Politics
Politics
Study of Governing Societies
Developing public policies
Distribution of power
Action toward helping the common good
4 images relating to politics
Voting Compass
HW: Find 4 images relating to politics
Voting compass
Slide 18
Watch 2 videos about Canadian political structure
Political inquiry process (definition)
Political concepts, processes, practices, issues, trends
Importance of political engagement
Why interests of stakeholders may differ
Political spectrum
Used to be:
Left: change + revolution
Right: stability + order
Social: progressive → conservative
Economic: left → right
Media Literacy: ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate information in a variety of formats (print and non-print)
Misinformation: unintentionally spreading false information
Disinformmation: intentionally spreading false information
Media creation is typically from a business driven by a profit
Governments pay media companies to support businesses (recognize it’s a failing business)
Challenges
Social media creating a barrier
Pay walls + government subsidies
Human desire to learn various perspectives
Post truth
Your own political ideologies will dictate if you choose to believe a political illusion
Growing so much, deteriorating politics
Disillusion + passive consumption of media → eventually take away democratic systems
Threat to democracy
Appeal to emotion + personal beliefs
Gain monopoly on a certain narrative
Voters to tend to vote with emotions
Extreme intent to harm
What are some of the challenges that political polarization can pose?
Political polarization can pose significant challenges such as legislative gridlock (creating a lack of progress on important issues), increased social division between voters and politicians, and less public interest in government and election as a whole.
How does political ideology (your own or more broadly) play a role in supporting or deterring political polarization?
Polarization grows when someone keeps a closed mind and is determined in their opinions and beliefs. Those who tend to have extreme political ideologies contribute to increased polarization while those willing to listen to other opinions can decrease polarization.
In your opinion, is this a change in Canadian politics or is it simply becoming more visible?
I believe that this change is a little bit of both because these political divides have always been present within society but with the aid of social media and news channels, we can see how polarization is being manipulated by politicians for political gain.
Positive Disputations:
Zero Sum: means that if someone wins, someone else must necessarily lose, thereby the sum is zero.
Being generative vs being generous: butterfly effect → being generous will result in being generative
Scarcity: basic economic problem that arises because resources are limited while human wants and needs are virtually unlimited.
Combatting Autocratization in Democracy
Democracy:
process of how a country runs + value
public has a greater involvement within the government system, fairness(pros+cons)
Encouraged political opp
Systems: government, judiciary system
Canada is first past the post mindset
Autocracy:
Power concentrated
Restricted political participation
Less political opp
Unilateral decision making
Democracy → Autocracy
Democratic recession: liberal → electoral democracy (allowing more executive power)
States of crisis would bring this down
Environmental factors
Democratic breakdown: electoral democracy →electoral autocracy (suppression of political opp)
Autocratic breakdown: electoral → closed autocracy (no political participation)
Autocratization: democratic backsliding: erosion of democratic institution and process within a society → shift to a more authoritarian government system
First wave: 1940s
Seocond wave: 1960s-1970s
Third wave (ongoing):
Belarus under Lukashenko
Turkey under Erdogan
Guardian council in iran
Democratic recession in united states
Stakeholders within autocratization
Individuals
Government (public sector)
Civil societies
Private Sector
Local + domestic outcomes
Violence
Inequality
Expansion
Polarization
Censorship
Corruption
International Outcomes
Destabilization
Cooperation
Economy
IGOs
Refugees
Normalization
Canadian perspective of autocratization
Awareness of the potential of autocratization
Treaty implications
Concerned with the decay of international government arguments
Stability
Systems are resistant to the necessary positive change to better the functioning of a society
→ depending on the state of the country, institutions continue to not serve citizens
Change
Systems are less functional for citizens
→ lost the capacity to withstand negative events, increased injustice
Hungary's Shift Toward Authoritarianism
Boiling frog metaphor: Hungary’s shift toward authoritarianism has been gradual, similar to a frog not noticing water heating up.
2010 onwards: A right-wing government has steadily eroded democracy → nationalism, racism, homophobia, and worker exploitation.
Key laws: Criminalization of homelessness, anti-worker "slave law," and laws reducing LGBTQ+ rights.
Current state: Hungary still holds elections and is part of the EU, but many citizens face political oppression.
Activism: The speaker, a social justice activist, remains in Hungary despite government harassment.
