History and Social Science, Part 61

Question 1: Describe the United Nations.

Answer 1: The United Nations (UN) is a group of nation-states (including nearly every independent country) that defines itself as a “global association of governments facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity.” This organization was founded after World War II in 1945 by the victorious countries, which possessed the shared aim of preventing future conflicts and wars between nations through the establishment of a situation of collective security. This means that any aggression against any of the member states is viewed as an attack on the entire organization, which will respond as a whole. Today, the United Nations consists of several specialized agencies that deal with issues such as human rights, arms control, global health, economic development, and humanitarian assistance. As a large organization made up of nearly 200 member states, the UN does not always function perfectly. However, the group has achieved more through international cooperation than any single nation-state could accomplish alone.

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Question 2: Explain the concept of sustainable development and Agenda 21.

Answer 2: Sustainable development is a developmental process that satisfies the needs of those living in the present without impairing the abilities of those in future generations to attain the same degree of comfort; it is development that does not exhaust the global supply of natural resources. In other words, sustainable development refers to a balance achieved between economic development, social development, and environmental protection. Agenda 21 is a UN program that strives to reach sustainable development. It consists of four sections: the social and economic dimensions section, which stresses the importance of addressing global poverty in developing nations through health education, promotion of sustainable settlement patterns, and altering destructive consumption patterns; the conservation and management of resources development section, which includes information on environmental protection and the preservation of biodiversity; the section on strengthening the role of major groups, which aims to empower groups at the individual and local levels; andthe means of implementation section, which describes educational, technological, financial, and international procedures for the attainment of the program’s goals.

Question 3: Explain conflict and identify some possible reasons for conflict between people and nation-states.

Answer 3: Conflict is a situation of discord and/or opposition between two or more individuals or groups. In political science, conflict is defined as a continuing state of hostility between groups of people, which often involves physical violence. Conflict must be distinguished from competition, which involves two or more groups possessing mutually exclusive goals (meaning that attempts by one party to achieve its goal compromises the ability of the other group to attain its goal). Competition (and occasionally cooperation) may lead to conflict. Individuals and nation-states may become involved in conflicts for a variety of reasons at a variety of scales. For example, two local groups may have conflicting views on a proposed tax increase. At the regional level, different religious or ethnic groups may exist in a state of conflict. Internationally, competition for scarce resources or ideological disagreements may lead to a war between countries.

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