global citizenship - unit 2: economic development and the environment

development

process in which a country is improving, it can be in many different sectors such as economical, education. etc.

GDP

the entire market value of a country's goods and services.

GDP per capita

tells us how wealthy the people are in a particular country, which is more of a true representation of how wealthy the whole population is rather than just the few wealthiest.

economic development

an increase in output coupled with improvement in the social and political welfare of people within a country.

human development index (HDI)

used to gauge how developed a country is, it uses indexes of many different aspects such as economical, expected years of education and life expectancy etc.

happy planet index (HPI)

measures what matters to healthy, happy citizens: sustainable wellbeing for all. It tells us how well nations are doing at achieving long, happy, sustainable lives.

less economically developed countries (LEDC)

poor countries, are countries with a low standard of living and a much lower GDP

more economically developed countries (MEDC)

countries which have a high standard of living and a large GDP. generally countries in the northern hemisphere.

developing countries

counties that have a relatively lower Human Development Index, e.g. Nigeria due to its low life expectancy resulting in a low HDI

migration

act of moving from one place to another and they wish to settle at that place, such as a student moving from HK to the UK to study.

push factors

conditions in migrants’ home countries that make it difficult or even impossible to live there. e.g. violence, gender inequality, political corruption, environmental degradation and climate change, as well as lack of access to adequate health care and education

pull factors

circumstances in the destination country that make it a more attractive place to live than their home countries. e.g. more economic and work opportunities, the possibility of being reunited with family members, and a better quality of life, including access to adequate education and health care.

refugees

a person that is displaced and is forced out of a country due to many reasons such as the political environment or conflict.

international organisations

institution drawing membership from at least three states, having activities in several states, and whose members are held together by a formal agreement.

intergovernmental organisations

an organisation composed primarily of sovereign states (referred to as member states), are established by a treaty that acts as a charter creating the group.

sustainability

meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. the state in which the things we use (power, items) are all renewable and will not be used up. e.g. wind power or solar energy.

environmental issues

include climate change, pollution, environmental degradation, and resource depletion. The conservation movement lobbies for protection of endangered species and protection of any ecologically valuable natural areas, genetically modified foods and global warming.

climate change

A change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.

international aid

the international transfer of capital, goods, or services from a country or international organization for the benefit of the recipient country or its population. can be economic, military, or emergency humanitarian.

remittances

a transfer of money, often by a foreign worker to an individual in their home country. Money sent home by migrants competes with international aid as one of the largest financial inflows to developing countries.

NGOs

a non-profit group that functions independently of any government. sometimes called civil societies, are organized on community, national and international levels to serve a social or political goal such as humanitarian causes or the environment. An example is the UN.

charities

An organization set up to provide help and raise money for those in need. An example is FeedingHK, which helps to feed those in need in HK.

free trade

a policy in which the government doesn't do anything about the trades coming in and out, without restrictions.

fair trade

made to allow workers in developing countries to receive the right pay. An example of this could be workers in Africa making coffee beans.

global commons

a term typically used to describe international, supranational, and global resource domains in which common-pool resources are found. include the earth's shared natural resources, such as the high oceans, the atmosphere and outer space and the Antarctic in particular.