School of Public Life: A school co-founded by the speaker that teaches democracy through dissent and activism, emphasizing that democracy is an ongoing process.
Examples of grassroots success:
Homeless rights movement (“The City Is for All”).
Participatory budgeting in Budapest, where local residents help decide how municipal funds are spent.
Message: Democracy must be actively maintained; people should fight for their rights and not wait for change to happen.
Religion and Politics
Religion: religion typically involves: “a particular and comprehensive system of faith and worship; a belief in a divine, superhuman or controlling power; and/or a personal conviction or belief that fosters a connection with the divine or with the subject or object of that spiritual faith.
Religious intolerance: intolerance of a person’s religion, religious beliefs or practices
Christian statutory holidays
Residential schools
Intersectionality: Intersectionality is a concept that recognizes that different kinds of discrimination reinforce and influence each other.
Tragedy of the Commons assumes inevitable conflict and depletion without external control or regulation.
One Dish, One Spoon assumes that sustainable practices can emerge from a sense of shared responsibility and respect for the environment and each other.
HW: THOMAS HOBBES ARTICLE
Watch the Thomas Hobbes video
Origins of Political Thinking
Political Philosophy → explores the concept of the ideal, or “best” state
Historical implication
The idea of privilege→ impacts
Feelings
Anishinaabe Law
John Borrows:
pHD of Anishinabe law
Life and laws are created out of conflict
Looking at life patterns → Organizational justice
Inuit Knowledge
Connection of nature with the Anishinabe law
Shared values of those of a Canadian citizen
Different interpretations of the environment (not included within the Canadian govt.)
Working together through discussion towards a solution (common)
Similar to Anishinabe law as it perceives that laws are made through conflict
Old Kingdom of Egypt
The concentrated power of the pharaoh (god on earth)
Act for the good of people
Principles Found in Islam
Equal believers (no class distinction)
Connection of religion → politics
China’s Tang Dynasty
Good behaviour + good government
Civil service examination → creating the best, most able government
Opposite of the Egyptian as it includes class distinctions
Rulers set an example for followers
Concern for the citizens is consistent throughout
Greek Philosophers of the Classical Period
Plato’s Republic
Happy community → Happy individual citizens
The populace was ill equipped to make decisions
A choice between peace and war
Gold class, silver class, bronze class
Aristotle
Rolls of government → tell people what to do
Govt. serves the common good
Religious Influences
Thomas Aquinas
One ruler→ supreme authority
Most people were inherently good (good w over evil)
Individuals in power
Niccolo Machiavelli
Elizabeth of Bohemia
Hayashi Razan
Thomas Hobbes
John Locke
Modern political thinkers
W.E.B DuBois
Breaking down isntituitional legalities as part of the quity problem
Spoke out against black americans integrating within white society
Transfer of political + economic power from ruling classes → working masses
Awareness of acknowledging the problem of racism → to work against it
Hannah Arendt
Politics → public debate by a community about meaningful aspects of their shared life together
Diverse opinions being publicly spoken are needed to maintain democracy
Combatting false narratives
Gandhi
Colony → independent nation
Non-violence (moves away from Western political frameworks)
Peaceful protests (hunger strikes; when imprisoned)
PEACE CAN NOT BE ACHIEVED BY POLITICS ALONE
Frantz Fanon
Fought for the national liberation of colonial peoples
Effects of colonial violence on the human psyche
Established violence as the defining trait of colonialism
Criticized postcolonial govt. (rise of corruption, ethnic division…)
Paulo Fiere
Undermine class distinctions
Democratic teaching structure
Bell Hooks
Taught by Fiere
Acknowledged the capitalist, white supremacist patriarchy
Trained to recognize and fight with love
Humanizing others through education
Talks about all of the elements of suppression in our institution
Taiaike Alfred
Self-governance for Indigenous peoples
Strong communities → shared culture, group maintenance, consensus
Drawn from the community
Unit 2: Canadian Politics
Nationalism: identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.
Patriotism: the quality of being patriotic; devotion to and vigorous support for one's country.
Sovereignty: supreme power or authority. → statehood
Ethnic Nationalism: a form of nationalism wherein the nation and nationality are defined in terms of ethnicity. → pit ethnic groups against each other
National Identity: National identity is a person's identity or sense of belonging to one or more states or one or more nations.
National Pride: National pride is the positive affect that the public feels towards their country as a renult of their national identity.
Questions to keep in mind.
