MGI Honors Summer Assignment

Modern Global Issues Honors Summer Assignment flash cards. Make sure you have background knowledge on these topics and best of luck!

5 Pillars of Faith (Islam)

1. one God, Allah; Muhammad is His messenger/prophet,

2. 5x pray facing Mecca as direct link to God

3. "alms-giving" - give generously to charity for purification and growth,

4. fast during month of Ramadan for self-purification,

5. pilgrimage to Mecca if physically/financially able

anarchy

a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority.

Antisemitism

Prejudice against Jews

Apartheid

Laws (no longer in effect) in South Africa that physically separated different races into different geographic areas.

Archipelago

a large group of islands

asylum

(n.) an institution for the care of children, elderly people, etc.; a place of safety

Ayatollah vs. Shah Bias

Shah Reza Pahlavi ruled Iran until 1979. In January 1979, religious leaders called Ayatollahs gained control of Iran in a revolution and forced the Shah to flee. America supported the Shah, and the leaders of Iran's revolution denounced the United States as the "Great Satan." Shortly after the United States allowed the Shah to come to New York City for cancer treatment, Iranian students stormed the American embassy and held 52 Americans hostage for more than a year. Iran has also supported the violent Hezbollah, a group that has called for the destruction of Israel.

Bias

A particular preference or point of view that is personal, rather than scientific.

bigotry

intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself.

Boyar

landowning noble in Russia under the tsars

Capitalism

An economic system based on private property and free enterprise.

Cartel

an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition.

Caste

any of the hereditary social classes in Hindu society; social stratification

cataract

a large waterfall

Civil Disobedience

A form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences.

Collectivism

giving priority to the goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly

Communism

A theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.

Coup d'etat

A sudden overthrow of the government by a small group

Czar

Russian word for Caesar

Tsar

The Russian term for ruler or king; taken from the Roman word caesar.

The Dalai Lama is? How is each Dalai Lama chosen?

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Vajrayana Buddhism. He is believed to be an incarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Whenever a Dalai Lama dies, his successor is sought out through various means, some supernatural and others more mundane.

defection

withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility

deforestation

The removal of trees faster than forests can replace themselves.

despot

a ruler with absolute power or tyrannical control over a group of people

devolping nations

nations with few industries and simple technology. High death and birth rates, lack of education and healthcare

dicatorship

a government leader who has almost total power over the entire country

Diffusion

The process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another over time

Discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

Embargo

an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country.

enclave

(n.) an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character

endemic

(adj.) native or confined to a particular region or people; characteristic of or prevalent in a field

epidemic

a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time.

Escarpment

a steep cliff or slope between a higher and lower land surface

Ethnic cleansing (genocide)

the systematic killing, torturing, or removal of persons with the intention of eliminating a specific racial or ethnic group

Ethnocentrism

evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one's own culture.

European Union

an association of European nations formed in 1993 for the purpose of achieving political and economic integration.

Exclave

a part of a country that is seperated from the rest of the country and surrounded by foreign territory.

export

send (goods or services) to another country for sale.

Extradition

A legal process whereby an alleged criminal offender is surrendered by the officials of one state to officials of the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed.

FARC - (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia)

Colombian Marxist Guerrilla group practicing terrorism against civilians and government officials

Facism

A political system headed by a dictator that calls for extreme nationalism and racism and has no tolerance for opposition

Fundamentalism

a form of a religion, especially Islam or Protestant Christianity, that upholds belief in the strict, literal interpretation of scripture.

Genocide

the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.

Hajj (Pilgrimage)

The fifth pillar of the Muslim faith: visit Mecca at least once in your lifetime

Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement)

was formed in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin of the Muslim Brotherhood at the beginning of the first intifada, or uprising, between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Hamas is dedicated to expelling Israel from the Middle East. Hamas has widespread support among Palestinians, and in 2006, it won a surprise victory in parliamentary elections, capturing more than half of the seats. In 2011, President Abbas of the Palestinian authority, with agreement of Hamas, made an attempt at the United Nations for statehood; it was unsuccessful. More recently, Hamas publically rejected its ties with Syria, at least until the government of Bashar-al- Assad stops using the army to kill protestors.

