Global Issues Info Pack 2018

Copyright: Raffles Institution, General Paper, Knowledge Skills Dept, 2018 1 RAFFLES INSTITUTION YEAR 6 GENERAL PAPER STUDENTS’ INFORMATION PACKAGE 2018 Unit: Global Issues 1. Introduction 2 2. Enduring Understandings & Essential Questions 3 3. Related Past Year Examination Questions: Cambridge and RI 3 Articles: The State of the World Today 1. An Introduction to Globalisation 2. The Changing Nature of Globalisation in our Hyperconnected, Knowledge Intensive Economy 3. Global Risks 2018: Fractures, Fears and Failures 4. The Human Security Dimension of China’s Belt and Road Initiative Sustainability 5a. Sustainable Development Goals: All you Need to Know 5b. If Everyone Gets Electricity, Will the Planet Survive? Climate Change 6a. Background Knowledge for Why COP21 Was a Milestone for International Collaboration and Global Climate Change 6b. The COP24 Climate Talks Will Offer Little Progress 7. Catching up with China, India and the Environment World Poverty and Inequality 8a. Factsheet on Faces of Poverty 8b. Combatting Global Poverty with Education: Two Excerpts 8c. (i). Why Foreign Aid is Hurting Africa (ii). The Case for Aid 8d. Globalisation, Technology and Inequality Globalisation and World Migration 9a. Immigrants are the Key to a Knowledge Economy 9b. Immigration Fulfils the Promise of Globalisation War and Conflict 10. Civil War Trends and the Changing Nature of Armed Conflict Global Health Threats 11. Peer into the post-apocalyptic future 9 14 17 22 27 29 32 35 37 41 42 46 50 55 57 59 62 65

Copyright: Raffles Institution, General Paper, Knowledge Skills Dept, 2018 2 1. Introduction Global Issues aims to give a broad overview of recent issues that have significance on a global scale. A quick survey of international news media will reveal the prominence of issues such as globalisation, cli mate change, population growth, poverty and migration due to their wide- ranging global impact that will likely endure for many years to come. Given the sheer breadth of these issues, Global Issues has adopted an approach that focuses on facilitating a quick grasp of fundamental concepts needed for active participation in class discussions and critical evaluation of issues. It is hoped that the factsheets/infosheets and the views and perspectives articulated by notable individuals will give students a broad framework within which they can appreciate the dynamic development of global issues. What this package is: This package is meant to supplement your learning in class by spurring independent thinking and facilitating active discussion on questi ons and key issues. It is also intended for self -study to gain content knowledge, as well as reflection upon key issues raised. The articles in this package are selected and customised to be of the standard of comprehension expected of an A-level candidate. Related examination questions are highlighted beneath each article —these are meant to guide your thinking and focus your learning. For students interested in going further, links and suggested readings are provided where appropriate. For students requiri ng background information, particularly with regards to specific countries, additional links are also provided beneath the appropriate articles. What this package is not: This package is NOT an exercise in memory and regurgitation, nor is it a “model an swer”. General Paper is not about thoughtless memorisation of facts and/or essay scaffolds. It is about close reading of sources, critical analysis of issues raised, and the formation and clear expression of your own logically sound opinions, which are substantiated by factual evidence. Please note that American spelling have been retained for some articles as they are by American writers or from American publications.

Copyright: Raffles Institution, General Paper, Knowledge Skills Dept, 2018 3 2. Enduring Understandings & Essential Questions Enduring Understandings: What will students understand as a result of this unit? 1. Globalisation is a multi -faceted phenomenon: we see this increased mobility, interconnectivity and exchange economically, politically and socially. 2. The particular circumstances of different countries and individuals have a significant bearing on whether they are on the receiving end of the benefits or detriments of globalisation. Globalisation has brought about progress in various areas. However, this progress brings tensions and consequences, which governments, international organisations and individuals need to address. 3. States use the transnational structures and bodies facilitated by globalisation to advance national interests, but these also create global responsibilities that need to be balanced alongside national interests. 4. One key trade -off resulting from globalisation is that between economic growth and environmental sustainability. 5. Another consequence is that while globalisation has generated wealth, uneven distribution of both resources and growth has contributed to poverty and inequality. 6. There are also social and cultural consequences; the renewed inter ested in cultural preservation and the rise of xenophobia are symptoms of the backlash against globalisation. 7. Additionally, there are geopolitical consequences: the nature of conflict has changed, in line with changing social, political, economic factors and technological advances. 8. Moreover, there are consequences for health security: perennial health threats are exacerbated through transnational networks of people and goods. Essential Questions: What essential questions will this unit focus on? 1. What are the geopolitical dynamics of the world today, and what bearing do they have on the position of existing and emerging political powerhouses, as well as countries which have been grappling with deprivation? 2. Why are the benefits and detriments of globali sation distributed unevenly and disproportionately? 3. What would determine that certain parties benefit from globalisation? 4. Is sustainable development attainable, and, if so, what steps should be taken to achieve it? 5. To what extent are the forces contributi ng to poverty and inequality in the world today within human control?

Copyright: Raffles Institution, General Paper, Knowledge Skills Dept, 2018 4 6. What principles determine the share of responsibility for different stakeholders in addressing the world’s problems? 7. What are the different types of help administered in a bid to tackle poverty? 8. Why do countries provide foreign aid to other countries? 9. Does aid promote economic development? 10. Do “we" know better than the poor about what "they" need? 11. When aid is particularly associated with weak governance, what measures might be put in place to ensure there is improved access to aid and better accountability? 12. Why does migration matter? 13. What challenges does migration pose? 14. What forces influence, challenge, resist and/or conciliate and mitigate the processes and consequences of migration? Recommended Reading: 1. 50 facts that should change the world by Jessica Williams (2004) [362.9090511 WIL] 2. Beyond the Age of Innocence: Rebuilding Trust Between America and the World by Kishore Mahbubani (2005) [327.73 MAH] 3. Bound Together by Nayan Chanda (2007) 4. False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism by John Gray (2002) [330.122 GRA] 5. Journey Into Islam: The Crisis of Globalisation by Akbar Ahmed (2007) [297.09 AHM] 6. Globalisation and Its Discontents (2002) and Making Globalisation Work (2006) by Joseph Stiglitz [337 STI] – the Nobel Prize-winning economist and former World Banker looks at the flaws of globalisatio