Why are there different ideas about what constitutes a nation?
What is the significance of separatist movements in Canada and other nations?
How can patriotic assertiveness affect a nation domestically and in its international relations?
Article 2 notes (Why canada should elect their governor general)
Current System: The Governor General is appointed by the prime minister, with little public accountability. Canadians lack oversight over the Governor General’s actions.
Issue: Scandals, like Julie Payette's resignation due to workplace harassment, expose flaws in the current appointment system.
Proposal: Electing the Governor General would increase accountability, giving the public a say.
Benefits: An elected Governor General would act as a counterbalance to the prime minister’s power, especially in times of minority governments. This would strengthen democratic governance in Canada.
Key Points on Constitutional Rights and the Governor General's Role (CBC article)
Charter Rights: Not absolute; subject to reasonable legal limits (e.g., the Oakes test).
Peaceful Assembly: Protected under the Charter, but limits exist when assemblies disrupt lawful activities.
Emergencies Act: Does not impose martial law; works within Canadian legal frameworks.
Governor General's Role: Cannot dissolve Parliament or dismiss the Prime Minister without constitutional basis; only acts on Prime Minister’s advice or in rare circumstances.
Nationalistic ideas continue to create hostility between countries and pit them against each other. Even though people feel a strong sense of pride in one’s country, they don’t have to put down the other country simultaneously.
Indigenous Sovereignty
Self-government → making your own cultural, economic, and land decisions (freedom)
INHERENT RIGHTS
Having authority
Rights are given but not met by the Canadian government
It involves changing the mindset of Canadian citizens
Indian Act
Allows for certain privileges but still states restrictions
Introduced residential schools *enough knowledge + involvement to look away
Created reserves (HOLDING PEN → place to put until assimilated)
Indigenous peoples do not own the reserves' land
Renamed individuals with European names (og names related to nature + culture)
CANADIAN GOVT appointed the band council system (electoral)
Restricting Indigenous peoples’ leaving reserves without permission from Indian agents
Not considered citizen post enfranchisement: colonial ideas
Enforced enfranchisement when Indigenous peoples admitted to university
Enfranchisement → becoming a Canadian citizen, leaving reserves
Could expropriate portions of the reserve for public use
Relocation of reserves based on the needs of municipalities
Weren’t allowed to sell stuff off of reserve
Restricted participation in the economy
Forbade first nations from forming political organizations
Prohibited gatherings of 3+ indigenous peoples
Could only meet for ‘approved religious purposes’
UNDRIP
What is UNDRIP: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides a framework for reconciliation, healing and peace, as well as harmonious and cooperative relations based on the principles of justice, democracy, respect for human rights, non-discrimination and good faith.
Groundwork began in 1923-1925 by Haudenosaunee Chief Deskaheh and Māori religious leader T. W. Ratana, who attempted to bring issues of Canada and New Zealand's failure to uphold treaties to the League of Nations, United Nations' precursor.
Attempted to bring failure to uphold treaties to league of nations
Established working group on Indigenous peoples (1982) forming economic and social council (ECOSOC)
Aimed to create overarching document to protect rights/privileges around the world
Went through drafts (1994-2006)
Declaration adopted in 2006, UN took it on and became UNDRIP
Passed by the UN in 2007
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by a majority of 144 states in favor, 4 votes against (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) and 11 abstentions (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Samoa and Ukraine).
4 votes against ( canada included, raises tension / adds nuance to relationship between canadian gov & indigenous peoples )
Endorsed by Canada in November 2010
Canada officially removed objector status in 2016
Given Royal Assent in June 21, 2021
Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States all objector removed status
Implications of UNDRIP —-
The Canadian government “endorsing” UNDRIP while being politically against it and only removed their objector status in 2016
Sends an unsure and flaky message to Indigenous Peoples of Canada as their official cstatus was against upholding UNDRIP yet publicly it was framed differently
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Overall Introduction
Written document recognizing Indigenous struggles and the injustice done by the Canadian government
94 calls to action that are committed to reconciliation for Indigenous peoples
2007-2015 Canadian government provided $72 million for the TRC
Fully implemented in 2015
Created a historical record of the residential school system
In collaboration with Indigenous groups, First Nations, Metis, Inuit
Includes aspects of UNDRIP
Acknowledges the creation of written works with a focus on assimilating Indigenous culture
Significance to Canadian Politics
Change in Relationship between Canadian government and Indigenous government. TRC stresses on a respectful nation-to-nation relationship.