Hezbollah

A radical Shiʿite Muslim organization in Lebanon engaged in guerrilla warfare against Israel

Hinterland (Market Area)

The area surrounding a central place, from which people are attracted to use the place's goods and services.

ICC

Interstate Commerce Commission, a federal regulatory agency that governed over the rules and regulations of the railroading industry.

Imperalism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

import

bring (goods or services) into a country from abroad for sale.

Inflation

a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.

Interdependence

A relationship between countries in which they rely on one another for resources, goods, or services

Intifada

an uprising by Palestinian Arabs (in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank) against Israel in the late 1980s and again in 2000

Jihad

A holy struggle or striving by a Muslim for a moral or spiritual or political goal

Juche

North-Korean ideology in which it remains completely independent from other nations

junta

a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force

Karma

(Hinduism and Buddhism) the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation

Kurds

Ethnic group that lives in parts of Iraq and Turkey. They often suffer persecution in both countries, and are currently under the protection of the United Nations in Iraq.

lingua franca

A language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages

Maquiladora

Factories built by US companies in Mexico near the US border to take advantage of much lower labor costs in Mexico.

Martyr

A person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs

Mesopotamia

A region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that developed the first urban societies. In the Bronze Age this area included Sumer and the Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian empires, In the Iron Age, it was ruled by the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires.

mixed economy

An economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion.

Monsoon

Major winds in the Indian Ocean that blew into India for half the year, and blew away from India for the other half. Helped facilitate trade in the Indian Ocean.

Mosque

Islamic house of worship

Mujahideen

guerrilla fighters in Islamic countries, especially those who are fighting against non-Muslim forces.

Mullah

a Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law; sometimes function the way our mayors do

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

an important trade agreement creating a huge zone of cooperation on trade (between U.S, Mexico, and Canada in 1994) and economic issues in North America

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

Military alliance created in 1949 made up of 12 non-Communist countries including the United States that support each other if attacked.

Non-secular

relating to or involving religious or spiritual matters

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the production and sale of petroleum.

Palenstine

Holy land, East Jerusalem or Israel

Pandemic

Disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects a very high proportion of the population.

prejudice

preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience

Privazation

The proces of transferring ownership from the public to the private sector.

Propoganda

information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

Racism

Belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

refugee

A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster

Reincarnation

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the process by which a soul is reborn continuously until it achieves perfect understanding

Repatriation

A refugee or group of refugees returning to their home country, usually with the assistance of government or a non-governmental organization.

Sahel

Belt south of the Sahara where it transitions into savanna across central Africa. It means literally 'coastland' in Arabic.

sectarian

Devoted to a particular religious sect, particularly when referring to religious involvement in politics

Secular

Concerned with worldly rather than spiritual matters

Serf

an agricultural laborer bound under the feudal system to work on his lord's estate.

Sharia

Islamic law; a combination of the Quran and the Hadith.

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Soviet Union

A Communist nation, consisting of Russia and 14 other states, that existed from 1922 to 1991.

Steppe

A large area of flat unforested grassland in southeastern Europe or Siberia.

sterotype

A generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief a group of people.

Sunni Muslims

Majority of people, believed that anyone could be Caliph as long as their a devout Muslim

Shia Muslims

Minority of people, believed that caliph should be a direct blood line of Muhammad

Taiga (Boreal Forest)

Biome in which the winters are cold but summers are mild enough to allow the ground to thaw

Taliban

A group of fundamentalist Muslims who took control of Afghanistan's government in 1996

Theorocracy

a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god.

tropics

Equatorial region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. It is characterized by generally warm or hot temperatures year-round, though much variation exists due to altitude and other factors. (370)

tundra biome

a vast, flat, treeless Arctic region of Europe, Asia, and North America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen.

United Nations

An international organization formed after WWII to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.

Wahhabism

Conservative, puritanical sect of Islam started by Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab in the 18th century; Quran the basis of life; anti-innovation because innovation is brought by outsiders; took refuge with the house of Saud; became the spiritual leader of the Kingdom with the Saudi family as temporal rulers

warlord

a military leader operating outside the control of the government