives new info about distant
galaxies
● Rovers on Mars!
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H4xGH0lb24

25. Health Care
● New technologies are increasing life-spans and allowing people to be more
productive
○ Mechanical valves for hearts
○ Organ transplants
○ Mental health medicines and research
● Human Genome Project- unlocked secrets of DNA and leads research in ways
to diagnose and treat curable diseases
● Stem Cell Research
Jarvik artificial heart, first successfully implanted in 1982.

26. Agriculture
● Genetic Engineering (GE) of foods to produce more
○ Done by manipulating the DNA
○ Debate over whether or not GE Foods are good for individuals or the ecosystem
● Growing concerns over chemical pesticides
○ Organic farming on the rise in industrialized countries
○ Organic farming does not use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, feed additives, growth hormones.

27. Environmental Challenges
● In 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring which aired concerns over
pesticides impact on animals and people, alarming scientists.
○ Gave rise to the science of Ecology
● Population is growing too fast for Earth to support
○ Deforestation leads to habitat destruction and loss
○ Desertification- formation of degraded soil (like deforested land) into unproductive deserts
● Chemical Wastes and Disasters
○ Chlorofluorocarbons (found in aerosol cans and refrigerators) destroy the ozone layer
○ Acid rain from factory pollution
○ Greenhouse effect-building of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, creating a warming effect
○ A number of nations are limiting the use of Fossil Fuels by introducing alternatives
● Sustainable development- economic development that doesn’t harm future
generations (recycling , resource conservation, etc)

28. Disclaimer
In this section, we are covering stuff that I believe is important to history. I chose
items that I believe you may also find interest in. As a modern, U.S. oriented
historian, many of these topics are not covered in a world history book but can
have reasonable applications.
Trigger Warning: School Shootings, Sexual Assault Awareness, Bullying, Terrorism
Watch this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDECg6zufyo

29. The Rise of Domestic Terrorism
● As discussed in the first lesson, terrorists are trying to convey some message
● Domestic terrorism is a terrorist from the same country that is getting attacked
○ Often linked with “lone wolf terrorism” or terrorists acting on their own
● Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski- killed 3, injured 23, by mailing bombs to targeted
people
● Oklahoma City Bombing- Timothy McVeigh, killed 168, injured 680+
● Boston Marathon Bombing- Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, killed 3, injured 280
● Mass Shootings on the rise
○ 6 of the 10 most deadly have happened in the last 10 years
● Serial Killers become so prominent that “it's 10PM do you know where your
children are? Becomes an ominous message aired nightly
○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mweFiS6Z_WU

30. Above; Oklahoma City Bombing
Center: Sandy Hook Shooting
Below: Zodiac Killer File
Above: Boston Marathon
Bombing
Below: Warning to parents on
News

31. School Shootings
● Gain prominence with Columbine High School Massacre, April 20, 1999.
○ Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 12 students and a teacher
○ Mass Media Attention
○ Extensive research into motives of shooters
○ Deadliest high school shooting until Sandy Hook

32. Aftermath of Columbine
● Changes in Mental Health Services and Violence Prevention Programs
○ Bullying was seen as a major motive
● Security upgrades
○ Metal Detectors, Panic Buttons, School Resource Officers
● Increased Awareness
○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvRQ1StsYGw
● Lockdown Procedures Implemented Nationwide
○ Changes over time as more shootings provide more data, A.L.I.C.E.
● New police and SWAT response
● Push for Comprehensive Gun Reform
● Copycat Crimes- “Pulling a Columbine”

33. Bullying
● One out of every five students is bullied
○ Can lead to social issues, sleep loss, youth suicide, as well as links to school shootings
● With the dawn of Social Media, we see the birth of Cyberbullying
○ Bullying done through text email, or social media
● Responses
○ No Tolerance Policies
○ Restorative Discipline
○ Advocacy Groups
■ Local groups like Team Coby
○ Public Service Films (Watch this one! Mr. Devoll was in it in 5th grade!)
○ https://vimeo.com/151227508 It’s a little graphic but I think is appropriate for High School (it’s been
screened by 3rd Graders)

34. Suicide
● Not a new issue by any means
● Youth Suicide is on the rise
○ Second leading cause of death in people 15-24
○ “Glamourized” by media
● Causes
○ Psychological disorders such as depression
○ Lack of support network
○ Feelings of hopelessness
○ Bullying
● Rise in advocacy and help groups
○ Suicide Hotlines
○ Increased awareness
○ Comprehensive mental health programs

35. #MeToo
● Begins on MySpace in 2006 with Taraa Burke
● Gains prominence in 2017 during the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault case
● Brings to light just how many people have experienced a sexual assault
● Leads to increased activism for sexual assault awareness, survivors, and
women’s rights
● Example of Hashtag Activism

37. Social Media Timeline
● 1997- Start of social sites
● 1999- The birth of personal blogs
● 2002- Friendster starts as the first form of social media platforms
● 2003- LinkedIn allows for networking for business purposes
● 2004-Gmail is the first email service created by Google (email exists prior)
● 2004- Facebook Begins
● 2005- Youtube allows people to “Broadcast yourself”
● 2006- MySpace becomes most popular social network
● 2010- Twitter boom!
● 2011- Snapchat launches
● 2013- Vine
● 2018- VR becomes mass marketed and Fake News flourishes on sites

38. Impact of Social Media
● Digital Divide between generations and socioeconomic statuses
○ Not everyone has equal access to social media
● Political polarization
○ Echo Chamber Effect, Algorhythms
● Physical and Mental Health
○ Sleep disturbances, Depression, Bullying
● Different communication
● Hashtag Activism
● Reconnecting
● Networking
Enjoy these horrible posts from middle school.

39. So what’s next?
It’s up to you!