Acknowledgement to historical injustices Indigenous communities experienced: They spent 6 years traveling all over Canada meeting with over 6,500 witnesses to educate the public
Education: embedding indigenous studies and history in curriculum.
Eg. Grade 11 English: Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices,
Amendment of legislative forms: agreements in writing
→94 calls to action, UNDRIP
Context at the time
Existed from 2008 to 2015
Resulted from the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement
Agreement between the federal government and 86 000 indigenous people
Parties to this agreement were those impacted by residential schools, including former students, the Churches involved, the Assembly of First Nations, other Indigenous organizations, and the Government of Canada
The same week as it was established, then prime minister Stephen Harper apologized for the actions of past governments
Made to inform Canadians about what happened in residential schools
Inspired by similar programs in Chile and South Africa
Concluded that the residential school system of Canada amounted to a cultural genocide
How it impacted parties
The liberal party whose leader was elected in 2015 definitely gained popularity from the public once Justin Trudeau became the Prime Minister and in December 2015 accepted the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on behalf of Canada.
Lasting Legacy
Final report from TRC included the 10 Principles for Reconciliation and the 94 Calls to Action
NCTR (national center for truth and reconciliation) was established
Contains over 5 million records of the “truths” of residential schools including experiences of former students and their families for anyone to access
Experiences shared in a respectful, appropriate manner (through interviews, written statements, or public forums)
Safe space to store Indigenous histories
Ensures that we simultaneously do not forget what happened in the past but are also able to decolonize systems through education / information from primary sources
Gives a voice to residential school survivors
Highlighted and addressed the lasting impacts of intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools
EXTENDING IDEAS:
In 2021, the remains of a residential school were found on the borders of a boarding school in British Columbia. They were built to assimilate indigenous people, some stayed but some never returned.
Muriel Betsina, before her death in 2019 talked about her story of survival and healing after a harrowing childhood spent in a residential school.
Representatives of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released their 94 calls to action, some representatives still encounter federal or provincial governments that are effectively looking to deny the existence of Indigenous land, title and rights — This approach is unhelpful to reconciliation.
The TRC has caused great improvements, however there is a lot of work to be done.
There has been a transition where you are a voice with a lived experience, it was made using the gathered statements of indigenous peoples.
“Education got us into this mess, education will get us out” – Link to 62., i. Call to action: “Make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools…mandatory” (pg.11)
Calls to action, six years later:
There are 94 Calls to action, they cover the following
Child Welfare
Newcomers to Canada
Businesses and Reconciliation
Education
Health
Language and Culture
Justice
Reconciliation
Equity for aboriginal people
In Canada, the term Indigenous peoples (or Aboriginal peoples) refers to First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. These are the original inhabitants of the land that is now Canada.
White Paper
Created by Pierre Trudeau
Proposed termination of Indianc Act
Promoted to assimilate indigenous peoples
Policy presented by a white majority
Destroy all previous legal documents (including treaties)
Dissolve department within Indian Affairs
Special rights to Indigenous people not acknowledged
Abolish ‘Indian’ status and culture
Trying to remove discrepancies between Canadians + indigenous peoples
Withdrawn in 1970s → pierre trudeau did not support withdrawal
Hid issue instead of solving it
Autumn Peltier
From Wiiikwemkoong Unceded territory
Anishanaabek
Has been fighting for indigenous water rights since she was 8 yrs old
Shaped by personal experience
Attended Serpent River Reservation and discovered that water was labelled toxic and was told not to drink → learnt not everyone has access to water
Spoken at 200+ events
Appointed Anishanabek Chief Water Commissioner as a teen
Uses traditional teachings to convey
LAST DAY DT
Diplomatic recognition significance
Self governance
Authority of self rights
Inherent rights
TRC (worked to
UNDRIP (recognized identification)
White Papers (tried to suppress sovereignty)
Governments following revolutions
Can help suppress public opinions on government
Create different relationships with countries
Undermine new govt. Authority on an international stage
Criteria for being defined as a state
Own government
Borders (land divisions)
Inherent rights
Equal access to basic necessities of life
Different views on criteria
Suppressors
Materialistic based
Suppressed
Identity-based
The recognition of a country’s political leader by their people does not guarantee international recognition. When a political leader is elected, they are put in that position to address issues within the country, not necessarily the problems with other countries. Even taken as issues, one of the biggest challenges for Indigenous communities is being identified as having their sovereignty. Although there are “things” in the UN such as UNDRIP that work to establish sovereignty, the Indigenous groups in Canada still are underrepresented by not being given practical rights as well as free will on the issues that affect them the most, caused by the Canadian govt.
Diplomatic recognition can increase based on the value of the country and the people within it. There are places around the world where there are natural resources present at an astounding rate. Surprisingly, these countries struggle with sovereignty claims because other countries with increasing military power + international power have taken over those areas based on economic potential.
Communication gap when determining sovereignty
Anne Cools (1943-present)
First black person in the Canadian Senate in 1984
Originally associated with the Liberal party but then crossed to the Conservative party
She was once arrested for participating in a protest
Executive director of one of the first domestic violence shelters
Attempted to win a House of Commons seat by-election
Rep. Rosedale (majorly white community)
The white male candidate won instead
Appointed by the liberal government (Trudeau) to the National Parole board and then to the senate from the governor general
Voted against a bill that came into the Senate for voting (bill C-41)
Anne Cools contributed positively to society by representing a new community on the political stage. She also showed that not everyone needs to align with the thoughts of others as she was the only one to vote against a family custody law bill (Bill C-41) and continued to stand strongly on her opinion despite efforts to pass the bill nonetheless. Even in her earlier years, she continued to act on her beliefs and values by engaging in protests and involving herself within her community (shelters). Anne Cools is a great example of sticking to your beliefs and fighting for them even when everyone seems to be against you.
The best way to increase awareness of Black Canadian political impacts is to recognize them on a public stage and continue to share stories about the lives of people who get to that place (accomplishments and all). Every step makes up a person, and it’s easier to understand a person when you know more about them, details and all. As I learned about Anne Cools, I wondered how many more people are not known for their great accomplishments and I hope through education we can expose the world to the great stories of the political impacts of Black Canadians.
Identity, influence on politics in and relations between various countries and Canada.
Current Challenges
Increased gun violence (facilitated by the USA)
Armed gangs now control around 80% of Port-au-Prince,
kidnappings, sexual assaults, and attacks on schools and hospitals, leading to the displacement of over 700,000 people
Humanitarian Crisis
Approximately 45% of Haiti’s population, or about 5 million people, face acute food insecurity.
much of the country’s food is now imported, making the population even more vulnerable to global price fluctuations
worsened food shortages and led to skyrocketing prices
No belief in elections (18-20% voter involvement in last election)
Being forced into elections by UN when there is no trust of citizens in the system
Current president is corrupt (selling Haiti to the international community + elites)
Canada quiet on human rights violations in Haiti
Canada follows the USA system of involvement
PetroCaribe scandal
Political embezzlement on oil funds
No accountability
IGOs
An IGO is an international organization or institution with membership from at least three states, activities in several states, and members held together by a formal agreement. The Union of international associations, a coordinating body, differentiates between the more than 250 international governmental organizations IGOs), that intergovernmental agreements have established.
IGOs range in size from three members to more than 185, in example, the UN and their geographic representation varies from one world region. They are usually designed to fulfill a certain purpose. An IGO can be both simple and highly complex, based on its tasks.
For example, The World Intellectual Property Organization was made for a single purpose, this makes it a simple IGO.
Mutual agreement, security, trade opportunities, and stronger relationship possibilities, and can give them a stronger voice in the international scheme of things.
For example, the WHO has a voice at the UN, which gives it a stronger voice in managing world health issues (e.g., which cooperations can produce the vaccines, how many, how much, and where).
League of Nations
pre-UN IGO to stop conflict between nations
Associated with creating the Treaty of Versailles
Failed IGO
United Nations
Security Council: only entity whose decision is binding → right to veto decisions
General Assembly: pass resolutions for policies (all UN countries)
Motto → “We believe in a better future”
Purpose
Increase social security
Reduce conflict
Create a forum for dialogue
Keep mutual respect
Challenges being addressed
Human rights violations
Wars and genocides
Climate conflict
Indigenous rights….
Established security council as winners of WW2 (power positions)
Article Read on the UN: Lebanon: Cholera fears for communities uprooted by war
The first case of highly infectious cholera was found in northern Lebanon
Health campaign to vaccinate 350 000 people gets interrupted by recent attacks
Involved the WHO in providing resources to cope with attacks + cholera
23 verified attacks on healthcare that have led to 72 deaths and 43 injuries among health workers and patients.
Those fleeing from violence in the south of Lebanon are already at risk for cholera as it thrives in poor water + sanitary conditions
Gaza Polio Vaccination Drive
For most children displaced by war
Blocked by Israel (nine attempts later → half success)
“The solution to war is not aid but peace”
Canada’s Involvement
Canada has been exporting arms to Israel → causing attacks
However, at the same time are participating in UN + WHO missions to provide aid
Independent not-for-profit organizations at the front lines to help out
UNICEF Canada has used donations to help provide essential medical services
As stated on the governmental website they have provided 56M in funding
Although this article was meant to address the cholera outbreak that has again started in Lebanon, it did tie back to the ongoing war within that geographical area. Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fires since October 2023 but has recently intensified within Lebanese communities. The United Nations along with the World Health Organization has provided vaccination campaigns, medical resources, assistance, and funding throughout the situation. However, these health campaigns have been at the center of attacks more recently and have led to increased casualties instead of success. A piece of information that I found interesting was that Canada is still currently exporting arms to Israel. As much as the Canadian government is attempting to show their commitment to aid by providing funding + assistance, they still do not understand one of the fundamental concepts of this war. This was adressed on October 16, 2024, by the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros. He stated, “The solution to the suffering of people in [Lebanon] is not aid, but peace.” (Tedros) By saying this on a public stage, he brought attention to the cause of the war and the fact that it needs to be stopped. Trying to fix the solution after the problem gets too bad is not the way to address a situation like so, the key to the solution is to be able to stop the avenues that are causing them harm. If Canada is committed to ending the war, it would stop exporting arms and help bring it to a point where the people of Lebanon and Gaza are not suffering anymore.
Ethics of war
Oxymoron: war isn’t ethical lolz
Sociology: study of people and how they interact with each other; society
Liquid Modern Lens: a state of constant change and uncertainty in contemporary society
Centralized State oriented leadership: government involvement
Market forces, non-state actors, political bodies: independent of the government forces, institutions
Effectiveness of war: used as a tool to get things done
Morally war is bad → involves deliberate killing/injuring of people
War is perfect for capitalist economies
Foster growth in military sectors
Creates jobs (employment)
Tends to bring the country together (in the past)
War Ethics
Creation of formal codes of war (Geneva Conventions)
Guiding Questions
Should Canadians be involved in any military action regardless of the reason?
Is it immoral to ignore suffering and injustice in another country?
Is it possible to have a ‘moral war’?
Do we have a moral responsibility to support our troops even if we disagree with the war?
Is war considered a last measure? → how can that be justified as rational
Philosophical schools of war theory
Realism
Inevitable part of humanity
Only individuals can behave ethically/unethically
Concerned with the consequences + outcomes of war
“Anything goes” → no moral way to fight a war
WAR IS AMORAL
War is purely rational, not emotional
EG. (Otto Von Bismarck, Henry Kissinger)
Pacifism
War is always wrong
Peace is good, war is bad
Optimistic View of human nature
Just War theory
Necessary evil
Not good, not bad
Just cause → moral reason to take part in war
Just conduct → means of participating in war
Just after the war → reconstruction + building
Harm =< good
Innocent must never be the target of the war (is it moral that they are still being displaced????)
Globalization
Spread of ideas and ideologies
Global economy + trade
International organizations
Peacekeeping
Military operation/intervention → cannot be neutral
Conflict → peace????
Peacekeeping → peace enforcement
Peace enforcement
Military force to restore peace and security
Peacekeeping
Non-violent restoring of peace + security
Observational (preventing violence)
Diplomacy and Action
Relationships at a political level foster diplomacy
Diplomacy
Conduct of official relations between nations
Negotiation through conversation
Force that defines foreign policy (agenda needed for diplomacy)
The purpose is to strengthen ties between states → advancing interests in change
Multiple types (between nations, provincial, IGO/NGO)
Old Diplomacy
Peace Congress of Hague 1899
Treaty of Versailles
New Diplomacy
Results announced to the public
Less elite, more democracy
Anything past 1920s
Covert: Hidden
Overt: Obvious
Culture is embedded in current and historical events
COWS ARE DIPLOMATIC → Ontario dairy farmers being provincial + national
Smaller IGOs are more efficient
Bigger IGOs can help support
How to Solve the World’s Biggest Problems
Philanthropy: money given to an individual/institution to get something done
Norman Borlaug
Partnered with the Mexican government
Developed disease-resistant crops
Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Funded by philanthropist + government
Huge problems can be solved with investment and cooperation
Philanthropy is one of the tools to bring about improvement (at its best)
Philanthropy does what government + markets can’t do (catalyst for change)
Hidden philanthropic stories
Katherine Mccormick: contraceptive pill
End of cold war funding to deal with nuclear
NGOs roll in international systems
They do what governments fail to do
Bring voice to issues that aren’t brough to discussion at a political level
NGOs work better in previously colonized countries
Have the same mindset of willingness to be malleable (changed)
History repeats (first came in order to provide better for them but then will happen again)
Unsustainable practices introduced by colonization
What inference can you make about the impact of colonialism and colonization and the need for NGOs?
What other problems do you see with the international system ?
Do you see connections to concepts related to global conflict?
What questions do you have about the need for NGO
Environmental effects of colonization
Human civilizations arranged themselves according to environmental things
Egypt has a population close to the nile river
Man made rivers in rotterdam, netherlands
Human Rights
See:
Green circle in the background
Red sky
Big brown lines
Creatures in the foreground
Brown ground
Infer:
Circle → moon, sun
Brown lines → dead tree trunks (deforestation cause collapsed)
Brown floor is cracked → dessert/dried
Melted animals/humans
Looking up to the green circle
Oncoming apocalypse
Combinations of creatures → all one
End of the world
Conclude: Sherry Boyle is displaying the end of our world due to human ignorance and disconnect on climate change issues
Community Art build creates Banner for activism
See:
a creature with a heart in between
Lightning bolts around the creature
Rain coming down
Little drawings in the ground
“No pipeline”, “water is sacred”
Infer:
The human is from an Indigenous group → article
Heart to create a human connection
Based on the pipeline building in Indigenous communities and how it affects water accessibility
The lightning bolt symbolise frustration with water inaccessibility
Community art build
Shows the importance of water for humans and nature
Conclude: The artists displayed the negative effects of the pipeline being built over Indigenous lands by conveying personal stories through an art piece.
Ted Talk: Why Democracy Matters
Snake: trickster
Monkey: fool
Iguana: under-belly business, double-sided, two-faced
Honourable professions → depressing???
Drug-related violence through corrupted govt. (scholars to another)
Democracy respects people + neighbours
Freedom → peace
Prosperity, security
Democracy (elections) doesn’t guarantee an effective civil society → deeply corrupt
EG. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sub-Saharan Africa
Investment in democratization → greater demand for elections
Chosen < elected (say in who governs them)
84% of Britain believes politics is broken
The point of democracy is not that it delivers “success”
Democracy matters because it reflects an idea of equality, liberty, dignity
→ each individual should have an equal say in the country
Overton Window: range between No Govt Ctrl to Full Govt Ctrl
Inside → It is easy for the public to accept them
Outside → The public will not accept them
Changing public ideas → Shift Overton window
Citizens move the Overton window
Politicians detect Overton window and react to it
Why is Fascism so tempting? - Yuval Noah Harari
Fascism: my nation is supreme and I have exclusive obligations towards it (no other cares), denies all identity other than national identity
Nationalism: my nation is unique and I have an obligation toward it
Evil can sometimes be beautiful
Satan's depiction = fascism
Fascism includes holding yourself up to an unrealistic perspective
Data is now the most valuable asset
Dictatorship was said to be inefficient → considering data
Algorithms can replace humans (predict + manipulate)
Can interfere with politics
Democracy is not based on human rationality but on human feelings
Democracy can become an emotional puppet show
“Hack our feelings” → polarize democracy from within
Democracy and Conflict
Democratic peace theory: countries with liberal democratic governments are less likely to go to war than countries governed another way
→ Immanuel Kant, German philosopher
→ Woodrow Wilson, former US president
The theory is based on the fact that declaring war in democratic countries requires citizen support and legislative approval. → requires democratic approval
Critics of the theory argue that merely being democratic may not be the primary reason for peace between democracies. → Industrial Revolution lead to the absence of wars
EVIDENCE: no wars between democratic countries in the 20th century
Strong Democracies = no civil wars
Globalization
World Systems Theory
Importance of the world as a unit instead of individual countries
3 regions
Core countries → Western Europe + US + Canada + Japan + Australia
Strong central govt.
Enough tax
Economically diverse
Independent than outside control
Periphery countries → Latin America + Africa
Depend on only 1 type of economic activity
Low literacy rates
Small upper class
Big inequality
Influenced by core countries + corporations
Semi-periphery → India + Brazil
Not dominant in international trade
Diverse economy
Moving towards core countries
Also can be core countries moving towards the periphery
Forgets about class/culture struggles by focusing on core competencies
Different aspects of labelling developing vs developed countries
Identifies the connections between economic and social disparities within
Modernization theory
All countries follow a similar path
Traditional → modern society (all countries can develop like this)
Social, technological, and political influences to grow a country
Dependency theory
Analyzes Inequalities using world systems theories
Periphery exports to the core because they are integrated as an “undeveloped” country
Unique structures + functions
No opportunity to grow and develop
Dependent on core countries
Many individual countries collaborate to become one global entity, but this hasn’t been deemed positive or negative. Third-world countries are not being integrated and respected as first-world countries. National borders still have strong significance within today’s global society. The world order is constantly changing according to uncertain patterns and many factors, but the outcomes are unknown (Transformational Perspective).
Climate Politics
Climate Justice: benefits/burdens of climate change being distributed among different groups
Why is climate change not an environmental issue?
The main driver of climate change is human action -Wallace Wells
Positive and negative aspects
Canadians are “living in denial” about the climate crisis
Inaction shows thoughts and inability to accept responsibility
Waves of activism by young advocates → is it enough?
Although it becomes nationally known, there is still a failure to kickstart meaningful action to solve the issue
Creating government pressure by citizens
Is UN the solution?
no
Political institutions and their response to this issue make it political
Big collective decisions are made through politics
Goals =/ actions; Paris Agreement
Fault #1: UN is not a binding world government → weak enforcement + no authority
Fault #2: CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE, biggest collective action problem humanity has faced
Environmental lens: climate change will be seen as a narrow problem
Psychology of denial → do not want to accept responsibility, therefore it is denied
SHARED CONCERN = CHANGE (???)
Needs to be on a basis of mixed governmental levels or still will not be able to work properly to find a solution
Political Economy
Canada’s Government money (revenue) comes from…
Taxes
Crown corporations
Interest
Canadian Expenditures
1. Transfer payments: any payments that go directly to people, province
Transfer to persons: senior benefits, EI benefits, children’s benefits
Transfer to provincial + territorial government: supports services (healthcare, education, economic gaps between provinces)
Other transfers: farmer grants, foreign aid, infrastructure
Program Expenses: cost to operate departments
Interest on the Debt: repaying money
National Policy: central economic and political strategy from PM John A Macdonald.
High tariffs on foreign imported goods
Shield Canadian manufacturers from American competition
**Protectionism: government policies that shield domestic production (and producers) from foreign competition OFTEN FURTHER LEADS TO RECESSION
Neoliberalism: political + economic philosophy advocating for free market capitalism, limited government intervention in the economy
Pros
Economic growth: free markets → most efficient way to allocate resources + create wealth
Drives innovation: free businesses → more products developed
Efficiency: direct resources to their most productive uses
Choice: consumers are given a greater variety of products and services
Personal responsibility: individual responsibility for success + failures
Cons
Neglect of either can blow up neoliberalism
Important Terms
GDP per capita: sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy + any taxes not included divided by mid-year population
Trade per capita: economy’s trade of goods or commercial services divided by the population
Poverty rate: ratio of the population whose income falls below the poverty line
Currency exchange rates: value of a nation’s currency in comparison to te currency of another nation/economic zone
Employment rates: the rate at which available labour resources are being used
Inflation Rates: rate of increase in prices over a given period
Recessions: a period of temporary economic decline when trade + industrial activity is reduced (identified by a fall in GDP in two SUCCESSIVE quarters)
Depressions: a sustained period of significant economic decline, the nation’s GDP drops, unemployment rises, consumer confidence suffers
Profiteering: activity of taking unfair advantage of a situation to make a huge profit
Bailout: extending financial support to a company/country facing potential bankruptcy
Antitrust & competition laws: regulate concentration of economic power to prevent price colluding or creating monopolies → keep consumer prices lower, foster innovation through increased competition